President’s Report – August 2022

It is pleasing to see the weather finally improving this year and our Members being able to enjoy our golf course and hospitality. It has been a challenging few years for all of us with COVID and the extraordinary heavy rainfall events. With the skies clearing and thriving golf membership, the golf club is now in a strong position going forward and completing our Vision and Strategic Plan. I would urge all Members to read this Strategic Plan which is available in our Brochure Library. It contains our goals and plans for the Club, and I am pleased to report that our management team is on track to deliver all the items described.

This is typically a busy time of the year for Committee and management team. Our renewals period begins shortly, golf course maintenance is being planned and there are a few other issues that Committee and membership will need to consider over the coming months. The purpose of this message is to bring Members up to date with some of these topics.

Renewals and Subscription Increase

I am certain that all Members are aware of the current economic reality with increasing cost of living, inflationary pressures and rising fuel costs. Although our Committee and management team are committed to the strict budgetary control of expenses, the forecasts of increasing costs across all aspects of our business cannot be ignored.

Your Committee has therefore agreed to a 5% rise in all subscriptions for the FY2223. This increase is below the current CPI figure, and our renewals notices will be forwarded via email in late August.

If you need to update your email address, please contact Kara Harris via kara@brisbanegolfclub.com.au

Member Survey Outcomes

Recently I reported on the results of our 2022 Member Survey. Since that time the Committee and management team have been working through the results and started making many improvements as requested by our Members.

I also wish to highlight some of the major challenges that the Club faces moving forward and note they were also mentioned by many of our Members in the Survey.

Flood insurance will be very difficult to acquire in the coming years and indeed insurance premiums in general are rising at an exponential rate. I therefore believe it is essential that the Club prioritize flood mitigation works. This will require the building of a new maintenance shed that is flood proof and course works to ease the damage caused by creek flooding. Because our course lies in a dual creek system, I do not believe we will ever totally prevent flooding, but much can be done to reduce the days lost to golf due to heavy rain. We also have the benefit of having 21 holes available when certain holes are unplayable.

Another topic high on our agenda involves our locker rooms and Clubhouse/Garden Room facilities. There is no doubt the locker rooms are in urgent need of an upgrade that is in keeping with a premium golf club. We also believe there are opportunities to improve the popular Garden Room area. This will be a topic that will continue to be discussed with Members over the coming months as we investigate all possibilities.

Finally, the practice fairway and golf shop both require significant modernisation and upgrade and this was a strong theme in the survey. As a premier golf club, I believe our practice fairway deserves to have better conditioning, greens, bunkers and professional teaching facilities. We are also investigating a professional upgrade of our Golf Shop.

I believe it is time for our Club to look closely at the future, and therefore Members will need to share the vision that lifts the Club to the next level of enjoyment and Member experience. All these projects will require significant capital expenditure. I intend to keep Members fully informed of our investigations, planning and opportunities that may arise surrounding these projects.

Yeerongpilly Green

Negotiations are continuing with the Queensland Government regarding the installation of an upgraded sewage line through our driving range. The upgrade is required to support the development of Yeerongpilly Green. Sometime ago the Club submitted its documentation, prepared by Vincents and CBRE, to obtain compensation for these works. These documents are being reviewed by the Queensland Government. Unfortunately, we do not have a timeframe as to when this matter will be finalised.

BGC Foundation

The Committee has been working on the establishment of the BGC Foundation to promote and support the continuing excellence of The Brisbane Golf Club via donations, bequests and the creation of numerous fundraising activities. These types of Foundations are common at elite golf clubs throughout Australia. On this year’s renewal notice Members will have the opportunity to make a tax deductible $50 donation to the BGC Foundation via the Australian Sports Foundation.

New Motorised Carts

We have been advised our 75 new motorised carts with GPS have arrived in Australia and will start to be delivered to the Club at the end of August. These will be a welcome addition. A separate communication in relation to the features of the GPS will be sent to Members in the next couple of weeks. These carts will have Geo-Fencing which will enable our course superintendent to restrict where carts can be driven and hence help us to limit wear and tear on the course. The construction of the hardstand to store the 75 carts has commenced and works on this are ongoing.

New Executive Chef

The Club is excited to welcome a new Executive Chef, Steve Farkas, who commenced in late July 2022. Steve has worked around the world in restaurants and hotels. He has even worked at the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Club in Ireland. I am sure Members will make Steve feel welcome and we all look forward to enjoying his culinary skills.

Member Profile Survey

Two years ago, the Club invited Members to participate in a Member Profile Survey to identify Members who in the future would like to join the Committee or assist the Club with projects. To facilitate this again, we ask Members to click here and complete to the Member Profile Survey so we can learn more about the skills and qualifications we have within our community.

Men’s Pennants

Following another very successful Ladies’ pennant’s season, the Men’s Division one pennant team remains undefeated after the first four matches of the season. With two matches remaining we are well placed to return the flag to the Club. I would like to particularly thank Ash Sturmer, David Raman, Greg Mitchell and all the support crew that are making the season so successful. It is also great to see many Members out on the courses supporting this fantastic group of elite golfers. The weekly reports are on our website and Facebook live updates occur each Sunday morning.It would certainly be an achievement to be at the top of both the Ladies’ and Men’s pennants again. Keep it going Team BGC!!

As mentioned at the start of this update, the Club is quite busy at present and David Mason has also provided some wonderful videos giving details about course works currently underway. I am sure Members have noted the new nursery works to the right of the fairway on Hole 8. This will be a great asset for the course and staff in the years to come.

I will endeavour to continue to update Members about any further developments over the coming months and as always thank all Members for their ongoing support of this great Club.

Happy golfing and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.

Kind regards

Mark Deuble, President