Committee Update August 2024

This message summarises the resolutions and updates discussed at the August Committee meeting. Links to documents and online resources are in bold.

1. Thanks volunteers! The Committee noted the recent work of the Volleys who planted trees along the netting and path to the new driving range.

2. Locker room refurbishment. Work will commence on smartening up the men’s locker room on Tuesday ,17 September. All lockers will need to be emptied by 6.00pm Saturday, 14 September. The work will take approximately 5 weeks. The Members Lounge and Tennyson Room amenities will be available for use. Work on the women’s locker rooms will commence on a date to be confirmed at the end of October or early November. Those works will also take 5 weeks.

3. Course renovations. The necessary eradication of the Poa grass on the greens commences the first week of September. We will see a yellowing of the Poa, during this transition to a full Bermudagrass greens for the warmer months. The course closed from Monday, 16 September to Thursday 19 September. Members will be able to collect golf clubs from storage between 6.00am and 3.00pm each day.

4. Driving range opening. The driving range will open at 2.30pm on Friday, 20 September. Members will be invited to a celebration function on the range which will feature a longest drive competition. On opening of the driving range the 10th and 11th hole will be back in play and hole 3 will be out-of-play for a short period while the Course Superintendent attends to the bare patches on the fairway. A temporary routing will be advised prior to the reopening of the 10th and 11th hole.

5. New Golf Shop. The golf shop construction is proceeding on schedule with the roof likely to be completed in the first week of September. NBN cable issues have been addressed by the contractor. The fit-out specialists have been onsite preparing to commence their work as soon as access is possible. The digital walkthrough model illustrates the shop interior on completion.

6. Modernising the Club Rules. A draft summary of proposed updates to the Club Rules are available for member review and feedback.  The updates include modernised processes and clarifications to streamline election and record keeping processes by using technology. Six new clauses cover legislative changes for Incorporated Associations effective as at 1/7/24. Other updates cover changes to the Incorporated Associations Act since 2022. General updates to definitions, gender, adopting contemporary language and renumbering led to the deletion of two clauses. The updates do not address matters under consideration in the Review of Member Benefits (see May 2024 Committee Update, item 9) . All Members are invited to post comments and questions regarding the proposed rule changes by 15 October and / or attend one of the following information sessions.

Book here 6.00pm – 7.00pm Tuesday, 17 September – Online via MS Teams
Book here 12.00pm – 1.00pm Thursday, 19 September – Online via MS Teams
Book here 5.00pm – 6.00pm Monday, 23 September – Tennyson Room

7. Committee nominations. Nominations for vacating general committee and office bearer roles open in October. Significantly, the Men’s and Women’s Captains finish their term this year. Once the 2025 Committee is in place after the AGM on Wednesday, 11 December, follow on appointments to leadership roles across the Club, such as Vice Captains will occur by 31 January 2025.

The Nominations Panel is assisting the Committee to bring together members with a broad range of backgrounds who, together, lead future direction setting and oversee the management of the club. The panel is reviewing current Committee expertise to identify preferred skills for any new Committee members should vacancies arise in the current election cycle or into next year. The panel is particularly keen to hear from members with financial expertise who are interested in a general committee role, including those of you who have previously expressed interest.

The work of the Nominations Panel does not in any way override the annual election process where all eligible members are welcome to stand for a Club Committee position within the bounds of the Club Rules.

Committee members:
• commit time to the role by preparing for and attending Committee meetings; setting aside personal interests; acting in the best interests of the club; and engaging with at least one sub-committee;
• comply with various legal obligations, including applying for and holding a directors identification number and a Blue Card.

The BGC Corporate Governance Framework includes position descriptions and more Information about expectations associated with Committee roles.

To alert the panel to your interest, please contact myself on 0419721905 or dakember2023@gmail.com or Geoff Moore on 0418722040 or geoffm@brisbanegolfclub.com.au.

8. Bunker Rake Trial. The bunker rake trial has concluded and Rake E was the winner. We will replace the rakes out on course when we have enough to fill each bunker appropriately. This is likely to be when the course re-opens post renovation. See attached photo 1 and photo 2.

9. Fire Ant Safety. A high volume of Fire Ant nests are around the course and are spreading quickly, following the recent rain. The Course team are flagging nests and spot spraying to manage the situation. Please advise our CEO, Geoff Kuehner, at geoff@brisbanegolfclub.com.au about sightings of fire ants on the golf course and garden beds. Please be cautious particularly in the rough and around trees where there may be nests. This issue is ongoing as fire ants spread via Moolabin creek. The Course team are aiming to further improve our ability to control the ants by using baits in the future.

10. Latest news articles: Read all the August news here or on the App feed.

11. Instant news service: Keep up with results and daily news at BGC on Instagram.

Please contact me or our CEO, Geoff Kuehner, at geoff@brisbanegolfclub.com.au or on 0411 412 666 if you have any questions.

Regards

Deb Kember
President
The Brisbane Golf Club