MORE THAN 80 people packed into Coonamble Golf Club on Sunday morning for the Crisis Meeting called by the current Golf Club board.
Thanks to cross-media publicity prior to the meeting all present were well-aware of the purpose of the gathering.
Executive members Mo Jacobs (President), Josh Wrench (Golf Captain), Nick Bush (Treasurer) and Angela Hanigan (Secretary) took the hot seats in front of the crowd to present the harsh financial realities currently facing the Club.
Mr Jacobs said overheads have skyrocketed, including insurance which has almost doubled in the past two years to a cost of $24,000.
As well as insurance costs, climbing power prices have also taken their toll on the Club’s finances.
Mr Jacobs cited two large pumps critical for the Club’s water supply that cost the Club $3000 per year “before we even turn them on.”
The solar panels installed on the Clubhouse roof have assisted but will need to be checked to see if they are performing to capacity and battery storage is needed to maximise the benefit from the investment.
“We just can’t make the money to do the improvements we need to do,” Mr Jacobs said.
“We were close to the point of selling assets or closing the door.”
Treasurer Nick Bush explained that a generous contribution from the coffers of the ‘lady golfers’ and ongoing efforts from volunteer members is keeping the door open for the time being but although no time frame was available the meeting was left in no doubt that this situation could not continue.
The Board members explained a number of the initiatives they had implemented to generate revenue but that the “extremely high overheads versus turnover” was not sustainable.
“We are a very young board and we are trying our best,” Mr Jacobs said. “It’s been a very hard slog.”
The organisation currently has a board of eight which also includes Elle Hanigan, Peter Foodey, Matt Lane and Raymond Happ.
There was plenty of encouragement in the room for the substantial efforts of the board members over recent years.
“We tried member draws and jag the joker but the prize money got up to $4000 and we didn’t get more people in the door,” Josh Wrench said.
The Board have also raised drink prices, player membership, reached a deal with TP catering that has seen them draw larger crowds on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays while also taking on some of the roles of a paid manager. Board members voluntarily staff the bar on Sundays.
The Club have also secured a sponsorship deal with the Coonamble Rams Rugby Union Club, held special events like a Corn Hole Championship, secured a grant to construct the outside deck and spent many hours completing applications which have been unsuccessful.
The Board have resisted a sell-off of the Club’s six poker machines which currently deliver a $40,000 profit and a suggestion that this could be an option at this point was met with a resounding ‘no’.
During discussions about securing some of the drought and infrastructure funding currently on offer, Mayor Ahmad Karanouh said Coonamble Shire Council would “definitely make staff available to help” with future funding submissions.
When asked whether Council would provide more assistance to the Golf Club Mr Karanouh said that they could “not be propping up every committee” but that councillors would consider how they could help further if they received a specific written request.
With the crowd stacked with past and present Board members, social and playing members, experienced business people and members of other clubs and organisations, a number of practical strategies were suggested from the floor to build membership, participation and patronage of the Golf Club in the short term.
Taking up where the RSL Club left off with ‘late-nighters’ for the younger set to enjoy dancing is high on the agenda, along with junior golf programs and visits by sister club Marrickville.
There was clearly a contingent who believed that these strategies would not be sustainable in the longer term and the conversation often revolved around “going cap in hand” to seek help – and a possible merger – with Coonamble Bowling Club which could yield benefits for both organisations.
A show of hands eventually gave the Board members a clear mandate to approach the Bowling Club but many in the room felt that a stand-alone golf club was still a clear possibility if the current ‘hump in the road’ could be manoeuvred past and the Council’s planned bore baths and camping ground on adjoining lands became a reality.
“People really have to face facts,” said Kathy Pickering. “The RSL Club closed without a whimper.”
“If people want to keep their golf club then the members have to step up – and it would be a good start if everyone who hasn’t paid their membership pays up now,” she said.
“People need to come out and patronise the restaurant – the meals are great – and spend some money in the club.”
“If this Golf Club closes I believe it will be gone forever,” Mrs Pickering said. “And people need to ask themselves is this what you want?”
There are already signs of a surge in social memberships in response to the exposure gained from the crisis meeting.
In the meantime, the Board are seeking professional assistance from Golf NSW and ClubsNSW.
