THE FLINDERS GOLF CLUB 2016 - 2021 STRATEGIC PLAN - 20TH MAY 2016
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THE FLINDERS GOLF
CLUB
2016 – 2021 STRATEGIC PLAN
20 TH MAY 2016
This Plan sets out the key objectives of The Flinders Golf Club for the period 2016 to 2021 and identifies the major focus
areas and actions to achieve these objectives.
In doing this, the plan references the key attributes of our Club and to identify what makes the club special in the eyes of
Members and Golfers.
KEY ATTRIBUTES OF THE CLUB
• Friendly, welcoming to members, guests and visiting golfers.
• Eclectic membership, passionate about the course and club.
• Egalitarian.
• Golfers club, golf first and foremost.
• Financially stable.
• Excellent Club Professional and Pro Shop staff.
• Well established Governance and Management Structure and administrative procedures.
• Focus on continuous improvement to deliver excellence.
• Unique location and a true test of golf.
• Beautiful vista’s from the Clubhouse.
• Outstanding views and golf holes.
• One of the true coastal golf courses in Australia.
WHAT MAKES THE FLINDERS GOLF COURSE SPECIAL
• Our proximity to Bass Strait, the tranquillity and remoteness but still relatively close to Melbourne.
• Rewarding layout fully exposed to the varying forces of wind and sea.
• Great golfing topography with a challenge on each hole.
• The exceptional vistas from every hole.
• To score well provides a justified sense of achievement. Even on an ordinary day, the location and the course
provide lasting memories and satisfaction.
This plan will be implemented in a way that maintains and enhances these attributes and qualities.
In terms of the vision for the future it is important that we maintain the basic ethos and character of The Flinders Golf
Club.
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Our club is well regarded by golfers and is one of the true Australian coastal golf courses. We will ensure that we improve
the total golf experience of members and visitors. This includes the member facilities, how we manage and operate the
club and the quality of the course.
In terms of the golf course, it is a coastal course, fully exposed to the conditions and spectacular. It is a true coastal design
and heavily influenced by our founder, David Maxwell, who was a member of Royal Melbourne and the legendary golf
course designer, Dr Alistair MacKenzie, who consulted on the course layout in 1927.
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OUR OVERALL GOAL
“Providing Members, Guests and Fee Paying Golfers with one of Australia’s true coastal golf course experiences.”
Six Key Focus Areas and the prime objective in each, aligned to our overall goal are as follows:
1. PRESENTATION OF COURSE AND ENVIRONS
• Ensure the highest standards of presentation throughout the course and the surrounding environment.
2. WATER SECURITY
• Ensure water security plans are in place to deal with impact of climate change and to achieve our course
improvement goals.
3. COURSE IMPROVEMENTS
• Completion of major improvements and structural changes listed in the detailed course plan.
4. CLUBHOUSE AND AMENITIES
Implement a strategy that ensures that:
1. Members and visitors have priority in the use of the clubhouse and that we continue to
invest in the clubhouse so that it remains a comfortable and welcoming facility with the
appropriate level of service that our members expect.
2. That we look to maximise the revenue available to the Club from the use of the upper floor
of the clubhouse as a venue for Weddings, Conferences and Events while maintaining our
commitment to our Members in regard to their priority in the use in the clubhouse.
5. MEMBERS, CORPORATE PARTNERS AND SOCIAL GOLFERS
• Ensure a healthy and growing membership, broaden the offer to engage with more corporate partners and
expand our market share of visiting golfers through improved marketing and the use of social media such as
Facebook and Instagram to engage with these golfers. Recognise the importance of these areas to the long-
term viability of the Club.
6. FINANCIAL RESOURCING AND CLUB MANAGEMENT
• All major capital works submissions will include a business and economic justification and be completed
within club’s capacity to resource them. This will include identifying and securing affordable and prudent
funding and that the project will continue to build income improvement.
These key focus areas are not isolated from one another. Changes in direction in one area can, and will, have impact on
others. Success in addressing one area will frequently depend upon sound strategies in another. This is particularly true of
areas that impact on the financial operation of the Club. In considering changes, improvements and timing in any area, we
need to also consider the whole.
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PART A.
STRATEGIES FOR THE CLUB AS
A WHOLE
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1. PRESENTATION OF COURSE AND ENVIRONS
“Ensure a high standard of presentation throughout the course and the surrounding environment.”
• CONSISTENT FOCUS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND FINISH
– Appropriate resourcing to progressively improve standards on the course, parklands and clubhouse.
• PLANTING PLAN TO BE CONSISTENT WITH COURSE AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
– The style and nature should reflect the flora of our location as set out in our Vegetation Management
Plan.
• COORDINATED APPROACH TO ALL DESIGN WORK
– Ensuring consistency of approach and flow throughout the course and clubhouse surrounds.
• ENCOURAGE A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILTY BY MEMBERS AND GUESTS FOR COURSE CARE
– Assisting members and guests to understand their responsibility in relation to fixing pitch marks on
greens, bunker raking and filling divots on fairways, tees and the rough.
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• DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE COURSE
– Develop a management system to measure and recognise improved standards of presentation and
conditioning. This will ensure all staff are focused on excellence in execution to plan.
• WORK WITH BASS PARK TRUST AND GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE COURSE AND PARKLAND ENVIRONMENT
– Work to maximise government funding in support of our course and the parkland maintenance and
renewal plans.
2. COURSE IMPROVEMENTS
“Complete the major improvements and structural changes as set out in the 2016 -2021 Course Plan.”
Broad Overview
The objective is to present the golf course to the highest level of consistency that can be attained
utilising the resources provided to the grounds team making allowances for the impact of seasonal
cycles and climate conditions.
The aim is to improve course conditioning and implement change that creates a more sustainable and
efficient course maintenance program. Capital works that result from design and structural changes
shall be minimised.
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Specific area objectives include:
Tees
Level, raise, widen and realign where necessary.
Improve turf quality through the adaptation of a two grass policy.
Bunkers
Introduce design changes so that in the highest incidence the ball rolls to the bunker floor and
eradicate overhanging lips.
Plan design change to ensure bunkers blend with the landscape.
Improve drainage.
Ensure sand depth is maintained consistently across the bunker floor.
Maintain grass height to a consistent level. Last winter, grass was allowed to grow too high
and balls were difficult to find and play.
Reduction of the size and/or number of bunkers to attain efficiencies in course maintenance.
Greens
Improve the profile of greens through a regular sanding program.
Maintain an annual greens renovation through a core removal supplemented by periodic
minor renovations through the use of ninja tines.
Regular vertical draining where removal of cores is limited by climatic conditions.
Regular vertical mowing and grooming.
Surrounds
Minimise spread of Parramatta, Kikuyu and other invasive grass species.
Encourage couch growth adjacent to immediate green surrounds collar.
Renovate and top dress areas where poor turf condition penalises shots close to the line of
play.
Improve irrigation coverage.
Fairways
New or supplementary fairway plantings to be either Winter Green or Santa Ana.
Thatch levels to be controlled through scarifying.
Improve and renovate drainage where necessary.
Lift and renovate depressed drainage lines.
Paths
Renovation / reconstruction to a consistent standard and capable of sustaining heavy cart
traffic.
Paths to be well clear of the playing area wherever possible.
Preference to smooth out areas and eradicating Parramatta grass leading onto fairways
rather than the extension of the path network.
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Plantings
Introduce native grasses.
Continual replacement of vegetation that is dead or in poor health with site specific
indigenous specimens.
Vegetation to be cleared of weedy invasive species and replaced with site specific indigenous
vegetation.
Trim trees and shrubs as appropriate to enhance shot making, improve speed of play and
allow mowers better access thus reducing labour hours on brush cutting.
Rough
Minimise spread of Parramatta grasses, Kikuyu and other invasive grass species.
Encourage couch growth.
Scrape and top dress areas that ‘are adjacent to the normal area of play’ where poor
condition seriously affects shot making.
Maintain the rough to a height that provides a challenge in shot making but does not impede
on speed of play.
Practice Facilities
Relocate and enlarge putting green.
Improve short game, chipping and practice bunker area.
Provide an all year round practice teeing ground surface.
Implement conditions of use and CCTV monitoring to increase safety.
¾ flight range balls to be introduced with scaled marker targets.
Improve practice nets.
Course Furniture
Maintain vegetation around seats to provide better access and improve viewing.
Upgrade of quality.
Minimise use of items such as directional signage, ropes, stakes and hoops.
Course environs
Improve the car park area / surface near the buggy room encouraging more orderly and safer
parking.
Improve the maintenance and securing of drainage pit covers around the course.
Clubhouse gardens to be minimised to reduce labour requirements and water resource.
Rubbish collection to be rationalised and recycling introduced.
Sustainability
Implementation of a couch nursery.
Water Harvest and Sustainability Project.
Improve pump station facility and mainline servicing of the course irrigation.
A detailed hole-by-hole plan is included in Part B.
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3. WATER SECURITY
“To have a great golf course you first need a great water supply.”
In the first instance the Club will undertake an assessment of the following:
Additional Water Supply Access
• Assess the Club’s ability to access the town run off water into Dodd’s Creek from Cove Lane Flinders
and pump this water to the Club. This would be similar in approach to the Kings St run off project.
The assessment will determine the volume of additional water that this project would bring to the
Club in an average rainfall year. The assessment will also include a preliminary indication of costs and
timing.
• Review all existing water bores on the course and determine if they can be of benefit in improving
overall water supply and if so determine an indicative cost to bring this water up to standard for use
on the Course.
• Compare the cost of sourcing the Dodd’s Creek water supply to the cost of buying water over the
next ten years from South East Water.
Water Distribution System
• Assess the current water distribution system and its efficiency in transferring water to all parts of the
course so that overall productivity and efficiency of water usage is improved. A preliminary costing is
to be provided for any improvements.
10 | P a g eDam Storage Capacity
• A review of our overall course water storage capacity will be undertaken based on our current course
water usage plan. The purpose will be to determine if we have adequate storage capacity given
forward forecasts of the impact of climate change.
On receipt of the findings from this review process, the Committee will report back to Members with a detailed action
plan and recommendations for the Club on Water Security.
4. CLUBHOUSE AND AMENITIES
“The provision of a comfortable and amenable clubhouse is second only in importance to the quality of the golf course, in
the minds of members.”
Over the last few years there has been debate about the provision of a ‘Spike” bar on the ground floor level. The primary
purpose of this Spike Bar would be to accommodate Members and Visitors to the Club when a wedding or external
catering event was taking place on the first floor, rather than ask Members and Visitors to relocate at these times to the
Bowling Club.
The Committee is of the view that Members and Visitors should have priority in the Clubhouse and as such the area on the
First floor to the south west of the bi-fold doors will always be available to Members and Visitors and that any external
catering event will be restricted to the area to the north east of the Bi-fold doors during our normal trading hours of
11.00am to 6.00.pm.
11 | P a g eIn this way, we avoid the capital cost for a ‘Spike’ Bar, as Members will no longer be relocated from their Clubhouse.
The Committee feels confident that with the purchase of appropriate catering furniture, the Club will be able to maintain
a strong income stream from weddings and external catering events.
The Committee proposes that progressively over the period of the Strategic Plan, the following refurbishments to the
Clubhouse will be undertaken:
• Refurbish the upstairs Members Bar, Lounge and Dining area
• Upgrade the Members Locker rooms and amenities.
• Improve the entrance to the Clubhouse to create a welcoming space and an area to display our
Major Trophies and acknowledge the winners of our Board Events items of historical memorabilia.
The Committee will also evaluate the refurbishing of the ground floor level to incorporate the Pro Shop in the Clubhouse
precinct.
A full building and maintenance report is being completed and a comprehensive maintenance program for the Clubhouse
is being developed for the plan period.
5. MEMBERS, CORPORATE AND VISITING GOLFERS
“Ensure a healthy and growing membership and grow our share of Corporate and Visiting Golfers.”
12 | P a g eMembership Classes and Fee Structure
• Review Membership categories to ensure that we have the right balance and alignment of benefits
and fee structure to maintain and grow our membership.
• Review the Junior Membership fee structure and assess our ability to attract more young members
through the family connections of current Members.
Corporate Membership
• We have had great success with our Corporate Hole Signage sponsor program and we will look to
expand our range of promotional corporate packages to develop a broader base of partners.
New Web Site and Mobile Application
• Develop a new Club web site and mobile applications to improve connection and communication
with Members, Corporate partners and visiting Golf groups and individual players.
• Develop a marketing plan to expand our share of the visiting social golf club’s and green fee paying
visiting golfers. Use social media such as Facebook and Instagram as key tools in the implementation
of this plan.
• The newly appointed Marketing Coordinator will assist in the management our internal and external
communications.
• Ensure that we continue to improve our Members Services and make the golf experience at The
Flinders Golf Club a positive and memorable one.
6. FINANCIAL RESOURCING AND CLUB MANAGEMENT
“We should aim to fund current expenditures from current income and all capital plans need to be within the Club’s
capacity to fund and resource
1. Set budgets that seek to at least break even over the course of a financial year.
2. Develop a funding plan for completing the major capital works included in this Plan that can be demonstrated
to have an economic benefit and are within the Club’s capacity to resource prudently. Included in our
considerations for the funding plan will be a review of all of the Club’s non-golf related assets including the
vacant residential blocks that the club owns.
3. Investigate and develop the requirements to establish a Foundation Trust to help preserve, develop and
maintain the standards and facilities of the Golf Club and, in particular:
13 | P a g e• To solicit donations and gifts to or for the benefit of the Club from members and from any other
source deemed appropriate to the purposes of the Foundation Trust.
• To encourage bequests, legacies and all forms of deferred gifts.
• To provide financial assistance to the Club for the acquisition of furniture and furnishings for the
Club.
• To augment and assist the Club to achieve its desired program of capital expenditure for the
clubhouse and course.
• To receive, manage and invest the proceeds of the sale of any non-golf assets that the members
agree to sell.
4. Develop appropriate management training programs for key Managers and Staff.
5. Develop a Risk Management Program to minimise risk and protect the Club, its members, guests and all
visitors and the daily operation of the Club. The program will focus on the following key areas:
• Water Security
• Membership Strength
• Financial Management and Data and Information security
• Emergency Response and Evacuation procedures
• Occupational Health and Safety Planning and Implementation
6. Ensure that adequate notice is given each year for upcoming election of Committee members and any
Executive Office Bearer positions. Encourage members to consider standing for Committee and Committee
members for the Executive Office Bearer positions.
14 | P a g ePART B.
THE GOLF COURSE
DETAILED PLAN FOR
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
COURSE PROPER
15 | P a g eHole Description of Works in addition to plantings covered by the Vegetation Plan
1st • Level and renovate lower teeing ground.
• Improve greenside surrounds through the elimination of Parramatta grass.
• Fix machinery entrance on the LHS of fairway.
• Improve exit area to the 2nd tee between the fairway bunkers and the
RHS greenside bunkers.
• Improve quality of rough via the encouragement of couch growth.
2nd • Enlarge and level teeing area to the LHS and realign more towards centre
of fairway to discourage tee shots in the direction of 16th tee.
• Improve areas of rough close to the green surround.
3rd • Rebuild green with drainage and sand profile.
• Allow rough along ditch to become impenetrable to force traffic through
pathway in preference to roping.
• Maintain grass under trees on RHS to a low height and remove low
hanging branches where required.
• Rework path to break up potholes and top dress to timber heights. Widen
access at fairway to enable turf to be laid on alternate sides.
4th • Re-design traffic movements.
• Level and enlarge teeing ground.
• Allow LHS ravine to develop into impenetrable rough.
• Improve quality of fairway turf coverage.
5th • Assess greenside bunkering and the potential to relocate to provide a
more defined entrance to the green.
• Assess practicality of bunkering at the rear of the green.
• Level and enlarge teeing ground.
• Improve quality of RHS rough adjacent to the 14th green.
6th • Rework green levels and contours to sustain more variety of pin
placements.
• Extend fairway area down the slope towards the tees.
• Renovate teeing ground.
7th • Lift turf and renovate drainage lines.
8th • Renovation of lower teeing ground.
• Root barrier along the tree line on the RHS.
• Implement traffic concourse along LHS to reduce wear on narrow green
exit on RHS.
9th • Beautification behind the tee and the 8th green.
• Facelift the area around the shelter and toilet amenity.
10th • Re-distribution of course furniture on the main teeing ground.
• Cypress plantation to the right of the tee to be thinned of broken branches
& existing branches.
11th • Smoothing of the fairway area to the RHS of the Gold tee and forward to
the fairway.
• Construction of a path onto the twelfth tee from the 11th green.
• Grass the long entrance to the bunker closest to the green.
12th • Hard surface the path from the tee to the fairway.
• Re-establish the apron of surround immediately in front of the green.
16 | P a g e13th • Level and realign the teeing ground.
• Removal of selected areas of vegetation along the side of the dam to make
water visible from the tee.
• Re plant new species along RHS to define the fairway edge but leave water
view exposed.
• Control kikuyu in the greenside surrounds.
• Improve irrigation to front entrance.
14th • Reconfigure and improve drainage in and around the RHS greenside
bunker.
• Improve the surrounds apron in front of the green.
15th • Improve RHS fairway bunker drainage.
• Re-align Gold Tee.
• Divert path to service the Gold Tee.
16th • Construction of path on LHS of tee to terminate just beyond Gold tee.
• Adjacent to the tee back mark, establish an area for a seat, sand bin,
rubbish bin and ball washer in the one area.
• Root barrier along the LHS tree line.
17th • Level and raise lower tee area.
• Redesign and improve culvert at rear of the green.
18th • Implement trees and shrubs on RHS of fairway past the current copse and
the practice facility.
• Path from the green to the Pro-Shop.
• Removal of all native grass areas that separate the three teeing grounds.
• Introduction of bunkering on the RHS of the fairway.
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