Members,

Once again, the issue of the “Ladies stealing our Monday booking times” has reared its ugly head, and from the level of vitriol that has been heard, ‘ugly head’ accurately sums up the attitude demonstrated by some.

It must be remembered that the Yarrambat Golf Club are not the sole tenants of what is, in fact, a public golf course. There are over 300 social Belgravia members (who do not belong to either the YGC or the Ladies Club) who pay the same green fees that we do, yet will never get access to the course on  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday mornings, (in those “prime spots”) – not to mention the many full green fee-paying public players – as well as 0730 to 0930 on Mondays – because the two Clubs run their competitions over these periods.

Given we’re playing on a public golf course, that’s a huge outcome for the Club and it communicates Belgravia’s ongoing dedication and enthusiasm for the Club’s ‘presence’ at Yarrambat Park Golf Course.

It is also salient to remember that we do not pay the Council, nor Belgravia, rent, electricity, internet fees or anything else to be granted exclusive rights to the Course. It is through negotiation with Course management, and good will, that we have been able to extend the availability of grouped competition times to our members.

We do have exclusive access to bookings on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings (and Thursday lunchtimes) – many of which are often unfilled. There is not, nor has there historically been, an exclusive Monday ‘block booking’ for YGC members. 

We do not wish to seem ungrateful partners; unreasonably demanding “more please” of Belgravia, and then decrying the Ladies (who again pay the same fees as we do) for the temerity of playing on a public course.  

This time last year, Michael McKay facilitated a meeting with (former YPGC Pro) Brandon Rave, (former YGC President) Gavin Pearce, (YPLGC President) Lois Beavis and Council to discuss the prospect of a small number of ladies playing competition golf on Mondays. There were already a number of YPLGC members playing socially, but they had expressed interest in the competition format.

Michael informed me today that everyone at that meeting supported that idea, and that Gavin had suggested certain conditions be applied.

The conditions were:

• Access to the competition format for (approximately) one Monday of each month, including the ‘Melbourne Cup’ Monday;
• A maximum of 3 groups (but more commonly 2 groups);
• Given these restrictions imposed, a preferred time was offered to YPLGC to compensate.

In consultation with Michael, we proffer the following solutions to the perceived Monday booking ‘overcrowding’:

• Belgravia staff will actively monitor the waiting list on Mondays – adding time slots were necessary to compensate for the YPLGC bookings, particularly on Melbourne Cup Monday – where other YGC members who have the long weekend off add to the issue. (I feel perhaps this is the real crux of the issue – if everyone gets a game then everyone is happy)
• Members need to become familiar with the Yarrambat Park GC Quick18 App (available to download on Google or iTunes) – bookings are generally available between 8:41 and 9:30 or after 9:51 through this App and can then be ‘converted’ to competition time slots by the Pro Shop staff
• Monday is an all-day competition – members can play later in the day should they desire to avoid the rush
• 20 additional timeslots have now been added to Monday 5^th November

As a Club, we need to be mindful that we do share the Course with many others. It is not “our Course” and if any of our members damage our relationship with our hosts through unnecessary or self-entitled bluster, it is very difficult to continually rebuild that relationship or negotiate favourable outcomes.

I respectfully request that if any member has any issue relating to the course, course management or YGC operations, they refer it to the Secretary, so we can have a single point of communication, consolidate and clarify the issue and then deal with them collectively rather than piecemeal. In this way we can continue to build upon the sound relationships we have spent so much time repairing and facilitate the golf that we all want to play.

Further to this message – I will be adding a post outlining considerations for the end of year presentation day in due course. I ask that members do not speculate as to what that may entail – we, the entire YGC Committee, are striving to bring the Club back together as a Club;  not the YGC Sunday Club, or YGC Wednesday Club, or the YGC 5 or 7 day or A, B or C Grade Club  – but as the Yarrambat Golf Club – one club. In unity.

 

Regards,

Stuart Thompson

President YGC

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