Hope everyone has wintered well despite the continued restraints and inconveniences associated with COVID. With the recent turn in weather the board, committees and department managers have all come out of hibernation in preparation for the upcoming season. I apologize in advance because this is a rather wordy update.
There was one bit of unfinished business from last year and that was conducting the annual general meeting (AGM). Although the decision to postpone was not taken lightly, with Public Health mandating us as a red zone our only real option at the time was to host an online meeting. We determined that the logistics of that were just too daunting so we found ourselves here, looking to host the AGM right before the likely opening of the golf season.
Currently we are rescheduling the AGM for Sunday May 2nd at 1:00pm in the upstairs banquet room. That may sound non-comital but we can’t ignore our reliance on Public Health and the still potentially volatile COVID situation. If further restrictions are imposed on indoor meetings we may need to adjust again but fingers (and toes) are crossed that it will not happen. We are asking however that if you plan to attend to please RSVP by replying to this email. This is to provide us with an estimate of attendees so we can plan appropriately as there are still restrictions for indoor groups. With little effort we can manage through these based on double or even triple the average AGM attendance. The caveat is if we exceed that it will require some additional planning so please, please advise if you plan to attend.
Now some information that people really want to know, the course has wintered extremely well. Tom and his crew have been in, blown off all the greens and removed all the hay used for winterization. Also there is only minimal debris blown down onto the playing surface so the course will quickly be playable once the snow is gone. I have seen all the greens on the front 9 and they are in very good shape and Tom reports that the back 9 is in essentially the same great opening shape. The rebuilt tees were also snow blown to allow the new sod as much time as possible to mature.
Now that the golf course is exposed to the warm weather and sunshine Tom will be focusing his energies on opening the clubhouse. For those that are not aware, starting about 10 years ago, before each Christmas the building is winterized meaning all heat is off and waterlines drained. Although not without some hiccups when reopening in the spring, this maneuver saves us approximately $10k annually in electricity costs.
With the building opening next week we are anticipating the arrival of Director of Golf Chris Learmonth shortly thereafter. Of course he will need to quarantine for 14 days so I ask that you respect this requirement and avoid the temptation of expressing our renowned Miramichi hospitality, at least in person. As speculation builds on what our opening day will be, we commit to keeping everyone up to date on that, Chris’ in person availability and that of the pro shop opening.
For those who are not on the monthly payment plan Patti will resume her duties full time beginning April 12th. She will not be physically in the office that 1st week but the office phone will be forwarded to her cell as she works from home. She will be set up with the debit machine so call her at club number (622-0696) to pay dues or answer any inquiries.
In response to the increased tee time demand the board is implementing a couple of changes that will greatly increase access to the tee sheet. As long as there is demand and sufficient daylight the course will open at 6:30 every morning of the week. Additionally until mid-morning each day we are going to revert to 7-minute tee time intervals. Two seasons ago it was 7-minutes all day but COVID necessitated changes. Now with the influx of new members that might be a bit ambitious but the 1st few hours of the day run pretty smooth so we are going to give it a try. If the pace of play can’t sustain the change we will simply revert back. Hopefully it can because 7-minutes and opening earlier will allow 48 more golfers to play Monday to Friday and 32 more on the weekends.
There were numerous complaints about Chrono Golf last year and they have been heeded. A committee was struck to conduct a root cause analysis, research solutions and if necessary recommend a replacement. The committee presented their concerns directly to Chrono and as fate would have it most of the issues were already resolved and they committed to addressing the others. Long story short we will be using a much improved Chrono Golf program this season.
In conjunction with the improved functionality of Chrono Golf, the tee sheet itself will now be accessible at 8pm three days prior. This means on Monday evening you will be able to book for the Thursday. The belief is more people are “naturally” up and about at 8pm than 6am so this was a logical improvement to make.
Anyone that went into hibernation before the season ended may not yet be aware of some positive late season investments made to the club. The most significant was an extensive tee deck expansion project which will help immensely with the increased traffic on our course. Additionally attached below you can see a picture of our parking lot expansion and the addition of stairs from Mulligans back patio up to the balcony.
I hope everyone still has the same golf enthusiasm witnessed last year and that you see these changes and additions as the improvements we believe they are. Also please remember to reply to this email if you plan on attending the AGM
See you soon
Troy MacDonnell, President