castle golf club club 5 year strategic plan plan club - sept 2012.pdf · castle golf club – club...

Castle Golf Club

Club 5 Year Strategic Plan

Castle Golf Club – Club Strategic Plan

Revision Date: December 2011 Page 1

Introduction The Management Committee appointed a Sub-Committee to prepare a Strategic Plan for the Club. The Members of the Sub-Committee appointed were: John M. Bourke, Louise Church, Michael Bollard and John McCormack. The Sub-Committee met on many occasions, examined Strategic Plans of other Golf Clubs and generally researched the matter. John McCormack, in his capacity as President of the Golf Managers Association of Europe, attended a Conference in the USA which looked in detail at, amongst other things, Corporate Governance and Strategic Planning for Golf Clubs. What follows is the result of our research and our considerations. The first question the Sub-Committee asked was “why bother with a Strategic Plan”? The Sub-Committee examined the governance of the Club and its management and, while they found that the Club was being governed and managed to a very high standard, there was an absence of clearly articulated vision for its future. The Sub-Committee concluded that if the Club had no vision for the future, it would be like a man setting out on a journey with no destination in mind, he would never know where he is going and would end up walking in circles; a club with a vision is a club with an objective. The Sub-Committee took the view that the Club had arrived at its current destination as the result of the planning of past Committees and that now was a good time for the current Committee to plan for the future. The Sub-Committee noted that, in the past, many of the Castle 5-year plans were structured around major infrastructure alterations, either on the course or in the clubhouse. The Sub-Committee acknowledges that there are limited funds available for major infrastructural changes at this time, and thus, the future as they see it, is a future that will focus on improving standards with a view to taking the Club to the next level of quality. How do you define quality? How do you measure quality? How can you prepare a Strategic Plan to define the future direction of our Club without talking about major structural alterations? Can you have a Strategic Plan that deals with quality as an aspiration to excellence? The Committee considered the questions and wondered what model they could use as a precedent from which to draft a Strategic Plan that would focus on excellence. The Committee chose to use the model known as “the logical levels of change in business”. The logical levels work through a hierarchy:

Mission and Vision Where do we want to go as a Club?

↓

Identity Who is the Castle Golf Club?

↓

Values and Beliefs What is important to the Members of the Castle Golf Club? ↓

Objectives and Strategies What goals and action plans do we have?



↓

Structures How is our Club organized? ↓

Standards What standards do we aspire to? How do we behave? ↓

Environment Where we play our golf and socialize.

In choosing “the logical levels of change in business” as a model upon which to base the Strategic Plan, the Committee was faced with a challenge. The challenge was to give meaning to concepts that would be familiar to many members but had not been defined in the context of the Castle Golf Club. The Committee was unaware whether or not the Management Committee or the staff had looked at any of these issues in the past. The Committee concluded that if these issues had been looked at, the records were no longer available. The Committee therefore chose to define each of the levels of the hierarchy, as part of the Strategic Plan. A key aspect of the model for change is that a change made at the top of the hierarchy will impact all the levels below it, whereas a change made lower down would not necessarily cause a change higher up, e.g. if the Course Superintendent decided to reduce how often the fairways are cut, it would not necessarily impact on the Club’s values. If we changed the values and decided that it was important to the Castle members that the fairways are cut every day, then it would impact on the course maintenance. We would need more staff, more machinery, and new storage facilities, to allow the staff cope with the extra work load. The Committee, accordingly, decided that if the Strategic Plan was to succeed, they would need to focus on the upper levels of the hierarchy. The Committee chose to define each of the levels of the hierarchy. The Committee believes that the mere definition of these levels will bring about evolutionary change as it would focus the mind of our planners on the direction that the Club is heading towards. It would also focus the minds of the planners on the process to take the Castle to the next level of quality, in its pursuit of excellence. The Committee is currently investigating how it can measure quality. John McCormack and his staff are looking at awards such as “Excellence in People” for our staff, and the “Golf Environment Europe Certification Award” for the maintenance of the course. The staff are keen to pursue these awards, or similar awards as an objective way of measuring the current standards, and to focus on improving those standards. The Committee will report back to the members on the awards we choose to pursue and the steps that the Club will need to take to achieve them. The primary achievement of the first phase of the Strategic Plan has therefore been to come up with a structure that could be used for the Strategic Plan. The Committee has chosen its model, and defined the key aspects of same in the hope that the next Strategic Plan Committee will have a document that defines the vision of our Club, and has the flexibility built into it, that will allow that Committee to continue the journey towards excellence.



The secondary achievement of the first phase of the Strategic Plan has been to examine the Club’s governance structures and to identify what works, what could be improved upon and what needs to be added. The Committee was of the view that the Club’s basic structure is sound. The Committee does see the need for some change to help align the Club’s structures with its mission and identity, e.g. the Management Committee does not propose to increase subscriptions in the short term but, in order to maintain our current quality of standards, the Club needs to maintain income from sources such as green fees and societies. The Committee has noted that the Club has no Marketing/Communications Sub-Committee and has accordingly proposed its introduction. The Committee also noted that the Management Committee is made up of 16 members, and traditionally, all sub-committee work is delegated to those 16 people. The Committee was of the opinion that the operation of Committee meetings can be lengthy to take account of each member’s views. The Committee concluded that the Management Committee would operate more efficiently with fewer members. The Committee also propose that appropriate expertise should be drawn from the general membership to sit on sub-committees. The Committee recognized that it is better to draw in expertise outside of elections, as there are many members who are willing to work on sub-committees, but who would not want to be part of a formal elected committee. The Committee was of the opinion that these proposals fitted in with the Club’s values and beliefs. In concluding this introduction, the Committee hopes it has outlined in sufficient detail the background to its thinking, the reason it has followed a particular model to structure the Strategic Plan, and to outline some of the changes which are envisaged in the first phase of the Strategic Plan. If the Members and the Management Committee approve the Plan, the Committee will start the process for the changing of the Memorandum & Articles of the Club to reflect the vision in the Strategic Plan. John McCormack will continue to investigate the Awards which are most appropriate to take the Club to the next level of quality. The Sub-Committees, such as the Course and the House, will be asked to prepare 5-year plans for the future development of the Club. The plans will reflect the mission, identity, values and beliefs and will target how to improve all aspects of our Club without necessitating major capital expenditure. The Committee hopes that you will approve of the first phase of the Club’s Strategic Plan and that you, the Members, will participate fully in the challenge the Club faces in its pursuit of excellence. Mission/Vision: Our Purpose: Our mission is to provide an exceptional golfing and social experience. Our vision is to provide a course for our Members which is both challenging and enjoyable. Our objective is to be recognized as a top rated course in Ireland and a number one club for friendliness, social conviviality and a place where Members and their friends are made to feel welcome, can relax and enjoy each others company.



Identity: Who We Are : We are a club which has a first class golf course, a professional staff who care to provide an exceptional service to everybody who uses the facility, a Management Committee who want to improve the quality of the facility, and Members who wish to play good golf, to socialize, and to maximize their enjoyment of the facility. Values and Beliefs : What is Important to Us: Castle Golf Club is committed to the core values of:

Enjoyment by Members of a first class golfing facility;

Consultation with Members on all major decisions in an open and transparent manner;

A respectful, friendly and caring attitude towards members, staff and guests;

Embracing change in an innovative and progressive manner while respecting tradition;

Protecting the environment and wildlife;

Honesty and integrity in everything we do;

Integrating with the local community. Castle Golf Club has at its core the following beliefs:

That Castle Golf Club is a first class golfing facility;

That the Management Committee and staff will use every opportunity to improve the facility;

That continuing education and training of our staff is important;

That we can develop our Junior Golfers;

Enjoying social golf and excelling at competitive golf are both important to our Members;

That we can provide the best possible bar/restaurant facilities and social activities for our Members;

That we endeavour to improve the greening of our environment and on our course.

Strategic Objectives:

That the Club becomes a top 50 rated course in Ireland.

That the Club’s values and beliefs, as set out above, are maintained to the satisfaction of its members.

That the Club governance uses the best business models.

Strategy:

Nominate sub-committees to establish the present status of our course and our Club.

Request the sub-committees to prepare a vision for the future of our course and our Club.

Request the sub-committees to prepare a five-year plan to take the Club from its present status to its future vision. The said plan to be prepared in the year 2010.

Seek the approval of the members to the plan and start to implement it in 2011.



Empower the General Manager and his staff to research appropriate awards that will send the Club on its way towards its strategic objectives in the year 2010.

The General Manager and his staff sign up to the awards process in 2010.

The proposals for change in the Club’s governance are hereinafter set out.

If the proposals for changes in the Club’s governance are approved resolutions will be proposed at the AGM in 2010 to amend the Memorandum & Articles of Association of the Club.

Structure : How We Conduct our Business: The current structures of the Club are as follows:

Castle Golf Club Limited, a company limited by Guarantee.

Management Committee (16 people) elected by the Members: o President o Captains o Vice Captains o Honorary Secretary and Treasurer o Committee Members.

Sub Committees o Course o House o Juvenile o Social o Other Sub Committees

Key Staff o General Manager o Course Superintendent o Club Professional o Facilities Manager o Caddymaster o Bar Manager o Restaurant Franchisee

What do we propose to change?

It is proposed that the name “Management Committee” be changed to that of “Board of Directors”.

Reason: The title Management Committee does not fit in with modern corporate governance.



It is proposed that the Board of Directors should be reduced from sixteen people to fourteen, all of whom will be elected as Directors on a rotational basis at the Annual General Meeting as per the Articles of Association.

Reason: It is the view of the Sub-Committee that the size of the current Committee is too big and that the large number does not assist the smooth operation of Board meetings. It is proposed that the Directors would sit on the Sub-Committees listed below. It is proposed that new Sub-Committees be introduced to streamline the work of the Management Committee. The smaller number of Directors will be assigned to Sub-Committees. It is proposed Sub-Committees will recruit members with appropriate expertise to sit on the Sub-Committee so as to involve more members in the running of the Committees. It is envisaged that much of the Board’s work will be carried out by the Sub-Committee who will report to the Board at each meeting.

It is proposed that the Board would delegate its functions in the following manner:

Chairman of the Board/Hon. Secretary It is proposed that the candidate(s) for the position of Chairman as (nominated by the Board of Directors or Members, will be proposed for election as Chairman by the Members at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. The Chairman shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Chairman will chair the Board Meetings and be the liaison officer between the Board and the General Manager on all administrative functions. It is proposed that the Chairman, on the instruction of the Board, shall nominate the Chairman of all sub-committees reporting to the Board. It is proposed the Chairman shall nominate a minimum of one Director from the Board to sit on all sub-committees so as to liaise with the Board. Reason: It is proposed that the Chairman will become the lead elected officer and to transfer most of the administrative functions of the Captains to the Chairman thereby making the Chairman the link with the General Manager. The Committee believes that the Chairman holding office for up to three years will offer greater continuity as the link between the Board and the General Manager than is currently being achieved.

President The President is a Director of the company and exercises supervisory authority for and on behalf of the Members. The President chairs the AGM. The President is appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually and can be re-elected for two years further.

Captains The Captains are Directors of the Company and are the public representatives of the Club. They are currently nominated by the GUI/ILGU and elected by Members and appointed for one year only. Their role is to attend functions (in and out of the



Club) and to represent the Members and the Club. The Captains chair the GUI and ILGU Committees. Reason: The Captains shall have a key role within the Club with their primary responsibility to represent the Members and Club, both internally and externally.

Directors The Directors are elected by the Members at AGM and are appointed for a term of two years. The Directors’ function is to set the policy for the Club and to see that the policy is implemented.

It is proposed to introduce new Sub-Committees and to change the structure of the current Sub-Committees.

The Finance Review Committee/Hon. Treasurer It is proposed that the Chairman shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. This Committee shall incorporate the function of the Treasurer, the Contract Review Committee, Remuneration Review and Setting Budgets. Members appointed to this Committee will have the appropriate financial background. The General Manager shall sit on this Sub-Committee. Reason: The reason for the change is to achieve better administration of the financial responsibilities of the Club and to utilise Members with the appropriate expertise.

The Course Sub-Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman of this Committee shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of the Sub-Committee is to set the policy for the development of the course and liaise with the Course Superintendent in relation to the care and maintenance of the course. The Course Superintendent and the Club Professional will also sit on this Sub-Committee. Reason: To utilise the expertise and energy of Members who have the knowledge to benefit the Club.

The House Sub-Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman of this Committee shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of the Sub-Committee is to set policy for the use of the clubhouse and oversee the care and maintenance of same. The Facilities Manager will sit on this Sub-Committee.



Reason: To utilise the expertise and energy of Members who have the knowledge to benefit the Club.

The Marketing & Communications Sub-Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman of this Committee shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of the Sub-Committee is to set policy for the promotion and marketing of our Club. Members appointed to this committee will have the appropriate marketing background. The General Manager shall sit on this Sub-Committee. Reason: The addition of a Marketing and Communications Sub-Committee was considered to be important to assist the General Manager in examining ways to boost the income of the Club and to improve communication with our members.

The Strategic Planning Sub-Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman of this Sub-Committee shall be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Sub-Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of the Sub-Committee is to see that the Strategic Plan is implemented and reviewed. The General Manager will sit on this Sub-Committee. Reason: The addition of the Strategic Planning Sub-Committee was considered to be important so as to keep the Club focused on its future vision.

The Membership and Club Governance Sub-Committee: The Chairman of this Committee will be appointed for a term of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of this Committee will be to examine our membership structures, voting rights, playing rights, members and all issues pertaining to equality. Reason: It is proposed that this Committee would examine our membership and governance structures and make recommendations to the Board as and when required and keep the Club in line with a changing social environment.

Risk Assessment The Board of Directors has a duty of care to its Members, its staff and to all users of the course and the club facilities. A comprehensive review and analysis of the risks faced by the Board in the governance of the Club is an important issue for our club. As a result of such a review, it would be envisaged that a series of recommendations and procedures to minimise risks will be presented to the Board. Management risk involves having procedures in place to monitor risks. The best available controls should be put in place to deal with risk, and also a decision making process, supported by a framework of risk analysis, and evaluation.



The key issues that the Committee will have to consider are:

o Estimate the likelihood of the risk occurring and assess its impact. o Manage the risk including the following

Divide the risks into financial and non-financial.

Identify the risks and the owner of the risk.

The main areas of risk for consideration by the Committee would include regulatory, projects and finance, membership, claims liability, decision making structures, membership relations and staff HR appraisal, IT, boundary protection and business development. Reason: To analyse the risks to the current and future success of our Club and to leave in place contingency plans to manage the risk.

The GUI Committee: The Chairman is the GUI Captain of the year. The members are elected at the GUI Members AGM and perform the function of administering the playing of golf in the Castle and the organisation of inter club competitions.

The ILGU Committee: The Chairman is the ILGU Captain of the year. The members are elected at the ILGU Members AGM and perform the function of administering the playing of golf in the Castle and the organisation of inter club competitions. It is noted the GUI Committee and the ILGU Committee hold separate AGMs to elect their Committees and elect the Captains. The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee has looked at the idea of running all three AGMs on the same night. It is believed that the members would prefer one AGM. The matter is currently being investigated to see if this would have support and if it could work.

Team Committee: The GUI and ILGU Committees have a team management structure in place to prepare teams, select teams and manage success. It is envisaged that the Teams Committee will formulate a plan to improve the success of our teams to include coaching, training, practice criteria for team selection, expectations for our teams conduct, youth development and to include innovative and creative strategic planning for the further development of our teams.

Good Companions Committee The Good Companions Committee has existed for many years and organises golf for many of our Senior Members. The Good Companions Committee shall look after the needs of its members and shall appoint its own Committee to administer its



affairs. The Chairman shall appoint a member of the Board to sit on the Good Companions Committee and be the Liaison Officer between those members and the Board.

The Juvenile Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman will be appointed for a period of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The function of the Committee is to administer juvenile golf to include competitions, coaching, training and the use of the course and clubhouse facilities by juvenile members. The Junior charter for GUI and ILGU golf is attached hereto. The Club commits itself to honour the terms of the Charter.

The Social Committee: It is proposed that the Chairman will be appointed for a period of one year, reviewable annually but can be re-elected for a further two years. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. In addition, it is proposed that a member of staff will sit on this Sub-Committee.

Other Committees include Father & Son Committee, Pavilion Members Committee, Snooker Committee, Bridge Committee, Charity Day Committee, Boundaries Committee and the Flower Committee.

Are any other changes proposed? Yes, it is proposed that the appropriate Sub-Committees such as the Course, the House,

the Juvenile, be requested to prepare five-year plans for submission to the members for their consideration. The five-year plans will take account of the fact that limited funds are currently available for major structural alterations. The purpose of the five-year plans will be to examine the operation of the Club, the systems we use, the standards we achieve and to see how they can be improved so as to take the Club to the next level of quality.

Key Staff: it is not proposed to make any changes to these structures.

Standards : How We Behave: The following are the standards that the Club aspires to:

The Board to conduct its business: - In a fair, reasonable, transparent and impartial manner. - To allow open discussions on all topics and to seek consensus on all issues. - To treat in confidence everything that is discussed in meeting. - To communicate its decisions to the members in a timely manner.

The staff and Members treat each other in keeping with the values and beliefs of our Club.



The Members treat each other in accordance with the values and beliefs of our Club.

We treat all visitors and guests in the manner in keeping with our values and beliefs.

The Board sets rules and regulations for the conduct of its Members and Members comply with same.

That the Club continues to be proactive, innovative and progressive. Do we propose any changes? The Sub-Committee has taken the opportunity to list the standards that we currently aspire to. It is a fundamental aspiration of the Strategic Plan that we can measure whether or not the Club is living its standards and to improve on those standards where possible.

Environment : The Castle Golf Club: The Castle Golf Club is a golf club situated in Rathfarnham in South County Dublin. It is a facility for the playing of golf and a place where Members can socialise. The Club consists of the following:

The Members There are three distinct categories of members: i) The voting members shall be made up of 7-day, 6-day, 5-day and Honorary

members, all of whom have voting rights in accordance with the Memorandum & Articles of Association of the Club and playing rights in accordance with the Bye-Laws of the Club.

ii) The second category of members shall include junior and juvenile members all

of whom have playing rights on the course in accordance with the Bye-Laws of the Club.

iii) The third category of members shall include social members and pavilion

members who can use the course in accordance with the Bye-Laws of the Club.

The Golf Course: The golf course includes the following: The tees, fairways, rough, greens, bunkers, trees, shrubs, valley course, practice area and putting green.



The Clubhouse: The Clubhouse comprises the ground floor, locker rooms, boardroom and staff offices, the Professional Shop and the Caddy Masters. The upstairs area includes the restaurant, lounge, bar, snooker room and other facilities, the car park, machinery sheds, staff quarters, chemical shed and Artisans Clubhouse.

The Staff: The Club is run by the staff who are the paid employees whose function it is to administer the Club. The General Manager is employed by the Club and appointed by the Board. The General Manager, in turn, appoints all the staff who are responsible and accountable to him/her for their actions. The General Manager is accountable to the Board for his/her actions. The rules and procedures for running the Club are set out in the Club Handbook.

The Artisans: Our Artisan Members are governed by their own rules which conform with the Club’s Strategic Plan and Memorandum & Articles of Association. The Artisans patrol the course boundaries, do maintenance work on the course, as requested, and enjoy the use of the course by agreement with the Board of Directors.

The Equipment: The equipment consists of the machinery which is used for maintenance of our course and includes all the equipment stored in the sheds and used on the course. The equipment also consists of the kitchen equipment, the restaurant tables and chairs, crockery, glasses and cutlery; the tables and chairs in the lounge and bars and the snooker tables.

Administration: The company has a Health and Safety statement. The company complies with Company Law as regards its administration. The company complies with all Employment Law regulations. The General Manager maintains manuals in relation to all Club procedures, Officer manuals and the Clubhouse first aid facilities.

Communications: The Board communicates with the Members through its website, correspondence, telephones, emails, texting, and notice boards. The elections are conducted in accordance with the Companies Act and the Articles of Association of the company. The General Manager has a complaints procedure for Members who have issues in relation to administration of the Club and/or for staff. The Club keeps abreast of all the latest enhancements in communication on the Internet.

Heritage Our heritage is important to our club and we wish to preserve and maintain all buildings, memorabilia and archives so as to honour our past and to remember our beginning.



Community The Castle Golf Club is located in the neighbourhood of Castle Park. The Club has social responsibilities towards its neighbours on all its boundaries and is careful to maintain good relationships with its neighbours. The Club also contributes to the social fabric of the neighbourhood through its involvement with the local schools. The Club recognises the importance of a good communication network. The Castle Golf Club also recognises that it has a responsibility to help less well off sections of society and through its Charity Day event and other items, it seeks to make a contribution to those groups.

Environmental Issues The Castle Golf Club is aware of the need to reduce the release of harmful chemicals into the environment and has a proactive policy towards reducing chemical emissions. The staff use environmentally friendly chemicals on the course. The Club is constantly looking for new ways to improve the protection of our environment.

Member Feedback It is important that we recognise the need to use the best available processes to offer the best type of communication between the Board, the members, the staff and the rest of the community. We commit to using the best available channels of communication to include texting, emailing, web sites, correspondence, telephones and most of all, one-to-one conversations. The Board and the staff welcome all feedback from its members and commits to a proactive approach to the resolution of any issues which arise. The Board also commits to putting in place procedures which allow good communication to take place, recognising that all communication is two-way.

Conclusion: The Strategic Plan Sub-Committee has prepared a plan that sets, as its target, the pursuit of excellence. The Sub-Committee has used a model commonly known as “logical levels of change in business” so as to define the Club’s mission, identity, values and so forth. The mission, identity and values are aspirational in nature but reflect the Sub-Committee’s view of who we are as a Club and what we are about. The Sub-Committee acknowledges the achievements of the past, the quality of the facilities which are currently available to the members and propose to focus on quality for the future as a measure of the excellence the Club wants to be known for. The Sub-Committee recognises that the Club is known as a leader in its field, it is known for being innovative, proactive and progressive. The Sub-Committee hopes that this Strategic Plan will maintain and enhance the reputation of our Club and that we will continue our journey in the pursuit of excellence.

castle golf club club 5 year strategic plan plan club - sept 2012.pdf · castle golf club – club...

Documents