Stupid Members!

[lobthewedge]

Just been at a members meeting at my club, co hosted by the SGU (Scottish Golf Union for our Southern Cousins).

It was basically a forum for members to voice their opinions and ideas on how the club should go forward, what with the current challenges facing all/most golf clubs ie the financial climate and flagging memberships. Our club is not in trouble, but for the first time in recent memory we have no waiting list, so this was really the catalyst for calling the meeting and putting some sort of business plan in place for the club to move forward.

All sounds sensible and a good idea so far?

Step forward stupid members.......apparently some of the greatest challenges facing our clubs future are as follows:

the balcony overlooking the 18th is too noisy....the womens toilets can be a bit messy....the showers are too cold....the path between the 3rd green and 4th tee is untidy....the course (while being widely recognised as one of the best in the county) is a bit too hard and doesnt have enough colour on it???WTF???....the trolley shed is too small....the flowerbeds at the entrance are a bit untidy....best til last, the course is not very good in the winter! Are you frickin kidding me? We are 750 ft above sea level in Scotland, of course the course isnt very good in winter!

The whole night ended up a bit of a shambles and in my opinion a much wasted opportunity. Thankfully some good did come from the night. I had a nice pint. I clearly identified the lunatics at our club. I managed to leave without assaulting anyone!

 

[bigslice]

we had the same thing a few weeks back, exactly the same thing happened. BUT that is what was asked. its folks opinions of the good and bad of the club. hopefully like ours most votes for the top 3 bad things were the same when you had to vote. i enjoyed it and can see the bigger picture hopefully more clubs like ours and yours take this on board (not the stupid things) but the need to put in place a proper business plan that will help ensure the clubs growth and sustainability

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Ah the good old members forum.

Most members have ther heads firmly buried in the sand when it comes to the future of the golf club. Yes waiting lists were very common but does any club have a waiting list anymore. I wouldn't say they do.

Most members turn up play 18 have a drink a go home and that's it. No idea how much more work goes in to committees, trying to gain new members and most of all trying to retain members in this climate.

We have just had 2 years of rubbish weather and it does make me laugh when you hear so much critisism from golfers in the area that there course is playing rubbish! What do they expect for the subs. The green keeping departments don't have unlimited budgets. they are doing the best they can.

I agree with you that some members need to wake up and wake up quickly. There have been 4 or 5 courses here that have shut recently.

 

[spawn_ukuk]

So what your saying is your showers are too cold? well that's putting me off your club for sure

To be honest buddy those kinda of members shouldn't be talked about they should be forgotten, because im sure at the meeting you attended there was alot of other people that knew that those members are idiots and will just forget what they said right after the meeting.

 

[NuShooz]

personally, if the path from the 3rd to the 4th is messy, its all over.

cleanliness next to godliness and all that.....:temper:

 

[Foxholer]

The whole night ended up a bit of a shambles and in my opinion a much wasted opportunity. Thankfully some good did come from the night. I had a nice pint. I clearly identified the lunatics at our club. I managed to leave without assaulting anyone!

Think of the positives. They serve a nice pint (many don't). And if those were the things members were concerned about, then there's nothing seriously wrong with the club!

Though being deemed a bit hard with not enough room in the trolley shed would indicate an ageing membership.

 

[JustOne]

The majority of members are just sheep... following blind herders (committee).

Had our 'members meeting' tonight don't even get me started!!! It's quite clear that a bunch of pillocks are in charge at my course.

We have 12 Juniors, in fact only 25 people under the age of 22 at our place, apparently the club is doing all it can - yeh, right!

We have a long par 3 where you have to call the following group to tee off, they are on the tee 240yds away hitting DRIVER at you!!!! They are also above you at the top of the hill so you can't actually see the ball flight to avoid it....

and apparently that's OK

Bloody idiots, couldn't run a bath! I'm very cross right now, and wondering why I even care. There's loads more I don't even want to get started on.

 

[Slab]

The majority of members are just sheep... following blind herders (committee).

Had our 'members meeting' tonight don't even get me started!!! It's quite clear that a bunch of pillocks are in charge at my course.

We have 12 Juniors, in fact only 25 people under the age of 22 at our place, apparently the club is doing all it can - yeh, right!

We have a long par 3 where you have to call the following group to tee off, they are on the tee 240yds away hitting DRIVER at you!!!! They are also above you at the top of the hill so you can't actually see the ball flight to avoid it....

and apparently that's OK

Bloody idiots, couldn't run a bath! I'm very cross right now, and wondering why I even care. There's loads more I don't even want to get started on.

C'mon JO, inquiring minds want to know. Geez the gos! you know you'll feel better...

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Did they do the nine stick post it thingy with writing down the three best, three worst and three things you would like to change.
Great system which generally leaves the members totally stumped when it comes to worst and change but they can easily write down the three best.
Should be on open display at the club for a week and not confined to those who can attend one evening meeting.
Started using that system years ago and you can get some fantastic replies.
At one course the worst thing about the course was dog phoo.

PS For all the folk who think their committee is rubbish why don't you put yourselves up and change things.

 

[DCB]

Our club is not in trouble, but for the first time in recent memory we have no waiting list, so this was really the catalyst for calling the meeting and putting some sort of business plan in place for the club to move forward.

Whilst not yet in trouble, you're on the verge of it. Too many clubs took the same approach a few years ago when their waiting lists emptied. They are now all fighting a rearguard action to stave of serious financial problems.

The next stage is the one that is very important. Hope you have a strong council/committee that will look at the situation and come up with a workable business plan. You need to start building that waiting list again and to implement some serious cost control befor it's too late.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Well said DCB
Witnessed quite a bit of that in the early 1990's when many arrogant clubs thought it would never happen to them [and it did]

 

[Fish]

How many attended in proportion of your membership?

The little time I have been a member of my club (21 months) and listened to the habitual moaners in the bar, of which most, if not all of them, never attend the AGM's or any kind of meeting but are happy to burn the ear of anyone prepared to listen in the bar, have the attitude that, nothing will change anyway and committee's will always do what they want!

I admit to not attending a AGM but from what I've heard, the response you sometimes get to any genuine question you may have, and more so, the manner in which the response is delivered back at you, I'm best staying away from them!

I think most AGM's are possibly attended by ex-captains, ex-committee members, members who want to be a captain or a committee member and of course the captains and committee members of the day with a sprinkling of playing members. Somehow I don't think much will change with that audience as the general feeling from the core membership is that, the nodding dogs will stick together will never change and will dismiss your views and opinions in a flash!

"Change" is a big horrible word for some people or organisations and something they find hard to accept or attempt as they feel its a criticism or failing and as such it far easier to dismiss views and plod along and discuss them at a future date! Sound familiar?

I also accept that committee members are all volunteers and are, essentially, on a hiding to nothing but, they don't help themselves at times with the dismissive attitudes they sometimes display.

 

[bigslice]

How many attended in proportion of your membership?

The little time I have been a member of my club (21 months) and listened to the habitual moaners in the bar, of which most, if not all of them, never attend the AGM's or any kind of meeting but are happy to burn the ear of anyone prepared to listen in the bar, have the attitude that, nothing will change anyway and committee's will always do what they want!

I admit to not attending a AGM but from what I've heard, the response you sometimes get to any genuine question you may have, and more so, the manner in which the response is delivered back at you, I'm best staying away from them!

I think most AGM's are possibly attended by ex-captains, ex-committee members, members who want to be a captain or a committee member and of course the captains and committee members of the day with a sprinkling of playing members. Somehow I don't think much will change with that audience as the general feeling from the core membership is that, the nodding dogs will stick together will never change and will dismiss your views and opinions in a flash!

"Change" is a big horrible word for some people or organisations and something they find hard to accept or attempt as they feel its a criticism or failing and as such it far easier to dismiss views and plod along and discuss them at a future date! Sound familiar?

I also accept that committee members are all volunteers and are, essentially, on a hiding to nothing but, they don't help themselves at times with the dismissive attitudes they sometimes display.

i goto AGM's etc because i care about my club.

 

[One Planer]

We have a long par 3 where you have to call the following group to tee off, they are on the tee 240yds away hitting DRIVER at you!!!! They are also above you at the top of the hill so you can't actually see the ball flight to avoid it....

240. Downhill. Driver

Come on James... Easy 7 iron :thup:

 

[Fish]

i goto AGM's etc because i care about my club.

I care about mine also and will attend the next AGM as I feel I've been there long enough now to have an opinion.

my point is that I don't think enough members attend because they think or believe nothing will change. It's like not liking your meal but telling the waitress that everything is OK only to slag the place off when down the pub or at work! They won't know or have the opportunity to change things if not informed of the general feeling but its a two-way street and have to be seen to listen and acknowledge your opinion/view.

 

[Birchy]

Clubs dont encourage people enough to attend AGM's in my opinion. Its on the fixtures list we get at the beginning of the March each year but thats it. Its not advertised around the club anywhere and nobody explains what its for and what goes on etc to people who may not know.

 

[bigslice]

Clubs dont encourage people enough to attend AGM's in my opinion. Its on the fixtures list we get at the beginning of the March each year but thats it. Its not advertised around the club anywhere and nobody explains what its for and what goes on etc to people who may not know.

if its not advertised around the club, are you positive. try and read your constitution as it should mention it in there. if not ask your committee why they dont advertise it more

 

[DCB]

The OP isn't talking about an AGM or an EGM here, it's a meeting that's part of a series of roadshows that the SGU are putting on to help clubs to identify what their problem areas are and what can be done to get out of that situation.

In reality, the fact that these roadshows are being held is a very scary as it's a reaction to a massive downturn in club membership. There can't be many clubs across the land that don't have membership vacancies or that aren't feeling the squeeze in some other way.

If clubs don't act now, it'll be too late.

 

[One Planer]

I posted something similar a little while back, ragarding our course.

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?56430-Investment-in-your-course

Thing is. Our course isn't looking for additional members.

Our mebership is closed at 350. We have a waiting list of just shy of 50 people. They are improving the course specifically for the benefit of the current members.

Which is one reason I think our comittee do a great job :thup:

Yes there are minor things that could be addressed, but in the grand scheme of things, bearing my previous thread in mind, I'm sure these will be addressed in time.

 

[Birchy]

if its not advertised around the club, are you positive. try and read your constitution as it should mention it in there. if not ask your committee why they dont advertise it more

Thats another thing the committee. I dont even know who is on it, how it works, how i speak to them or anything. The information chain is just crap. Clubs want people to get involved and stuff like that but imo the information doesnt filter down from the top table.

Our club is doing really well from what im told and membership is growing but i think with what weve got we could do even better.