Dear Members,

Wow! What a year!

So much rain! But hopefully we have seen the end of it for a while at least.

The Board of Directors are greatly appreciative and would like to thank members that were able to pay their 2022-2023 fees early to assist the club and course. This period was difficult for members, due to the wet weather and COVID, where expenses were continually climbing and costs on the course were spiraling upwards i.e., fuel costs (25%), chemical costs (18%), wages (5.6%) and delivery costs (12%). The Board of Directors had to examine ways of increasing revenues, with the understanding that membership is a discretionary expense for most golfers. 

Consulting with the Golf Management Committee (GMC) and Richmond Group Management Team, the Richmond Club Board of Directors were able to take on recommendations from the GMC, regarding increasing revenues. After careful consideration, it has been decided that there will be an increase in Membership fees commencing 1st July 2023/2024. A 7-day membership will become $1250 per annum which will be an increase of approx.11.5%. This increase will apply to all other membership categories and will not impact the current year’s membership. This increase will also apply to Pro rata fees commencing January 2023.

 The Board of Directors has previously resisted charging a fee on privately owned carts coming onto our Course. However, after careful consideration, a decision has been reached to implement a fee for members and visitors using private carts on the course.  It has been determined that an annual fee of $500 per Private cart or $250 per mobility scooter/ Trike and or ‘user pays’ fee of $5 for carts and $2.50 for Scooters/Trikes (single person carriage) will be charged to the maximum.  Richmond Golf Club is one of the only courses in the immediate area that hasn’t implemented a private cart/scooter fee. There are over 30 private carts being used currently on the course and this practice is increasing, depriving Richmond Golf Club of an income stream.  This also impacts on the Proshop business enterprise.

This levy will commence in January 2023.

The presentation of the course has always been paramount in the eyes of the Richmond Club Board of Directors. The group has continued to invest in the course with the dam walls near the 9^th tee, ECO bunkering the left-hand bunker on the 9^th green, completed this year. Another ECO bunker will be completed in 2023. The Board had also approved 10 new golf carts in 2022 but due to increased costs and lengthy delays on importing the carts, only the first 3 of 10 carts were delivered in December and the remaining 7 will be delivered by early February.

Many thanks for your understanding with these difficult decisions.

Wishing everyone a Merry and safe Christmas and New Year with your family and friends!

Kind Regards

Kimberley Talbot

Group CEO

 

---

Back to previous page