2022-2023 Portarlington Golf Club Annual Report

Portarlington Golf Club Inc.

Registered Office: 130 Hood Road, Portarlington, 3223

ABN: 93 538 383 693

The Portarlington Golf Club Inc. is incorporated in Victoria under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

The primary objective and principal activity for which the Portarlington Golf Club Inc. was formed is:

To provide a golf course, greens, clubhouse and all things incidental to the playing of golf for its members.

ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS

Features

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Port soars in rankings

Community funding hits the spot

Juniors carve their own history

CAPTAIN’S REPORT

Pro-am becomes legendary

Rocking the Port catwalk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

Carnival back in full swing

Melbourne Cup pays us a visit

The day the rains came

TREASURER’S REPORT

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our club in the news

Where golf and friendship come together.

OFFICE BEARERS

President: Mr John W Bowman

Hon. Secretary: Mrs Janice Cogger

Hon. Treasurer: Mr Peter Solohub

Director: Mr Peter Vogel

Director: Mrs Jenny Edmanson

Director: Mr William Reid

Director: Mr Geoff Holland

Director: Mr Ian Assender

Chief Executive Officer: Mr Michael Phillips Captain: Mrs Angela Royal

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

JOHN W. BOWMAN

This year has been a year of great progress at our wonderful club.

Much of this success has been obvious, yet other changes, while largely unnoticed, will become the cornerstones for our success into the future. Firstly, I want to commend wholeheartedly the excellent financial result you will see in the accompanying documents.

It’s a credit to the stewardship of not only the chief executive and his team, but to the finance committee headed by treasurer Peter Solohub. Peter will soon provide the details, which are a credit to his savvy advice. His recommendations to the board have enabled us to enact several strategic decisions to help secure our club’s future. On behalf of us all, thank you, Peter. For any organisation to succeed and grow, there must be robust plans developed and acted upon.

As a board we have focussed on mapping our road to the future and we now have in place strategic plans for incoming directors and our golf members to clearly view this path.

When I accepted the role of president, this was my key mission. I saw the need for a strategic plan that encompassed our business, a long-term plan for the future enhancement of our golf course and a master plan for the optimal use of our clubhouse. The club’s Strategic Plan, adopted in 2021, laid out a large number of goals across seven key pillars that sit beneath our over-arching purpose as a club: Where golf and friendship come together. I’m pleased to say that in the past two years, we’ve made enormous strides towards implementation of many of these goals.

Our members have enjoyed an array of social events; we’ve enabled different teeing ground options on course for both social and competition play; the women’s introduction to golf programs have thrived; and we will soon introduce an enhanced induction program to support new members.

In a difficult industrial environment often out of our control, we have made improvements to the way our administration and service teams are structured to better suit evolving needs, both for members and in a regulatory sense.

The club’s governance has taken a quantum leap forward to meet new legal guidelines, but also to reflect our changing societal expectations. Our recently revised club constitution, powered by the indefatigable Jan Cogger, is testament to the inclusive nature of the process that involved so many members’ input to achieve a more relevant and modern document.

In terms of sustainability, works have been completed on our solar panel project, made even more financially attractive by our successful application for a $50,000 government grant. Work will soon start to investigate the viability of electric vehicle charging stations. And it has already spread to include many aspects of our on-course activities.

The tireless Steve Burchett and his team are constantly improving our waterways, removing introduced species in favour of native flora (which in turn attracts native birdlife, etc). And we recently took possession of the club’s first electric mower which not only slashes noise output for our groundstaff and the club’s neighbours, but will decrease our footprint by using less fossil fuel. Our website functionality continues to expand and modernise; our social media engagement has grown by more than 30 per cent in the past two years and a large-scale project to rationalise our own database is ongoing.

In a time of many and regularly changing news mediums, the club is doing its utmost to service as many needs as possible, all while ensuring privacy needs are met and triple-handling of information is minimised.

We are constantly reviewing the perception of our club in wider media and are in the throes of

ensuring as a matter of course that all advertising is analysed for its impact, rather than the long-held mantra of “that’s just what we’ve always done”. In doing so, we’ve strengthened our ties with the media that helps us and most impacts our membership and partners.

We have become the driving force of a new group named Golf The Bellarine, a collection of six Bellarine-based clubs that have banded together to ensure our region becomes a competitive choice for domestic and international golf travellers. The group will then lever the world-class courses on our doorstep to be the basis of greater length of stay and expenditure by all visitors at tourism partners around the Bellarine. This is a ground-breaking project that will ensure we finally receive a share of the state’s promotional golf tourism budget. It’s the brainchild of our business development manager Mark Hayes and he’s the group’s inaugural president.

We have strengthened our ties with local community groups and sporting clubs, most notably with the Community Bank, Port Phillip Ferries and the Portarlington Football and Netball Club, among many others. The strategic bonds among these groups in particular has a strong emphasis on making our town and community stronger and healthier into the future. These are just some of the pillars being actively followed within our strategy. But perhaps the one of greatest interest to most comes under the umbrella of course enhancement.

In addition to the matters already raised around environmental improvements, the club has undertaken and/or completed an extraordinary array of projects. Steve and his team, which we’ve managed to expand in the past couple of years, have produced a course that’s the envy of almost all and widely lauded, even by seasoned internationally touring professionals. And for the first time, the Portarlington Golf Club was listed among Golf Australia Magazine’s top 100 public access courses, making its debut at an extraordinary high of #63.

We’ve removed the old bridge near the 18th green

for safety and environmental reasons, making huge aesthetic changes to the rough in that area.

The surrounds of the first tee block are dramatically changed, including the new-look area featuring signage, sand bins and new sand buckets, another sponsored initiative showcasing a great club partner in Coastyle.

Bunkers around the course have been shaped to improve playability, maintenance and aesthetics, most recently on the front left bunker on the 17th. During the year we had a few large tree limbs come down, and while we are on a constant program around tree safety, it certainly provided the impetus for some more proactive work, most notably on the 14th and 6th fairways. In addition, we removed a large tree near the tee blocks of the 9th and 11th holes. This enabled us to erect a net to better separate the fairways and improve safety for all players.

And after it was originally considered a key action from a members’ forum, many iterations of the new toilet block have been considered and we will soon see the product of those requests.

Among all the changes and tweaks, however, arguably the most important is all the time and effort that has gone into a course master plan. The result of many months work, it will soon be the road map for the next 10-20 years.

And finally, the other area of great importance to all members is our clubhouse. While it has undoubtedly been one of our greatest assets since it was first constructed, it has had additions built in an occasionally ad hoc manner.

In starting to develop a clubhouse master plan, we will continue to emphasise future usage requirements as a basis for all decisions. I think you’ll agree that the recently opened reception and gaming bar and cashier areas are a credit to the club and while they were originally borne of statutory obligations, provide an eye-catching glimpse into how our future home might appear.

I appreciate that all of you have a passion for the club and trust that you understand all decisions made by your board are reasoned to have been made in the broader interests of the club’s future.

BOARD MEMBERS AS AT 30 JUNE 2023

Attendance of directors at board meetings – July 2022 to June 2023

J Bowman (President) - 12/12

J Cogger (Hon. Secretary) - 12/12

P Solohub (Hon. Treasurer) - 12/12

G Holland (Director) - 9/12

Note: I Assender was elected as director on 23/10/22

P Vogel (Director) - 12/12

J Edmanson (Director) - 10/12

W Reid (Director) -11/12

I Assender (Director) -8/9

SUB-COMMITTEES AS AT 30 JUNE 2023

P Solohub (chair)

J Cogger

FINANCE COMMITTEE

M Phillips (CEO)

W Reid

GOLF COMMITTEE

J Bowman

D Morrison (finance mgr)

A Royal (captain, chair)

S Rodwell

D Utt

M Milne (golf professional)

J McGrath (vice-captain)

L Kirby

B Doyle

A Foott

Y Pollock

M Marles

COURSE ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE

J Edmanson (chair)

A Royal

S Burchett (superintendent)

M Phillips (CEO)

G Holland

P Vogel

M Milne (golf professional)

CLUB MASTERPLAN COMMITTEE

G Holland (chair)

J Edmanson

M Phillips (CEO)

D Morrison (finance mgr)

P Vogel

Note: The club’s president is an ex-officio member of all sub-committees

Up where we belong

The Portarlington Golf Club received “incredible” national recognition of its ongoing course improvements this year.

Golf Australia Magazine published its biennial rankings of the nation’s top 100 publicaccess courses, with Portarlington making its debut at No.63.

Portarlington chief executive Michael Phillips said to receive such positive news was a great fillip for the hard work everyone at the club had contributed. “It’s an incredible result – a massive reward for all, but particularly as recognition for superintendent Steve Burchett and his team,” Phillips said. “You occasionally see clubs make high-ranking debuts on

lists such as these, but almost always those rewards are given to new clubs and not to longstanding ones. So to make our debut at No.63 is phenomenal.

“I think members have known of the sensational condition in which our course is routinely turned out, but we’re starting to get wider recognition now, too.

GA Magazine editor and rankings panel boss Brendan James was effusive in his praise of the course’s condition.

“Once you have picked your jaw off the floor over the quality of the fairways and greens, take a closer look at the design as there are some seriously good holes here,” James said.

HELP WHERE IT’S

If Food Assist 3223 was a “normal” business, its owners would be thrilled.

Cyclic, almost exponential expansion, a great community reputation and waves of good will are all part of why Food Assist 3223 has rapidly become an integral part of Portarlington and surrounds.

But it’s not a “normal” business. It’s a food bank that operates to support disadvantaged people within our community and – sadly –that clientele is expanding rapidly. Rather than shy from the logistical problems that such growing demand places on limited resources, let alone its purely volunteer staff, the committee of Food Assist 3223 is doing its utmost to stay ahead of the curve. And just like a meal for one of its clients, the key thing for that committee is to find security in being able to plan and build a future.

Which is precisely where the Portarlington Golf Club and its Community Contribution Fund enters the conversation.

President Prue Drever and her team did the maths and figured that a $3500 grant would provide the base required to provide food for the remainder of 2023, particularly through the highdemand winter months.

But so compelling was the case they presented, PGC broke with tradition and doubled the request, sending $7000 to what chief executive Michael Phillips described as “an incredibly important organisation to the wellbeing and comradeship of our entire community”.

The Portarlington Golf club has given charitable support of more than $125,000 in the past four financial years, including more than $30,000 specifically via its Community Contribution Fund.

The CFF was established to support not-for-profit community or sporting organisations to make positive improvements that will, in turn, benefit the wider community.

Here are a few examples of our reach in the past year ...

“We’re not in the habit of giving more money than is requested, but the work Food Assist 3223 does around Port, Indented Head and St Leonards is nothing short of remarkable and they deserve our full support,” Phillips said.

“So we’re proud and delighted to be able to play a small part in helping Prue’s team continue to deliver a service we collectively wish wasn’t needed, but that has become critical to so many.”

news of the grant.

“We send a really huge `thank you’ to the golf club and its members for the support – to get double what we asked is an enormous boost for us all,” she said.

“It’s a huge thing for us because it gives us security. We’re entirely run by volunteers and get no government funding, so we rely exclusively on community support.

Drever said her committee and volunteers were overjoyed by

TRULY NEEDED

The surge in interest in women’s sport has underlined the need for more resources to be made available to girls and young women In the past three years, the number of girls playing junior cricket at the Wallington Cricket Club has gone from zero to a phenomenal 32; in two years, the number of senior women has gone from zero to 26. “So from nothing to where we are now in such a hurry has put a strain on our existing resources,” president Marc Occhipinti said.. “Not to mention the requirements for additional skills and facilities to

What

The club has been the Geelong Little Athletics Centre’s best in four of the past eight years. But for a club based in a shed on the edge of the Drysdale Primary School oval, there had been nowhere to show off all the silverware - until now!

The Portarlington Golf Club met its $450 request to build a new trophy cabinet that can show off the club’s proud past.

“A grant of this size enables us to provide food for so many, but also to actually think about planning for what’s 12 months ahead. It also means we can focus on the core job rather than running around and trying to fund everything as we go. “This is like winning Tattslotto for us - it’s amazing, we’re so grateful.” More than 40 volunteers staff the Food Assist 3223 programs, based at the St Andrew’s Uniting Church Hall in Newcombe Street.

ensure we’re doing all we can to encourage them to be their best.” To that end, Portarlington Golf Club granted the Wallington women’s division $3500.

The club has appointed a women’s coach and women’s co-ordinator for the upcoming season and will also use the funding to help cover the costs of equipment.

“Our role is to recruit young athletes and provide training for them to compete,” president Kirsty Brown said.

According to a Foodbank Australia Hunger Report, more than 2 million households experienced “severe food insecurity” in 2022. Sadly, that figure is mirrored in our own community and in 2022-23, visits to Food Assist 3223 rose a staggering 43 per cent.

““Some people are ashamed and really hate asking for that help, so we ask that people realise it’s OK and that we have some really friendly and wonderful volunteers

“When the kids can see they can succeed at our club, it will definitely help us to inspire future generations.”

who make no judgement on anyone at all. They’re here to help and know that it’s just a part of life these days, as different as it is.”

Phillips said it was the club’s duty to assist others “whenever we can”.

“It’s hard to think of a more important and worthy recipient than Food Assist 3223 and we ask that all who can help them out do so whenever they can, especially with the volunteer support on which it relies.”

the Peninsula Little Athletics Club lacks in profile it more than compensates by way of achievement.

Young guns take wild ride to glory

Forget Caddy Shack, the Portarlington junior pennant team is golf’s true “Cinderella story”.

From out of nowhere, a bunch of mates who hadn’t played a match of pennant between them became the Ford Cup champions of the SWGA region, joining the 2010 team for only Port’s second victory in 54 editions of the cup.

The story had its final crazy chapter written when Will English took his turn as hero, coming from 4down with six holes to play to snare the winning point on the final hole with a nett birdie.

Will gave Portarlington its winning third point, the key moment in a spirited yet polite battle with Curlewis, eventually winning 3.5-1.5 on the opponent’s home course.

The team – Will, Cooper McMurrich, Solomon Harvey, Buckley Hickey, Jackson McGrath and Ethan Hughes, who nobly took his turn to sit out in the final in his stride – and their jubilant supporters knew the winning point had been claimed. But they politely delayed celebrations until Jackson halved the final match in another great finish.

“It really was an enormous achievement by the boys,” said team manager and dual club champ Angela Foott.

“They’ve got a way about them in terms of winning, that’s for sure.

“But they generally just showed what you can do when you’re having fun and enjoying yourself.

“Plus the way they escaped trouble during the season was unbelievable.”

After a wash-out in Round 1 forced Port to share the points with Barwon Valley, there was no wriggle room in a short season.

But a handy win against Clifton Springs was followed by two remarkable comeback wins against 13th Beach and Geelong to raise the Trevenen Shield to advance to face Curlewis in the big dance. In those matches, Buckley was the hero, twice winning on the 18th hole having trailed late. But on Sunday, it was Will’s turn to shine under pressure.

Associate professional and coach Max Edmanson, himself a part of a Portarlington Trevenen Shield winning team eight years ago, said the bond his charges had was a key reason for the triumph. “They had a really good spirit as a team – they became closer during the season and really supported each other,” Edmanson said.

“I’m not sure how they did it each week when they were trailing, but they just found a way to hang in and get the job done.

“The club should be really proud of them – they’ve all got a sense of determination and resilience which is pretty cool.”

CAPTAIN’S REPORT

ANGELA ROYAL

A full year for many with not only social and competition golf, but the club fielding teams in pennant, bowls and salver events. We also played host to all these formats, plus clinics and other district events, not to mention our fabulous Carnival of Golf.

We fielded nine pennant teams – four for women on Friday, two for men on Sunday, two for veterans and one for juniors.

Our senior teams produced some solid results with improvements on last year and a couple of our women’s teams narrowly missing the big prize. But our stand-out was the junior team. A group of mates came together with little practice or experience, yet they pulled off an amazing feat by winning their division and its Trevenen Shield. The district final was away to host Curlewis, but the team shone again and brought home the Ford Cup as well. Needless to say, they are all keen to take it on again this year.

Congratulations to 2022 club champions Andrew Wootten and Alicia Clark, and to our junior champion, Solomon Harvey. Once again, it was great to see the players supported both on course and in the View Room for presentations.

The singles Knockout events for men and women were fully subscribed and produced some great

competitions. Our worthy winners were Jen Edmanson and Trung Truong. The club wholeheartedly thanks Donna Utt and Sean Rodwell for organising these exciting events. The golf committee welcomed two new members –Matt Marles and Yvette Pollock joined a group of club members who volunteer their time and give generously to the club. Many thanks to all for their contributions and particularly to thank Norma Vogel and Gary Thompson for their support. We are already blessed with a magnificent golf course and yet somehow our groundstaff manage to keep raising the standard with ongoing improvements. A huge “thank you” to Steve Burchett and his crew.

I would also like to thank the clubhouse staff for their support and co-operation with the running of our various events and Mark Hayes has kept us updated and amused with his wonderful stories and reports – don’t forget to read them!

Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank all in the pro shop for their assistance. Matt Milne provides me with an endless source of information and guidance.

I thank all players for their support and input this year. We have an amazing club with a great spirit and it is a pleasure to be a part of it. Good golfing to all.

Key club event winners - 2022-23

Club Championships Men

A Grade - Andrew Wootten

B Grade - Dennis Wood

C Grade - Rex Johnson

D Grade - Lloyd Shepherd

Veterans – Murray Weiley

Juniors – Solomon Harvey Women

A Grade - Alicia Clark

B Grade - Judy Buck

C Grade - Marg Mascoll

Veterans - Angela Royal

Matchplay Men

Trung Truong

Matchplay Women

Jenny Edmanson

Mixed Foursomes

Bill Reid and Jeanette Johnson

Men’s Foursomes

Rex Johnson and Eddie Legg

Medallists of the year Men

John Hill Women

Meg Pratt

Arch Baker Mixed

Ken Hughes and Angela Royal

Taffy and Jean Carpenter Trophy

Dale Pollock and Yvette Pollock

Hemsworth Trophy

Rod Allen and Nipper Dodds

Neville Richards Premier League Pigdon Street Pirates

DAY FOR LEGENDS

SKINS GAME A WINNER

Hundreds of people turned out to watch a revival of the old Skins Game on the eve of the Pro-Am.

Local hero Matt Milne took on four of Australia’s most decorated touring pros in Mike Harwood, Peter Fowler, Andre Stolz and Glenn Joyner. Sadly for his adoring fans, Matt couldn’t get his hands on any skins, but it didn’t stop the big crowd’s enjoyment of a brilliant afternoon.

A series of long putts won the lead-up skins, but Harwood took home the most cash for the day when his nearest-the-pin pitch on the jackpot closing hole finished closest.

TURNS LEGENDARY

Portarlington Golf Club won top gong for its Legends Tour pro-am event at the 2022 Victorian Golf Industry awards.

Chief executive Michael Phillips accepted the award on behalf of the club, voted by the PGA of Australia’s Legends Tour pros as the best in the state in its first time on their schedule.

Former Open Championship runner-up Mike Harwood fired a 64 to edge Australian Open champ Peter Fowler by a stroke, with both legendary pros raving about the course’s presentation. The second edition of the event, presented by naming rights partner Barwon Cleaning Supplies, was held in 2023 and another great day’s golf ended with a tie between former US PGA Tour player Andre Stolz and one of the Legends Tour’s most prolific winners, Terry Price.

“It was brilliant for us to have this event acknowledged with an award voted on by professionals who have seen a lot of golf in a lot of places in their distinguished careers,” Phillips said.

“And it really showed how much the Port community can unite behind a great event and I’m really proud of what we achieved together.”

Phillips paid tribute to the sponsors, staff and volunteers who brought the event to life.

“I think from the coffee and breakfast we were treated to at dawn through to the presentations of all the big prizes – and the quirky ones – everyone who came to the club had a great time and that’s precisely what we’re all about.”

Kaelyn Radford and Max Edmanson show off the big prize.

Mike Harwood (left) won in 2022, then Andre Stolz and Terry Price in 2023.

Models rock Port catwalk

The models shone, Bellarine fashion rocked – and a good time was had by all!

A full house in the View Room was treated to a wonderful night as four local fashion houses - Just Next Door, Kouture by the Sea, Montana’s Fashion and Accessories and Kita Ku - combined forces for Port’s first catwalk parade. Event organiser and host Sonja Di Pietro, manager at Stockdale & Leggo Bellarine, said the night was a winner for many reasons.

“The stores and their teams should be really proud of the effort they put into showcasing their wares, especially to a sellout crowd at our first attempt,” Sonja said.

“It was a great opportunity for a predominantly female audience to have a night out together and I think it was really well received.

“And I am delighted to let everyone who came along know that we managed to raise $2300 for the Epworth Hospital’s women’s health programs – a great cause dear to many of our hearts.

“The feedback we had from participants and crowd was extremely positive and I hope to continue to achieve wonderful things together as a community.

“The way the models strutted their stuff along the red carpet was so much fun and I really think the audience loved their enthusiasm and willingness to have a good time.”

Stockdale and Leggo Bellarine director Daniel Lamanna paid tribute to Sonja’s efforts.

“She’s a great representative in our community and you can see her passion to bring people together really shine through on nights like that,” Daniel said.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

I am thrilled to be part of the most significant financial performance the club has seen in its history. Through strong strategic direction from your board and the hard work of an amazingly dedicated team of staff, Portarlington has become the golf club of choice for many as we emerge from the uncertainties of Covid-19.

With a focus on developing exciting initiatives for its members and the wider community, the club keeps moving forward.

In the past 12 months, the strategic appointment of Richard Hall as executive chef brought us a wealth of knowledge to the role and he continues to guide us in becoming the destination of choice for members and visitors in Portarlington.

Both course enhancement and club masterplan committees continue to work diligently through future opportunities for improved course and club facilities.

The recently completed clubhouse foyer renovation (pictured) has created a “WOW” effect as visitors arrive at the club – something of which members can be proud. Along with the long overdue upgrade to the toilet facilities on course, we continue to work on projects that enhance and improve what is already an amazing club.

OUTLOOK

The economic environment remains difficult to predict and the club expects a slowing down of activities and spend in the coming 12 months.

The great hospitality staff shortage and ongoing supply chain issues continue to place pressures on the business and its people, both professionally and personally.

GAMING REFORMS

The changes heralded by the Victorian Government this year were announced with no consultation and a clear lack of understanding on the impact these reforms will have on all clubs with gaming facilities. Based on the Government’s proposed regulatory changes to electronic gaming machine operations, the Portarlington Golf Club will endure significantly reduced revenue if these changes are implemented as proposed. It would appear a blunt instrument to supposedly minimise money laundering opportunities, while

creating a barrier for the majority of recreational gamblers who enjoy spending their entertainment dollar without incurring harm. If such a plan was to eventuate, the financial impact would create a damaging flow-on effect for your club and the local community we support.

THANKS

I would like to thank president John Bowman and his fellow directors for their ongoing support; Steve Burchett and his course team for their commitment to constant improvement to the golf course; Matt Milne and his pro shop team for being the face of golf at the Portarlington Golf Club; and our management team and amazing clubhouse staff who continue to deliver exceptional service to the club.

Carnival back with a bang

The Carnival of Golf made its post-pandemic return in style.

Club president John Bowman was delighted with the annual series of events, held for the first time since 2019 because of Covid-19 protocols.

At his closing speech, Bowman thanked sponsors, but also praised the dozens of visitors who came from around Victoria to fill the course, even in some occasionally dodgy weather.

The cup that stopped a town

It sat at the Portarlington Golf Club, commanding the reverence of a visiting head of state. It was photographed like a leading lady on the red carpet. And we’re led to believe it may even have put a tear in the eye of a few more seasoned observers. Yes, it’s the Melbourne Cup. And for the first time in its 161-year history, the Cup made its way to town this year, including a dinner date at the Port Golf Club.

It’s revered around Australia and New Zealand as the ultimate racing prize and maintains a strong historical attachment to the racing industry’s “battlers” who cling to the romantic notion that anyone can own the stayer that can win the “race that stops a nation”.

So for those who had watched it through the decades, particularly those who’d never seen it in person, to have the golden cup in the View Room was a special treat . “It’s been part of us for so long, so it’s pretty nice to see it first hand,” one guest said of the surprisingly large and heavy trophy, that weighs in at 3.4kg and, containing 1.65kg of 18-carat gold, is valued at approximately $275,000.

“It’s impressive … and you know how much it means to so many, so to be able to pick it up and take a photo with it is very cool.”

Legendary race caller Greg Miles, who called a remarkable 36 editions of the Cup, was part of the VRC contingent who brought the Cup to town as the only western Victorian stop on its international tour that is now in its 20th year. Miles regaled the 80-strong audience with a series of

Melbourne Cup tales, spilling some inside secrets on a few great moments.

Since the tour’s inception in 2003, the famous three-handled Cup has travelled more than 760,000km

around the world, visiting more than 560 destinations, engaging with tens of thousands of people and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local fundraising initiatives.

IT RAINED, THEN

It had been a wetter than average winter in 2022, followed by a September with 48mm of rain.

From October 5-7, we had another 25mm to keep things soft.

And then, on October 13, the course finally reached its tipping point.

An amazing 47mm of rain tumbled down – and perhaps more importantly ran off the Portarlington hill and straight in our direction – and then

The water was visible everywhere, but it certainly left quite an impression on the 17th (above) where our lake grew almost right up to the front left bunker. The pelicans (right) found quite a feed was on offer around the 18th green, while the entrance (below) was rendered unusable.

IT REALLY RAINED

our waterways overflowed, literally!

We had an inland sea connecting the dam on the 16th fairway right up to the bunker front left of the 17th. The often dry stream that starts behind the 14th green and exits our grounds near the first tee looked more like the Zambesi River. And even pelicans took up residence for a couple of days with quite a few fish served on a takeaway basis.

Access to the course (above) wasn’t that easy with the only the top of the teeing grounds remaining visible. At the other end of the main paddock, a river sprung to life behind the 14th green (left), while the second tee was cut off from its green (below) when water spilled over from the 16th dam and from the creek that separates the second and third fairways.

My comments below should be read in conjunction with the detailed Financial Statements that follow.

The Portarlington Golf Club was financially successful this year – an outstanding result in an environment in which Covid, the war in Ukraine, Reserve Bank of Australia interest rate increases and inflationary rises across all facets of life have had a dramatic impact on the day-to-day finances of the club, businesses, and individuals.

Interest rates rose 3% in 2022 and a further 1% in 2023 – a massive 4% increase since I last addressed you in this forum.

Club management continued to monitor performance and necessary changes were made to counter potential lost revenue and increasing costs. We did well to start the new fiscal year in a strong cash position and most importantly reduce our debt exposure. But I encourage members to take time, “smell the roses” and appreciate how good our club facilities, golf course, surrounds and staff truly are. Our two-chief public-facing events are the Legends Tour Pro-Am and our Carnival of Golf, both of which played out to widespread acclaim. To have our pro-am acknowledged as the best of its type in Victoria based on the professionals’ feedback says everything we

PETER SOLOHUB

should appreciate about our fantastic course.

Our golf course is ranked No.63 among public access courses in Australia and we’ve made substantial investments into our course, clubhouse facilities and surrounds. We’ve had regular tribute shows, Friday night music, Monday poker evenings and more that have been greatly enjoyed by those in attendance.

We should appreciate our outstanding management team and staff; the broad knowledge, expertise and hard work by our board; the hours put in by the golf committee; and the often-unsung heroes, our Monday morning volunteer groundstaff. Thanks, too, should be conveyed to our members, the community and sponsors for their strong support and patronage of our club. The efforts of every one of these groups have bolstered community and member usage of our facilities and helped the club record a net profit for the year of $991,881 – up $363,830 on the previous year. Cash at end of year was a very healthy $2,158,351. As always, cash flow is all important, not only to meet our ongoing commitments to pay our bills, but to invest back into our business, major projects and course enhancements. Golfing membership numbers grew by 41.

>>Pages 22-37

Membership as of June 30 was 779 – an increase of 5.5% during the year with significant increases in “lifestyle” and “introductory” categories.

Golf operations continue to require a balancing act to achieve budgets as well as maintaining the course to such a high standard.

Breakdown of golf revenue:

•membership 55%

•competition fees 18%

•green fees 27%

Green fee income of $315,862 was an outstanding achievement and we have budgeted for a 22% increase to golf expenditure for the 2023-24 financial year.

The bistro reported a loss of $80,291, which was $88,057 better than budgeted. Sales revenue was $1,688,552, up $638,966 from previous year’s sales, representing an outstanding result considering the financial environment we experienced.

The ratio of cost of goods sold to sales revenue was 36% against a budget of 40%, while wages were 59.9% against a budget of 60%.

Bar operations recorded a profit of $510,773, up

$104,607 on last year on revenue of $1,394,127, which was $234,256 up on budget.

The ratio of cost of goods sold to revenue was 34.1%, against a budget of 34%, while wages were 22.2% against a budget of 22%.

TREASURER’S REPORT (continued)

Although administration costs of $1,612,486 were $75,093 over budget, significant savings were made in reducing bank interest costs and electricity tariffs. Our solar panel program has already driven an overwhelming financial gain. These savings were offset by interest on renewal of gaming entitlements.

Gaming profit of $2,194,150 was an outstanding result, up $788,450 against budget.

Revenue was $6,057,946 for the year against a budget of $4,401,923.

Gaming turnover was $72,320,654, compared to $52.25 million in the previous year.

The club’s total trading income for the year was $10,453,539 against a budget forecast $8,214,214.

It should also be noted that the club had made a commitment to reducing liabilities; our Bendigo Bank loan balance as of June 30, 2023, stood at $423,373, a reduction of $1,299,637 from the previous year.

We remain committed to clearing this debt by October 2024 or sooner.

The board continues to monitor financial performance monthly, measuring performance against established guidelines and responds, as required, to unexpected challenges to maintain a sound financial position for the club.

Past performance, however, cannot be taken as an indicator of future results and the club must continue to explore all avenues of additional revenue to ensure continued strong results are maintained and strategies achieved.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

For the period ending 30 June 2023

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

For the year ended 30 June 2023

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30th June 2023

Note 1. Statement of Significant accounting policies

This financial report covers Portarlington Golf Club Inc. as an individual entity incorporated in Victoria under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

The financial statements are special purpose financial statements prepared in order to satisfy the financial reporting requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012. The Board has determined that the entity is not a reporting entity.

(a) Basis of Preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on an accrual basis and are based on historical costs and do not take into account changed money values or, except where specifically stated current valuations of non-current assets.

The following significant accounting policies which are consistent with the previous period, unless otherwise stated, have been adopted in preparation of these financial statements.

The amounts presented in the financialstatements have been rounded to the nearest dollar which may result in minor differences in the recalculated balances.

This financial report covers Portarlington Golf Club Inc. as an individual entity incorporated in Victoria under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

(b) Cash

For the purpose of the statement of cash flows, cash includes cash on hand and in banks and investments with maturities less than three months, net of outstanding bank overdrafts.

(c) Receivables

Debtors are carried at amounts receivable. The collection of debts is assessed on an ongoing basis and specific provision is made for any doubtful accounts. Debts, which are known to be uncollectable, are written off.

(d) Revenue Recognition

Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable. Amounts disclosed as revenue are net of taxes.

Revenue is recognised for the major business activities as follows:

Sale of Goods: Revenue is taken to account when received or receivable.

Interest: Interest revenue is recognised using the effective interest rate method, which for floating rate financial assets is the rate inherent in the instrument.

Membership: Subscriptions for annual membership are recognised in revenue over the financial year for which they are received.

Other Revenue: Other revenue including gaming revenue is recognised when it is received or when the right to receive payment is established.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

(e) Income Tax

The Club is exempt from income tax pursuant to section 50/45 of the Income Tax Assessment Act.

(f) Inventory

Inventory relating to consumable Bar & Bistro stocks are carried at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is based on actual purchase cost.

All materials for the course and printing and stationery are expensed immediately and are therefore not included in closing inventory.

(g) Accounts Payable and Other Payables

Accounts payable and other payables represent the liability outstanding at the end of the reporting period for goods and services received by the Club during the reporting period that remain unpaid. The balance is recognised as a current liability with the amounts normally paid within 30 days of recognition of the liability.

(h) Employee Benefits Long Service Leave

The provision for long service leave represents the present value of the estimated future cash outflows to be made resulting from employees’ service provided up to balance date.

Liabilities for long service leave, which are not expected to be settled within twelve months, are discounted using rates attaching to national government securities at balance date, which most closely match the terms of maturity of the related liabilities.

Related on-costs have been included in the liability.

Annual Leave

The annual leave provision represents the Club’s liability to payresulting from employees’ service provided up to balance date. The provision has been calculated on wage and salary rates, which closely match the expected date of payment and includes related on-costs

Related on-costs have been included in the liability.

Superannuation Funds

Contributions made to employee superannuation funds by the Club are charged against income as they are made.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

(i) Finance Costs

Finance costs charged against borrowings are brought to account immediately and recorded in the Statement of Profit & Loss.

(j) Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of GST, except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). In these circumstances the GST is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of an asset or as part of an item of expense. Receivables and payables are stated inclusive of GST.

(k) Property, Plant and Equipment

Land & Buildings

Land & Buildings as at 30 June 2022 was independently valued for financial reporting purposes by Mr Gareth Kent, Director of Preston Rowe Paterson Geelong Pty Ltd and the concept of Fair Value was adopted to reflect carrying amounts in the Statement of Financial Position. The revaluation adjustment was taken to account in the Club’s 2021-22 Financial Statements.

Fair Value

When an asset or liability, financial or non-financial is measured at fair value for recognition or disclosure purposes, the fair value is based on the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date; and assumes that the transaction will take place either in the principalmarket, or in the absence of a principal market, in the most advantageous market.

Fair value is measured using the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, assuming they act in their economic best interest. For non-financial assets, the fair value measurement is based on its highest and best use. Valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which sufficient data are available to measure fair value, are used, maximising the use of relevant observable inputs and minimising the use of unobservable inputs.

Other Items of Plant & Equipment

All other items of plant and equipment are recorded at cost and at each reporting date, the carrying values of tangible assets are reviewed by the Board of Directors to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have been impaired.

The Board of Directors as at 30 June 2023, reviewed the carrying values of all tangible assets and are of the opinion that there has been no impairment of assets.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

Depreciation

Items of property, plant and equipment, including buildings, but excluding freehold land are depreciated over their expected useful economic lives to the Club.

Depreciation is charged on a straight-line method.

The category of assets and depreciation ranges are as follows:

(l) Intangible Assets

The Club has gaming machine entitlement licences for 65 machines which were purchased via the Victorian State Government 'pre auction club offer'. The entitlements were in place for a period of 10 years, which expired in August 2022.

In October 2018 the Club received confirmation that it had been allocated new gaming machine entitlements which took effect in August 2022 and expire in August 2032. A 2.5% deposit for the new entitlements was paid in February 2018, with a further 2.5% paid in February 2019. The remaining 95% cost of the entitlements will be paid over 28 equal instalments, with the first being made in August 2022 and the last in May 2029.

The useful life of the asset expires in line with the expiry of the gaming machine entitlements held. The asset is being amortised on a straight line basis over a ten year period.

(m) Leased Assets

Assets acquired under finance leases are capitalised as fixed assets. The amount initiallybrought to account is the present value of minimum lease payments. A finance lease is one, which effectively transfer from the lessor to the lessee substantially all the risks and benefits incidental to ownership of the leased property. Capitalised leased assets are amortised on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the assets.

Finance lease payments are allocated to reduce lease liabilities.

(n) Rounding

Totals disclosed in the financial statements are rounded to the nearest dollar.

(o) Comparative Amounts

As required by accounting standards, comparative totals where necessary have been adjusted to conform to changes in presentation for the current financial year.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

Note (a) Water Levy Cash at Bank:

Collection of a Water Levy from members ceased as from 1 July 2013, however, the money collected and interest received since the inception of the water levy in 2009 has been set aside for the provision of water during periods of significant drought. The water levy was re-introduced December 2019 and monies will be transferred into the term deposit at renewal time of the term deposit.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

Note (a). The loan from the Bendigo Bank – Portarlington Community Branch is secured by a mortgage over the club’s freehold property and a General Security Deed over present and future property of the Portarlington Golf Club Inc. The loan facility was drawn down to the maximum $2,500,000 during the year ended 30 June 2021, with interest only obligations in place until 25th October 2021 In December 2022 with principal repayments ahead of schedule, the loan limit was reset to $1,690,000 and the expiry date maintained at October 2024.

In accordance with AASB 101, Presentation of Financial Statements, the entire value of the bank loan is classified and recorded as a current liability due to an annual review clause in the loan agreement.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

Notes to and forming part of the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2023

Note 13 Reconciliation of the operating profit to the net cash used in operating activities

Note 14 Working Capital

The Statement of Financial Position shows a deficit in working capital as at 30 June 2023 of $245,463 (30 June 2022 $871,185). This is partially attributed to $423,373 of external finance being shown as a current liability despite repayment dates scheduled beyond the next 12-month period (refer Note 8). The Club has met all funding requirements throughout the financial year and up until the date of this report. It is also noted that $551,387 of membership fees for the 2023 year are held as income in advance (Liability) when banked prior to 30 June 2023.

Notwithstanding the above circumstance, the Board of Directors believe operational resources and cash reserves are sufficient to meet all financial commitments as and when they fall due for the coming 12month period. As a result, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

Note 15 After Balance Day Event

There were no post balance date events that would have an effect on the financial statements of the Club at balance date.

These notes should be read in conjunction with the attached financial statements.

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC. STATEMENT BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors has determined that the Club is not a reporting entity and that this special purpose report should be prepared in accordance with the accounting policies outlined in Note 1 to the financial statements.

In the opinion of the Board of Directors the financial report as provided:

1. Presents a true and fair view of the financial position of the Club as at 30 June 2023 and its performance for the year ended on that date.

2. At the date of this statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Portarlington Golf Club will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due.

This statement is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors and is signed for and on behalf of the Board of Directors by:

John Bowman Peter Solohub

John Bowman (President) Peter Solohub (Treasurer)

Portarlington, Victoria

Dated this day 27/09/2023

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

TO THE MEMBERS OF PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC Opinion

We have audited the financial report of Portarlington Golf Club Inc (the Association), which comprises the assets and liabilities statement as at 30 June 2023, the income and expenditure statement for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies, and the certification by members of the committee on the annual statements giving a true and fair view of the financial position and performance of the Association.

In our opinion, the accompanying financial report presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Association as at 30 June 2023 and its financial performance for the year then ended in accordance with the accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements and the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

Emphasis of Matter – Basis of Accounting

We draw attention to Note 1 to the financial report, which describes the basis of accounting. The financial report has been prepared to assist the Association to meet the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 As a result, the financial report may not be suitable for another purpose. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of our report. We are independent of the Association in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110: Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Responsibilities of the Committee for the Financial Report

The committee is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 and for such internal control as the committee determines is necessary to enable the preparation and fair presentation of a financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial report, the committee is responsible for assessing the Association’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters relating to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the committee either intends to liquidate the Association or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of this financial report.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial report is located at the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board website at: http://www.auasb.gov.au/Home.aspx This description forms part of our auditor's report.

We communicate with the committee regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Stephen Wight Director

Dated this 3rd day of October, 2023

PORTARLINGTON GOLF CLUB INC.

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