The Barwon Heads Golf Club- Strategic Plan 2023-2027

our vision

A unique golf club providing an exceptional links course and a quality hospitality experience for members and guests.

a message from the president

Dear member,

I am delighted to present to you the Club’s five-year Strategic Plan, covering the period from 2023 – 2027.

With guidance from golf industry consultants GBAS, this Plan has been developed following an extensive period of consultation with the Committee, sub-committees, members, and staff. The strategic planning process allows us to assess and review what we do well, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and what opportunities are available now and into the future, for the Club.

This new Plan covers not only a period of great change for the Club, with the Precinct 1 Project gathering momentum, but also it will be an important guide for future Committees over that period.

Members have told us that they love their club, the course and the camaraderie of fellow members. This has shaped our vision to be “A unique Club providing an exceptional links course and a quality hospitality experience for members and guests.”

My thanks go to those members and staff who gave their input into this Plan, and I trust you all continue to enjoy the many benefits of membership at our great Club.

Best wishes,

Andrew J. de Crespigny President November 2022

MEMBERSHIP

GOALS

Maintain a level of membership that supports the Club’s traditions.

Maintain and enhance the Club’s culture, membership experience and satisfaction.

Support Golf Australia’s Vision 2025 strategy and continue to attract new female and junior members.

Promote a culture within the membership nomination process which provides equal opportunity.

Develop a junior membership offer that results in continued attraction of junior members.

Maintain a healthy pipeline of new member enquiry.

o Develop a more informative data set that enables the Club to better understand membership utilisation, member demographics and the motivations for leaving or changing categories.

o Utilising the enhanced data set, undertake a review of current membership categories, determining revised optimal numbers and pricing as dictated by course capacities.

o Review other categories for potential and existing members (e.g., nine-hole, maternity/ paternity leave and family), assessing against life cycle requirements.

o Set a desired target for membership categories.

o Undertake a review of the member intake process.

o Review opportunities to enhance the member orientation process.

o Review the approach to attraction and retention of younger members.

o Ensure proposers clearly understand their role in the integration of new members.

o Continue to promote and develop the Women's Pathway to membership program.

o Develop the membership experience to enhance and encourage social interaction through the use of the Club’s non-golfing facilities and activities.

o Engage with the sports and activities groups (tennis, billiards, bridge, mahjong) to develop initiatives to encourage participation.

Responsibly manage the Club’s wider ecological environment.

GOALS

Continue to provide an exceptional links course experience on high quality playing surfaces that have appeal and challenge to all levels of golfer.

Maintain the Club’s high national course ranking.

Responsibly manage the Club’s wider ecological environment.

Develop a new course enhancement plan that continues on from the Course Development Plan (2013).

Develop a new 19th hole.

Provide a higher quality Par-3 course.

key strategies and actions

o Investigate the potential expansion of and upgrade to the Par-3 /short course.

o Agree on a site for 19th hole, plan and implement.

o Investigate installation of a new irrigation system.

o Reduce the Club’s environmental footprint through the use of newer modern machinery and best practice turf management techniques.

o Finalise and implement the Course Enhancement Plan and other course improvements.

o Preserve, protect and encourage the indigenous flora and fauna on the Club’s property.

GOLF OPERATIONS

GOALS

Ensure golf operations is managed in a vibrant, proactive manner, with the department having responsibility for delivery of all events.

Promote a culture of excellent teaching, utilising current & emerging technology and practice facilities, focusing on game enjoyment and member improvement.

Ensure course accessibility for members remains optimal, with a broad range of events.

Provide appropriate golf course access for house guests, guests and green-fee players without disrupting the golf experience of members.

Encourage participation and inclusion across all membership categories.

key strategies and actions

o Develop a course access plan that provides for appropriate balance within member, guest, reciprocal and green-fee groups.

o Review the course access policy for house guests.

o Develop a corporate, charity and external events access policy.

o Develop opportunities to ensure golf is a game for life.

o Develop a program to promote and support members pursuing excellence in golf.

o Develop a plan to maximise opportunities flowing from in-house management of golf operations.

o Continue to promote, monitor and review the Club’s pace of play policy.

o Review corporate, charity, guest and green fee pricing, monitoring total annual green fee revenues.

o Review current coaching and clinic offer, seeking better visibility of options available, improved accessibility and ease of engagement.

o Review current reciprocal clubs, seeking expansion into markets that were identified in the member survey.

o Explore emerging technologies in coaching, to improve golf performance.

o Review operations of the driving range.

Develop a program to promote and support members pursuing excellence in golf.

CLUBHOUSE & HOSPITALITY

goals

Provide benefit to members through a quality food, beverage and accommodation offering.

Provide and maintain quality hospitality and dining facilities with services that are focused on members and guests.

Become the preferred destination in Barwon Heads for members, their families and their guests to discover and enjoy local produce and beverages.

Develop the club experience to enhance and encourage social and family interaction.

Provide a high-quality offering for members’ and guests’ functions.

2023-2027

key strategies and actions

o Develop the four categories of the Club’s food & beverage offering:

1. Restaurant

2. Club Café

3. Grab-n-Go, Kiosk

4. Functions

o Review the current food and beverage offering to reflect the diversity of the four categories, including operating hours and dress codes.

o Enhance member communications about the Club’s food and beverage strategic positioning, hospitality activities and explore mechanisms for feedback.

o Rebuild stability in the front-of house (bar) and back-of-house (kitchen) staffing.

o Develop operational plans for the temporary Clubhouse during Precinct 1 construction.

o Develop and strengthen long-term partnerships with locally sourced, Bellarine and Western District producers.

o Expand the social program of special member events, including guest speakers, lunches and dinners.

o Develop and implement an annual event program for members with young families, including an appealing and contemporary children’s menu.

FINANCE, AUDIT & RISK

Oversee a management process that delivers an annual operating profit after depreciation costs to ensure sustainability of ongoing capital investment needs.

GOALS

Oversee a management process that delivers:

i. an annual operating profit after depreciation costs to ensure sustainability of ongoing capital investment needs

ii. cashflows that ensure the Precinct 1 Project is funded within the Club's means. Maintain a safe workplace and environs via the application of effective work, health and safety practices and a robust control framework. Continue to develop the Club’s risk management framework.

key strategies and actions

o Ensure that the Club has an adequately resourced work health and safety structure and risk management system.

o Utilise the Club’s cashflow forecasting model to assist decision-making.

o Implement a reporting system which includes monthly KPIs and key demand trends.

o Refresh the promotion of the Club’s Future Fund.

o Develop and annually update a long-term capital expenditure budget.

o Review the cost implications of a refreshed strategic plan.

ADMINISTRATION & HUMAN RESOURCES

goals

Provide a professional service that is welcoming, effective, courteous and supportive of member and guest needs.

Continue to attract, retain, train and support Club staff to create a highperforming team.

key strategies and actions

o Develop professional development plans for staff and invest in bespoke training programs to enhance the high standard of member and guest service.

o Continue the implementation of Northstar software to improve member and guest interaction with the Club’s systems.

o Continue to improve communication in relation to member statements.

...invest in bespoke training programs to enhance the high standard of member and guest service.

MARKETING & COMMUNICATION

goals

Provide quality and timely communications to members that reflect the Club’s vision. Maintain the underlying strength of the Barwon Heads Golf Club brand; build upon its reputation as unique and exceptional in Australia and overseas.

Protect the brand by consistently presenting it in an appropriate manner.

key strategies and actions

o Clearly define the Club’s brand positioning.

o Develop a five-year marketing plan containing a summary of each department’s key brand-related elements.

o Review existing branding, collateral and style guides; update as necessary.

o Review/renew the communications plan (channels, timetable, content, appearance, responsibilities). Particular consideration to be given to the following: Golf Shop, Precinct 1 Project, 100-year anniversaries, Clubhouse re-opening.

o Evaluate the member benefits of the Northstar ClubNow app; prepare and launch to members if appropriate.

o Undertake a full review of the Club’s website, benchmarking against golf and other industries.

o Strengthen staff knowledge of mission/ brand by writing and implementing an internal brand strategy.

GOVERNANCE

goals

Ensure the Club’s continued success and prosperity in line with members’ expectations, while meeting all legal, statutory, financial, contractual and other obligations to which the Club may be subject.

Ensure the Committee and its sub-committees operate in an effective and accountable manner, with appropriate policies and delegations to management.

Operate in accordance with best practice Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

Enhance the Club’s commitment to inclusion.

Maintain the healthy and robust culture of the Club.

PLAN 2023-2027

key strategies and actions

o Undertake a holistic review of governance at the Club.

o Review the Club's Rules and By-Laws.

o Review the charters of all sub-committees, as well as their representation and governance requirements.

o Continue to monitor the Golf Australia Vision 2025 strategy and its opportunities for the Club.

o Support Golf Australia’s inclusion policies and reconciliation action policy.

o Monitor the performance of the strategic plan in line with the Club’s operations; review and update it prior to the budgeting period every year.

o Develop appropriate succession plans for the Committee and its sub-committees.

o Undertake an annual review of Committee/sub-committee performance.

o Develop a Professional Development Program for the Committee.

o Establish a Nominations Sub-Committee.

o Undertake an annual review of adherence to ESG practices.

Operate in accordance with best practice Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES

GOALS

Provide appropriate and robust governance to ensure the successful completion of the Precinct 1 Project.

Ensure timely and informative communication to members and other stakeholders.

Develop the Precinct 2 concept and plan.

key strategies and actions

o Deliver on the goals of the Precinct 1 Project.

o Develop and complete the future planning for Precinct 2.

o Develop a future strategy for the Club’s Golf Links Road properties.

o Explore potential opportunities to expand the Club’s offering to its members.