a.g.m
All the minutes from our 2016 AGM
a.g.m minutes 2016.
ALL THE TEXT IN GREEN & ALL THE IMAGES/CHARTS IN THIS PAGE CAN BE CLICK FOR MORE INFO/ENLARGING
The Bunkers Golf Society Annual General Meeting was held at The Junction Pub in Rainford on Wednesday 2nd November 2016
It was a busy meeting with lots of key decisions made and information given. You can read all about it below...
The Bunkers Golf Society Annual General Meeting was held at The Junction Pub in Rainford on Wednesday 2nd November 2016
It was a busy meeting with lots of key decisions made and information given. You can read all about it below...
attending:
1. Welcome by Steve Evans (Society Captain)
The Captain offered his thanks for last 4 years that he has spent as Bunkers Captain. He also thanked the committee for their work and noted that he has seen the society go from strength to strength mainly due to the work of the Chairman. He thanked the Chairman on behalf of the societies members and committee. A warm welcome was given to the 2017 captain Steve Bradshaw who is invited to join the Committee at the top table for the remainder of the meeting.
2. introduction by steve bradshaw (2017 Captain)
The incoming 2017 Captain Steve Bradshaw thanked our outgoing Captain Ste Evans and also recognised the work of committee. He described that he envisiged his role as "taking over the reigns" and "to continuing the good work going forwards" but he also mentioend that he would like to try and incorporate some new ideas to improve the society during his term as Captain.
Steve briefly discussed some ideas that he has already had for doing this:
Steve briefly discussed some ideas that he has already had for doing this:
- Charity - proposed raising funds through the year for a charity relating to Marc Lloyd and his family aiming to raise a named figure. [Possible ways of doing this would be 50p on each event, footy tickets, holding a recognised Captains day and surrounding ideas for that]
- As a thank you the Captain will implement a small Captains prize in different formats at some events through the season and these are specifically not for the players in the top 3 prize winning positions. Steve's goal was for members to feel more inclusive at events and keep interest in the days golf regardless of finishing positions.
- Finally, Ste talked about introducing a Captains pick at events to enable him to select his group in order to get out and play rounds with all of our members throughout the season.
3. agenda set out by dave ashley [society president]
Dave Ashley read out the agenda for the meeting and the areas of the society that would be covered. It was explained that there would be opportunities to vote and make suggestions at the conclusion of each presentation that was made by various members of the committee.
The terms of the meeting were set out and apologies offered for the following members who had made contact:
Apologies: Craig Evans, Pete Woolley, Kev Givnan, Marc Lloyd, Bobby Barrow, Pete Bilson, Stu Seddon.
The terms of the meeting were set out and apologies offered for the following members who had made contact:
Apologies: Craig Evans, Pete Woolley, Kev Givnan, Marc Lloyd, Bobby Barrow, Pete Bilson, Stu Seddon.
4. Review of the 2016 Season by Andy Roper (Chairman)
The Chairman gave his report on the Society during 2016 and informed everyone that the Society is continuing to grow, not necessarily in size but in terms of what we do and our reach into wider golfing circles. In 2017 member numbers are likely to be capped once again and this was discussed and voted on later.
As a society, we are still putting ourselves out there in the media and significantly on social media. We have featured in “National Club Golfer Magazine” in 2016 and you can see this by CLICKING HERE. The website is still attracting 8-10 thousand page views per week during the season and every time we play an event and members use social media this subsequently causes a spike on the website.
The Chairman reaffirmed the importance of members leaving Teeuplo reviews to promote the society in the local golfing scene and not only building on our partnership with Teeuplo but also sharing our experiences with other golfers. Andy confirmed the importance of this as it leads to some clubs approaching us and giving us better deals because of the reviews because they are aware of what we do, how we work and that we will leave positive feedback in large numbers if the day is enjoyed by members . Ideally we want to create and develop these relationships with 8-10 clubs so that we have a core of local clubs that we work closely with.
A presentation was shown to cover season review - parts of this have been used below [click on the images to enlarge] or you can see the full presentation by CLICKING HERE
THE SEASON IN NUMBERS
As a society, we are still putting ourselves out there in the media and significantly on social media. We have featured in “National Club Golfer Magazine” in 2016 and you can see this by CLICKING HERE. The website is still attracting 8-10 thousand page views per week during the season and every time we play an event and members use social media this subsequently causes a spike on the website.
The Chairman reaffirmed the importance of members leaving Teeuplo reviews to promote the society in the local golfing scene and not only building on our partnership with Teeuplo but also sharing our experiences with other golfers. Andy confirmed the importance of this as it leads to some clubs approaching us and giving us better deals because of the reviews because they are aware of what we do, how we work and that we will leave positive feedback in large numbers if the day is enjoyed by members . Ideally we want to create and develop these relationships with 8-10 clubs so that we have a core of local clubs that we work closely with.
A presentation was shown to cover season review - parts of this have been used below [click on the images to enlarge] or you can see the full presentation by CLICKING HERE
THE SEASON IN NUMBERS
- Bunkers 2016 season consisted of 19 events [4 Majors, 15 Standard & End of Season Trip]
- Of those 19 event – 6 were weekday and 13 were of a weekend.
- Of our 19 events, 17 were Stableford, 1 Pairs 1 Team event and the end of season mix.
- The average prize pot for 2016 was £115.05 which is down from £131.64 in 2015 – this is in part to spossorship of Majors [which is covered below], but also because we played more events which brings the average down.
- The average number of players attending over the season was 19 players. [Weekday average 18 players and weekend 21 – this is the same as 2015 despite maybe feeling like its been less this year!
- The highest turnout was 31 at Dunham and the lowest was 15 at Bromborough. Generally, the numbers have dropped down as the season has drawn on.
The Chairman's opinion was that venues in 2016 had again been an improvement on previous years - but acknowledged that as in previous seasons, there are always things to learn. The avergae prices through the season were as follows:
MAJORS £52.25 PER PERSON [£46.50 in 2015]
STANDARD WEEKEND £37.22 PER PERSON [£37.87 in 2015]
STANDARD WEEKDAY £40.50 PER PERSON [£31.75 in 2015
STANDARD WEEKEND £37.22 PER PERSON [£37.87 in 2015]
STANDARD WEEKDAY £40.50 PER PERSON [£31.75 in 2015
The Chairman explained that despite our best efforts, the sponsorship of Majors has been a bit haphazard in 2016. Teeuplo continued to be our main supporters in this respect and sponsored Dunham Forest and stepped in to sponsor Vale Royal when a late change occurred. Sponsorship from GolfBreaks4U fell through when one of them was rushed to Hospital prior to Preston and Mottram Hall went unsponsored and was funded from the society coffers.
Andy stated that hopefully this will change in 2017 with the aim to have all 4 Majors sponsored and chosen well in advance with each sponsor clear on their costs and obligations to the event.
- Our partnerships with Clarkes, Teeuplo and PGA Pro Barry Taylor continue to thrive and to a lesser extent that with RS Golf and GolfBreaks4U. These will hopefully continue to grow in 2017 and the society will be looking for additional sponsorship where applicable, if it fits in with how we operate and our mission statement. .
Andy stated that hopefully this will change in 2017 with the aim to have all 4 Majors sponsored and chosen well in advance with each sponsor clear on their costs and obligations to the event.
- Our partnerships with Clarkes, Teeuplo and PGA Pro Barry Taylor continue to thrive and to a lesser extent that with RS Golf and GolfBreaks4U. These will hopefully continue to grow in 2017 and the society will be looking for additional sponsorship where applicable, if it fits in with how we operate and our mission statement. .
5. MEMBER SURVEY RESULTS BY ANDY ROPER [CHAIRMAN]
The survey was completed by 28 of our 34 members and this provided some great feedback and interesting points;
From the survey we know that Tom Davies and Dan Pantlin will not be re-joining the society in 2017 and we wish them well. The Chairman pointed out that even the waiting list is now capped at 8 people and the spaces will be filled form that list accordingly.
PRICES
100% of members have been happy with the overall costs this season and all prefer to pay membership fees up front rather than see them added to the costs of individual days.
1 - The Average Price members want to pay on average at a Major is £50
2 - The Average Price members want to pay on average at a Standard Event is £37
CLUBS
From the survey we know that Tom Davies and Dan Pantlin will not be re-joining the society in 2017 and we wish them well. The Chairman pointed out that even the waiting list is now capped at 8 people and the spaces will be filled form that list accordingly.
PRICES
100% of members have been happy with the overall costs this season and all prefer to pay membership fees up front rather than see them added to the costs of individual days.
1 - The Average Price members want to pay on average at a Major is £50
2 - The Average Price members want to pay on average at a Standard Event is £37
CLUBS
THINGS TO KEEP
1 – 78% want to keep the food at events ONLY if it offers value
2 – 93% are happy with the balls for NTP’s [other suggestions were £5 vouchers, or a prize bag like previous years]
3 – 96% are happy with the prize pots in 2015
GAME & FORMATS
1 – 60% of members want to play between 10-13 weekend events in a season
2 – 48% of members want to play between 3-5 weekday events in a season
3 – 60% of members want more variety in game formats than there was in 2016.
4 – Stableford was the clear favourite format with 89% of the vote.
5 – Medal/Stokeplay was the least favoured format but people were keen on Pairs/Team event
ORDER OF MERIT
1 – 78% of members pay attention to the OOM
2 – 100% of people voted to keep it in our season
There have been several suggestions for improvement that will be covered a little later on.
CAPTAIN V PRESIDENT
1 – 89% of people pay attention to the Captain v President
2 – 74% of people said to keep it and The Committee are of the belief it needs a bit of work to keep it interesting.
The main suggestion to improve it was to have specific CvP events, pairs & matchplay – which pose their own problems and these are discussed a little later.
LMS
1 -The strong feeling was that members enjoyed LMS in 2016 with over three quarters giving it their highest rating
2 - The format of the competition was understood by most even if they didn't fully enjoy it.
3 – Members thought the times you could play, the time you had to play the games and the one on one aspect of LMS were all plus points on the whole. The time to play their matches was the most contentious issue with 4 people feeling they didn’t have sufficient time to play all their games [4 months for 6 games]
4 – 78% of members want us to build up a roster of 4/5 clubs to host LMS rather than continually moving [covered later]
5 – 67% of members would use GPGC if we could agree discounted green fees going forward [ongoing]
CHAIRMANS POINTS TO RAISE
The Chairman raised a couple of issues from his personal point of view that he would like addressing in 2017;
"I commit a lot of my own time to the running of Bunkers. I estimate that I spend on average between 10 and 12 hours per week during the season and slightly more during the off season. As much as we joke about the emails and messages you all get, no one can say that there isn’t enough communication out there. In fact, its more information and communication than most clubs will offer and they have full time staff looking after the place!! To me, its a key element to making sure that we stay one of the finest societies around and my aim is that you all feel part of something, more than just a game of golf every so often. All I ask in return, is communication back from you all. By that I mean, confirmation in a prompt fashion as to whether you are playing an event or not and then subsequent payment of that event in a timely fashion and by the due date [unless agreed]
There is a core group of about 20-24 members that do this without issue. Then a remaining group who both Ste Holmes and I are continually chasing for answers or payment. I must be absolutely blunt here.....you are looking after 1 person. We are looking after 34! The least you can do is just simply keep us up to date.
Secondly, the reviews to Teeuplo have taken a marked drop as the season has drawn on. People may think 'what is the point?' but every review triggers an automatic email to those clubs who in turn further appreciate Teeuplo and what its about. That means more exposure for them and more for us as a society too. Its win-win. As part of this society, we don’t ask people to do much – pay on time, turn up, have a laugh.....we do everything else. So if people could just make more of an effort with this it would be much appreciated. Thanks.
In summary....
The survey results brings out some interesting contradictions. People want the best courses, at peak times on the busiest days of the week, with food and for often unrealistic prices. It was pointed out that before we we left the AGM that evening, we will all have agreed on how we want to go forwards. We cannot have everything, there has to be a compromise on things.
The survey results brings out some interesting contradictions. People want the best courses, at peak times on the busiest days of the week, with food and for often unrealistic prices. It was pointed out that before we we left the AGM that evening, we will all have agreed on how we want to go forwards. We cannot have everything, there has to be a compromise on things.
6. Finances and Payments by ste holmes (treasurer)
Money is always one of the most talked about areas of the society, and provides lots of suggestions and ideas - this year was no different. The Treasurer pointed out that 2016 has been a bigger year than ever before. More venues, more events, more members inevitably mean more money passing through the accounts and a great amount of work to be done.
It was reported that the Society finances are currently healthy and look better than they actually are as there is money being stored in there for the Wales trip in 2017. The turnover through the society accounts is still quite unbelieveable considering we are merely a group of 34 golfers. In 2016, we have paid £33,071.30 out from the account, which is a huge amount of money. From that, we have received payments of £34,116.20. That’s just over £67k we are shifting through the accounts in a 10-month period. In comparison 2015 which saw us with around £60k in total. Therefore, the importance of prompt payments and accurate accounting becomes apparent.
Thanks was given to Chris Berry for his work in auditing the society accounts again in 2016 and for presenting the calculations and spreadsheets you can download HERE to see the full accounts for the season.
It was reported that the Society finances are currently healthy and look better than they actually are as there is money being stored in there for the Wales trip in 2017. The turnover through the society accounts is still quite unbelieveable considering we are merely a group of 34 golfers. In 2016, we have paid £33,071.30 out from the account, which is a huge amount of money. From that, we have received payments of £34,116.20. That’s just over £67k we are shifting through the accounts in a 10-month period. In comparison 2015 which saw us with around £60k in total. Therefore, the importance of prompt payments and accurate accounting becomes apparent.
Thanks was given to Chris Berry for his work in auditing the society accounts again in 2016 and for presenting the calculations and spreadsheets you can download HERE to see the full accounts for the season.
Some key facts from the 2016 season were presented:
- Membership Fees received in 2016 [34 players at £100 each] = £3,400
- Money paid out to clubs for deposits in 2016 = £2,110
- Prize spending in 2015 = £1,956.00 - at an average of £115.05 per event. A further £200 was spent on the end of season trip, and £100 for the LMS winner. Meaning we have a total of £2256.
- We spent £1,230 in Clarkes vouchers for season long prizes [plus £450 additional vouchers from Sponsorship] = £1,680.
- An amazing £14,000 was spent in Clarkes by the society. Less the £1,230 spent on Vouchers, that’s £12,700 spent by members on equipment in the shop and is an increase of £1,700 on 2015. We estimate that a further minimum of £1000 has been spent on range balls and lessons at the store during 2016. ***You can see a table of member spending by CLICKING HERE ***
Below is a table showing the clubs playing in 2016, the payments made and the costs incurred. Click to enlarge.
SEVERAL IMPORTANT MOTIONS WERE PUT FORWARDED & VOTED:
The accounts were unanimously accepted by members as presented.
MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR 2017
OTHER ACCOUNT MATTERS 2016
The accounts were unanimously accepted by members as presented.
MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR 2017
- £100 membership to continue for 2017. MOTION PASSED
- Proposed to increase membership cap to 36 from 34 members. MOTION DECLINED AFTER DISCUSSION.
- £5 entry fee for LMS17. MOTION PASSED
OTHER ACCOUNT MATTERS 2016
- Bunkers Betting to be scrapped - MOTION PASSED
- Discussion held regarding payments and late payment fees. UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT to enforce the late payment fee in 2017. Therefore, MOTION PASSED for all members to provide their sort code & account number. If they pay the fee for a club after the payment due date [without having spoken to Ste Holmes or Andy Roper] then it will be expected that the £5 late fee will also be paid. If it is not, then the balance paid will be refunded and the member will NOT be booked onto the event unless the late payment fee is made. However, we need to be clear that we will always look to work/help members who need payment date extensions.
- Members UNANIMOUSLY AGREED that the committee have their trust in obtaining prices for our events. Therefore, no set figures given and the committee have the flexibility to use their discretion if they believe the deal is right.
- That food is NOT a given. It should only be added onto an event if it offers good value. Rather that booking food across the board as we have done previously - MOTION PASSED.
- The events shall be reserved for the follow number of players in 2017. Majors 28, Standard Weekend 24, Midweek 20. They will work on a 1st come 1st serve basis and if we fill our allocation and the club cannot provide any further spaces then there is nothing that can be done, and people will misst out. This is because the society lost money in 2016 by reserving a high number of tee times only to find numbers where much lower. MOTION PASSED
7. society handicaps by PHIL WILLIAMS [SECRETARY]
In the absence of the Handicap Secretary [Craig Evans], the Secretary took the reigns to present some interesting data from the 2016. On the whole, society handicaps have come down and are shown in the tables below. Those who may have crept up, have mostly only done so fractionally [and it was made clear that the one large jump was Graham Smith and that was an anomoly because he was maybe started on too low a handicap and was given shots back during the season.
The other key piece of data is obvious, but the more people play the more their handicaps general come down.
The other key piece of data is obvious, but the more people play the more their handicaps general come down.
Some key facts from our 2016 season are:
- The average winning Stableford score in 2016 was 37.7 and this showed that the handicaps in the society are pretty much spot on, as a winner should be shooting around their handicap to win an event.
- The average winning handicap in 2016 was 12.2 and the table below shows that we have a range of handicaps winning our events - and particularly in 2016 where we had 3 of our Majors won by handicaps of 16 upwards.
- The table below also shows that a range of handicaps lose Bunkers events, which is what we want. Everyone should be in with a chance of victory, and equally should walk away with the losing 'bog seat' if they have a bad day.
- It was noted that the handicapping system used by Craig is excellent and that the handicaps are accurate and fair.
It was again highlighted about the standard of some scorecards and that Craig/Phil are seeing the same offenders at each event who are not only filling the cards in wrong, but are also making basic and fundemantal errors [1 of which had an impact on the result of an event but wasn't noticed until days later].
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTED:
- The top 3 cards and the bottom 2 cards will be closely examined prior to the presentation. Previously, the scores have simply been accepted and presented, but these will be verified and any errors will be subject to committee decision. Ultimately, a scorecard in a winning position may be disqualified if errors are discovered - MOTION PASSED
- With the help of the new Captain [Steve Bradshaw] additional meetings throughout the season to cover general play and ensure that handicaps are working as well as possible - MOTION PASSED
- That supplimentary cards are required through the close season and a certain number during the golfing season - to ensure that we are accurately reflecting a players handicap - MOTION DICUSSED AND DECLINED
- Steve Evans' new role in 2017 and beyond is Member Representative and any issues people may have with scoring, card marking as well as any society related issued should be referred to him - MOTION PASSED
- All decisions remain fully in the control of the handicap secretary and his decision is final - MOTION PASSED
- All members present agreed that Craig has the handicaps about spot on and agree with the system and workings used.
8. LAST MAN STANDING BY ANDY ROPER [CHAIRMAN]
The Chairman told those present that during the course of the 2016 Last Man Standing competition we have paid £2880 to the club and a further £864 for our society visit on 11th September – giving a total of £3954 provided by Bunkers Golf Society during 2016 Money spent in the pro shop and clubhouse are unquantifiable but it would not be an unrealistic estimate to suggest that it is in excess of £4750 that has been provided to Grange Park during the course of the season.
Andy pointed out that LMS16 was the finest version of the competiton yet and that members had responded to calls the previous year to make every effort to make it the marquee event of Bunkers. The Chairman's vision of LMS it that it's about building lasting relationships and partnerships with clubs in our local area and making our society stand out from others. He said happens as plenty of clubs across the region, and a lot further afield, now know about Bunkers because of this LMS competition and the unique way it works. Its also an ideal way for members to play golf with each other one-on-one - and gives people the opportunity to get to know other members they maybe would never ordinarily play against. .
Key points from the survey were noted:
Andy pointed out that LMS16 was the finest version of the competiton yet and that members had responded to calls the previous year to make every effort to make it the marquee event of Bunkers. The Chairman's vision of LMS it that it's about building lasting relationships and partnerships with clubs in our local area and making our society stand out from others. He said happens as plenty of clubs across the region, and a lot further afield, now know about Bunkers because of this LMS competition and the unique way it works. Its also an ideal way for members to play golf with each other one-on-one - and gives people the opportunity to get to know other members they maybe would never ordinarily play against. .
Key points from the survey were noted:
- The consensus is that members generally like the format of LMS and agree that £15 green fee is great value.
- It was agreed that paying the group stage fees up front has had a positive impact on the compeition and organisation of games, as well as the clubs perception of the society as being committed and professional.
- The key frustration in 2016 was of those players who failed to complete their games and therefore left their opponents with green fee cards for rounds they had paid for but not played. Thankfully, the club agreed to honour these.
last man standing 2017
The Chairman was delighted to announce that LMS 2017 will be held at Gathurst Golf Club in Shevington, Wigan - which is a superb local course that is very well known to a number of our members and is certainly in keeping with the quality we have come to expect from the host clubs of our marquee competition.
Andy went on to explain that the club were his 1st choice venue given its reputation as a friendly, family club with superb greens and an interesting layout. The Chairman explained that a proposal was sent to the club, who replied promptly to show their interest in hosting the competition in 2017 - which showed the weight that LMS can hold as a business proposal and its unique idea in golfing circles.
The Chairman, along with the Captain and President had attended the club earlier that week for a meeting regarding the finer details and were made to feel welcome - with various members of the clubs council in attendance.
Gathurst are fully supportive of Bunkers and a fixed green fee has been agreed in line with previous years.
We have absolutely no doubt that Gathurst Golf Club will host another superb year in LMS and it will be a club that our members will enjoy visiting.
During the AGM, the committee were unable to confirm the times of day that LMS can be played but these have since been agreed and will be published on the webiste in due course. The Chairman advised members to look carefull at the agreed tee times when they are announced and if you think you can’t do it, then don’t commit to the compeition - we want all entrants to be able to play all of their games.
The Chairman announced that the LMS17 final will be hosted at Gathurst and will incorporate a social night. This will be held on Friday 29th September. The reason for this date is that the late weekend tee times did not work, plus with sufficnet notice we should be able to host this without issue. Our Friday event at Ormskirk in 2016 was one of the best events of the season, and this should provide the same sort of opportunity to have a good drink together that evening at the club [similar to what we used to do at Lee Park].
Practice matches at the club can begin from March 2017 with the compeition running 1st April until 16th July for the group phase and 17th July to 21st September for the knockout phase.
Andy explained that each year the society try to learn about what we can do to improve the LMS competition, but also to make it fairer across the board. One key area has been the scoring system. The Champions League formt HAS to stay – because we need to entice the club financially by having plenty of matches. This year we paid just over £3000 to GPGC this year [as detailed in the accounts section above] and without that group phase we would only be paying less than £800.
Another key issue has been that players don’t start their matches until 6-8 weeks into the event, primarily as most do not want to play in April and early May and run the risk of having tougher conditions which may penalise them in Stableford Scoring. Therefore, the proposal is that the entire compeition will revert to a Matchplay format. This doesn't punish the players in poor weather as its simply a one-on-one match with the final score playing no part in the results.
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTES:
Andy went on to explain that the club were his 1st choice venue given its reputation as a friendly, family club with superb greens and an interesting layout. The Chairman explained that a proposal was sent to the club, who replied promptly to show their interest in hosting the competition in 2017 - which showed the weight that LMS can hold as a business proposal and its unique idea in golfing circles.
The Chairman, along with the Captain and President had attended the club earlier that week for a meeting regarding the finer details and were made to feel welcome - with various members of the clubs council in attendance.
Gathurst are fully supportive of Bunkers and a fixed green fee has been agreed in line with previous years.
We have absolutely no doubt that Gathurst Golf Club will host another superb year in LMS and it will be a club that our members will enjoy visiting.
During the AGM, the committee were unable to confirm the times of day that LMS can be played but these have since been agreed and will be published on the webiste in due course. The Chairman advised members to look carefull at the agreed tee times when they are announced and if you think you can’t do it, then don’t commit to the compeition - we want all entrants to be able to play all of their games.
The Chairman announced that the LMS17 final will be hosted at Gathurst and will incorporate a social night. This will be held on Friday 29th September. The reason for this date is that the late weekend tee times did not work, plus with sufficnet notice we should be able to host this without issue. Our Friday event at Ormskirk in 2016 was one of the best events of the season, and this should provide the same sort of opportunity to have a good drink together that evening at the club [similar to what we used to do at Lee Park].
Practice matches at the club can begin from March 2017 with the compeition running 1st April until 16th July for the group phase and 17th July to 21st September for the knockout phase.
Andy explained that each year the society try to learn about what we can do to improve the LMS competition, but also to make it fairer across the board. One key area has been the scoring system. The Champions League formt HAS to stay – because we need to entice the club financially by having plenty of matches. This year we paid just over £3000 to GPGC this year [as detailed in the accounts section above] and without that group phase we would only be paying less than £800.
Another key issue has been that players don’t start their matches until 6-8 weeks into the event, primarily as most do not want to play in April and early May and run the risk of having tougher conditions which may penalise them in Stableford Scoring. Therefore, the proposal is that the entire compeition will revert to a Matchplay format. This doesn't punish the players in poor weather as its simply a one-on-one match with the final score playing no part in the results.
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTES:
- To change the competiton to Matchplay format throughout - MOTION APPROVED
- The scoring will be 1 point for the front 9, the back 9 and the overall match. Meaning there are 3 points per match up for grabs. Nothing else - MOTION APPROVED
- Fees for the group phase to be paid in advance - MOTION APPROVED
- It was universally agreed that the society should do all it can to keep and promote LMS. Its what makes us different and unique and builds partnerships with great local clubs.
9. captain v's president by steve bradshaw [2017 captain]
Steve Bradshaw took the reigns on the CvP competition and it was agreed that as an idea it should work, but for some reason does not seem to grab members in the way we hoped it would do. However, members discussed how they enjoyed the competition on day 1 of the end of season trip and that it provided extra banter and fun to the day.
Steve questioned how we could make the compeition more relevant to people - and it was discussed that members didn't necessarily know what team they played for, let alone feel part of one or the other. One suggestion discussed was to have different coloured shirts for the two teams, but this was later vetoed by members who felt the society looks smarter in uniformed dress.
Several proposals were put forward from ideas on the survey and from members present at the AGM.
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTES:
Steve questioned how we could make the compeition more relevant to people - and it was discussed that members didn't necessarily know what team they played for, let alone feel part of one or the other. One suggestion discussed was to have different coloured shirts for the two teams, but this was later vetoed by members who felt the society looks smarter in uniformed dress.
Several proposals were put forward from ideas on the survey and from members present at the AGM.
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTES:
- £1 per person playing on the day to go into a separate jar to be saved over the season with the winning team taking the pot at the end of the year. MOTION DECLINED BY MAJORITY as it was felt with the membership fee moving to £100 sufficient financial commitment had been made already without asking for more.
- Rather than each team having different coloured shirts, a suggestion was made to get the captain or president logo embroidered onto the 2017 shirts so that it was easily identifiable which team each player represented - MOTION PASSED
- In 2016 the top 3 scores counted from each side. In 2017 we proposed that this will continue but with a "Joker" element were the Captain & President will choose a "Joker" who's points will be doubled for that event - MOTION PASSED and it was agreed that the "joker" should NOT know they have been selected until after the round.
- Suggested we continue to pick the teams based on the Order of Merit finish. A coin should be tossed between the Captain & President and the winner takes the top player and then alternate players from there. MOTION PASSED.
- CvP will be reviewed at the end of th 2017 season and if it fails to work it will be scrapped - MOTION PASSED
10. the ORDER OF MERIT BY andy roper [chairman]
The Chairman had again asked the question during the member survey as to whether people liked, and took notice of, the order of merit and the resounding response form members was that they did.
Andy pointed out that he understands there are slight issues surrounding the OOM and in particular the scoring systems in place. As with everything in the society we want to learn and improve things and this competition is no different.
The Chairman spoke about the possibility of organising a match against another society and the 12 represntatives for this match will be picked based on the OOM - similar to what's done for the Ryder Cup from the European Tour Merit system. It was discussed about making this an overnight trip somewhere to play a different society - but it was agreed that in the first instance we should do this as a single days play to see if it works and is something that grabs member interest. It was felt there was no point in creating extra work if ultimately people aren't overly fussed. For the test run, it was agreed by members that we should try and organise the match for late summer/September time and use the OOM table as it stands at that point. If it all works well, then in future seasons the team will be selected form the finishing places in October with the match being played in November each season.
Therefore, the suggestion is that the 12 players for Team Bunkers will be picked from the top 8 players in the OOM [if someone doesn't want to go, then the 9th person is asked and so on until 8 players are picked from the table] The Captain of the Society gets a free invite and can pick 3 wildcards from players who do not quality from the OOM. If the Captain does not wish to attend, then the committee will decide who will represent the society as Captain and the process carries on.
Andy pointed out that he understands there are slight issues surrounding the OOM and in particular the scoring systems in place. As with everything in the society we want to learn and improve things and this competition is no different.
The Chairman spoke about the possibility of organising a match against another society and the 12 represntatives for this match will be picked based on the OOM - similar to what's done for the Ryder Cup from the European Tour Merit system. It was discussed about making this an overnight trip somewhere to play a different society - but it was agreed that in the first instance we should do this as a single days play to see if it works and is something that grabs member interest. It was felt there was no point in creating extra work if ultimately people aren't overly fussed. For the test run, it was agreed by members that we should try and organise the match for late summer/September time and use the OOM table as it stands at that point. If it all works well, then in future seasons the team will be selected form the finishing places in October with the match being played in November each season.
Therefore, the suggestion is that the 12 players for Team Bunkers will be picked from the top 8 players in the OOM [if someone doesn't want to go, then the 9th person is asked and so on until 8 players are picked from the table] The Captain of the Society gets a free invite and can pick 3 wildcards from players who do not quality from the OOM. If the Captain does not wish to attend, then the committee will decide who will represent the society as Captain and the process carries on.
MOTIONS SUBMITTED AND VOTED
- Phil stated he will review the scoring system for 2017.
- Double points for Majors to be scrapped - MOTION AGREED
- Bonus points for Majors to be implimented [3 points extra for 1st, 2 for 2nd and 1 for 3rd] - MOTION AGREED
- To look into the posibility of rewarding the final positions in the OOM [as per above] - MOTION AGREED
11. matters for member approval
The final part of the evening was to cover any points that had not already been discussed and voted upon.
- "Captains Drive-in" to be hosted at the start of the season and the Captain will play FREE at the courtesy of the members
MOTION AGREED - Events in 2016 should played over 8 weekends including 4 majors [12 in total] from 18th March - 15 October 2017.
MOTION AGREED - 6 weekday events should be considered and a suggestion of later tee times to be able to accommodate more members.
MOTION AGREED - Suggestion made to try and book some courses once at weekend and once in week if price etc was right. Therefore, to play the same venue twice in one season.
Agreed to Trial if possible and right price. - Game Formats will be picked in advance for weekend competitions. For example, you will be able to see what is Stableford and what is Medal in advance etc. However, if numbers don't allow for pairs we need to be flexible and change.
Weekday events will be flexible and can be decided based on numbers on the day itself.
MOTION AGREED - Our 3rd Major of the season "The Wide Open" will be played as a medal competition (stroke play).
MOTION AGREED - 2s comp to be introduced at cost of £1 per person, per event. Paid in cash on the day. Nearest the Pins to remain the same in terms of having 2 x NTP and 1 x NTP in two at each event. It was discussed about having NTP in 3 or simply just 3 x NTP's but they were declined by members.
MOTION AGREED for NTP's to remain the same and a 2's comp to be introduced. - Clubs should be booked at discretion of Committee and members trust their decision making.
MOTION AGREED - Dave Ashley suggested the purchase of a Bunkers tie that could be worn by members at social functions.
Underwhelming response and MOTION DECLINED. - Social event
Dave Ashley will consider taking the role of organiser this [providing their is enough support] as an event for members and their partners, family and friends. The initial explaination would be an evening of music, food and entertainment in a neutral venue for the benefit of all members and their guests. This will be left in his capable hands to think about and present if deemed possible. - Again the notion of raising money for charity came up and thoughts made about getting it built into LMS or other events. Steve Bradshaw is taking lead on this and there are numerous ideas to be worked on. He will present ideas to the society in the new year for how this will be done. Steve recommended that we support Arrowe Park Hospital in support of Marc Lloyd as his family - this was unanimously agreed by all members present.
- The end of season event was popular this year with everyone enjoying the Forest of Arden and it suited our needs very well. Phil Williams has been looking into this and has some quotes for 2017 that can be developed. All in agreement though that Forest of Arden was a good deal and members would happily return if the price was competitve as they felt no need to look elsewhere if it was as good as 2016. Other quotes will be obtained as well. The committee will make a full review before submitting to members in early 2017.
IN CLOSING...
It just leaves me to sincerely thank all members for their positive attitude towards the society and their commitment to all the things we do. Without that, we simply wouldn't exist in the manner we do.
Special thanks to the members who attended the AGM and played a key part in making all of the above decisions. It was a long and detailed meeting but enthusiasm for the ideas remained high.
I would also like to extend special thanks to the committee lads who do a lot of work behind the scenes and are often put under pressure by me to answer calls, texts and emails. Their dedication to make this society the best it possibly can be is one of the reasons we have such positive feedback from people looking in from the outside.
The season may have stopped but the hard work of organising 2017 has only just begun.
Here's hoping we continue to go from strength to strength.
Thank you.
Special thanks to the members who attended the AGM and played a key part in making all of the above decisions. It was a long and detailed meeting but enthusiasm for the ideas remained high.
I would also like to extend special thanks to the committee lads who do a lot of work behind the scenes and are often put under pressure by me to answer calls, texts and emails. Their dedication to make this society the best it possibly can be is one of the reasons we have such positive feedback from people looking in from the outside.
The season may have stopped but the hard work of organising 2017 has only just begun.
Here's hoping we continue to go from strength to strength.
Thank you.
Andy Roper - Chairman