PIN HI The Official Newsletter of Royal Queensland Golf Club Spring 2014 Edition
President’s Report In my final article for Pin Hi I set out my thoughts about the essential elements of a successful golf Club. These revolve around a Championship Course, with easier course settings when appropriate, so that the membership does not tire of playing at the Club. Camaraderie, where we look forward to catching up with friends and colleagues, plus relevant other policies in tune with membership expectations, sound financial management and human resources policies are all features seen in successful Clubs. Camaraderie is the “oil” of any successful Club and all of us have an obligation to each other to be respectful, patient and at times a little forbearing of the foibles of others. Slow play and the raking of bunkers are ongoing issues for golf Clubs generally, and RQ shares these challenges. Our course is more difficult to play than its official Slope Rating implies, as some of our long par 4s compare very favourably in distance with those on the US PGA tour and the bunkering and greens means one must be judicious in electing to play a hole aggressively or not, and on which side of a fairway to play the next shot to the pin. Then there are the winds to challenge the skills of any golfer. It seems that the Slope rating system has some limitations, which hopefully will be addressed in due course and see our course more appropriately rated.
Inside This Issue Welcome to
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New Members
Ideally, any Board should be comprised of Members who have a range of professional and life experiences so that a wide cross section of mature and sensible views can be expressed and debated in the decision making process.
Communiqué from the Captain
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A Board is enhanced if some members have high level Board and wide corporate experience at a very senior level. Corporate Governance policies are rarely well learned at privately owned companies as compared with publicly listed companies, where surveillance by shareholders, analysts, journalists, the Australian Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission ensures that any poor Board decisions and /or transgressions are publicised, and at times pursued in the Courts. We seem to have the knack, most of the time, of blending a Board with the appropriate range of skills and experiences.
From the GMs Desk
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JDP Programme
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Associates’ News
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Coming Events
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Course Manager’s Report
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25 & 50 Year Golf and Dinner
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Rules are Rules
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A Board functions really well if its members diligently prepare for all meetings and contribute to the debate of the issues. Board committees are also expected to contribute to the development of and changes to policies by research and discussion with informed parties, including Members of other Clubs. For this purpose reciprocal visits are invaluable. “Thought bubbles” often are tangential to an issue and are not a substitute for preparation. Boards also have an obligation to oversee the Club’s senior management activities to ensure that the Club’s policies and other decisions are not only carried out, but executed in a timely fashion.