PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED
Q: What are we doing to find those five or six more members a year? A:
Studies consistently show that the number one reason why people do not join a country club is because they haven’t been asked. It isn’t a function of cost: there are lots of people in our community who can afford Wilmington Country Club. They just haven’t been asked. So we decided that we should have a more intentional way of asking. We launched the Membership Development Committee in 2024 to get the ball rolling. Tripp Way will chair the committee in 2025. Our general idea is that, collectively, our membership knows virtually everyone in town. We would like to leverage those relationships to make people feel welcome here. When Tripp asks you to lend a hand, please say yes. It won’t be hard and will likely be fun.
Q: What about the BMW? Did we make any money and where did it go? A:
The BMW was financially advantageous to the Club. Perhaps not as advantageous as some of the rumors suggest, but we did just fine. As I hinted above, we are a not-for-profit organization and we never want to jeopardize that designation. We devoted an enormous amount of resources, including our staff’s time, to the BMW and we made sure that those costs were set against the BMW-related revenues. We also did a great deal of infrastructure work that will last a long time, much of which was necessitated by the BMW. Just one example is that we have new state-of-the-art bunkers on the South Course. Pre-BMW, our outstanding debt was around $4,000,000 that was incurred for such things as the new kitchen, tornado recovery and other items. After the BMW, it was around $2,000,000. That is the best way to explain how the club made out. It was a strong positive and we have lots to show for it. Q: I’ve heard rumors about the North Course. What’s the story there? A: The North Course has never gotten a full makeover since it opened in 1961 and there are things about it that could stand improvement. Since our property-wide irrigation system is overdue for replacement, the time to think about the North Course is now. The Board engaged Andrew Green, probably the foremost golf architect in the world, to prepare drawings. No, we are not buying Winterthur. The challenge we face was created when the Club was first laid out. Our property is roughly rectangular. When Robert Trent Jones designed the South Course, he -- as my mother used to say -- took his half out of the middle. Next time you are in the Pub, take a look at your placemat. You will see that the South Course roughly occupies the middle of the rectangle. In fact, the southeasternmost corner of the property is on the North Course. That leaves little elbow room for someone even of Andrew Green’s considerable design talent to work with. He has come up with a few designs, but none so far has fully satisfied him or the committee working on this. One of his ideas would have required us to lease about 25 acres from Winterthur on the Point-to-Point track parallel to our driveway. We spent months in discussion with our good friend and next-door-neighbor. At the end of the day, however, the challenges for both sides were too great to overcome. So, no, we were never going to buy Winterthur or any part of it. We only hoped that the lease of a small piece would accommodate one of Andrew’s ideas, but it was not to be. Not to worry. Andrew Green is the best in the business and he is hard at work on our behalf. I imagine that I will have more news on this front in the coming months. Q: But what’s taking so long and are we buying Winterthur? A:
Q:
Did you know that we have mice?
A: The Club’s leadership and staff are, in fact, aware that we have had mice. For starters, the President of the Club does not engage in the management of day-to-day operational activities, nor should he. I do, however, ensure that when problems arise, they are addressed appropriately. Over the course of several years now, our staff has spent enormous amounts of time, effort and money on exterminators, contractors and cats. The problem has been a persistent one and we are not alone in the struggle. The Department of Health has inspected the Club numerous times and, despite its awareness of this problem, consistently gives us a clean bill of health. So, the good news is that the mice have never jeopardized our food safety. And it appears that we are winning the war. I have not seen a mouse for several months now and I am hearing the same from others. But we all want them gone for good.
Q: Last question. Nothing personal, but the current Club President and Vice-President don’t play a lot of golf. Since this is primarily a golfing club, why are they at the helm? A: The short answer is that we are in these roles because we were asked. We both love this Club and are delighted to devote our time and energy to it for this short period. Neither of us wanted to say no to something that means so much to us.
I question, though, whether we can call this a primarily golfing club anymore. There is a ton of tennis played here. And pickleball. And squash. And paddle. Have you seen our juniors and summer camp programs? The youngest among us are spending their time doing a lot of things in addition to golf.
Be that as it may, Adam and I both love golf. We have both chaired the Grounds Committee and I will put our knowledge of nematodes and fairy ring up against anyone’s. Before kids and careers took over our time and attention, golf was an important part of our lives. And it is slowly making its way back onto the list of priorities. But if you are concerned that we don’t know our way around a golf course, please let us know when you need a fourth. We’d love to play. David Wilks
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