PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE | DAVID WILKS
Andrew then came up with his fifth iteration for us. This design is exciting, because it utilizes our property beautifully, corrects a number of our shortcomings, includes five tee locations for each hole, makes the most of our gorgeous vistas and has many other virtues. The committee is satisfied that it is the best possible design for what we have to work with. But that doesn’t mean that we are going to put it into practice. We still do not have a remotely reliable or actionable cost estimate. I can tell you what I have told Mr. Iannelli, the Executive Committee and others: if it costs a penny more than the Club and membership should pay given all our current circumstances, we aren’t doing it. We need to and will do the irrigation system. That is not optional. But Andrew Green’s grand design? Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know yet.
But we will have options. The irrigation system is all or nothing. The North Course is not. We can do all, some or none of it. The Club’s leadership will take everything into account and keep you well-informed.
And we have another separate ad hoc committee looking into ways to make this financially manageable for every member. Not everyone is in the same place in life and we are taking all that into account. All I ask is that you don’t make any lasting judgments or decisions based on what we know right now. We don’t know nearly enough yet to know what lies ahead. We anticipate obtaining information in the next few weeks that will inform some decisions. Until then, please know that a lot of people are working very hard on all these issues and all of them have a say in what happens next. One more word and this is about membership development. Some of you have expressed to me that we have a problem in attracting new members and that the Club should focus on that problem before taking on any new projects. We don’t have that luxury when it comes to the irrigation system, but I get your point. A few more new members every year above our usual influx would be welcome. But please remember that it cannot be the Club staff’s role to attract new members. That job is ours as members and each of us needs to be part of that solution. We created the Membership Development Committee last year to promote those efforts and make it easier for everyone. Tripp Way and his team have gotten the effort off the ground and have instituted some excellent ideas. Please do reach out to Tripp and see how you can contribute. It might be as simple as suggesting that a friend or co-worker check the Club out. Anything you can do will benefit all of us for years to come.
Thanks, as always, for your dedication to our wonderful Club. If there is anything you would like me to know, please email me at dwilks.wcc@gmail.com.
David Wilks
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