OGC COMMUNICATIONS
*John Williston
It is fitting that the beginning of the new year should start with a review of the old year by our esteemed outgoing President, Charlie Sims:
Dear Members,
With the close of 2008, I thought it appropriate to recap the past year and highlight our accomplishments. It has been a very good year for the Club and one, which, I believe, has laid the groundwork for more success.
The golf courses are in the best condition they have been in years and we continue to receive accolades from golfers outside the Oakmont community. The greens on the West course have consistently been measured at over 10 on the stimpmeter while the East greens have been maintained at approximately 9. Fast, true greens are a real drawing card for outside play. In addition, we have dredged and restored the lake on 13 West as well as expanding the tee area. When completed, the 13th hole will be a beautiful hole. We are in the process of dredging and expanding the lake in front of the second tee on the West to expand our irrigation capabilities and to enhance the look and play of holes two and seven. The volunteer sanding team, made up of members and coordinated by Grover Blackburn, has been very effective in reducing the number of open divots on the fairways and improving the condition of the fairways. Thanks to the generosity of the Don Butcher Fund, we have added a large outdoor clock that can be seen from the first tee, the ninth green and the driving range. It is a welcome addition. Speaking of the Butcher Fund, the maintenance crew is in the process of refurbishing several fairways that need upgrading, with expenses being covered by the Fund. Early in the year, a project was started to identify fairway bunkers that were not an integral part of the courses and did not affect play, but were labor intensive to maintain. Several bunkers were selected and during the course of the year, and as time permitted, these bunkers have been filled in with soil and seeded. A significant future labor savings! And finally, in October the Board approved Empire's recommendation to install a GPS system on all the Club's rental carts. We have already received favorable input from outside play and have been able to track an increase in the food and beverage usage through the GPS carts. It is hoped that having this system on our carts will help increase the outside patronage in both individual play as well as an increase in tournament play. If you haven't tried the system yet, please do so. The cart rental fee for members is the same as it was before the GPS system was installed.
As productive as the golf courses have been this year, the Food and Beverage area is probably our biggest accomplishment. We started off the year rather slow with the Thursday, Friday and Saturday night dinner patronage dwindling down to sparse support and on some nights, we had zero customers. Empire's suggestion to eliminate the dinners and instead offer a Thursday Night Buffet with a different theme each night was cautiously approved by the Board. It has turned out to be a real success story. We are averaging over 100 people per night and we have now started a Sunday morning buffet, which should be very popular. Our tournament banquets were slightly down from the previous year but we had over 32 weddings during the year. A record number of weddings! With the events we have had plus some very efficient management of the expenses by the Empire staff, the Food and Beverage area has shown a profit for each of the past few months and we hope to continue that success into the next year.
What I have described above is a direct correlation to the efforts of Empire Golf, Incorporated. The management and staff of Empire have been instrumental in getting the Club where it is today and I believe the relationship between Empire and the Board is a reflection of the positive steps the Club has taken. In recognition of that effort, the Board reached an agreement for a new five-year extension with Empire including an option for renewal after three years. This puts the Club in a position of having a cohesive management team in place as it works toward future successes.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not reflect on the significant efforts of the 2008 Board of Directors. I believe we have accomplished a lot and helped set the stage for future Boards. Jean Turner was not only our Vice-President but headed up the Golf Committee and provided a steadying influence for all of us. John Williston was our Secretary and avid Club reporter and will have us all communicating via the Internet before he leaves office! Nona Leone gave the House and Green Committee guidance and, perhaps more importantly, established the framework for the Club's Long Range Plan. George Meeks kept us up-to-date on our membership status and developed a workable Tribute Fund operation. Nancy Shaw made the Club social life a high point of the year and the summer Twilighters events were such an unqualified success that we had to turn people away. Charlie Chapman has been our Treasurer for the past three years. It will be difficult to imagine our Board meetings without the firm guidance and direction on all financial matters from Charlie. In addition, Charlie rewrote all the operating procedures between OGC and Empire regarding the finances and left a concise, working document for future Treasurers to follow. I thank them all for their support.
As for me, my three years on the Board including Secretary, Vice-President and President were very rewarding and enlightening. I came on the Board with a somewhat suspect opinion of what Empire could do for the Club. I leave the Board truly believing that Empire has saved us from financial disaster. I have enjoyed meeting and communicating with the membership and though we may not have agreed on all things, I think every resolution was for the benefit of the Club. If you have not served on the Board, I encourage you to do so; it is a very enriching experience. I thank you for your support and encourage your continued support for the new Board members, Frank Joyce and Jack Powers, as well as the remaining Board members. Happy New Year!
Charlie Sims, OGC President
