Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Our numbers are down and consequently poker machine and bar revenue are also falling.  And we have just spent all our money to irrigate four fairways – maybe the improved look and playability will attract people.  I hope so.  I think that people around here have less time now, for various reasons : mothers working so need to stay home and do jobs and see family on weekends; organised childrens sport takes up more weekend time; people are lazier and more inclined to veg out on a weekend; drink driving risks impact as well, just to name a few. I think that clubs have to make themselves attractive from a welcoming point of few so that people don’t feel shut out by a clique.  A confident golfer shifting to that club would likeley not be affected but a newbie may feel a bit unwelcome so try out the lawn bowls or squash club instead. A few more notes: I agree people seem to have less time. There seems to be a corresponding trend these days towards people paying for services, rather everyone pitching in with the idea of common "community" interest. Maybe people just don’t have the time to help out anymore. Our club has shifted from "all volunteer", to contracting out some services. Examples are catering, bookkeeping and cleaning. We also get less revenue from those activities that were previously done by volunteers … whereas we used to have an income of about $7000 per year from volunteer catering (mainly by the women), now we pay caterers to do it for us. Sometime soon we might need to pay bar staff and green fee collections, both of which are volunteer activities at present. Unfortunate, but that is modern, busy life.

As much as I hate it, I think it is more that jobs are going into the service sector, with most other jobs either reduced or eliminated. Makes it hard to want to volunteer time that you may need to make a living. I have also noted that all too many charity events are greatly reduced this year.  My home course would usually have at least one of the weekend days booked with some tournament or other.  This year there is almost none on the weekend, and very few on the weekends. As a sign of the times, Rend Lake Golf Course, one of the very best in this area is now having twilite rates of $15/9/riding.  That is well under what it was last year at this time. Lloyd

Response:

Like many clubs, I imagine, our golf club is feeling the pinch of falling revenues and

rising costs. One approach you might consider, to reduce cost, and increase profit, is to contract the service of a party that is  "experienced" – in the matter confronting you, and on a contingent basis, if possible – i.e; no improvement, no compensation,