Things to worry about - or not

We have recently been focusing on three things (in addition to the usual getting ready for the summer season):

• The Dinkie
• Membership renewals
• Tee sponsorships

The Dinkie
The scale of the landslip is important because:

a) of the potential impact on the course - in particular the risk to the 18th green

b) of the risk to the public using the footpath - which is also a bridlepath.

c) we are planning to spend a lot of money on the clubhouse when there is unstable land nearby.

We are therefore taking professional advice. The intial view is that the series of landslips are due to

water on top of the underground layer of rock loosening the sandy soil and making it slip, reinforced by erosion at the foot of the slope by the sea. The enigineers thought it unlikely that the clubhouse was at risk, but the 18^th green eventually would be. They also identified other areas of slippage along the first hole. The preliminary indication was that any work to stabilise the Dinkie would be (very) expensive and could not be guaranteed to work. In addition, the Council’s official Shoreline Management Plan says that natural erosion should take place in our area of coastline so we probably would not get permission for major work. We will  carry out a proper ground survey: to give us more certainty about the intial conclusions. Such a survey will also be helpful when we have discussions with the Council and others about the routing of the footpath and bridlepath.

The likely outcome – that we will do nothing – raises two issues for longer term consideration:

- how would we alter the course layout if the 18^th green did come under threat?

- how would we want the footpath/bridle path re-routed  if the path disappears?

Shorter term, we are thinking about how local rules should treat the Dinkie from now on; it will probably be out of bounds.

We have notified our insurers and the Council; the latter have inspected the landslip and are comfortable with the continued use of the path at this stage: they will prepare some warning notices.

Membership renewals
We'll report fully when membership for the eyar is finalised (the end of the first quarter), but renewals have been pretty good compared with previous years and although the waiting list covers men only and there have been reductions in ladoes and junior memebrs, the total should be similar to the budget.

Tee sponsorships
As noted before, a three year tee sponsorship programme is an important part of our funding plans for work on the clubhouse. We have spent the last couple of months discussing the programme with various businesses and I'm pleased to say that we are virtually there in getting all the holes sponsored froma  good mix of local and national businesses, members and suppliers. We are having a draw to see who gets what holes next week. In current economic conditions that is a good result which reflects well on the club's reputation and which will bring in over £55,000 in total.