If you were at the Exchange meeting on Monday, Feb 13 or watched it on video, you know the most vocalized issue was regarding golf and the challenges of members getting prime time tee times. Lots of other stuff golf related, but clearly this has become a flash point. No surprise really when you consider the shit storm of controversy started in April of 2022. Members have been complaining long and hard and management keeps proposing half-measures that do nothing but delay the inevitable. The simple reality is if we continue to sell half price golf rounds and golf cars to non-residents and give them early access through small group bookings, members will keep getting screwed. Sorry for being blunt here, but what is happening is unacceptable on any and all levels. These courses belong to the RCSC members, not some guy who lives in Peoria, Surprise or Glendale and wants to golf with his friends but is unwilling to move here. Why should he when he gets better than the benefits of ownership by simply joining with his small group buddies to fill out the group of 30 or more. Let me make this point in terms everyone can and will understand: * Sun City West has 7 golf courses to our 8. * Sun City West 18,000 rooftops to our 27,500. * Sun City West in their last calendar year played 20,000-30,000 less rounds than we did in Sun City (roughly 325,000 to 350,000). * Sun City West with less rounds, less golf courses and less population took in more than TWO MILLION DOLLARS MORE WE DID IN SUN CITY (9.2 million to 7.1 million). Sun City West doesn't give their golf rounds away to anyone and in fact, they have language in their bylaws stating outsiders can't get priority over members or be charged less than members. In fairness, their golf courses are nicer than ours, but not that much so. Here's my proposal and a solution to go with it. At the board meeting in Feb (next week), pass a motion to place a moratorium on the sale of golf passes immediately. Bylaw motions need proper notice but this vote would affect non-residents. Current non-resident full play pass holders would be allowed to use their passes till they expire. However, do not let them come in and buy a pass that isn't on the verge of expiring. Once that is done, turn everything over to the golf community for review/study and to come up with workable solutions going forward. If you have to, create an ad hoc review committee made up of equal parts across the spectrum of golfers. Do not let the full play pass buyers control the process. If it takes till the fall to analyze surrounding courses, communities and what is our competition, so be it. Do it right and fix the mess that has been created over the years. As always i will conclude with i'm okay subsidizing golf for the membership, i have no interest subsidizing it for outsiders. If they want to play our courses, make them pay the market rate. Perhaps it is too easy but for sure it will get the golfers off your backs and allow you to work on all of the other issues the board has in front of them.
Bill, You are a great problem solver! I jumped to the wrong conclusion when I saw the headline to your post. Knowing that the Golf Advisory Committee was meeting today, I thought they had made that decision. So sorry that wasn’t the case. Please send this to the Independent for a letter to the editor. I have sent a suggestion to the CoChais of the golf committee to consider an outside consultant to help. There will need to be compromises. If most of the golf committee play in small groups, then they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. We need impartial people to come to solutions to these problems. You are right to take the time to do this right. The Board has so many other decisions to make.
[QUOTE="Janet Curry, post: 26206, member: We need impartial people to come to solutions to these problems. You are right to take the time to do this right. The Board has so many other decisions to make.[/QUOTE] Bill and Janet...You are both correct; Bill's analysis is spot on and Janet - we/RCSC/members need outside, impartial assistance to help resolve this issue, and others. Years of dysfunction are coming home to roost. This Board has a myriad of complex and conflicting issues to face; if the board/management/staff/member house doesn't get itself in sync soon, the cards fall. I'll save my thoughts for another time.
If you can show me where in the Bylaws it says that I'll be happy to admit I'm wrong. But the Bylaws only state that an agenda need be posted 7 days in advance and nothing regarding the motions that will be presented. Next...the Bylaw also allows the agenda to be amended. Nothing stops a Director from offering an amendment to the agenda when it's either being approved at the beginning of the meeting or anytime thereafter. Nothing is stopping a Director to present an amendment to the Bylaws under New Business. I've been searching for a very long time for the requirements to amend a Bylaw! I can't seem to find neither a requirement for "previous notice" or if a majority or two-thirds vote is required to pass one?
Damn, dealing with the golf will be dwarfed by the coming shit storm on Feb 23. I would have loved to see it posted as a motion so we could avoid any suggestions the RCSC board was trying to bury it. You are 100% right Tom, they could amend the agenda to start the meeting but my guess is there will be an epic sized crowd with plenty of angst and accusations. pouring forth as both sides make their pitch. I want to see a "performing arts theater." I cannot get my head around a 40 million dollar monument to long departed board members. Function over form for me every time.
In this month's General Manager's Report, the annual no fee nonresident passes sold between August 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023 was about 12% higher than the same period a year ago. At Monday's Exchange, Mr. Cook said they would definitely consider increasing the amount if the data showed that the $250 raise in fees was immaterial. I would say it is time for the Management to admit that their solution didn't pan out. Golf Advisory Committee, please don't continue "kicking the can down the road" with these minor adjustments. Board of Directors, please consider Mr. Pearson's suggestion to put a moratorium on selling nonresident passes immediately until it can be studied in depth. In the meantime, any of them who would like to renew their pass, can pay guest green fees until this issue is resolved. Of course, they would have to risk not having a riding cart, just like the rest of us, which might make them unhappy, just like the rest of us. At Monday's Exchange, the Director of Golf stated that if we quit selling nonresident passes, those same people can come and play as a guest. Yes, but they would be paying guest green fees which would add more revenue than the no fee passes. I am glad the GM included the data in his report. I just hope it doesn't take too long to make the needed adjustments.
Another suggestion: based on the numerous comments made by golfers about the bad behavior on the courses, it sounds like it's time to get rangers back on the course. If pay is the issue, then it's time they are fairly compensated. Putting up with rule breakers and obnoxious behavior every day is hard enough for paid employees; why would someone volunteer their time to put up with such nonsense from adults that should know better? Free golf probably isn't enough.
P Pay is definitely the issue. It’s ludicrous to expect people to volunteer for that job. Pay people and empower them to remove and disqualify troublemakers.
