~~ Minutes of the Tracy Park Golf Club Annual General Meeting 5th April 2018, 7:00 pm

Present: Phil Sandles (Men's Captain) John George (General Manager) Kim Burchill (Ladies' Captain) James Tuck (Head of Golf) Mike Joy (Seniors' Captain) Kevin Boxall (Course Manager) Alan Parker (Treasurer) In addition to the above, 38 members were in attendance.

Approval of minutes of previous AGM: Following a couple of amendments proposed by Rob Brailey, these were approved.

General Manager's report: JG informed members about changes to the management of the company. Martin Shaw is no longer on the Board. A new Acting Managing Director has been appointed for these assets. The Shaw family still have an investment in Tracy Park, Chart Hills, Lythe Hill and Castlemartyr but have no interest in Old Thorns or The Buckinghamshire. Turning to Tracy Park development plans, JG reported that planning approval has been given for a Victorian conservatory to be erected over the decking at the end of the manor house. Approval has also been granted for the driving range relocation. As for further development, South Gloucestershire Planning Authority is aware of what we want to do. JG expects more gravitas in our push for development which has stalled for various reasons.

Course Manager's report: Tracy Park has over the last 12 months improved greatly with a reduction in the thatch layer (build up of dead organic matter), improved definition and firmer, faster surfaces. This has however come at a cost to the membership with course closures due to frost, snow and flooding. Course closures are something we take very seriously as a company as it has a massive financial impact with loss of golf revenues and secondary spend within the hotel. The decision to close the courses has been taken for many reasons which include - Protection of our biggest asset: Playing golf on a frozen ground causes serious damage to the plant, worst case is the death of the plant damaged by walking on the frozen plant. - Health and Safety: At times during this winter the steep banks on the Cromwell have become an accident waiting to happen. We as a company put the welfare of our members and guests before our bottom line. For this reason, we have had to reduce the course to 9 holes for a prolonged period. - Extensive flooding of the Crown course: With the extremely wet winter the Crown course has been unable to cope with volume of water this year with a large lake on the 10th hole for well over a month. - Earlier start to the season: By being protective with the courses this year the greens will reach peak quality much earlier in the season than courses in the area that have played on there greens regardless of weather and ground conditions. - Reduced levels of compaction: Playing on surfaces that are saturated will increase compaction which will require more aeration work during the main playing season which creates more disruption to members during the main golfing season. Last year we trialled rope drainage on the 2nd green, this has proved to be very successful with great improvement in drainage making this green now one of the better greens on the Crown. We are currently obtaining quotes to roll this work out on greens 1,3,13 and 17. It is expected to be in the region of £20,000. This winter we have continued with the woodland management plan which has included removing trees around greens and tees to improve light and air movement to these areas. Hedgerows have been cut back to allow better access for golfers and all tree guards have now been removed from all the trees on the courses. The irrigation system has now been completed giving full coverage to greens, tees and approaches. This will help during dry periods to give complete control as to the amount of water that we apply. All the bunkers on the courses have been edged, flymowed and worn areas prepared ready for new turf. This work will be finished by April and once drier conditions return. Sand will be evenly distributed giving a good sand coverage across the bunker base. Additional sand will be added where required. Spring greens maintenance has been completed with a deep tinning operation being carried out and a top dressing will be applied when ground conditions warm up. Due to the reduced levels of thatch and low level of compaction I have been able to reduce the intensity of this work which will mean the greens will recover quicker. Staffing levels have nearly reached maximum levels with two highly skilled greenkeepers being appointed since last year. We are currently still looking for two summer casuals to start in April. Two members of my team have become qualified to City and guilds level 2 in sports turf and Jack Hodge is due to complete his level 3 in sports turf management.

Men's Captain's report: Good evening everyone, as the outgoing men's captain I am pleased to give you an update on the men's section during my captaincy. The start of the Captains year and drive in was on April fool's day, which some less kind souls may say was appropriate. Looking at the weather now it is hard to believe that people were walking into the bar on that day a little sunburnt. We were very lucky with the weather and everyone's generosity helped to start the year off with a bang for our chosen charity, Warmley Park School. We were also lucky on the other big charity day, the captain's day, with good weather and a lovely hog roast afterwards. Again this day raised a large sum of money for our charity. I would like to thank everyone who played in these days and especially thank everyone who helped in the organisation of those days, they went off very smoothly and made for really enjoyable days for Mike, Kim and myself. Our previous men's captain, Mike Cooke, put the wheels in motion during his year to spend the money that had been left in the old men's account which was left over when the previous committee was disbanded by the previous owners. The money was used to subsidise a men's away day at Bowood. The event was very well attended with over 60 of our men attending the day, which again was played in lovely weather. Every year we enter the Presidents Cup and this year we were drawn away to Chipping Sodbury. This turned out to be a close run match even though the final 4-1 loss does not tell the whole story. I think all of the matches went to either the 17th or 18th hole. The club was also represented by two teams in the Bristol & District league. Our 1st team in Division 6 and our 2nd team in division 8. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Graeme Archer and Andy Owen for the massive amount of work they put in throughout the season dealing with the teams. Andy also initiated the team sessions on a Tuesday night, setting out coaching drills and practice games. I managed to attend a number of these and they were really well received, although on one Tuesday evening in May the course turned white during a hail storm, I have to admit I had the utmost respect for the chaps that were on the course - I think they actually managed to play 6 holes before they called it a day, I have to say I would have been in the bar well before that. Sadly the results for the teams did not go as well as we would have hoped, after a bright, start winning games we hit a flat spot mid season which ultimately saw the 1st team relegated to Division 7 and the 2nd team not making the promotion places in division 8. I have to say that it was a pleasure to be there with the teams this year, each and every player played with dignity and represented the club in a way that made me proud to be Captain. Thank you to all those players and may you have slightly better luck next year. My congratulations go to James Andell winning the Men's Club Championship for the second year in a row and Richard Palmer winner of the Kingswood Kobbler. Although I think next year's Captain may have a score to settle in the Kobbler next year after being so close. If you need to know more I am sure Barry will happily re-call his tee-shot on 18 with you, I know it remains very clear in his mind's eye! I cannot complete my report without a mention of the actual golf course. We all know the issues we are facing with the weather currently, but we must always remember how good the course was during the playing months last year. Massive congratulations must go out to Kevin and all his staff for the condition and presentation of the course. There were many times during team games where the opposing players were very complimentary on the condition of the course and especially the greens. I can't help but think it has removed our "˜Home' advantage, but I am sure that will return as we all get used to playing on a proper golf course. Thanks must also go to the chaps in the pro shop for running the competitions and providing us with a great service throughout the year. I have to thank the committee for the hard work they all to a man put in during the year, often in the background - your committee are the un-sung heroes of the membership, please ensure you support them and work with them during the next year. I must also congratulate and wish luck to next year's captains Barry, Mike and Alison, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Finally, I thank you all for giving me a very enjoyable and relatively stress free year as Men's captain and I will leave you with a thought: In primitive society, when native tribes beat the ground with clubs and yelled, it was called witchcraft; today, in civilized society, we call it golf.

Lady Captain's report: KB reported on the ladies' section activities during the year. (Written report to follow)

Senior Captain's report: During the last year we sadly lost one of our former members, David Briffett, who had been at Tracy Park for 21 years. In his time with the Senior Section he acted as financial auditor, keeping us legal as far as our accounts were concerned. David suddenly passed away on October 20th 2017. Although he had been poorly his death was unexpected. More than 20 of his former senior colleagues attended the funeral at St Margaret's Church, Queen Charlton. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work carried out by Mike Learney our Captain for 2017. Mike had a difficult start to his Captaincy having picked up an injury whilst playing golf in Spain. Although injured he put himself out to attend organised Seniors events. I can remember him turning up at our Away Day at Farrington in the pouring rain & hiring a buggy to follow the matches around the course. He also attended matches against other Teams just to introduce himself to the visiting captain before tee off. Also behind the scenes he created all our documents for managing the finances of the senior section. Unfortunately, Mike's role as seniors Captain came to an abrupt end early in 2018 following the publication of an email highlighting "Other Opportunities to play Winter Golf". This detail was prompted by other members who were frustrated by the lack of golf and in their words "the loss of social interaction" and Mike innocently forwarded the information not realising the ultimate consequences of his action. Having spoken with Mike he realises he made a mistake and has since received formal feedback from the management detailing the reasons for his exclusion. Although not happy he indicated that he was not prepared to appeal the decision. Just to update you all on Mike's current situation. He recently (last week) underwent Hip Surgery & is recovering well. Hoping to join us as a Guest at our Away day on 4th June at Clevedon Golf Club. During the year the Seniors section held 16 Club Competitions -

o Medals from April to October
o Jeff Boston Memorial Trophy
o Seniors Championship
o Presidents cup
o A number of pairs & Singles competitions
- Unfortunately, there are 2 Competitions that run into this year, these being the Winter Shield (Singles) & the Winter Greensomes, these have been difficult to conclude not only because of the weather but people taking up membership elsewhere.
- This year saw 15 different winners over these 16 Competitions, although some people picked up more than one trophy on the Presentation Evening. Which I must say was well attended by the Senior Section.
- The "Roll Up" programme for the remaining Tuesdays throughout the year have been affected by course closures with our last organised event being the Turkey Trot on December 4th. We also only managed to play one of our planned 3 matches against the Ladies section. Even though the course has opened the carry restriction impacts heavily on the majority of Seniors who take part in our organised events.
- In addition, 14 matches played - Home & Away against other Clubs o The results for this year lost 8 won 5 drawn 1
o Plus we play Llanwern for a 3rd time at a neutral venue (The Bristol) for the Sabrina Bowl which we won.
- The organised away days at Sham castle were twice called off due to bad weather leading to a carry only restriction, which meant we couldn't play. We rescheduled & played at Farrington instead also played Wrag Barn (Swindon). Thanks to all the seniors who have supported the Section throughout the year. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank James/Kevin & their teams for their support & flexibility over the last year. It has been difficult on occasions but we have always received a positive response. Also I would like to thank the Golf Breaks Team (Michelle & Zoe) & catering staff for their support in organising our after match meals.

Treasurer's report: AP highlighted some points from the balance sheet: "You'll see all of the Captains put their green fees into the Committee account. The total charity donation will be £5,511.82 plus anything we raise at the Captains' Dinner tomorrow night." Following a query from Heather Reed, AP clarified the bonus ball contribution. He confirmed that more than £145 was raised in total but explained that some of this had been put into the ladies' account. Richard Codd asked about remaining expenditure to be included. AP replied, stating that there is a sum of c£1,300 for crystal, so c£600 will be carried forward to next year; around £200 more than last year. Rob Brailey asked for more information about the apparent Captain's Dinner subsidy. AP confirmed that the event was subsidised from Captains' green fees and that this subsidy covered items such as; the band, piper, wine and flowers.

Any Other Business: James Tuck introduced the Vice Captains who will be taking over as Captains for 2018-19; Barry Preece (Men's), Alison Bacon (Ladies') and Mike Joy (Seniors'). He wished them all the best for the year ahead. Mike Joy announced that the Seniors' Vice Captain would be Dave Reid (again!). Alison Bacon announced that Karen Beaumont-Wraith would be Ladies' Vice Captain. Barry Preece announced that Phil Porter would be Men's Vice Captain for 2018-19.

Questions/comments from Members:

Jim Britton - Since the course have been closed for long periods, will a refund of, say 4 - 5 months' membership fees be considered? A (JT) - The courses have been closed for 52 days since November; 13 due to snow, 17 frost and 22 rain. Rainfall has been exceptional. Kevin and his team have dug ditches out and cleared drains so have done all they could to limit the impact of the weather. Kevin considered major new drainage work across both 15th holes last October but a company decision was taken not to do this during growing periods. James reminded members that we have not raised membership fees, unlike most other clubs in our area (for example, 7 day membership at the Kendleshire costs £1275).

Ian Davidson - Have development plans been agreed? A (JG) - A big pre-planning proposal has been submitted. The response from South Gloucestershire was that we should do it "˜a bit at a time'. JG assured members that the Chinese commitment and money for the group is absolute so funding will not be an issue. JG added that there had been structural changes as the planning company retained by the owners and this may be helpful.

Steve Jones - Following on from the previous point, can we have updates as plans develop? A (JG) - Yes, we can agree to this. JG went on to express some personal views about development plans. "Do we need another 150 hotel bedrooms? No. Perhaps a better clubhouse and bar, including a spike bar, would be a bigger priority."

Rob Brailey - When is work on the driving range going to start? A (JG) - Planning consent only formally came through last Friday. There is not a huge amount of work needed to create the new range. JT added that they are also looking at short game practice facilities as he believes a modern-day golf complex needs this.

Rob Brailey - The changing facilities are disgusting. Often no towels, no toilet paper and the showers are terrible. Is this situation likely to improve soon? A (JG) - "When the new Managing Director visits next week, I'll discuss with him the changing room needs. One of our issues is low water pressure here."

Ian Davidson - What is the timescale for breaking ground and completion? A (JG) - We cannot provide an answer to that question at present.

Richard Codd - Reporting a concern affecting older members, Richard asked if there is any reason why we cannot use push trolleys. A (KB) - The problem is the potential damage to small areas of the course. A (JT) - On one occasion, a group was allowed to use trolleys but only on tracks. This agreement was abused by the time they had reached their third hole. We may be willing to try this again but it is important that any restrictions be observed.

Rob Brailey - Referred to matters raised last year such as what the club is doing to attract junior members and rules awareness. A (JT) - Our lack of junior members does not mean we do not want them. Matt has now passed his level 1 coaching so could start junior coaching. He'll need to contact schools to raise awareness. The Captains and Committee could arrange rules awareness sessions for members.

Richard Codd - Asked about minutes of committee meetings. None published since last November. A (JT) - This was brought up at the last committee meeting and a process has been put in place to ensure that, in future, they will be published on IG as soon as they have been signed off.

Graeme Archer - Just to clarify a point made in the General Manager's report, is it correct to say that Mark and Martin Shaw are just here for their financial interest now and are not involved in running the business? A (JG) - That is correct.

Chris Clease - Question addressed to Kevin Boxall. The Crown has been closed since November. Is it that wet? Could we not open 9 holes? A (KB) - No, it is horrifically wet. The build of the greens on the two courses is different. The Cromwell are USGA specification and are therefore free draining, whereas the Crown are a build up on a clay base so do not drain so well.

Ken Taylor - There has been "˜loose talk' about pathways around the course. Can management report on this? A (JT) - This is in our plans but the poor weather and time constraints mean we have not been able to address this point.

Barry Preece - Will there be member voucher packs again this year? A (JT) - Yes. New vouchers will be issued. They are at the printers now. Last year's vouchers will be accepted up to the end of April.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 8:10pm.