Now is the time for members to comment on one of the biggest endeavors in CCNC history. We must move forward with a strategic long range and professional plan.
Key Question: What strategic actions will increase membership and best sustain CCNC member experiences over the decades?
• This is CCNC’s most important question concerning present and future relevancy.
• The member’s opinions are building blocks for the larger strategic picture.
• The Board’s charge is to focus on the ramifications of the Key Questions through a process of due diligence. The Board’s document, a brief one-page proposal to start on three projects, unfortunately, is not a master plan. It has fundamental errors, and guts the professional recommendations made by Stagaard & Chao, the Club’s own AdHoc Committee (AHC), and the McMahon Group.
If adopted by CCNC board members, this proposal would contain no long range master plan, would compromise our ability to increase membership and would involve ongoing unnecessary costs.
Specifically with regard to the Board’s proposal:
• The truncated Golf Venue is simply a newer, larger split venue that fails to solve the many problems the AHC was asked to resolve. The 60-seat Halfway House (instead of the recommended 120 seats inside), along with the absence of locker rooms & lounges at the Golf Venue (which remain in the main clubhouse), is not a plan to create a better golfing experience. Indeed, the truncated Halfway House would be too small to accommodate tournaments and high season activity. The absence of locker rooms/lounges perpetuates circulation and management issues.
• The Board’s brief document goes against ‘best practices’ of successful experiences by other clubs; they published a monograph to amply describe a proposal, outlined how the project fit into the master plan, and included renderings, requirements-based cost estimates and financing options.
• The cost estimate of $9.25M in the Board’s document is a ‘guesstimate’ for the truncated Golf Venue and tennis & fitness, as well as Dogwood.
• The Board should proceed with its plan to announce significant decisions at the Annual Meeting next Friday,March 27th. We recommend that those announcements be modified from the presentation in the current document.
In This regard:
Strategic Planning. The club should begin a strategic workable document that captures its vision, mission, core values, and master long-range plan. A comprehensive draft should be completed by the end of 2015.
o This document would express the essence of our club and would provide a marketing tool for new members. The AHC report, in Addendum 1, p.16, recommended CCNC adopt this process, because of the success at other clubs.
o Without a comprehensive master plan, questions arise as to the status of other capital projects: the Clubhouse, the pool complex, the proposed truncated Golf Venue, two hard-surfaced tennis courts, the condition of roads, perimeter fence, the lakes, etc.
Priorities. The priorities of the three projects in the Board document should be reviewed.
o The Golf Venue, as reviewed by the S&C, AHC, and McMahon reports, is a well documented need:
1) Remodeled Halfway House with 100-120 seats inside to handle tournaments and the two high seasons
2) Pro Shop, and the locker rooms/lounges. The men’s locker room can be one-half its current size and the lounge can also be smaller. The ladies’ locker room/lounge needs to be larger.
3) Tennis & Fitness are also clearly identified needs. The membership meeting concluded that the pool complex needs to be reviewed and assessed as well.
o In regard to Dogwood, the following question arises: can the Spence plan presented in the Board document be done in stages and include some work by CCNC crews? Right now Dogwood is approximately 50% of the proposed budget.
The Key Question is as follows: how should these priorities be ordered to enhance membership growth and member experiences? The lack of a master plan makes this process more difficult.
Money & Financing. The planned $9.25M budget is incomplete, inaccurate, and does not address all the problems noted in the three professional reports. The final costs will be higher.
On specifics:
· We support the $125/month capital dues starting April 1, 2015.
· We also support tree cutting on Dogwood by CCNC crews, which would cut budget costs and may reduce some of the underlying drainage and air circulation issues on Dogwood.
· An architectural design and master plan for all the structures should begin immediately. It should include an updated long-range budget.
While considering these changes and decisions, it is best to remind ourselves that CCNC has the most unique piece of real estate in Moore County, including two world-class golf courses.
Dick Urquhart, and the original 42 founding members, built CCNC with vision, planning, commitment, and creativity. However, our assets and amenities have fallen in quality, to the point where the total experience at CCNC is challenging our relevancy.
Now is the time for our membership to remake CCNC as the premier club in North Carolina!
We ask for your endorsement or please send your own comments to the board directly via Saeed [email protected]
If you support the petition please click on "Sign Now" to the right of the petition. And under "Spread The Word" please click on email to forward to a CCNC friend.
Thank you again for your time and support.
Updates
March 21, 2015
The momentum behind this effort is undeniable and it proves that many of us feel the same exhaustion regarding the current path. I am tired of the silence we have faced but seeing this level of reaction reminds me why we cannot fold now.
34 Comments
There are some good ideas here but I agree that overall this (a) does not seem like a long-range strategic plan and (b) it isn't clear to me in the world we live today (vs. the world of 1964) that these changes, if implemented, will lead to an increase in membership.
My concern is that we do not get too grandiose in our thinking; over-invest in golf course, facilitiy, and amenity changes (improvements?); and end up with a net loss in membership rather than an increase. There are many reason why CCNC membership has declined from 1,100+ members to approx. 900. I have no indication that condition of our golf courses or clubhouse facilities is one of them. It is almost always a simple cost-benefit decision. We all want continuous improvement in CCNC golf courses, facilities, and amenities. However the cost-benefit ratio has to make sense for marginal and new members. That's the bottom line.
I hope the board receives this with an open mind. I have no problem with the golf course work. I think moving the pro shop is a terrific waste of money and the reason presented for the move do not make any sense at all. The half way house should be expanded, but putting a bar on a second floor above it sounds absurd.
We are so glad some people are thinking clearly and positioning some questions that the current Board of Directors should not be able to ignore. The Club has changed in many ways since my father first came to Pinehurst in 1968 and joined CCNC. Although there certainly have been some positive developments in those almost-50 years, the current trends are not positive ones. What reputation will CCNC have in 50 more years?
Given the level of investment needed at CCNC, a well thought out plan is crucial. A well thought out funding strategy is also crucial. We support making the necessary and needed improvements at CCNC to keep it a top tier and relevant Country Club. We are also willing to pay our share to get it done.
I have spoken to many of my friends about joining our club. Most are in that target age range previously mentioned. In conversation, not one of them have brought up the condition/age of the clubhouse as an issue for them or as a determining factor on whether they join or not. Nearly all want to know about the golf course, tennis courts, and cost. That being said, and as a counterpoint to the above, there is a point when an antiquated clubhouse becomes somewhat of a bad joke. And as we do plan for the inevitable upgrades, I strongly feel the golf venue building should centaintly house the locker rooms and 19th hole. I regetably believe the decline in private golf club membership isn't entirely in our control, and feel it is mostly a result of the changed landscape of American social life. Just like people don't follow baseball like they did, or eat at carhops, people's taste have changed along with their social practices.
Do not approve until detailed long range plan, good estimate, comment period for members, and priorities set for future. There are more important things than so much $ for Dogwood.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
Now is the time for members to comment on one of the biggest endeavors in CCNC history. We must move forward with a strategic long range and professional plan.
Key Question: What strategic actions will increase membership and best sustain CCNC member experiences over the decades?
• This is CCNC’s most important question concerning present and future relevancy.
• The member’s opinions are building blocks for the larger strategic picture.
• The Board’s charge is to focus on the ramifications of the Key Questions through a process of due diligence. The Board’s document, a brief one-page proposal to start on three projects, unfortunately, is not a master plan. It has fundamental errors, and guts the professional recommendations made by Stagaard & Chao, the Club’s own AdHoc Committee (AHC), and the McMahon Group.
If adopted by CCNC board members, this proposal would contain no long range master plan, would compromise our ability to increase membership and would involve ongoing unnecessary costs.
Specifically with regard to the Board’s proposal:
• The truncated Golf Venue is simply a newer, larger split venue that fails to solve the many problems the AHC was asked to resolve. The 60-seat Halfway House (instead of the recommended 120 seats inside), along with the absence of locker rooms & lounges at the Golf Venue (which remain in the main clubhouse), is not a plan to create a better golfing experience. Indeed, the truncated Halfway House would be too small to accommodate tournaments and high season activity. The absence of locker rooms/lounges perpetuates circulation and management issues.
• The Board’s brief document goes against ‘best practices’ of successful experiences by other clubs; they published a monograph to amply describe a proposal, outlined how the project fit into the master plan, and included renderings, requirements-based cost estimates and financing options.
• The cost estimate of $9.25M in the Board’s document is a ‘guesstimate’ for the truncated Golf Venue and tennis & fitness, as well as Dogwood.
• The Board should proceed with its plan to announce significant decisions at the Annual Meeting next Friday,March 27th. We recommend that those announcements be modified from the presentation in the current document.
In This regard:
Strategic Planning. The club should begin a strategic workable document that captures its vision, mission, core values, and master long-range plan. A comprehensive draft should be completed by the end of 2015.
o This document would express the essence of our club and would provide a marketing tool for new members. The AHC report, in Addendum 1, p.16, recommended CCNC adopt this process, because of the success at other clubs.
o Without a comprehensive master plan, questions arise as to the status of other capital projects: the Clubhouse, the pool complex, the proposed truncated Golf Venue, two hard-surfaced tennis courts, the condition of roads, perimeter fence, the lakes, etc.
Priorities. The priorities of the three projects in the Board document should be reviewed.
o The Golf Venue, as reviewed by the S&C, AHC, and McMahon reports, is a well documented need:
1) Remodeled Halfway House with 100-120 seats inside to handle tournaments and the two high seasons
2) Pro Shop, and the locker rooms/lounges. The men’s locker room can be one-half its current size and the lounge can also be smaller. The ladies’ locker room/lounge needs to be larger.
3) Tennis & Fitness are also clearly identified needs. The membership meeting concluded that the pool complex needs to be reviewed and assessed as well.
o In regard to Dogwood, the following question arises: can the Spence plan presented in the Board document be done in stages and include some work by CCNC crews? Right now Dogwood is approximately 50% of the proposed budget.
The Key Question is as follows: how should these priorities be ordered to enhance membership growth and member experiences? The lack of a master plan makes this process more difficult.
Money & Financing. The planned $9.25M budget is incomplete, inaccurate, and does not address all the problems noted in the three professional reports. The final costs will be higher.
On specifics:
· We support the $125/month capital dues starting April 1, 2015.
· We also support tree cutting on Dogwood by CCNC crews, which would cut budget costs and may reduce some of the underlying drainage and air circulation issues on Dogwood.
· An architectural design and master plan for all the structures should begin immediately. It should include an updated long-range budget.
While considering these changes and decisions, it is best to remind ourselves that CCNC has the most unique piece of real estate in Moore County, including two world-class golf courses.
Dick Urquhart, and the original 42 founding members, built CCNC with vision, planning, commitment, and creativity. However, our assets and amenities have fallen in quality, to the point where the total experience at CCNC is challenging our relevancy.
Now is the time for our membership to remake CCNC as the premier club in North Carolina!
We ask for your endorsement or please send your own comments to the board directly via Saeed [email protected]
If you support the petition please click on "Sign Now" to the right of the petition. And under "Spread The Word" please click on email to forward to a CCNC friend.
Thank you again for your time and support.
Updates
March 21, 2015
The momentum behind this effort is undeniable and it proves that many of us feel the same exhaustion regarding the current path. I am tired of the silence we have faced but seeing this level of reaction reminds me why we cannot fold now.
34 Comments
As a former president of a NE country club, I experienced the same issues facing CCNC, ie, attracting new members. Our research revealed that today's members want more than just a golf course. This club must recognize that improving golf facilitieswithout enhancing our capital plant. It is not a long range plan and will fail to attract new members.
There are some good ideas here but I agree that overall this (a) does not seem like a long-range strategic plan and (b) it isn't clear to me in the world we live today (vs. the world of 1964) that these changes, if implemented, will lead to an increase in membership.
My concern is that we do not get too grandiose in our thinking; over-invest in golf course, facilitiy, and amenity changes (improvements?); and end up with a net loss in membership rather than an increase. There are many reason why CCNC membership has declined from 1,100+ members to approx. 900. I have no indication that condition of our golf courses or clubhouse facilities is one of them. It is almost always a simple cost-benefit decision. We all want continuous improvement in CCNC golf courses, facilities, and amenities. However the cost-benefit ratio has to make sense for marginal and new members. That's the bottom line.
I hope the board receives this with an open mind. I have no problem with the golf course work. I think moving the pro shop is a terrific waste of money and the reason presented for the move do not make any sense at all. The half way house should be expanded, but putting a bar on a second floor above it sounds absurd.
We are so glad some people are thinking clearly and positioning some questions that the current Board of Directors should not be able to ignore. The Club has changed in many ways since my father first came to Pinehurst in 1968 and joined CCNC. Although there certainly have been some positive developments in those almost-50 years, the current trends are not positive ones. What reputation will CCNC have in 50 more years?
Given the level of investment needed at CCNC, a well thought out plan is crucial. A well thought out funding strategy is also crucial. We support making the necessary and needed improvements at CCNC to keep it a top tier and relevant Country Club. We are also willing to pay our share to get it done.
I have spoken to many of my friends about joining our club. Most are in that target age range previously mentioned. In conversation, not one of them have brought up the condition/age of the clubhouse as an issue for them or as a determining factor on whether they join or not. Nearly all want to know about the golf course, tennis courts, and cost. That being said, and as a counterpoint to the above, there is a point when an antiquated clubhouse becomes somewhat of a bad joke. And as we do plan for the inevitable upgrades, I strongly feel the golf venue building should centaintly house the locker rooms and 19th hole. I regetably believe the decline in private golf club membership isn't entirely in our control, and feel it is mostly a result of the changed landscape of American social life. Just like people don't follow baseball like they did, or eat at carhops, people's taste have changed along with their social practices.
Do not approve until detailed long range plan, good estimate, comment period for members, and priorities set for future. There are more important things than so much $ for Dogwood.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 100 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
As a former president of a NE country club, I experienced the same issues facing CCNC, ie, attracting new members. Our research revealed that today's members want more than just a golf course. This club must recognize that improving golf facilitieswithout enhancing our capital plant. It is not a long range plan and will fail to attract new members.