ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Your Officers have pleasure in presenting the Annual Report.

The accounts, for twelve months to the 31^st December year-end, show a deficit of £2,272. The exceptional performance by the players in reaching the England County finals resulted in an unanticipated cost of £6,961, without that success the accounts would have been in surplus. The accounts show a 6½ % decline in club membership across the County compared to 2009.

The County Card Scheme continues and, in its fifth year, 26 Clubs participated and over nearly 400 members enrolled. This is well short of the sales in other Counties and the scheme will be revised for 2011 to try and make this valuable club-member perk is taken up in greater numbers.

The County Golf Partnership saw more clubs becoming active in recruitment. The County leads the country in the number of clubs having achieved GolfMark and the number working towards it.

The CGP supported club initiatives with £47k for Recruitment and Retention, all funded externally

National talks towards merging the EGU and EWGA are about to result in a proposal to Counties.

The 93^rd County Championship Meeting was held at Gay Hill Golf Club, 9^th- 10^th June.

The Gold Medal – John Hems (Kings Norton) 72 + 70 =142, who also won the Philip Padmore Nett Trophy with 142.

The Silver Medal and Youths Championship – Chris Nugent (Fulford Heath & Wales), 73 + 72 = 145

The Bronze Medal – Chris Heeley (Moseley), 70 + 75 =145.

The 54-Hole GD Carr Cup – Chris Nugent (Fulford Heath & Wales), 216

The Tomson-James Cup, competed for by 15 club ‘A’ teams, resulted in a win for Moseley 218, beating The Worcestershire, scoring 220

The Jubilee Shield, competed for by 10 club ‘B’ teams, resulted in a win for Kings Norton 227, with Moseley 2 strokes behind them.

The 61st Worcestershire Open Championship was played at The Worcestershire. Chris Nugent (Fulford Heath & Wales), won the Guy Bigwood Cup with 136, including a course record 64, and the Secretaries Bowl with 281. Danny Clee took 2^nd place. David Marshall (The Worcestershire) was third.

The 37^th Worcestershire Matchplay Championship was played at Moseley. Richard Sadler (Moseley) won the Derek Greey Cup retaining his title after beating Paul Garey (Kings Norton) in the final.

The 35^th Competition for the Droitwich Shield was won by the Moseley ‘A’ team, who beat the Fulford Heath ‘A’ Team in the final.

The 54^th Competition for The Boulton Salver was held at Kidderminster on Sunday 30^th May, and was won by Mark Dudley and Henry James (Kidderminster) with a nett score of 70 + 71 = 141. Runners up were Luke Towler and Neill Smith (Wharton Park), with a nett score of 147.

The 64^th Competition for The Brand Hall Gold Vase was held at Kidderminster on Wednesday 18^th August and won by Stourbridge with an aggregate nett score of 288. The team was P Dodson, J Powell, B Swain, P O’Reilly, and J Davidson. Runners-up were Fulford Heath on 292.

The Midland Group Qualifying for the EGU County Championship was held at Lingdale Golf Club on 19^th June. Worcestershire was represented by Chris Nugent, Steven Lane, John Hems, Paul Garey, Chris Heeley and Richard Sadler. The Team finished in 1^st place out of 10, 6 strokes ahead of Runners-Up Warwickshire. The team went to the National Final at Hunstanton and finished in fourth place.

The County Teams. The First Team came 4th, but the Second Team maintained their run of good form by finishing runner-up again to Warwickshire.

Friendlies

First Team

Second Team

Midland League

First Team

Second Team

Leicestershire

Snowed off

Snowed off

Nottinghamshire

Halved (not played)

Lost    8 – 10

Gloucestershire

Half 7 ½ - 7 ½

Snowed off

Shropshire & Herefordshire

Loss 6½ – 8½

Won    11 – 7

Derbyshire

Won 10 1/2 – 4 1/2

Lost    8 – 10

Staffordshire

Half 7 ½ - 7 ½

Won 9½ – 8½

Warwickshire

Loss 6 – 9

Won    10 – 8

The President’s Shield, for most points in First Team League matches, was won by Anthony Hill (Fulford Heath), scoring 4 1/2 points from a possible 6.

The Chandler Shield, for most points in Second Team League matches, was shared by Ben Myatt (Redditch), and Rumayne Stevens (Halesowen) with 4 points from a possible 7 ½.

The Bolton Shield for most points in Senior Team matches, was won by Grenville Rose (Worcester)

The Junior Championship was held at The Vale on 28^th July. Matthew Vigurs (Gaudet Luce) 70 + 78 = 148 became Junior U-18 and U-16 Champion taking the Mansell Cup.

Oliver Farrell (Evesham) was Runner-Up with 149 and he was the nett winner, 74 + 75 - 8 = 141, taking the Rigbey Cup.

The Junior Matchplay Champion was George Palmer (Gaudet Luce), beating Matt Vigurs (Gaudet Luce)

The Senior Matchplay was retained by Will Painter, (Kidderminster) who beat Chris Lowry (Blackwell)

The 11^th Competition for the Senior Foursomes was held at Worcester on Thursday 28th June and Ken Murton (Worcester) & Tony Jowle (Moseley) won with a score of 75 to win the John Wharrad Trophy Jugs, by one stroke from Brian Morris (Wharton Park) & Willy Kerr (Redditch), runners-up for the second time. Morris and Kerr therefore took The Aberdovey Salvers, for the Nett Winners, with 74-5=69

The 31^st Worcestershire Senior Championship was held at Droitwich on the 22^nd September. Peter Swinburne (Kings Norton) became Senior Champion, winning the Nevil Carroll Salver with 73, beating Chris Lowry (Blackwell) by three strokes. Also on 76 were Willie Kerr (Redditch), Grenville Rose (Worcester), Will Painter (Kidderminster). The Denis Hayes Salver, for the Nett Winner, was won by Kelvin Price (Droitwich) with 83 – 16 = 67.

The Captain and Guests was played at Stourbridge and won with 44 by the Hagley pairing of Mike Swann and guest, John Palmer. The Rose Hill and Stourbridge were runners-up one point behind.

The R&A Salver Competition for 18 club teams of three medal qualifiers was played at The Worcestershire and won by Bromsgrove, H Mace 71, B Styring 75, C Richards 70 216. They won from The Vale, second, by four strokes and Droitwich third, 223. The best individual score, winning the EGU Salver, was V Collins 85 – 17 = 68. He went on to represent the County in the EGU Gold Medal Competition.

WORCESTERSHIRE UNION OF GOLF CLUBS

MINUTES THE HALF YEAR MEETING OF THE UNION COUNCIL

Held at Kings Norton Club at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 12th October 2010

I. Attendees and Apologies

WUGC Representatives Club Representatives

Elected Executive Members   9 Clubs     Name Position

Peter Adams President - Council Chairman Blackwell Finlay Clark Secretary/Manager

William Thompson Exec Chairman/Development Officer Blackwell Peter Keating Captain

Rod Armstrong Captain Bransford Dave Randle Vice-Captain

Steve Wilkins Senior Team Captain Bransford Alan McPherson Secretary

Darren Smith Second Team Captain Bromsgrove John Brothwood Secretary

Brian Peplow Junior Organiser/Coaching Bromsgrove Andy Diston Captain

Roy Hobbis MGU Representative Cleobury Mortimer Richard Chandler Captain

Chris Gupwell Treasurer Cleobury Mortimer Glen Hawes Committee

Andrew Boyd EGU/MUGU Representative Cocks Moors Woods Chris Edwards President

Brian Morris President Elect Droitwich Roger Whiteman Vice-Captain

Droitwich Clive Allen Captain

Honarary Members   7 Dudley John Edwards Past Captain

Norman Bolton Past President Dudley Stephen Hall Vice- Captain

Wil Painter Vice-President Evesham Richard Cross Vice-Captain

Anthony Jowle Vice-President Evesham Jerry Cain Secretary

Graham Yardley Vice-President Gaudet Luce Stephan Kotlarzewski Captain

Brenda Smith Life Member Gaudet Luce Andy Waters Vice-Captain

Gay Hill Roy Sturdy Vice-Captain

Possible Executive & Honorary Official Votes   16 Gay Hill Alan Smith Captain

Habberley John Plant Captain

Non-Voting Co-Opted Executive Members 1 Habberley Mike Beard Vice-President

Apology Hagley Graham Yardley Hon Sec

Chris Augousti Co-opted Executive Member Hagley Mike Swan Captain

Halesowen Steve Collins Captain

Non-Voting Minute Secretary     1 Halesowen Brian Stokes President

Jo Gupwell Minutes Secretary Kidderminster Alan Stanyer Captain

Kidderminster Malcolm Pritchard Secretary

APOLOGIES Kings Norton Terry Webb Secretary

Past President, Vice-President & Executive Kings Norton Alan Cowin Captain

Douglas Humphries Past President Moseley Ian Warner Comps Chairman

Denis Hayes Past President Redditch T Humphries Chairman

John Moreton Past President Redditch Willie Kerr Secretary

Jeffery Adams Vice-President Redditch Kingfisher Ray Barnett Secretary

David Rodway Vice-President Stourbridge Mark Hughes Secretary

Jim Gray Vice-President The Abbey Hotel & GC George Pagan Past Secretary

Matthew Houghton Vice-President The Abbey Hotel & GC David Steane Secretary

David McDermott CMS Manager The Vale Les Seal Captain

Club Apologies 4 The Vale Clive Werrett Secretary

Churchill & Blakedown Ombersley The Worcestershire Terry Smith Secretary/Manager

Fulford Heath North Worcestershire Wharton Park David Richards Captain

ABSENTEES 9 Clubs Wharton Park Steven Harvey Secretary

Clubs Worcester Derek Turner Treasurer

Bewdley Pines Ravenmeadow

Brandhall Rose Hill

Little Lakes Rowley Regis

Perdiswell Warley Woods Number of Clubs Present 24

Wyre Forest Possible Club Votes to be Cast 48

2. Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on Tuesday 13 April 2010 as circulated were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

3. Matters Arising not covered elsewhere:

3.1. (Item 10.3.) In response to a question from Mr Brian Stokes of Halesowen about the result of discussions with Mr Andy Maine of Wyre Forest, the Secretary advised that the Club had been contacted and invited to ask the Chairman and Secretary to one of their meetings to discuss the matter. Mr Maine has since retired and his replacement has not yet dealt with the matter.

3.2. (Item 8.4.) Mr Graham Yardley of Hagley asked for information about the current position with regard to the VAT issue. The Secretary advised that no tribunal had yet taken place and no date has been set for this. The EGU are keen to deal with this matter and have made contact with other countries where similar rules apply.

3.3. (Item 8.2.) Mr Graham Yardley of Hagley asked about the current position with regard to the Central Database of Handicaps. The Secretary advised that every Club in the County was up and running with just one exception. The Clubs are now registered and their players numbered. The exchange of scores between Clubs is happening automatically.

4. Captain’s Report: The Captain reported that in the League the season had started badly with a disappointing loss against Shropshire & Herefordshire with a performance from the Team that was not to as high a standard as hoped for. The win in the second match against Derbyshire was the best result so far with Chris Nugent making his first appearance of the year. There were a number of great performances from members of the Team which led to a very satisfying result. The third match against Staffordshire was halved, followed by a loss in the fourth match against Warwickshire which meant the Team had lost all chance of winning the League. The last match of the season against Nottinghamshire was a wash out and is still to be played, with the Team currently in third place in the League. The Captain went on to say that the highlight of the year was winning the Midlands Qualifier, a fantastic achievement considering the last success was 44 years ago. Chris Nugent equaled the course record with a score of 67. The Captain had been particularly pleased with the way in which the team played the afternoon round with everyone showing great character. The Team then went on to Hunstanton. where they finished in fourth place with play taking place in horrendous conditions. The Captain advised that he believed that the extra money invested in the teams had helped them to reach these high levels. He said that the players were proud to represent the County and appreciated the investment made in them. He thanked the clubs for their hospitality and support.

In conclusion the Captain said that he had now come to the end of his reign which he had greatly enjoyed. He thanked the Executive for all their encouragement.

The President thanked Rod Armstrong for all he had done during his two years as the most successful Captain for 44 years.

5. Second Team Captain’s Report: The Second Team Captain advised that at the beginning of the season it had been decided to include a number of younger players in the team to progress their development. Two young players in particular, Henry James, Kidderminster, and Ben Myatt, Redditch, had been a credit to the County and there had been good support from six other under 18 players. The first match against Staffordshire had resulted in a win, as had the match away against Warwickshire which was considered to be a very good achievement. The match against Nottinghamshire had been played in horrendous weather conditions and was lost under unfortunate circumstances. The Second Team Captain advised that there was still a mathematical chance of the Team winning the League, but he did not really think this very likely.

The President thanked Darren Smith for his hard work over the last two years.

6. Senior Team Captain’s Report: The Senior Team Captain began his report by saying that the Seniors play in a spirit of friendship. They had had a good season, playing ten matches, of which they won four, lost five and halved one. As all Seniors’ matches are played during the week it has sometimes been difficult to get the best team out because of work commitments. The Seniors’ Team Captain expressed his thanks to the stalwarts who have been playing Seniors’ golf for a number of years and who will always turn up at short notice in an emergency. A plea was made to those present to ask the Seniors in their Clubs to come forward and become part of the Seniors squad. In conclusion the Senior Team Captain thanked the Executive and the Secretary for organizing the fixtures and all those who had supported him during the year.

The President thanked Steve Wilkins for his hard work in his first year at Senior Team Captain.

7. Report by the Junior Organiser and Coaching Officer:

a) Junior Organiser: Mr Brian Peplow advised that the Juniors had had another excellent season at all levels. The season had started well by winning the Midland Boys’ Four Counties where all three matches were won for the first time for 40 years. This was followed by a win in the first League match against Warwickshire. Unfortunately due to injuries and Tom Warbrick turning professional it had not been possible to field the strongest team in any of the following League games, losing to Staffordshire and Derbyshire and halving the match against Shropshire and Herefordshire. The Under 16s Team won the triangular tournament against Staffordshire and Shropshire and Herefordshire by a record margin. In their friendly matches the Under 16s won all three. Turning to individual Junior successes, Mr Peplow advised that Rob Aldred, Stourbridge, had won the Midland Boys Championship, Matt Vigurs, Gaudet Luce, had won the Under 18s and Under 16s Championship and Oliver Farrell, Evesham, had won the Under 14s Championship. George Palmer, Gaudet Luce, is the Under 18 Matchplay Champion. Mr Peplow thanked Graham Farr, the County Head Coach, for his encouragement of Junior golfers. Three players have now been invited to have EGU coaching and become part of the England squad. Mr Peplow also thanked Mike O’Mahoney and Mark Ralphs for their help during the season, all parents and members of the Executive who had supported the teams and finally all the Clubs who had provided facilities for Junior matches.

b) County Coaching: Mr Brian Peplow gave details the selection process that had taken place last Autumn in order to appoint a Head County Coach, resulting in the appointment of Graham Farr. Coaching for the year has been for players at all levels with a pathway approach through the Juniors to the First Team. A big difference has been seen in the coaching scene which has resulted in a successful season. Mr Peplow advised that coaching will start much earlier this year. On the question of the coaching budget, Mr Peplow advised that this had been cut this year, but that next year he would like to increase the funding to provide more coaching. He advised that he will be trying to contact all Clubs with a view to finding more players for the Junior squads. Mr Peplow appealed to all Clubs to bring to his attention boys of any age who are making progress but about whom he may not have knowledge. Finally, Mr Peplow thanked the Chairman for his enthusiasm and help during the year, especially in connection with coaching.

The President thanked Brian Peplow for all the extremely hard work he puts into the Junior Section and coaching.

8. Report by the Manager of the County Membership Scheme: In Mr David McDermott’s absence the President reported that the transition from Mr Jeffery Adams as Manager had been seamless and that both meetings had gone very well.

9. Election of the EGU and MGU Representatives for the County: Mr Andrew Boyd had been nominated as the County’s representative at the EGU and he and Mr Roy Hobbis as representatives at the MGU. Carried unanimously.

10. The Equality Act: Mrs Kirstie Thirde, Compliance Officer for the England Golf Partnership, gave a very detailed talk on the impact and implementation of the Act which came into effect on 1 October 2010. She explained how the Act had come into being and exactly what was or was not discrimination about which there has been a degree of confusion. She advised that the provisions under age discrimination will probably come into effect in 2012. Mrs Thirde explained that it is unlawful to discriminate against members, associate members, prospective members and guests on the basis of a protected characteristic, whether directly or indirectly. The protected characteristics listed in the Act are:

Age

Disability

Gender reassignment

Race (including ethnic origin, national origin, colour, nationality)

Religion or belief

Sex

Sexual orientation

Marriage and civil partnerships (Listed at the beginning of the Act, but excluded from Part 7 which deals with Golf Clubs)

Mrs Thirde went on to expand on the various constraints under the Act and followed this up by giving a few examples of common questions raised and the answers to those questions. She went on to take questions from the floor and to give guidance, ending her presentation by giving the warning that if Clubs have not complied with the provisions of the Act (with the exception of the protected characteristic of age) which came into effect on 1 October, they are running the risk of civil litigation which could result in monetary compensation and being compelled by the Court to alter their practices. She referred those present to the EWGA website Hot Topics section where clear guidance can be found.

The President thanked Kirstie Thirde for her very informative talk.

11. Report by the Chairman of the County Golf Partnership: Mr Andrew Boyd reported that the CGP had just submitted their six month summary of progress this year in which it was clear that they had set and achieved their targets.

Junior Academies had been set up with a good pathway taking players through into the Elite squads.

The results of Club responses to a Beginner’s Enquiry had been circulated to all Clubs together with a report on best practice. Some Clubs have an excellent process in place, but this is not true throughout the County. In general Clubs have found this feedback helpful and Mr Boyd advised those who wished to improve their marketing for beginners to contact Mr Warwick Holland.

Mr Boyd reported that 21 Clubs in the County now have GolfMark. Recruitment has not increased at the rate the CGP would have liked and Mr Boyd urged Clubs to contact Warwick Holland for advice on this. He advised that Warwick Holland is also available to consult about contracts of employment and the relationship between the Club and Professional.

12. Secretary’s Report:

12.1. The Secretary advised that the County Dinner will take place on Friday 21 January 2011 and listed the principal guests who would be present.

12.2. The Secretary reported on the setting up and use of large TV screens at Fulford Heath to assist in promoting Club and County matters. He went into the funding of these and advised that he had sent details to all Clubs, but had received only two responses. Fulford Heath has agreed to allow the Union to use their Club for a demonstration of the system and the Secretary will be writing to Clubs to invite them to attend. Mr Graham Yardley advised that they had a rolling screen at Hagley, but he did not feel it was really effective in promoting items. He would prefer the County to send a newsletter out regularly by email to all members. However, the representative from The Abbey Hotel and Golf Club said that there was one at the hotel which he thought was very eye-catching and impressive.

12.3. Reporting on the County Card Scheme, the Secretary advised that sales had increased by 40 to 373, generating £5,000 in the year. He advised that different Clubs had different methods of promoting the scheme resulting in varying levels of cards sold. The Secretary explained that the Union wanted to find another source of funding in addition to the annual club member subscription. Other Counties receive income of between £15,000 and £25,000 per annum from their schemes. The Executive are in the process of setting up a Committee to analyse why there is a shortfall in Worcestershire. The Secretary asked that if Clubs have anyone who could contribute to this Committee they should please come forward and contact him.

13. Subscriptions: The following motions were tabled:

13.1. To approve that for the year 2011 the subscription payable to the WUGC should increase by 75p to £7.25

13.2. To confirm that for the year 2011 the subscription payable to the EGU will increase by 25p to £5.25

The total collectable per male playing member would therefore become £12.50 (a total increase of £1 compared to 2010) and payable to the Union within 90 days of the start of each Club’s subscription year. If new members are recruited in the six months following the calculation of this payment, a payment for these members will become due six months later.

There followed a discussion on the justification for these increases, a claim was made that this amounted to a 45% increase over 2 years and that if members knew what they were paying they would opt out.

The correct figure is that combined County and National subscriptions have risen from £10 in 2009 to the £12.50 proposed for 2011. 25% over two years, or 12.5 % per year.

Secretary pointed out that funding is needed to deal with the effective and efficient administration of golf in the County and the improved support for junior golfers and County teams. The programmes being implemented on clubs’ behalf have been explained and approved at other annual County meetings, the CGP AGM approved the targets for the Golf Partnership, the Junior Conference approved the County plans for Junior golfers’ support and Coaching. The County continues to be very cost conscious and seeks best value in all its transactions.

The President advised that in conversations with Presidents from other Counties throughout the country surprise was expressed that in Worcestershire there was opposition to raising money. He said that he found this lack of support very disappointing. One of the representatives advised that for the first time this year his Club had published details of the County and EGU subscriptions which had resulted in uproar.

The Secretary advised that all Clubs represented at the meeting had two votes and that there were therefore 48 Club votes. The 16 members of the Executive or honorary members of the County would have one vote each. Those present voted on the motion that the subscription payable to the WUGC for the year 2011 should increase by 75p to £7.25 and to confirm that the subscription payable to the EGU for the year 2011 will be £5.25.

Result: 47 votes in favour of the motion, 12 against. (17 Clubs in favour, 6 against) (one club representative was unable to stay until the time the voting took place)

The motion was therefore carried.

Mr Clive Werrett of The Vale asked that as the concerns of those speaking against the motion had been mainly budgetary, would it be possible for the Union to give consideration to any increase for 2012 as soon as possible so that Clubs could be notified early giving time for any increase to be incorporated into their budget?

Mr Edwards of Cocks Moor Woods asked whether it would be possible for the County to consider not charging a subscription for Juniors? The Secretary advised that the EGU had stated they are sympathetic to making this change, but that a reduction for Juniors would possibly have to be covered by an increase for adults. This is a point for discussion which comes up regularly at EGU meetings. Mr Graham Yardley of Hagley pointed out that the County Treasurer now has a breakdown of membership categories for all Clubs and that it should be possible to calculate what cost to the County such a move would mean.

The Secretary pointed out that the 25p increase for 2011 for the EGU was effectively a “standstill” figure and that the EGU have gone to all Counties asking how they should be funded in future. The response from Worcestershire will be that they would like to see more input from the PGA and closer alliance with all those who benefit from golf; manufacturers for example, Sky have an annual income from English Golf Clubs of over £6million whereas the EGU has an income of just over £4million.

The representative from Evesham asked whether the merger between the EGU and EWGA was going to take place and if so, will this reduce the level of bureaucracy and will the affiliation fees come down? The Secretary advised that the process is quite well advanced and is timetabled to be completed next Spring. Nothing will be finally agreed until all Clubs have had time to consider all the proposals and comment if appropriate. The Secretary advised that there did not look to be any insurmountable obstacles to the merger taking place.

14. Any Other Business: None

15. Date of Next Council Meeting: Tuesday 5 April 2011 at 6.30 p.m. at Moseley Golf Club.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.45 p.m.

WORCESTERSHIRE UNION OF GOLF CLUBS

TREASURER’S REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2010

I have pleasure in presenting my report on the Union’s accounts for the year ended 31 December 2010. The accounts, which accompany this report, will be considered and hopefully approved at the forthcoming Council Meeting. The following comments may be of assistance when reviewing the figures.

Income

Subscriptions were received from 13,152 affiliated members compared with 13,960 in the previous year, a fall in membership of 5.8%. As a result of the increase in the levy for the County agreed at the Autumn 2009 meeting, our subscription income increased by just under £8,100.

The County membership Scheme again made a useful contribution to income, although entries for County events were slightly lower.

Due to an error in the 2009 account, for which I apologise, income from County Cards was overstated in the accounts for that year by £723, resulting in an understatement of this amount in the 2010 figures. The correct figures are £4,520 for 2009 and £5,417 for 2010.

Expenditure

Following the success of our Juniors in reaching the County Finals in 2009, we went one better in 2010 by making it to the County Finals proper. In both years we received a contribution of £2,645 from the EGU towards our expenses, but these were significantly greater last year leaving us with a net cost of £6,961. Even at this level our costs were considerably less than those of the other three finalists.

One of the main reasons for the 2010 subscription increase was to enable us to increase the level of expenditure on coaching, which rose by some £3,500 compared with the previous year.

Despite these additional costs, the year resulted in a deficit of only £2,272 compared with £3,786 in 2009.

Balance Sheet

Our overall financial position remains strong. In order to avoid the increase in the rate of VAT to 20% in January this year we invested in several years’ supply of winners’ medals and some additional clothing before 31 December. This, together with the deficit and a reduction in the amount due to the EGU for subscriptions collected on their behalf, is reflected in the reduction in the amounts held in our bank and building society accounts at 31 December.

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have at the Council Meeting.

C J Gupwell

Hon. Treasurer March 2011

Worcestershire Union of Golf Clubs Financial Statements Year Ending 31st december 2010

2. Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on Tuesday 13 April 2010 as circulated were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

3. Matters Arising not covered elsewhere:

In conclusion the Captain said that he had now come to the end of his reign which he had greatly enjoyed. He thanked the Executive for all their encouragement.

The President thanked Rod Armstrong for all he had done during his two years as the most successful Captain for 44 years.

The President thanked Darren Smith for his hard work over the last two years.

The President thanked Steve Wilkins for his hard work in his first year at Senior Team Captain.

7. Report by the Junior Organiser and Coaching Officer:

The President thanked Brian Peplow for all the extremely hard work he puts into the Junior Section and coaching.

Age

Disability

Gender reassignment

Race (including ethnic origin, national origin, colour, nationality)

Religion or belief

Sex

Sexual orientation

Marriage and civil partnerships (Listed at the beginning of the Act, but excluded from Part 7 which deals with Golf Clubs)

The President thanked Kirstie Thirde for her very informative talk.

Junior Academies had been set up with a good pathway taking players through into the Elite squads.

12. Secretary’s Report:

12.1. The Secretary advised that the County Dinner will take place on Friday 21 January 2011 and listed the principal guests who would be present.

13. Subscriptions: The following motions were tabled:

13.1. To approve that for the year 2011 the subscription payable to the WUGC should increase by 75p to £7.25

13.2. To confirm that for the year 2011 the subscription payable to the EGU will increase by 25p to £5.25

The correct figure is that combined County and National subscriptions have risen from £10 in 2009 to the £12.50 proposed for 2011. 25% over two years, or 12.5 % per year.

Result: 47 votes in favour of the motion, 12 against. (17 Clubs in favour, 6 against) (one club representative was unable to stay until the time the voting took place)

The motion was therefore carried.

14. Any Other Business: None

15. Date of Next Council Meeting: Tuesday 5 April 2011 at 6.30 p.m. at Moseley Golf Club.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.45 p.m.

Worcestershire Senior Golfers Society

Annual Championship at Kings Norton

Thursday 12th August

Medal - Yellow tees - Par 72 - SSS71 - Full Handicap

Gross Hcp Net

Andrew Boyd 81 15 66 RV Mirams Salver

Ivan Cross 84 15 69 Runner-up

Geoff Hudspith 86 15 71 Founder's Trophy

Willie Kerr 77 5 72 Best gross

Brian Coleman 86 14 72 Third net on back 9

WUGC Executive Key Priorities for 2010

Chairman, Bill Thompson, is keen to ensure that Worcestershire Clubs and all their members have every opportunity to understand the role of the Union and to be familiar with the targets identified as having the most significance in our region currently.

This is an evolving process within the Union Executive and results in the Union budget being allocated in proportion to each target's importance.

The current targets have been summarised in a one page briefing.

To widen the awareness and appreciation of the value of the County Card Scheme, thereby enlarging the number of County Card holders, therefore increasing county revenue.

To increase the number of participants in the County Membership Scheme.

To improve the levels of communication between the County Executive and clubs. To ensure that clubs are more aware of county plans, funding, team selections and activities.

To improve the levels of communication between the Executive and the County Golf Partnership and its work to lead the development of golf in our region. To ensure the CGP is supported and recognised for its efforts on behalf of every club in the County.

To develop a larger structure of volunteers to support executive functional heads where appropriate.

Ongoing Priorities

To improve the completion of inter club and county match play events so that they reflect the time of year for which they were designed.

To recruit and retain high quality coaches to support junior and adult teams

To ensure county coaching is of a high quality, respected by players and that the impact is seen through the attitude, commitment and performance of players representing the county.

To improve the course management skills of all county junior and if appropriate, some adult players.

To improve the liaison between junior organisers and team captains so that juniors who are demonstrating improving skills can be filtered into the county adult teams, as appropriate.

To maintain and improve the performance of our county teams (Juniors, 1^st, 2^nd and Senior teams) to challenge for league and Regional titles.

To improve the quality of the website with up to date news and pictures.

W.U.G.C. Captains’ Reports 2009

County Captain

Report from Rod Armstrong – 1^st Team

The Friendly matches at the start of the season, which to some extent were used to try out new players, had been encouraging against Leicestershire & Gloucestershire. After the friendly matches the Team lost its best player Matthew Feavyour. Nevertheless, the season started well with two wins against Nott's & S&H taking us top of the league.

After a poor middle section suffering losses against Derbyshire & Staffordshire, the season ended with the team’s best result when we halved against the already crowned champions, Warkwickshire at Olton. The Team finished runners up in the league which was a great achievement, and the best result for a number of years.

We have definitely raised the bar, the future looks far brighter, and there were a lot of positives to take from the season. In particular, the developing skills of some of the younger players such as Chris Nugent, Rumayne Stevens, Rudi Hercik, Jake Larden, Tom Warbrick, Matthew Tweddell, and Craig Richardson, who have progressed through the junior ranks and are all great prospects.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players, and all Worcestershire clubs for hosting all the league matches, and also I would like to thank the Executive for their continued support.

Looking forward to the 2010 season with 3 home matches I'm very optimistic.

___________________

Worcestershire County 2nd Team

Report from Darren Smith

The county squad assembled many times in the run up to the 1st Midland League match in June. Results in the 2 friendlies against Leicestershire and Gloucestershire were not great, but with experimental teams being used, hopes were still high for the coming season.

The 1st league game was a home match against Nottinghamshire played at Moseley G.C. A very strong Worcestershire side were victorious 12 - 6, with Anthony Hill (Fulford Heath) and Darren Smith (Kings Norton) taking maximum points.

Next up was a trip to Shropshire and Herefordshire at The Wrekin G.C. The perfectly manicured course saw Worcestershire put in another strong performance and gain an 11 1/2 - 5 1/2 win. Notables were a Worcestershire debut for Ed Kennedy (Evesham), and a return to the county ranks for Jon Hems (Kings Norton) after a 10 year break in the pro ranks.

The 3rd match was a home fixture at Kings Norton G.C. against Derbyshire, who had also won both of their opening fixtures. An enthralling day of golf saw the match come down to the last 2 pairs in the singles with Worcestershire needing a win and a half to secure the spoils. Worcestershire’s last 2 players were up to the task and the team won by the narrowest 1 point margin, 9 1/2 - 8 1/2.

A trip to Branston G.C. was next to play Staffordshire. The match was all square after the foursomes following a 50 foot downhill birdie putt was holed by Chris Lojko (Wharton Park - partnered by Rumayne Stevens, Halesowen) which won them their match. Disastrously for Worcestershire, Simon O'Dell (Moseley) had to retire injured after 9 holes of his singles match. This was the deciding factor which led to Worcestershire going down 9 1/2 - 8 1/2.

The last match of 2009 was against Warwickshire at Stourbridge G.C. Warkwickshire needed just 5 matches of the 18 to secure the league title, whereas Worcestershire could still pip them with an unlikely 14 - 4 victory. It was 3-3 after the foursomes and although it was looking like a tight match the Warkwickshire team played powerfully in the singles coming out 12 - 6 victors. Congratulations to 16 year old Rob Aldred (Hagley) who superbly won both of his matches on his debut for the men’s team.

I would like thank all the golf clubs for their generosity in letting the county teams use their courses as well as all the supporters who have given up their time to come and support the team throughout the year. Congratulations to Warwickshire who securely won the league with 5 wins out of 5.

We are all looking forward to the 2010 season with some very fast improving young talent coming through the junior ranks.

_________________________

Worcestershire County Seniors

Report from Brian Morris

Not the best season we’ve ever had having lost 5 and only winning 4 matches, although it has to be said that the opposition is getting stronger each year due mostly to the interest being shown by younger seniors with low category one handicaps. A total of 24 players have played for the County Seniors this year, with new comers Chris Lowry of Blackwell Golf Club and Steve Carpenter of Hagley Golf Club making their debut. With new blood appearing every year, 2010 will see the Worcestershire County Seniors squad increase in size to 30 plus making it difficult to promise everyone a game. Therefore, the entry level for new players will remain at a handicap of 5 and below for the year 2010.

Vic Pailin of Fullford Heath was our most successful player winning more matches and therefore more points than any one else by some way and winning the Boulton Shield. Congratulations Vic.

Midland Seniors Spring Meeting May 22^nd at Kedleston Park

Worcestershire players who finished in the top 20 were Brian Swain-Stourbridge / Willie Kerr-Redditch / Peter Swinburne – Kings Norton (finished 3^rd place in the team prizes)/ Brian Morris – Wharton Park / Steve Wilkins – Moseley /

On the 18^th June at Fulford Heath Golf Club Dave Glover (Droitwitch Golf Club) and Vic Pailin (Fullford Heath Golf Club) won the WUGC Seniors foursomes for the Wharrad Jugs with a score of 2 over par. Runners up where Willie Kerr (Redditch) & Brian Morris (Wharton Park).

In the Midland Seniors Championships played at Ingestre Park on Thursday 23^rd July. Congratulations to Chris Lowry (Blackwell G.C.) who finished an excellent 3^rd his first year as a senior. Brian Morris (Wharton Park G.C.) won best 70s plus.

On the 23^rd of September at Kidderminster Golf Club County President Pete Adams won the Worcestershire County Senior Championship with a gross score of 74. Brian Cooper won the best nett.

On the 24^th September at Wharton Park Golf Club M. O’Donnell (Redditch Golf Club) and K. Price (Droitwitch Golf Club) won the inaugural Seniors Betterball Stroke play with a nett score of 60, from a field of 30 pairs. With Dave Glover and Vic Pailin shooting the best gross of 69. We hope to see entries increase to 60 pairs or more in 2010 and so build on what was a very successful opener.

The County Seniors Matchplay Finals played at Stourbridge G.C. was won by Will Painter (Kidderminster G. C.) who beat Willie Kerr (Redditch) in a close match.

The County Sixes played at Stanton on the Wold Golf Club, was won by Staffordshire with Derbyshire runners up. Worcestershire finished well back in the pack.

My thanks go to Golf Clubs & Members for their hospitality at Wharton Park, North Worc’s, Fullford Heath, Kings Norton, Hagley and Redditch who also provided the venue for the inaugural MGU match West Midlands v’s East Midlands held in May.

The year ended on a sad note with the death of David Glover who was a great servant to the County Teams for many years. He will be sadly missed.

My final thanks goes to all the players, our County Secretary and the County Executive for their continued help and encouragement.

Worcestershire County Juniors

Report from Brian Peplow

We are pleased to record we have had an excellent season at all levels U14 , U16 and U18’s.

The U18 ‘s in their league won two , halved one and lost one match.

We won our first league match against Warwickshire 8-7 at Kings Norton so it was a great start to the season. Interestingly, in the last three years these matches with Warwickshire have all finished 8-7 so there is very little between these two teams at U18 level.

In May, we entered the 10 Counties Midland Qualifier at Maxstoke Park Golf Club. Six boys represented our County playing 36 holes stroke-play against the best from the other nine West Midland Counties. Worcestershire had the best aggregate score and did our County proud. It was a great day out for our many supporters, parents and players.

This success meant that we were to compete in The National Finals at Whittington Heath in August, representing the Midlands Region. Our opponents were Surrey, Gloucestershire and Lancashire. This involved a practice day and three days of tough competition against, probably, the best U18 players in England . The matches comprised three foursomes in the morning and six singles in the afternoon, nine games in all, each day. Despite losing all three matches on the middle day we narrowly lost to Surrey, the eventual winners, 5-4. There was just a whisker between the teams having halved the foursomes and losing the singles on the 17^th green 31/2 to 1 1/2 . Although the whole team were a credit to the County, outstanding performances were given by Chris Nugent (Fulford Heath) winning four of his six games and 16yr old Rob Aldred (Hagley) who won three of his five games .

Rob Aldred, our U16 Captain, has won three Junior Opens and The Nick Faldo series. He also travelled to Brazil with Sir Nick Faldo at the end of October. Rob managed to finish third in his age group playing against some of the best players from around the world. Rob led the U16 team with distinction and in his best team event against Leicestershire at Market Harborough , we won the match with three U14’s in the side so the future looks to be very promising.

Overall Junior Successes

U18 Championship. 56 boys entered at Fulford Heath G.C.

Craig Richardson ( Kidderminster) won in a three hole play off against Ben Myatt Of Redditch.

U16 Champion : Ben Myatt

U15 Championship 24 Boys entered

Winner - Matt Vigurs (Gaudet Luce)

U14 Champion : Ben Robinson (Blackwell)

County Championship at Kidderminster

Won by Matt Tweddell (Blackwell)

Chris Nugent ( Fulford Heath) broke two course records, one at his home club Fulford Heath and at Kidderminster in the County Team Championship. Chris also represented Wales abroad and in the Home Internationals with distinction.

In 2010 we lose Matt Tweddell, Chris Nugent, Craig Richardson and Rumayne Stevens from the Junior ranks. They have all successfully moved up to represent the County in the First and Second teams. Next year’s Junior Captain will be Tom Warbrick of Kings Norton and the Vice Captain will be Josh Carpenter from Cleobury Mortimer.

The under 16 Captain will be Henry James of Kidderminster Golf Club.

In 2010, I would like to increase the funding for coaching because I do believe we have a Junior section we can be proud of and, of course, it is where the future lies. The standard of amateur golf is increasing year on year and I would like Worcestershire to be able to compete with the best as well as giving our young, talented golfers the opportunity to reach their full potential. A new County Coach is being appointed and with everything in place I think you can tell I am ambitious and very optimistic.

I appeal to all clubs to bring to my attention boys of any age who are making progress who are not at present on my radar.

I would like thank all our clubs who have provided facilities for our Junior Matches and coaching in 2009 and to all those who have supported the matches with their presence.

Pitcheroak Golf Club sees Men's membership increase by more than 100.

Since taking over the management of this municipal golf course in Redditch, on behalf of the Council, the County Golf Partnership has recruited the right personnel to carry out its policies of raising golf's profile in the community and increasing the membership of Redditch Kingfisher Golf Club.

Every school now has golf on its curriculum. Course usage and Club Membership are up. This has been done by an ongoing high level of activity by Professional Chris Stanley and his staff. Congratulations to him for terrific results in the first six months of operation.

Who wins? Just about everyone! The Council has reduced costs, increased income, and provides a better facility for its residents. Golf is being exposed to a bigger sector of the community by regular and welcoming recruitment activities. The club, which was down to 79 members is now thriving. The Union has raised its income from subscriptions by £600 and the EGU by £500.

Did this come about as a result of huge investment? Absolutely not. The CGP has managed the project with funding from the Council, lower than their previous costs, topped up by only one grant of £4,800 from Regional Sport funding to take Golf into schools. The CGP has not used its own funds to bring this renaissance about.

It just goes to show that if clubs analyse their problem, define their target, and go about the task with the right approach supported by the right people, there is no need to look at the gloomy economic situation as an excuse for failure, rather look at the opportunity to take golf forward to realise its true potential.

Any club needing help to get the best out of its own efforts should contact Warwick Holland, County Development Officer. He is employed to get Future Worcestershire Golf on the move!

The Worcestershire Union of Golf Club's Case for Increasing the 2010 Individual Subscriptions by £2 to £7.50

Cost Comparisons with other Counties

2008 figures for 34 County Unions show W.U.G.C. as 13^th in Individual subscription (£5.25) 19^th in total subscriptions (£74.1K), 19^th in number of clubs, 18^th in club members,

23^rd by increase in subscription from 2000 – 2008 (£3.00 – £ 5.25).

The County has been working with lower than average income than other counties

Competitive Performance

The 2^nd Team won their League in 2008.

The County produced Boys Teams which qualified for the England Finals in 2007 & 2009.

The County 1^st & 2^nd Teams led both their Leagues in the Midland League this year.

We have one junior now included in EGU Regional Coaching.

We have one junior who has qualified for the Faldo Series Final in Brazil.

The County runs its annual programme of matches, inter club events and championships,

The County has introduced 12 Senior events for the benefit of this major age group.

Innovation

County was the first to implement a County Golf Partnership after the success of 3 pilot schemes. Introduced with near unanimous approval from WUGC clubs. This has been funded from sources completely outside Club Members, Clubs and the Union, and is the only CGP in England to have been funded this way. As a result 2008 saw £31.4k spent on;-

i) 25 Recruitment days at 22 Clubs, attended by over 1000 potential golfers.

ii) 28 PGA Level One coaches trained to assist club professionals.

iii) 60 individuals attending Training Courses on Child Protection for GolfMark.

iv) 17 Clubs achieving GolfMark. (The highest proportion, 46%, in any County)

v) 10 further clubs who are in the pipeline to complete GolfMark.

vi) CLUB & COACH – County was in the first three counties to see the potential of the programme and implement it. This is funded by a £40k Sport England grant which ends in 2010. Over 100 juniors and 9 coaches now benefit in the County. The goals are to raise the quality of teaching by coaches and to maximise the potential of juniors, hopefully to Elite levels, but also to give them the enthusiasm for golf that makes it a lifetime leisure activity.

Pitcheroak Golf facility in Redditch, the home of Redditch Kingfisher Golf Club, was threatened with closure by the Council. The CGP made representations to the Council, enlisting Members of Parliament support, proposing they contract the CGP to manage it with a view to raising the income from the number of rounds played and making it a true community centre for introducing players to golf. The result is Golf is now taught in every Secondary School in Redditch and the Golf Foundation works in parallel at younger ages. An important strand, from the CGP perspective, was to boost membership of the Golf Club. The contract was agreed May 2009, numbers playing are up and membership of the Golf Club is up by over 100. A good start to an initial contract that will last until September 2010. This project is totally funded by the contract fee paid by Redditch BC, supplemented by grants from outside bodies specifically for this project.

Summary on current Union activities

The County Union is at the sharp end of progressive English County Administrations and is supporting its clubs well with a series of well managed programmes to assist them weather the current economic climate.

This has been achieved very economically in terms of subscription cost.

Summary of 2008 WUGC Income and Expenditure – Total Income £89.7k

Income Expenditure

Member Subscriptions £ 74.1k Administration & Sundries £ 48.5k

County Card £ 3.7k Team Expenses £ 22.3k

County Membership Scheme £ 1.5k Competitions £ 8.5k

Competitions £ 8.1k Player Development £ 9.3k

Other £ 2.3k Surplus £ 1.1k

Summary of 2008 CGP/Sportsmatch/Club&Coach Income & Expenditure

Income Expenditure

England Golf Partnership £ 6.0k Administration & CDO £17.2k

Awards for All £ 5.5k Training £ 3.5k

Club & Coach player subs £ 0.7k Workshops £ 1.0K

Clydesdale £ 15.0k Club Taster Sessions £ 5.4k

Sportsmatch £ 15.0k Equipment £ 1.3k

Interest £ 0.3k Promotion/launch/Website £ 1.1k

Coach fees £ 1.9k

Total Income £ 42.5k Surplus £11.1k

Supporting Documents

Copy of the Union 2008 Income and Expenditure Account

Copy of the CGP 2008 General Fund, Club & Coach, and Sportsmatch Accounts

Future Projects requiring funding

We expect 2009 to break even with the funding in place matching activity.

However for 2010 Club & Coach requires £4k to maintain current numbers and, if money was available, we would like the opportunity to expand from 100 juniors today to 150.

For the CGP to continue to support the current momentum of club recruitment activity will require an additional £20k in 2010. It has not proved possible to identify external funds to cover this, and clubs have resisted the idea of raising money from nomad golfers. We therefore seek this money from Union and Association subscriptions.

Our success in getting to two recent EGU Boys Finals, where our team came last on both occasions, has exposed us to the organisations in place, supporting the regular appearance and strong performance from the juniors of the other competing counties. If we are to upgrade our support to this higher level, identifying, developing and producing players of the calibre exemplified by Chris Wood from Gloucestershire, (subs 2010 £6.80), we need the funds to do it. In 2010 we plan to increase Player Development spending significantly.

We will continue to keep a tight control on all current expenditure and look to increase the revenues from the County Membership Scheme and the County Card Scheme. We will redirect funds where savings can be made in other current activities.

Having made these adjustments, to address the three target areas, Club & Coach, CGP and Player Development, requires an additional £26k. This represents an increase of £2 in the 2010 Union subscription, raising it to £7.50.

2008 2009 2010 2011

Income Expenditure Income Expenditure Income Expenditure Income Expenditure

CGP £41.9k £40 EGP £6k

£35 Awards for All £5.5

£30 Clydesdale + Sportsmatch £30.3k Volunteer Training Support for Club Recruitment £16k Union/Association   £20k Support for Club Recruitment £16k Affiliation fees   £20k Support for Club Recruitment £16k

£25 Support for Club Recruitment £12k

£20 Clydesdale £7.5k

£15 CDO + Admin £16k CDO + Admin £16k CDO + Admin £16k CDO + Admin £16k

£10 EGP £12k EGP £12k EGP £12k

£5

Subscription Subscription Subscription Subscription

£5.25 £5.50 £7.50 £9.00

Union     £89.8k £90 CMS & Interest Surplus £1.1k CMS & Interest Player Development £15k CMS & Interest Player Development £20k

£85 EGU Grant £2.8k Player Development £9.3k CMS & Interest Player Development £9.3k Card £10k Card £10k

£90 Card £3.7k Card £5k

£85 Affiliation Fees           £74,267 Affiliation Fees           £75k Affiliation Fees           £75k Affiliation Fees           £75k

£80 Teams   £22k Teams   £22k

£75 Teams   £22k Teams   £22k

£70

£65

£60 Administration     £46k Administration     £46k

£55 Administration     £45k Administration     £45k

£50

£45

£40

£35

£30

£25

£20

£15

£10 Comps + Sundries Comps £8.4k Comps + Sundries Comps £8.4k Comps + Sundries Comps £8.4k Comps + Sundries Comps £8.4k

£5

Affil Fees £5k Coach Develop

Club&Coach £20k £20 EGP Award    £15k Coach Develop EGP Award    £15k Coach Develop Union/Assoc £5k Coach Develop Union /Assoc    £15k Girls Coaching

£15 Girls Coaching Girls Coaching EGP Award    £10k Girls Coaching Boys Coaching

£10 Boys Coaching Boys Coaching Boys Coaching

£5 Student Fees £5k Student Fees £5k Student Fees £5k Student Fees £5k

Worcestershire Union of Golf Clubs
The Bears Den, Upper Street, Defford
Worcester, WR8 9BG
T: 01386 750657
E: menssecretary@worcestershireamateurgolf.co.uk
W: www.worcestershireamateurgolf.co.uk

Worcestershire and Herefordshire
Ladies County Golf Association
19 Dugard Way, Droitwich, Worcs, WR9 8UX
Tel: 01905 778773
E: ladiessecretary@worcestershireamateurgolf.co.uk
W: www.worcestershireamateurgolf.co.uk