Chair’s Message – 29th February 2024
The Club continues to be buffeted by rain, wind and winter storms … but again thanks to the Executive Team the course, courts and social areas have stood up well. This month’s update will be relatively short, as there have been no material changes or developments to report on. We remain on plan but there are three main things that we are reflecting on:
A. Current Projects
Electrification of the kitchen and upgrade of the electricity infrastructure to open next week
Although less visible to Members it represents a major upgrade and future proofing of our Food and Beverage capability. We wish to thank everyone for their patience over this period and to the Kitchen Team for all their hard work in challenging conditions.
The Refurbishment of the Clinic by Pure Sports Medicine
We have received very positive Member feedback on the new look. It’s never easy to change provider after 30 years, and we will look at ways to further develop our offering. Good to see Inga Tulloch working closely with the new team.
B. Masterplan 2035
We continue to work through the designs and pre planning work on the three upcoming projects, all of which have reasonably significant embedded risks. I mentioned in my previous message, we will be phasing these projects so that we can better manage the financial and operating risk should we get a material issue. The two key areas where there could be surprises relate to the Clubhouse infrastructure, much of which is close to or at end of life, and whenever we dig down into the grounds. We cannot eliminate risk, but we are very focused on how we best reduce it.
The Members Bar and Terrace refurbishment phase
We have selected a design firm (DesignLMS) and the Board has agreed the timetable and broad concepts proposed by House Committee and DLMS. We will look to walk Members through the concept in Q2 to allow for input. We will need planning approval for the wrap around Terrace, which will have some form of retractable roof for the south facing section over the Gardens. If we receive approval we will want to start work on the Terrace extension in October and on the internal Bar and Social areas next January. Given the need to strengthen our support foundations for the terrace and to upgrade the Club’s internal infrastructure we have a team of consultants currently assessing this in detail.
Padel and Pickleball Hub on Courts 25 to 28
Our thinking is evolving and we may seek to build five more padel and six new pickleball courts. In addition to possible roof coverings, we will consider extending space for the Outdoor Pool seating area, an additional baby pool and installing ground source heat pumps under the Hub to heat these pools. In all scenarios this will involve groundworks which will require careful planning around the water pipes that carry drainage water from courts 15-18 under court 25.
Indoor Golf Centre (IGC) and Short Game Area
We have completed the pre-app phase with Wandsworth Council Planning staff and are they are largely supportive of the current designs, with modifications. However the decision to move to a two-storey structure a couple of years ago continues to place some challenges with respect to space, planning and environmental considerations. The Council requires us to achieve BREEAM outstanding status on the new build which we are now seeking advice on before submitting for full planning permission.
C. Member Experience
In addition to the physical infrastructure we continue to think about how we can further enhance the broader member experience. We have been canvassing all the sections on how to better engage their Members with the food and beverage offering. This is separate from the Bar and Terrace upgrades, but we will want to use that investment to help facilitate broader Member social engagement.
We should be proud of the work of many of the Clubhouse-based sections e.g. Bridge, Art Group, PhotoClub and Backgammon that have proved to be immensely popular and well attended. They are a huge asset for the club, that materially improve the wellbeing support we can offer… thank you so much to the tireless work of their respective committees. We will look to work closely with them to further evolve and improve.
In addition we are in the process of looking at three further ideas:
Website and App capabilities
The team hopes to release a major improvement and upgrade to the booking of all Club services, events and processes. This will be a multi-year project, as we will also look to enhance our accounting and payments systems as well. We have been shown the proposed next step and we think it will be a major improvement.
Vote on Tennis Dress Code
The recent consultation with all tennis players showed the Tennis Committee that the majority of Members are happy with the current dress code of predominantly (90%) white tennis shirts, coloured shorts and skirts, and white socks. Coloured tops are allowed to keep warm but white shirts must be worn underneath. Therefore the Committee voted to keep the current dress code in place.
Electronic Device Usage Policy
More Members are using the Club as a work space during the day and there is a desire to review how we can evolve this over time. This is always a tricky issue, as we want to be open to new things, however it is a topic that genders emotive feelings. The Board debated some of the options and decided to canvass the Young Member and Senior Member Forums. It was clear that both Forums wanted areas soundproofed and designated as work spaces where calls and video calls could be made but didn’t want this to overspill into the Club’s social areas i.e. Club Café, Bar, Juice Bar or Outdoor Pool. The new work area in the Reading Room has been well received and the Bandstand will be more popular when the weather warms up. The House Committee will keep this topic under review for when the new social areas upstairs are completed so clear policies can be made to respect everyone’s view.
