A new competition prize management system is now in operation.
For the past 20 years the Golf Club has maintained its own bank account and issued green prize vouchers with a ball rundown for placegetter. Statistics show about 95% of prizes are redeemed by members from their two proshop accounts.
The green vouchers are time consuming to manage and the Committee has, at any time, an ongoing outstanding liability during the 3 months’ voucher redemption period.
For better audit accountability and management purposes, the golf club committee has now moved its bank account under the AFSC financial management system, but will maintain full control of the funds.
The time is right to streamline our prize allocation system and offer members the opportunity to spend some of their winning in the club in incremental amounts (vouchers give no change).
It was hoped to use your AFSC membership card to add prizes in the form of spending points (exactly the same as AFSC bonus points). However, because in the ACT bonus points on your AFSC card can be exchanged for cash and would be in breach your amateur golf status, this avenue was ruled out. A new golf Loyalty Card will be issued using the same POS terminals in the club to purchase food and drinks. Each adult member will receive a Loyalty Card after renewing membership. The card will be valid while ever you remain a golf club member and unlike proshop credits, the points will carryover each year.
Think about how much you spend in the Club on food and drinks. Most will at least buy a drink, coffee or sandwich spending $10 or more each time. Once a week equates to at least $500 per year. Now you will have the option to spend some of your golf club winnings in the club using loyalty points.
What has changed?
In future, Prize Winners will receive either a pro shop credit or a Placegetter $5 credit (instead of a ball) or a Loyalty Card credit. You can choose to buy balls off you proshop account.
The Committee will select specific events for which all prize winners and placegetter credits will be loaded onto club Loyalty Cards. Monthly Medal events for the next 6 months will see all prizes and placegetters credits being placed on your Loyalty Card to spend in the social club.
The Loyalty Cards will be rolled out during October.
Please remember that the loyalty points on your card are the equivalent of cash, like a gift card, so treat the card as you would your money.
The Eagle Nest will still be balls, to be collected from the Golf Office during the week from the Golf Manager or on the weekend when one of the Committee is doing competition close out.
The Proshop has decided to continue with a Ball Account for mid-week pro competitions. It is the Professional’s discretion whether he allows an accumulation of balls to be credited to other purchases.
In the short term this will be a learning curve for us as we implement the process so please be patient. In the longer term we hope a POS terminal will be installed in the Proshop enabling more choice where you can spend your winnings.