Save Cavendish Golf Club

[Duncan Cheslett]

865687 by Duncan Cheslett, on Flickr

The Covid pandemic has hit Cavendish particularly hard.

Despite being custodians of a majestic and unspoiled Alister MacKenzie golf course which consistently features in the top 100 courses in England, we are one of two small golf clubs in a rural town of only 20,000 inhabitants.

With a limited but very enthusiastic core membership, Cavendish has become increasingly dependent in recent years on visitor income to maintain the course to a high standard and to balance the books. We were confidently looking at making a handsome surplus in 2020 and subsequent years which could be invested in course improvements leading up to our Centenary in 2025. The sudden and complete collapse of this income for the foreseeable future has had a catastrophic effect on the club's finances and budgets for the remainder of the year and beyond.

With government grants unavailable due to the rateable value of our premises being marginally above the threshold allowed for assistance we find ourselves in a precarious financial position, with not only no income but also legacy debt from when the club faced closure in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. Administrative staff have been furloughed, but all three greenkeepers remain employed on full pay. We simply cannot afford for our one great asset - the course - to be compromised in any way.

Predictably, our membership has stepped forward with donations and paying their subscriptions forward. Cavendish is not however, a wealthy man's golf club. You are far more likely to find a plumber's van in the car park than a Porsche. With the loss of visitor income the threat of closure hangs heavy. The property speculators are circling...

I would ask that all lovers of Cavendish and golf course architecture support us in these unprecedented times. We launched last week a crowdfunding appeal which has truly caught the imagination of the public in our area and golfers throughout the UK.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-cavendish-golf-club#start


Our initial target is to raise £25,000, which will plug the immediate cash hole but not leave us a lot of breathing space. We envisage lifting this target to £50,000 in the next few days, which would make a transformative difference.

We are humbled by the donations we have already received, many from people who have never visited Cavendish. Just this morning we received a pledge of £100 from the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance! I would urge you to make a contribution – no matter how small. All monies are very gratefully received and will be used solely on maintaining and restoring our fine course.


International Membership

In addition to our crowdfunding appeal, we are also launching a new International Membership.  A one-off payment of £500 gives you unlimited access to the course between now and the end of 2025 – our Centenary year. The only proviso is that you live overseas and have no residence in the UK or Ireland.


2020InternationalMembership by Duncan Cheslett, on Flickr





Country Membership
For those in the UK, we have a very tempting Country Membership...






2020CountryMembership by Duncan Cheslett, on Flickr



If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact me by message or email.

Thank you!

Duncan

[Tommy Williamsen]

What a sad notice. It is a wonderful course and one I could never tire of playing. I played it only once a dozen years ago, but still remember most fo the holes. The International Membership is a bargain.

[Duncan Cheslett]

What a sad notice. It is a wonderful course and one I could never tire of playing. I played it only once a dozen years ago, but still remember most of the holes.

Thank you for the kind words. Cavendish is a special place, and one that we are determined will survive and thrive.

The International Membership is a bargain.

Indeed it is Tommy. For anyone like yourself who visits the UK regularly, International Membership at Cavendish is a fantastic deal at a mere £500 for five and a half years.

It would also be of enormous help to our fundraising endevours and go a long way to securing the future of a fabulous course.


Shall I put you down for one?   It would be lovely to welcome you and to play a game or two.

[Duncan Cheslett]

2020Introduction by Duncan Cheslett, on Flickr

[Duncan Cheslett]

A solid oak Cavendish bag tag is part of the International Membership deal.


This is what we're talking about...


IMG_3575 by Duncan Cheslett, on Flickr

[Niall C]

Duncan

Are you really suggesting that the club will fold if they don't receive money from outside sources ?

Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

My guess is that there are numerous really good clubs / courses in GB&I who are pretty much walking a thin line as things are.


Trouble is it’s difficult to work out which ones are in the worst situation or whether they all are and it’s just a case of “he who shouts loudest wins”.


500 lids for 5 year international membership is a pretty good deal though.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan

Are you really suggesting that the club will fold if they don't receive money from outside sources ?

Niall

A couple of weeks ago it was looking extremely likely. With no income coming in we were due to run out of funds completely by the end of June and would have had to cease trading. The bank refused to extend our overdraft facility and were threatening to recall the loan we had.


A new management regime has taken over and has stabilized things. The new board includes a business rescue expert and a professional fundraiser.


We are now planning our marketing strategy to attract more members and to boost visitor income to make the club  profitable going forward, allowing us eliminate debt and then to invest in the course.


Replacing lost income with debt-free revenue is critical to our survival and future success. Hundreds of golf clubs are facing similar problems - unfortunately it not always the clubs with nondescript courses that face closure.

[Niall C]

Ally

I think it will be interesting to see where we all are when we eventually get out of this pandemic. I suspect that most folk were committed to paying this years subs, either already in the form of a one off payment or monthly by standing order. I'm sure quite a few members might have made enquiries about cancelling their membership to get off paying any more subs for the year but I strongly suspect the majority will wait and see. How things go from here might determine whether they commit to being members next year.

However my question to Duncan was more because I was surprised at the suggestion that Cavendish would fold. I don't know the club/course at all other than by reputation but it seems to me that a club that gets a significant income from visitors probably has a lot more fat on the bone than most and could therefore cut their cloth to suit in the new normal.

If that's not the case then I've got to think that a good many more clubs have no chance.

Niall

[Niall C]

Duncan

Thanks for that. What's the demographics like locally ?

Niall

[jeffwarne]

Makes "advances" in turf speed seem a bit oxymoronic.
What incredible green contours.
Fantasic historic photos from their website
The peak District seems like a logical base/launch pad for a few trips over the next 5 years....


Nice pictures Thomas Dai!

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan

Thanks for that. What's the demographics like locally ?

Niall

Buxton is a small spa town in the Peak District hills around 25 miles from each of the surrounding conurbations of Manchester, Sheffield, and Stoke on Trent.


Within our immediate area we have 25,000 people, within half an hour's drive we have 250,000 and within an hour we have 5 million.


It has always been a problem to attract sufficient members from the town itself, compounded by the fact that there are two golf clubs! We currently have around 300 members across all categories. It would appear from studying the history of the club that these issues are not new. Membership has always been small and more often than not over the last 95 years there has been no joining fee.


Age demographics of members are typical. Average is around 64.


The great potential for growing the membership is from that 30 minute radius rather than the more immediate area. I myself pass four golf other courses on my 15 mile journey every time I play at Cavendish, as do many of my regular playing partners. Our task is to convince more golfers that the regular Cavendish experience is worth more than the mere convenience of membership at their nearest club.


The fact that we are the only one of the 130 or so golf clubs within 30 miles of Manchester to feature in England's top 100 courses gives us something to work on.


 

[John Mayhugh]

Jeff,
Buxton is an attractive town to base yourself, but be warned - you will be sorry if you don't allot some time for looking around the Peak District. It's wonderful.
https://twitter.com/vpdd/media

Duncan,
Best of luck with your efforts. I've visited Cavendish three times and really enjoyed the course.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Jeff,
Buxton is an attractive town to base yourself, but be warned - you will be sorry if you don't allot some time for looking around the Peak District. It's wonderful.
https://twitter.com/vpdd/media

Duncan,
Best of luck with your efforts. I've visited Cavendish three times and really enjoyed the course.

The Peak District is right up there with the Yorkshire Dales and the Cotswolds in terms of wonderful scenery and picture postcard villages. Buxton is the ideal centre from which to explore the area and also has a lovely golf course!


Many thanks for the very kind donation, John!

[Jeff Schley]

Duncan,
Congrats on exceeding the goal. I'm sure it helps.
What is the plan on how to utilize the funds in this dynamic restricted environment?

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan,
Congrats on exceeding the goal. I'm sure it helps.
What is the plan on how to utilize the funds in this dynamic restricted environment?

Thanks Jeff, much appreciated.


The funds buy us time to put proper business systems in place to enable us to run the club in a more professional manner going forward. We have been doing exceptionally well with visitor revenue in the three weeks since the course reopened - due in no little part to the publicity garnered through the crowdfunding campaign. We have also been attracting a lot more new members than we would normally expect at this time of year.


Without the funds raised we would have run out of money later this month. As it is we can plan for the a future where income exceeds expenditure and still allows us to invest in the course. Our plans for a substantial renovation of the bunkers remain at the forefront of our plans for the club centenary in 2025. We might have to employ more traditional techniques than the space age solutions previously mooted. I for one will shed no tears over that.


The atmosphere at the club is unbelievably positive. I genuinely believe we will come out of this crisis in far better shape than we went into it. Many thanks to all who contributed - the money will be put to very good use. 

[Jon Wiggett]

Duncan,


good news to hear that things are looking up for the club. I was just reading the results of a PGA survey which showed that 71% of clubs had acquired more than 10 new members and 40% had acquired more than 30 so it looks like Cavendish's experience might be more the norm hopefully.


Jon

[James Reader]

I’m finally putting right the fact that I’ve never played Cavendish next Wednesday.  8.20 tee time if anyone fancies joining me.

[Duncan Cheslett]

I’m finally putting right the fact that I’ve never played Cavendish next Wednesday.  8.20 tee time if anyone fancies joining me.

James,


James Boon and myself are down to play Cavendish on Wednesday too!

We're happy to move our time to 8.20 and join you.

Duncan


PS You're booked at 8.30, not 8.20! 

[James Reader]

That would be great Duncan.  I can’t play any later because I’ll be “on my way” to see my parents for the first time in 4 months (OK, so it’s not quite on my way but it’s not a bad excuse).


Are you able to sort that out with the club as you’re a member, or should I call them?


Thanks for pointing out my mistake on the time.  Better to be 10 minutes early on the tee than 10 minutes late!

[Ben Stephens]

That would be great Duncan.  I can’t play any later because I’ll be “on my way” to see my parents for the first time in 4 months (OK, so it’s not quite on my way but it’s not a bad excuse).


Are you able to sort that out with the club as you’re a member, or should I call them?


Thanks for pointing out my mistake on the time.  Better to be 10 minutes early on the tee than 10 minutes late!

Well James all the best on your debut on the best 5500 yard golf course in the world! We look forward to hearing your comments about it. 

[James Reader]

The thing is it’s not quite my debut Ben - only in golfing terms.


My cousins lived in Buxton when I was a kid and we went sledging on Cavendish several times.  In my memories, there always seemed to snow in Buxton - I’m sure there’s a story about a cricket match there being snowed off in June.


I’m really looking forward to actually seeing the grass!

[Duncan Cheslett]

Well James all the best on your debut on the best 5500 yard golf course in the world! We look forward to hearing your comments about it. 

It's a mighty 5721 yards from the tips!


With six par 4 holes of over 400 yards in length however, it certainly doesn't feel like a short course!

[James Reader]

I finally played Cavendish on Wednesday (many thanks to Duncan for showing me round).


I loved it and am now regretting even more that it’s taken me so long to see it. I suspect I was a bit put off years ago, when I had family nearby, by the yardage (I was young and stupid back then!) but I have to say that it definitely doesn’t feel short when you’re playing it; there’s plenty of par 4s that are certainly long enough for me, in and among the numerous great short 4s and 3s.


What stood out most for me were the fantastic greens, which are always making you think when you’re on or close to them and often when you’re playing into them because, even as a first-timer, you can appreciate how difficult your next shot is going to be if you hit it in the wrong place.  I know that when I play it again (and I won’t leave it long) I’ll be thinking that even more, because I’ll know what to expect.  I’m thinking of the 3rd green in particular, where I misread the line on a 20’ putt by about 5’!


I was left with a similar feeling to that I had after playing Huntercombe for the first time a couple of years ago. Why aren’t there more courses with greens like that? Great greens can elevate even the otherwise ordinary course.  In the case of Cavendish, they make for a really special place.


As a member now of both Cavendish and Silloth, you’re a very lucky man Duncan!

[Thomas Dai]

Am I correct in believing that bunker work is being undertaken at Cavendish using the Ecobunker recycled artificial ‘turf’ system? If so curious to know a bit more in relation to Mack’ style bunkering.
Atb