Registered: Dec 2002
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http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-s...curling-season/

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In a letter addressed to its members, the club said the board of directors decided to cancel the curling season to give the club time to reevaluate its current business model.

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2668

Unfortunately if it is part of a country club set up - I don't think so. In the GTA, most of the curling only clubs are quite full...the country clubs not so much. So a club with activities other than curling (i.e. country clubs) may look at its bottom line and decied the best way to save money is to get rid of the curling.

Too bad the club is closing...not a good sign for the sport.

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario
Posts: 490

As a member it was a total surprise and out of the blue. For the past several years we were told curling paid for itself, and that golf could not survive without curling, and curling could not survive without golf. The curlers invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the club through fundraising and personal donations, to pay for projects like the new curling rink floor, the dehumidifier, new hacks, re-carpeting and repainting the curling rink and clubhouse and as of two years ago new rock inserts.

Last year the club eliminated Hospitality stating it was costing the club over $200,000 a year, this year it's the curling's fault, but they don't want to ever blame the golf. I'm sure that will come next year when the club can't survive on golf alone, and you'll see a push to sell the club and the land so the shareholders can take their share of the profit.

Many people don't believe the curling will start up again following the suspension of the 2013/14 season. Even if it did how profitable would it be, after all of the member have gone elsewhere? There is more to this than curling causing a deficit, but no one wants to talk.

It is a shame to see it end like this.

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto
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A shame indeed. I played in a bonspiel there last year and we had a wonderful time. I think your assessment is correct - once they start removing different membership categories, you can bet that a sale of the whole club is coming next.

Golf & Country Club membership are way down all across North America.

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Just to be clear to commenters. There is an 8-sheet stand-alone curling club in Guelph (Guelph Curling Club) about 3-4 kms down the road. The GGCC has a 4-sheeter at what was a private golf course until 1999 (opened in 1912). Rink opened in 1963.

Neither entity insofar as curling is concerned has been solid financially in the last couple of years in Guelph. Of late, Guelph has been a tough curling market.

GGCC is now encroached by houses. And while it was the first golf course in Guelph, it is only a 9-hole track; and as one would expect, many golf courses are within driving distance -- and there are five 18-hole courses in Guelph as competition.

GGCC has tried some somewhat creative marketing strategies for curling ... but with only limited success.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Unregistered
J GGCC has tried some somewhat creative marketing strategies for curling ... but with only limited success.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend
I hate to see historic clubs going down. Before they write the final chapter I'd like to see the club executive board convene a meeting of some of curling's greatest minds. Here's who I'd suggest.

1. Kevin Martin
2. Russ Howard
3. Mike Harris
4. Jennifer Jones
5. David Nedohin
6. Bob Weeks

They should be brought into Guelph for a day or two, shown the club books, the currnt membership and business plan, extra revenues, etc. All these folks have taken a bunch from curling and they often give freely of their time. Some may even present sponsors who could help financially. Worth a try, no?

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: Elmira
Posts: 179

How many members did the club have?

There are several other clubs within a 30 minute drive (Guelph Curling, Elmira, Elora, Fergus) who would be happy to pick up some extra members, I'm sure.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend


Either you join the whiner's club or you try to save the club.

Which is it?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend
I hate to see historic clubs going down. Before they write the final chapter I'd like to see the club executive board convene a meeting of some of curling's greatest minds. Here's who I'd suggest.

1. Kevin Martin
2. Russ Howard
3. Mike Harris
4. Jennifer Jones
5. David Nedohin
6. Bob Weeks

They should be brought into Guelph for a day or two, shown the club books, the currnt membership and business plan, extra revenues, etc. All these folks have taken a bunch from curling and they often give freely of their time. Some may even present sponsors who could help financially. Worth a try, no?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Unregistered
Just to be clear to commenters. There is an 8-sheet stand-alone curling club in Guelph (Guelph Curling Club) about 3-4 kms down the road. The GGCC has a 4-sheeter at what was a private golf course until 1999 (opened in 1912). Rink opened in 1963.

Neither entity insofar as curling is concerned has been solid financially in the last couple of years in Guelph. Of late, Guelph has been a tough curling market.

GGCC is now encroached by houses. And while it was the first golf course in Guelph, it is only a 9-hole track; and as one would expect, many golf courses are within driving distance -- and there are five 18-hole courses in Guelph as competition.

GGCC has tried some somewhat creative marketing strategies for curling ... but with only limited success.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Manitoba Legend
Geez, you're absolutely right.

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I'm trying to figure out what M.L.'s list of people has to do with putting together a strong business plan to take the Guelph Golf and Curling forward? Think I'm going to go run head first into a wall until things he says make sense.

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Dear Curling Member



We regret to inform you that there will be no curling this season at the Guelph Golf and Curling Club.



Last night the ad hoc Curling Revival Committee met and agreed to withdraw our latest offer to the Board of the GGCC despite an offer that we considered extremely close to our understanding of the changes suggested by the Board following our initial offer. We are both disappointed and surprised that this proposal was rejected outright. No further suggested revisions or explanations were given.



Please be advised that a subgroup is currently investigating other venues that will hopefully allow us to maintain our curling programs with our GGCC friends and curling associates. We will advise you of any progress on that initiative.



We believe you are entitled to an understanding of the offer. The core of the offer was a Lease Payment of $50,000 principally for the rink, ice making equipment and curling lounge. We also assumed all Capital Expenditures beginning with the immediate and expensive replacement of the condenser. The Lease Payment represented approximately three times our fair share of the fixed overheads (such as property taxes, housekeeping, snow ploughing, etc) and was approximately double the operating surplus that curling contributed to the club last year. Funding for this offer was based on a budgeted operating surplus that estimated a 90% member retention augmented by 75% of the newly introduced Revival Fund Reserve. Member repayments were protected by the generosity of a members' guarantee.



We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers who have contributed to the decades of curling success at the Guelph Country Club over the last several decades.



Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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quote:

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Originally posted by dugless_zone 13
I'm trying to figure out what M.L.'s list of people has to do with putting together a strong business plan to take the Guelph Golf and Curling forward? Think I'm going to go run head first into a wall until things he says make sense.

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don't believe Russ ever managed a curling club, Kevin neither. Kevin's curling/racquets equipment store is in Saville Centre. That's as close as he's been. Russ was a golf pro at a course outside of Midland, then at a driving range, then went to Moncton to Royal Oaks -- a golf facility. Then into real estate and broadcasting.

Mike Harris was a golf pro, Donalda, North Halton ... not a course manager.

All might have opinions, but not practical experience.

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