To the Members, PGC.
I write this to address you all, and with no great happiness within this, to discuss the current climate within the Club.
Over the last 15 months since we became part of the Organisation it seems not a week rolls by without some issue or other arising. Some throwaway, some of a far more serious nature. Through these issues we ourselves at Fairways have found ourselves on the brunt of some of them; from the odd word to concerted efforts to undermine, belittle, degrade and remove us. A harsh return for the time, effort and investment both fiscally and emotionally made into the Club. Indeed, we have ourselves been the subject of one of the various petitions circulating over the time, on matters and issues that ranged from manageable to downright spurious, as well as being named in somewhat slanderous circumstances in emails that travelled far and wide.
Throughout this we, as a team, have just knuckled down under the most trying of circumstances, and as much as we could, smiled throughout it all. But does that mean it didn’t affect us? No, far from it. At times we didn’t want to raise the shutters, but we did, because we know many of the members not only appreciate what we do, they warmed to it, and once again the Clubhouse has become alive, something I as a member haven’t seen for some time. This positivity has helped us to drag ourselves in, to make sure the service the members want is available as much as business practicalities allow, some days from 7am right on through to the small hours. Visitors aplenty, members, those who sample what we have for the first time or those engrained within the Club, we have endeavoured to make sure all leave with a good impression and glad tidings.
All this is thanks in no small part to the vast majority of the membership, but not just members are our customers. Our relationship with the respective Captains has flourished, the support of the numerous teams, working well (and sometimes on short notice!) with the Pro Shop team, and probably most importantly the Management Committee, who have supported us endlessly and share our vision of the future, where the Golf Club becomes central to the next generation of Penrithians, young and old. I myself want my own children to cherish what we have and should be immensely proud of it. This makes what I am about to say all the harder. We at Fairways have diary commitments which run through until October 2022, commitments we will honour professionally and with the quality we pride ourselves on. We will, however, be formally submitting our notice to leave after October which will only happen should the Management Committee be forced out. This is by no means an attempt to hold anybody to ransom or exert undue pressure, but strong working relationships have been formed, support has been offered without reward, and a vision shared. It seems nobody within the Club is safe once a venal minority decide to bear their fangs. Members cannot enjoy either the clubhouse OR the course without being harangued or caught in the crossfire because of the latest drama that manifests (which, in many cases, are hypocritical, often those behind the drama have been perpetrators of identical actions themselves.) At this moment in time the Club needs to pull together. The climate is such that those who refuse will fall by the wayside. Yet never before has a place been so incessantly divisive and torn, with examples of behaviour and petulance I wouldn’t accept from my children, much less grown adults.
I end this letter wishing to thank those of you who have stood by us, got onside or understood the efforts we have given, and hope the Club unifies, because if not it won’t only be Fairways that no longer occupies the Clubhouse, nothing will.
Yours,
Ricky Lamb