Ken is our Vice Captain & Finance Convener and has given many years of service to the Club. We asked him a few questions about his time at Boat and what makes the Club so special.
- How long have you been involved with Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club, and how did that involvement begin?
I joined the golf club when I retired at the end of 2016. I had played at ‘Boat’ many times during visits to the area with family and had always loved the course and the clubhouse. - What does the role of Finance Convener involve?
The Finance Convenor is a member of the management committee. His or her main role is to oversee the club’s financial accounts and provide regular updates to the other members of the committee. Other roles include preparing the annual budget, working in close cohesion with the club’s bookkeeper and accountants, and preparing quarterly and year-end financial updates to the membership. - What work goes on behind the scenes that members and visitors might not normally see?
The GM and I work in close collaboration to ensure that the club’s income streams are maximised and that our expenditure is controlled and justified. To do this, I have access to the club’s accounts and accounting software. We changed software providers recently, and it was quite a challenge to get up to speed with this. - What do you enjoy most about contributing to the club?
The ‘Club’ is the sum of many parts – the course, the tennis courts, the clubhouse, the golf shop and the staff that binds these all together. I enjoy when these all work well together, and we get positive comments and feedback from all who visit the club. I enjoy seeing the club succeed and move forward, creating a better and more stimulating social and sporting environment for members and visitors. - Is there a particular project, improvement or achievement during your time as Finance Convener that you are especially proud of?
Certainly, not that it was all down to me, but turning the financial fortunes round from a deficit of £54,000 to a surplus of £46,000, in a 2-year period, was especially pleasing. More recently, completing the energy reduction upgrades within the clubhouse was a great success and one which will benefit the club for many years to come. This whole project (heating, lighting and insulation) would never have got off the ground without the inspiration, diligence and tenacity of one of our members, Colin Semple. The club and I owe Colin a huge debt of gratitude for helping see this through to completion. - How do you balance protecting the club’s traditions with planning for its future?
Always quite difficult!! Boat of Garten has a long and distinguished history, and James Braid gave us a real gem when he redesigned the course, and it reopened in 1932. Everyone has a view as to how we should present the course, and these are usually very different – narrow the fairways, speed up the greens, cut back the rough, cut down trees, grow wildflowers. I certainly think that we have made some great improvements to the course in the last few years. We have made it much more playable and enjoyable without taking away any of the challenge that the course has always presented. If we continue in this same vein, it will stand us in good stead for many years to come. - What do you think makes Boat of Garten such a special club and community?
I really do think the golf course is stunning and the views are truly spectacular. The course presents a challenge which is rarely the same two days in a row – change of wind direction, harder or softer fairways depending on how much rain has fallen, playing from the back tees, or the boxes. What I also really appreciate is how we arrange our competitions & medals. Entering these events individually and being drawn randomly with your playing partners, I think, is great and gets away from the same people playing together, at the same time every week. For me, our membership community is special. It really makes no odds who you play with – everyone shares the same passion and patience for our game. - What is the biggest challenge facing clubs like ours, and what gives you confidence about the future?
Declining membership! It is the same for many clubs in our region. Our members are getting older, and we don’t have the influx of younger people joining. In Strathspey, we have too many golf courses for the number of golfers. So, our challenge is to attract and encourage as many junior golfers as we can, aligned with making ‘Boat’ the club of choice, having the best course, clubhouse and social interaction amongst any of our competitors. All of this, of course, is a journey and I really believe we are making good strides forward to realising and achieving our ambition of being the best golf club in the area – and even a little beyond that!! - Away from the figures and committee work, what is your favourite part of spending time at the club?
I love being a member of the Seniors’ Section. They are a great bunch of people, and I really enjoy the social interaction, the camaraderie and the ‘banter’, as well as appreciating the mixed bag of golfing talents that we all share. I also enjoy an evening or two in the clubhouse, be that only for a drink or two, or for one of John’s excellent theme nights or dinners. It’s a great place to come along to with friends or family. - Do you have a favourite hole, view or memory from The Boat?
In my view, there are no bad holes at ‘Boat’. They all present a different challenge. My personal favourite is 16! It’s the best par 3 on the course and requires an accurate tee shot, as well as a little bit of luck with the bounce at the front of the green. I had a hole in one there a couple of years back during the Speyside 54 Hole Open. Really very satisfying given that it was actually quite a good shot!!! - Is there anything you would like members and visitors to understand about the work of the club’s volunteers and committee?
I cannot speak highly enough about the team of people who support the club and help make it the success that it is today. Our team of regular volunteers is amazing. They ungrudgingly help out wherever they can with things like starter duties, manning the halfway house, assisting with junior coaching, etc.
The volunteer scheduling and rota is all managed by Debbie, who does a simply great job in pulling all of this together. I am also very lucky, and it is a pleasure, to work alongside my fellow committee members, all of whom put in a huge amount of time, effort and energy to ensure that each element of the club operates successfully. The convenors and committee are, of course, all volunteers. They come into their respective roles either because they have some relevant business experience, or because they have passion and vision, but it is always because they have a real desire to see the club do well. Can I take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to my committee colleagues. - Finally, how would you describe Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club in three words.
There are many, many aspects of ‘The Club’ that stand out admirably, but here, after much thought and consideration, are my top three.