The Manager's Letter
Tim Straley, Club Operations Manager

2009 is right around the corner and with the coming of the New Year I believe it will be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging year that Panther Creek Country Club has faced. With the economic uncertainty that most likely will impact all of us, it has made the budget process a very difficult
task.

Although the budget has not been finalized at the time of this writing, there are a few things that are obviously apparent that need to be done to weather this uncertainty. There will be a dues increase for 2009 although this is not unexpected. Even without the economic issues in our country, the costs to operate the Club increase each year similar to all of your household expenses. When times get tight, certain luxuries are bound to be eliminated. The management team has been asked to look at everything we do to find new and creative ways to generate income and to identify those expense items that we can do without and thus remove them from the budget. While there may end up being some things cut from the budget, it would be my hope that they would only be cut until such time as the finances of the Club permit them to be included once again. Obviously we will look to make adjustments that result in the highest dollar impact but we will also weigh that with the value the membership places on those items. Again, if those changes are only for the short term, we should be able to accept them for the long term success of the Club.

The biggest issue facing Panther Creek as well as most other clubs in our region is the number of members that we have. Dues are our primary source of income and if we don’t have the members, we don’t have the income necessary to operate the club in a manner the membership desires. The Membership Committee has prepared and the Board approved an excellent promotion for 2009. It provides for attracting new members while reducing your monthly dues. But in order for this to work, it will take some participation on your part. The Club has never offered a member incentive of this magnitude in the past and although it seems a little silly to actually reduce dues when we need revenue, the net financial result from attracting each new member far outweighs the dues reduction you will receive.

Your use of the Club as a member is also vital to our success. Utilizing the Club when dining out, entertaining guests for meals and golf, hosting family and business events at the Club and participating in the events that are offered all would impact the finances of the Club in a positive manner. We try to offer many different events and activities to draw you to the Club so the issue of meeting your monthly minimum should never be an issue.

Finally, I ask that everyone “give it your all” to help us through the potentially difficult upcoming year. As always, we are open to suggestions and ideas and now is a good time to give us your input.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!