The format of last years AGM was received well by members and set the template moving forward, so tonight we will follow the same format as last year.
All AGMs are important, but for reasons I’ll outline during this presentation, I believe this is one of the most significant and poignant in recent years.
We close the year with a real mix of emotions. There is sadness in the loss of our Club President, Hilary, who meant so much to Brynhill, both as a member and as club president. Her passing is a huge loss to the club.
At the same time, there is also a great deal of positivity. We have successfully delivered another 2 clubhouse projects with regards to the new ladies locker room area, visitor toilets and disabled toilet facility, not to mention our amazing sports lounge, all of which are an important step forward for the club.
We also mark a moment of change in our Club Captaincy. We say thank you to our first ever Lady Captain Lisa Taylor, and welcome our new Club Captain, Tony Hewlett. More on this later.
While losing Hilary is a significant setback, we must continue to move forward in the spirit she would have wanted. This evening, with the proposed appointment of Brian Phillips as Club President, we have the opportunity to begin the next chapter in the story of Brynhill Golf Club.
In the last 12 months, we’ve made significant progress.
Our full membership has grown to 506, and our junior section is now thriving — reaching full capacity with over 86 juniors.
That is a fantastic position for the club to be in, and it speaks volumes about the direction we’re heading. A special thank you must go to Joel Hutton and Tom Wilcox, who continue to give their time and energy to securing the future of Brynhill with regards to the juniors.
With the added involvement and coaching support from Leon and Jordan, our junior section is not only growing — it is becoming firmly established.
And we are already seeing the results of that work. This year, Brynhill has entered a junior team into the county club league — something I believe hasn’t happened for over 20 years.
That is a huge milestone for the club, and Joel and Tom should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved.
I believe the AGM is also a great opportunity to say some real heartfelt thank yous to club members who volunteer their time, skills, knowledge and support in helping move Brynhill forward. I want to thank the following people:
>Richard Pierce - an unsung hero of the club who contributes a lot of time behind the scenes and controls a lot of the competition admin on club V1 systems
≥Andy Chick who has helped with clubhouse renovations including most recently the sports lounge. Grafting like a man in his 20s
≥Brad Dodd for his massive help in upgrading our power supply with Western Power - he has just saved the club in the region of £7k with his knowledge and contacts and helped future proof the club.
≥Nick Daniels who asked if he could volunteer his time in the afternoons to assist in the renovation of the sports lounge and was there almost every day helping with clean ups etc.
> Lee Price for his continued support of Brynhill Golf Club through the amazing Coreys Day. Now a huge event in our calendar, a fitting tribute to Corey, and all of us at Brynhill appreciate how much you do for the club.
> John Dimond - My heartfelt thanks to John, he has helped behind the scenes on club projects and whenever we ask him for some help he is there without question or agenda, including using his car spraying skills to revamp the ladies lockers. Thank you John.
> Jo & John Kirkpatrick - thank you for all what you continue to do for the club including making sure tonight runs smoothly for us.
≥Mark Goode, a Cardiff University professor who used Brynhill as a marketing test model for business students, who handed over a detailed marketing presentation of Brynhill and our events model. Something that would have cost us a lot of money in the outside world and Mark put us forward to be the business case out of many applicants.
Mr Rob Garn
Rob’s contribution to the course cannot be overstated.
From path works and new tees to irrigation and operating specialist machinery, his support ensures projects can be delivered that would otherwise be delayed or unaffordable.
I know Rob has helped out for some time at the club before I came - I have been here since May 2023 and I would estimate that your services have probably saved the club £25k + in just that time alone - The club and members owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you Rob.
Colin Lewis
Colin’s dedication to the club and its members is quite frankly, unbelievable!
Whether supporting projects or stepping in to solve problems, his contribution is invaluable and often behind the scenes.
The club and its members are extremely grateful and very lucky to have you here. You have an unwavering desire to see Brynhill at the top - All clubs would love to have you Colin but we’ve got you, and how grateful we are. Thank you for what you do.
Jamie Griffiths
Jamie has been instrumental in the ongoing transformation of the clubhouse.
His work across multiple areas — including the foyer, simulator room, lounge, ladies locker room, storage cabin, and current Sports Bar development and West Wing — is clearly elevating the club’s environment and reputation.
While delivering excellent value to us, as a long term member, past Captain and past committee member his understanding of the club and our vision ensures every project moves us forward with our members in mind.
Thank you for your continued support, craftsmanship and commitment to quality and safety. The growth that we are seeing in the club and publicity we are getting obviously has a lot to do with what you have delivered. Thank you.
As we move into the main presentation, I want to take you through 2 key changes we are introducing with regards to running the club, tracking and evaluating progress and club governance. We are introducing a new, consistent reporting structure that will be used across EMC meetings, AGMs, EGMs and General Manager reports.
This model is built around the Five Pillars of the Club, with Members as the foundation.
Each pillar represents a key area of the club, with its own responsibilities and performance measures.
These are the reporting Measures by Pillar
Office & Admin
Targeted & Reporting on Membership levels, locker and trolley income, cost control, sponsorship performance, marketing, digital presence and member satisfaction.
Pro Shop
Targeted and reporting on Green fees and society revenue, buggy hire, competition income and simulator usage.
Clubhouse (Bar & Venue)
Targeted and reporting on Bar revenue, room hire, functions and events.
Golf Course
Course condition and maintenance, fuel and machinery costs, staff safety and equipment, consumables and overall budget control.
Catering
Measured on club Catering contribution alongside catering office and kitchen rental income.
Going forward, we will adopt this 5-pillar reporting model within our EMC meetings to track progress in a more structured and consistent way.
This approach will allow us to measure performance more accurately against previous years, giving us clearer visibility on trends and enabling better-informed forecasting.
While we have always had reporting mechanisms in place with regards to the accountants management accounts, this model brings greater clarity, consistency, and alignment across all areas of the club, helping us make more confident and timely decisions, whilst also evaluating the financial risk ahead with more accuracy.
Key takeaway: while these figures represent revenue, they also highlight the growth achieved across each department, with an average increase of 26%.
Course expenditure has increased by £28k, reflecting continued investment — including the 17th tee project, contribution towards the winter path grant, additional path works, and broader cost increases.
The next change we have brought in is a governance operating system for Brynhill.
In simple terms — it’s a structured way of making sure everything is: Controlled, Accountable, Documented And protected
So that the club is not reliant on individuals… but on systems.
Historically, like many golf clubs, a lot of knowledge, responsibility and control has sat with individuals.
And when those individuals leave… that knowledge and control can disappear with them which creates risk.
What we are building here removes that risk.
This is how modern clubs operate, and this is what I will be creating over the next few weeks with my own designed software model.
Everything we do as a club now sits under these 7 areas:
Governance & Leadership — clear roles and decision making
Safeguarding & Welfare — protecting people
Risk, Health & Safety — mitigation of operational and physical risk
Financial & Regulatory compliance — controlling money properly and funding accountability
Data, employment & integrity— legal compliance and ethical governance
Digital governance — controlling all systems and access
Organisational Continuity & succession — making sure nothing falls apart if people change
The most important part of this Is control.
• Who has access to what
• Where documents are stored
• Who is responsible for what
Because without that… you don’t have governance — you have risk.
This ensures that Brynhill is: Structured, Protected And sustainable..
Not just for today… but for the long-term future of the club.
Let now look at our membership figures…
We are pleased to announce that we have welcomed an additional 106 members in the last 12 months delivering an extra £68k in revenue, bringing us to 505 full members (aged 18+).
When I came into role in 2023, we were at 203 members. I set a personal target to return the club to 500 members, and as a club team, achieving this is a significant milestone.
I’m not sure there are many clubs in the country that can demonstrate membership growth of around 150% within three years.
This has been achieved through sheer hard work and determination from the entire team at Brynhill.
I’ll borrow a quote from Elon Musk:
“The output of any company is the vector sum of the people within it.”
My thanks go to all the staff at Brynhill — and to you, the members — for being so welcoming to everyone who joins us. That welcome should not be underestimated; it is a major factor in why new members have no hesitation in joining us.
Our digital presence is probably the most important driver of growth for the club — and that is more true today than ever before.
In simple terms, digital is now our shop window. It is where prospective members form their first impression, where visitors decide to book, and where events, weddings and societies are influenced. If we are not visible and engaging online, we are missing opportunities.
Over the last 12 months:
Our Facebook following has grown by 450, taking us to almost 1,700 followers. The spike you see on the graph to the right is from our Sports Lounge walk around video which has now generated over 11,000 views.
Compared to 16 local clubs, we now rank 5th for followers, despite 2 of the top 4 clubs having dedicated social media teams
Our website attracted 28,000 unique visitors, with the membership page receiving the highest engagement
We also processed over £13,000 in online payments, including vouchers and other products
This demonstrates clearly that digital activity directly converts into revenue — whether that is memberships, bookings, green fees or events.
Don’t forget, we don’t have a dedicated social media manager or team. This is purely driven by myself, Nicky and Leon.
However, one of our biggest untapped strengths is our membership base. With over 500 members, we have a powerful opportunity to amplify our reach.
At present, only a small number of members regularly like, comment or share posts. Increasing this engagement would significantly improve our visibility, as social media algorithms reward interaction — meaning more people see our content, leading to more members, more bookings and more revenue.
In many ways, our members represent a free marketing channel that many businesses would invest heavily to achieve.
So, a simple ask:
Please support the club by liking, commenting and sharing our content — it makes a real difference.
It is also worth noting that our digital presence and marketing costs Brynhill almost nothing - what we have achieved here in digital growth would set most clubs back around £5k per year, hence the reason why you are only seeing digital success in clubs far more affluent than ours.
The simulator room continues to be a key asset for the club.
While usage remains broadly consistent year-on-year at around £500 per month , its value extends far beyond direct income. It is a major attraction for prospective members and plays an important role in driving new joiners.
It also provides an excellent environment for coaching and custom fitting, supporting Leon and Jordan in delivering added value to members.
The knock-on effect of this activity with Leon and Jordan is clear — increased lessons and coaching as well as club fitting for local golfers has certainly helped drive our membership growth.
The simulator has already paid for itself and remains a facility that sets us apart from many other clubs. Recently labelled by a Callaway fitting rep as one of the best in the country.
Our Pro Shop remains one of the club’s strongest assets.
It’s easy for members to overlook just how valuable this is, but we are fortunate to have two highly experienced PGA Professionals on site, with over 40 years of combined experience.
The shop itself is well-managed, with consistent stock turnover, and provides expert advice, personal service and strong engagement with members.
When compared to other clubs across Cardiff and the Vale and even South Wales, it’s clear that what we have here is exceptional.
Not forgetting that they play a huge part in the massive increase we have seen in green fee revenue, buggy hire and societies. Their opening hours maximise our revenue potential and ensures the course is secure from golfing nomads who think its ok not to pay!
We are extremely fortunate to have Leon and Jordan delivering such a high standard of service that other clubs just don’t have. My thanks to them for all that they do.
Our catering offer has been completely transformed through our partnership with Neil at Lunch At Twelve, delivering high-quality food for both members and external events.
But it’s important to understand how this works.
Unlike many food-led venues that attract customers with low-priced meals and recover their margins through high bar prices — Neil doesn’t have that luxury.
Neil does not profit from the bar.
His business is built purely on food — and even then, he pays the club a cut for every meal served.
With rising food costs and increasing staffing pressures, that is no easy model to operate. Yet despite that, Neil continues to deliver an exceptional standard of service while helping us grow our offering.
As a result, Brynhill is now attracting more external events — including wakes, parties, and weddings — generating valuable additional income that can be reinvested back into the club and the course.
We’re also making improvements to the West Wing, with a light refurbishment aimed at creating a more restaurant-style extension of the sports lounge. We’re just awaiting the final furniture to complete that space.
It’s worth highlighting that Neil has personally contributed 50% of the cost of that refurbishment — which shows just how committed he is to making this work for Brynhill.
Looking ahead, Lunch At Twelve will be launching a brand-new menu on the 1st April.
And importantly, we are now extending member benefits to food, in the same way we do at the bar.
All members will receive a Lunch At Twelve dining card, giving you 15% off food.
So whether you’re dining yourself or bringing guests, you’ll receive 15% off your total food bill — adding real value to your membership.
A huge thank you to Neil and his team—your hard work is helping put Brynhill on the map!
I’m proud to share that, within 30 months of my appointment, i’ve secured £102,700 in grant funding for Brynhill.
Each of these applications represents a significant amount of work—often involving several days of preparation, follow-ups, and conversations—but the results have made that effort more than worthwhile. I have applied for over 25 grants and what you see here represents the successful ones. Each application carries a similar amount of work and most are unsuccessful, its a numbers game and worth every bit of my time as when we are successful its making a huge difference to the club.
This is something I’m keen to build on, and I’ll continue to pursue further grant opportunities, with the men’s locker room firmly in my sights as a key priority.
It’s also worth noting that the true value of some of these grants goes beyond the headline figures. In particular, the energy-saving projects are expected to deliver ongoing savings of several thousand pounds each year for the club.
Our most recent funding success — the £20k Sport Wales Energy Grant — has now been received.
We are currently in the process of obtaining quotes, and identifying the most effective solution before installing a solar system at the clubhouse.
This will be a key step in reducing our energy costs and improving the long-term sustainability of the club.
This month marks one year since we completed the refurbishment of the Brynhill lounge.
At the time, I know there were mixed views. Some members were concerned about neutralising the look of the lounge, and others questioned whether the investment would have been better directed elsewhere.
However, we made that decision with a clear business model in mind—to create a more versatile, modern space capable of attracting more wakes, parties, and weddings. The aim was simple: increase footfall, grow bar revenue, and in turn generate additional income that can be reinvested back into the course and the club.
I’m pleased to report that this approach has delivered strong results. Over the past year, we’ve seen:
An uplift of £11,000 in room bookings alone.
An increase of £51,000 in bar revenue, with more than half attributable to the new lounge
A further £5,000 increase in catering income.
This demonstrates that the model is working. More importantly, it provides a more consistent and sustainable flow of income to support ongoing investment across the clubhouse and course.
Had we instead spent the £25,000 directly on the course, we would not be seeing these ongoing returns—and we would likely still be sitting in a tired lounge, asking how we grow our income.
Now, with the refurbishment of the sports lounge also complete, I’m confident we can build on this success and deliver even stronger results in the year ahead.
It’s also important to recognise the wider impact—first impressions matter. The improved foyer, lounge, sports lounge and bar facilities play a significant role in attracting and retaining members, as well as enhancing the overall club experience.
However, we must recognise that this doesn’t happen by itself. The team of bar staff led by bar manager Barrie have been exceptional in their determination to make Brynhill succeed. Hosting wakes, weddings and parties is no easy task as the room is constantly being changed around and reorganised. This usually happens after a party or wedding, Barrie and the staff have been known to still be here at 2am getting the room returned to normal for the next day which could be Sunday lunches etc. I want to thank all the bar staff for what they do, seeing social media comments about how welcoming the staff are should make us all very proud - I want to thank Barrie for his desire in wanting to make Brynhill a success, he is a pleasure to work with and a great bar manager - we are lucky to have him here.
To stay in tune with member expectations, we introduced an annual member pulse survey every October—a structured way for you to share feedback and help shape the club’s future.
📊 Last year’s survey scored 89.1 out of 100—a strong sign of progress and up 7 points v last year.
This isn’t just a tick-box exercise—your feedback directly influences our decisions, ensuring we focus on what matters most to you. The next survey is in October, so make your voice heard and help us keep improving Brynhill together!
We know that not everything is perfect and there is still work to be done - We must keep improving, keep adding value, and keep creating a better golfing environment and a better clubhouse experience. A more professional approach has led to a better club and course for members, but this journey comes with its challenges.
With that in mind, I’d now like to present some key financials for the year ahead and discuss what’s next for Brynhill.
A critical factor in the club’s long-term sustainability is controlling fixed expenses.
From April 1st, our total monthly expenditure, without department budgets will exceed £40k a month covering:
💰 Staff wages & associated costs
💰 Corporate tax obligations
💰 Utilities & insurance
💰 Machinery lease commitments
💰 Waste collection & other operational costs
We are continually reviewing and renegotiating our contracts, and where necessary, changing suppliers to ensure we are achieving the best possible value and controlling costs. Thank you to Sam Pascoe who has assisted with this in the last 18 months, particularly around our energy suppliers, helping reduce costs and negotiating tariffs.
However, it is important to highlight that we are already receiving notifications of price increases for the new financial year, with some rising in the region of an unbelievable 10-15%. In addition, the upcoming increase in the minimum wage this April will place further upward pressure on our costs.
Taking all of this into account, it is realistic to expect our monthly expenditure to increase even further.
With recent government changes to the minimum wage and with National Insurance contributions, this will cost the club an extra £20,006.
But that’s not all—as expected with the knock on effect, supplier costs are rising, with some confirming price hikes as mentioned of up to 15%:
As a result, and along with other operational increases, we estimate our total annual expenses for the upcoming year to exceed half a million pounds. - Once again this figure does not include department budgets such as course budget and clubhouse budgets etc
On the revenue side, we currently have 506 full members over the age of 18. If this number holds steady from May 1st, it will generate £420k in revenue.
This total also accounts for:
🔹 15 life members
🔹 19 three-year members
🔹 13 six-year members
Each of these groups contributes differently from standard membership fees, which have been factored into our financial planning.