Dear Members (Friends),

Welcome to a new season at the Club! We appreciate your business and are honoured to have you join our membership family. Both the present and future of golf in St. Marys is bright – evidenced by our strong membership base and our junior golf program selling out early for this season. We are excited to kick off another BIG year at the Club at our annual Early Bird Membership event.

We will continue to invest into this community asset, despite the challenges from Bill 148. The majority of golf courses, unfortunately, lose money, as evidenced by the number of sale transactions and/or management transfers to GolfNorth recently. Worse, the Ontario government has made legislative changes, including Bill 148, and imposed many programs over the past several years that have negatively impacted the golf industry. Despite these cost increases, we will continue to invest in this great property by proceeding with our bunker renovation plan in early 2018. Furthermore, we are swapping more golf carts for new Yamaha carts, as well as replacing the clubhouse HVAC system. We understand that our customers have budgets and that many are also facing a financial squeeze, and the St. Marys Golf & Country Club will continue to pride itself on offering the best golfing value in the area. Any changes, including pricing, will continue to be shared with members in a timely manner. Please visit our membership page online for more information.

Your feedback is important to us – it’s how we’ll continue to get better. Thank you to those that filled out our 2017 Member Survey. We appreciate the comments - both positive and constructive - and are already in the process of making modifications, based on this feedback, for the coming golf season. This detailed information is shared with you in Appendix I, where we list the most common feedback and the corresponding changes we are making, as a result. In the recent survey, you, our members once again raved about: the Course Conditions, the People (i.e. Club Staff), the Course Layout, and “I can play anytime I want", as the main reasons you join the Club. 

Club events are a HUGE part of the member experience. Get involved by signing up for the many events this season. See Appendix II for the 2018 key dates and add them to your calendar!

So, what does golf mean to you? In a recent SMGCC survey, the top responses to this question were:

• Golf is relaxing.
• Golf is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air with friends and family.
• Golf provides a (personal) challenge.
• Golf is a healthy (and fun) way to exercise. 

Whatever golf means to you, we are excited to have you as part of our membership family.

Sincerely,

The SMGCC Golf Team

Appendix I - Member Feedback Results | Fall 2017 Member Survey