Duane Dub, SBGC Vice President
The SunBird Golf Club held its annual meeting and election of directors on Thursday, Feb. 18. The meeting was held on the driving range, enabling the members to meet while remaining socially distanced.
President Dave White provided the membership with a State of the Golf Course presentation in which he reviewed the changes and improvements that were initiated during the past year. These resulted in a more solid and financially sound organization that is better equipped to face the challenges that still lie ahead.
Some of these key changes included: hiring a new golf shop manager, Laurie Kelech, who has revamped the golf shop, introduced new clothing lines, and increased sales by double digits; a revision of the Tee Time—Shotgun start mix to accommodate more players and improve course usage; the implementation of a dues schedule to improve the revenue stream; a rebalancing of our membership mix; new promotions for membership resulting in 19 new members; a new Point of Sale (POS) system installed in the Golf Shop; receipt of a federal PPP loan and a City of Chandler grant, which allowed us to retain our employees; complete overseeding of the entire golf course, with $16,000 in resident donations contributing to this effort; introduction of the Halfway Hut and course Rangers, both enhancing the golfer experience; acquisition of a new rough mower, freeing more time for other course maintenance; and an overall better golf experience for members, residents, and outside players.
The annual election of directors also occurred during the meeting. Elected to three-year terms were Wayne Onyx, Sandra Crane, and Ed Leonard. President White thanked outgoing directors Larry Shuster and Gary Popelka for their dedication and service over the past years.
After the annual meeting, the board of directors met and elected the following as officers for the coming year: Dave White, president; Duane Dub, vice president; Julie Anderson, treasurer; and Ed Leonard, recording secretary.