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Rising from the ashes
Text: Lauren Collier.
Source: This article is taken from the August 2011 issue of Compleat Golfer.
One of the first things you notice when you walk into the new clubhouse at Knysna Golf Club is a shiny plaque with an image of a red fire hydrant and the words ‘Use this next time’ etched into it. This tongue-in-cheek inscription serves as a constant reminder of the devastating fire that completely gutted the clubhouse in January 2010, writes Lauren Collier.
“Golfers were able to tee off at seven o’clock the morning after the fire, despite having to walk past a smouldering clubhouse on the way to the tee-box.”
For the past 18 months, golf clubs in South Africa have been battling the effects of global recession, especially those that rely on domestic and international tourism to boost revenues. It’s been encouraging therefore to hear about a club from the Garden Route that has not only maintained its golf rounds year-on-year, but in some areas has actually been able to grow its golf rounds, despite the difficult odds. Add to this the fact that its clubhouse burned down in 2010, and it makes the achievements of Knysna Golf Club even more remarkable.
I chatted to clubhouse manager Quinten Webster and club captain John Edwards to get a better understanding of how this magnificent old club in the Garden Route has not only been able to survive the last 18 months, but has actually grown stronger in the process.
Quinten was in Johannesburg with his wife at the time of the fire and as a former clubhouse manager at the Wanderers Club, he spent some time looking at photographs of the fire that destroyed most of the Wanderers clubhouse in 2004.”Imagine if this ever had to happen at Knysna,” he had said.
He could hardly believe the irony of his words when he received a chilling phone call from a Knysna Golf Club member that same evening, informing him of the fire.
Originating from the boiler located near the men’s locker-room, it took just 20 minutes for the fire to burn through the entire clubhouse and attached greenkeeper’s house. Honours boards, memorabilia, bar stock, pro-shop merchandise, financial records and even the contents from 200-odd members’ lockers – all gone within minutes.
When disaster strikes it’s critical that a person or group takes immediate charge so that operations are not altogether immobilised. In this instance, it was thanks to the quick thinking of the Knysna Golf Club committee, in particular president Andre van Oudtshoorn, treasurer Erik Ekkelkamp and John Edwards himself, that the club was able to get through the first few days after the fire, relatively unscathed.
John describes the committee’s thinking at that time: “Our two main priorities were to ensure the building was secure so that no-one got hurt; and to figure out how to structure our golf operations so that we could continue to collect greenfees and offer a halfway house and bar.”
“We ordered temporary containers the following day to house the pro shop, halfway house and offices, all of which remained in containers right up until the new clubhouse was complete 15 months later.
We also had a marquee structure erected within days of the fire, which provided a sizeable area within which to set up the club bar.”
The fact that golfers were able to tee off at seven o’ clock the morning after the fire, despite having to walk past a smouldering clubhouse on their way to the tee-box, is testament to the commitment of the Knysna GC committee and staff to continue running as though it was ‘business as usual’.
What is incredible to note is that not a single member of staff was let go as a result of the fire, despite a number of operational areas being affected – there was simply a reshuffle in terms of fhe roles and responsibilities.
Secure in the knowledge that the club was operating as best it could given the circumstances, the committee then focused their attention on the rebuilding process.
“Construction started in June 2010, and due to the fantastic cooperation and support of both the 2010 and 2011 committees, we were able to keep the project moving forwards. Unfortunately two of the committee members left the country when their term expired, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t because of the fire!” said John.
In talking to Quinten and John, it is increasingly clear that one of the main reasons the club was able to get through 2010 as successfully as it did, was because of the support received from its members. As confirmation of this, one only has to look at the club’s annual golf rounds. Total rounds for 2010 were close to 40 000, slightly down on 2009, and yet member rounds were significantly up. This illustrates how golf clubs that receive the majority of their revenue from a strong membership base are better equipped to ride out the difficult times, compared to those that rely on outside golf rounds or tourism-based revenue.
And despite not having locker-room or changing facilities as a result of the fire, membership at Knysna Golf Club grew on average by between four and 12 new members per month in 2010.
The club is known for its friendly service, attractively priced menus and, of course, a wonderful old tree-lined golf course that appeals to golfers of all skill levels regardless of whether they walk the course or take a cart.
Speaking about the role of members, John said, “their support has been immense. Not only have they continued to play our course week in and week out, but many of them also played an important role in the rebuilding and furnishing of the new clubhouse.
They offered their professional services to the club at much-reduced rates in order for us to keep costs to a minimum without compromising on quality.”
From any sort of disaster, though, comes at least one valuable lesson. In this instance, it was the importance of safekeeping club records. As John says, “by the time we realised the fire was going to destroy everything, we rushed around trying to save the lounge chairs – we didn’t even think about the memorabilia”
Luckily many of the suppliers of artwork and collateral are based in Knysna so the committee was able to locate copies of important documents fairly successfully. And with the club turning 100 years old in 2009, they were able to make use of the commemorative book that was published for the centenary celebration.
Having risen from the ashes with such aplomb, I asked John what the way forward was for Knysna Golf Club. “With the new clubhouse complete we’ll be able to turn our attention to the golf course. The addition of a dedicated warm-up area and practice facility, for example, would add tremendous value to the club.”
For any golfing community to lose its clubhouse would be incredibly traumatic and yet in the case of Knysna GC, it is clear that while the bricks and mortar of the historic clubhouse may have been lost, the spirit of the club most certainly lives on.
The new clubhouse was opened in April 2011 and offers the old-world charm of its century-old standing, together with a more contemporary set of services and facilities, so be sure to include Knysna GC on your golf itinerary the next time you find yourself in this quaint Garden Route town.
To contact Knysna Golf Club, call 044 384 1150.
Fire safety tips for clubs:
- Consult with a health and safety expert to ensure compliance in all areas of your operation.
- Ensure that fire hydrants and smoke detectors are regularly serviced and there is a sufficient supply.
- Regularly schedule emergency evacuation drills so that staff become familiar with procedures and routes.
- Appoint a fire safety representative responsible for coordinating activities during an emergency.
- Ensure sufficient back-up of work and club records, preferably off-site.
- Install a fireproof safe for critical club records needed on-site.
- Keep emergency phone numbers at hand (fire station, police, insurers, etc).
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