At a meeting at the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club (PMGC) on Sunday, July 25 members agreed to take action in relation to the club's finances which will result in the clubhouse closing.
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The club will also consider future options for the clubhouse, including demolition, the sale of six poker machines and providing drinks and snacks elsewhere on the premises.
President of the PMGC Jeanette Hall said they had agreed to close the current clubhouse and "move coffee, snacks, beer to the Garden Room".
There has been a lack of visitors and a drop in revenue, golf is keeping us afloat.
- Jeanette Hall, president of the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club
It will be part of a move to focus the club on golf rather than on trying to be a golf and social club, Ms Hall explained.
"There has been a lack of visitors and a drop in revenue, golf is keeping us afloat. The board believes the club has a great future but needs to change the business to providing golf-focused activities," Ms Hall said.
There has been talk of driving ranges, pitch and putt and mini golf, any of which would need some funding to see them turned into reality.
Ms Hall said she hoped the changes wouldn't affect staff.
"It will mean less hours but we are working through that," she said.
There are a number of other issues to be worked through as a closed and empty clubhouse is not really a long-term solution.
Ms Hall said that demolition was an option with the sale of poker machines also being considered. However poker machine licences may not be as valuable as they once were, given the rise in online and mobile gaming.
She also said that PMGC had talked to other clubs about amalgamation but "things are very uncertain for everyone at the moment".
Club member Colin Dunn, who is also on the board of the Bendigo Bank, Pambula said the club had reached the only decision it could.
We need to ensure the jewel in the crown isn't compromised.
- Golf Club member Colin Dunn
"The golf course is doing well but the clubhouse has struggled," Mr Dunn said and speculated that maybe another business may want to lease and use the space.
"I went in (to the meeting) with an open mind. I can see the issues. We have cash in the bank. The general feeling was that it was a good decision, given the age and size of the building" Mr Dunn said.
"There have been water leaks from time to time and I believe the kitchen is in need of serious upgrading and so by switching everything off they will save on power bills," he said.
"I think the board has acted in good faith."
He believes the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club is "one of the best courses in NSW".
"We need to ensure the jewel in the crown isn't compromised," Mr Dunn said.
He is not alone with other members saying club membership would cost more than double in Canberra.
One member, who did not wish to be named, said she paid $1100 a year for membership, but would expect to pay over $3000 a year at a club with similar quality courses in Canberra.
There is a feeling that for whatever reason, in the past some of the golfers have not used the club's food and drink facilities as much as would have been wished.
Mr Dunn said it was worth considering having a 'spike bar' close to where golfers finished their games. Spike bars were so-called because they were bars that allowed the wearing of metal spiked shoes, something golfers no longer wear.
According to one member, it was discussed at the meeting with the idea of having a bar and snack area below the clubhouse, close to where the buggies are kept and members finish their games before going to the car park.
"There is a plan to have some modifications underneath the clubhouse," Mr Dunn said in reference to the 'spike bar' idea.
The financial issues have been with the club for some time.
READ ALSO: Golf Club calls for talks on future of clubs
In August 2015, the then president Peter McMullen and the board wrote an open letter to the community asking for "a considered conversation about the future of clubs in our community, sooner rather than later"