xiii) Club Administration
Accounting and Office
In the early years, the Club was managed by a voluntary Secretary and Treasurer who were sometimes paid a small annual honorarium to help with their expenses. The correspondence and accounts were simple, requiring little more than a pen, a few notebooks, a bank account and basic business skills. Some members gave dedicated service - people such as G.J. Saunders who was secretary for many years.
After the move to One Mile, the Club grew bigger and its work became more complex. In the early 1950s, Mr Norris was employed as a secretary-manager with his wife acting as caterer. They resigned in 1953 and the Associates again took over catering.
In the early 1960s, the Club developed an arrangement with Rhondda Colliery to provide general office and accountancy work for annual fee of 650 pounds. This ceased in 1972 and Mr N Young was appointed to carry out the work. However this proved inconvenient and Mrs M Marshall was employed as clerk-typist based at the Clubhouse.
Realising that the days of volunteers were passing, the Club then "bit the bullet". Mr V. Burke was appointed as fulltime secretary/manager in June 72 and continued until January 73.
George Lewis was then appointed and remained for eight years. A former RAAF clerical officer, he worked from a small office with no secretarial assistance and minimal equipment. He recalled that it was a "pretty full" workload but one he found enjoyable, particularly as he was a keen golfer. George is particularly remembered by members for his immaculate scoreboard in coloured chalk and for maintaining high standards of dress, both on and off the course.
Steve McMahon was appointed in 1981 when his role was to take a close interest in the house operations and to promote the club. His equipment consisted of an old typewriter and a roneo machine. A few years later Lane Wenzel was employed to cover Steve’s two days off and was eventually appointed fulltime.
In the 1980s, the biggest income came from the bar. The arrival of 12 Poker machines in April 1992 changed that dramatically.
The management team is now running a big business with an annual turnover of $20 million. Most of this money is returned to customers through the poker machines, now numbering 82, but there is still a cash turnover of about $5 million a year. There are about 30 permanent staff and about 50 part-time and casual staff, the annual wages bill strengthening the local economy.
The office is fully computerised including stock control and the Club now has strong security systems and very careful forward planning.
The Clubhouse which was once rarely open after 7pm is now virtually a community centre, open every day and every evening. Families and older couples who might once have stayed at home watching television are going out for dinner and finding a new enjoyment.
Steve McMahon said these changes were things that wouldn’t even have been dreamed of 10 years earlier. It is certainly a long way from the old Club of the 1890s when players enjoyed afternoon tea in a tent, or the 1930s when committee members worried about paying a total of 8 pounds a week in wages.
The changes also affect the Club committee. Although the elected committee members no longer have to run day-to-day business, their responsibilities in overseeing the operations are considerably more complex.
Regional administration
The success of Ipswich Golf Club has allowed it to contribute back to both golf and the general club industry and the Clubhouse is headquarters for three regional organisations.
In 1987, Ipswich manager Steve McMahon took up the position of honorary secretary-treasurer of the Moreton District Golf Association. This organisation fosters golf throughout the area and has been particularly successful in building friendships between city and country clubs.
Few golf clubs are as successful as Ipswich in the overall club scene and it is also taking a leading role in the district club industry. The Clubhouse is the headquarters for a Moreton District Managers Association and a Moreton District Registered and Licenced Clubs Association. Steve McMahon joined the State Board of the Managers Association in 1994 and became very involved in fostering better training in the club industry, also joining the local TAFE Board in the hospitality training area.
Ipswich Golf Club takes on many young people as employees and makes sure they are versatile and able to work in different areas of the club.
Stewards and the Club Bar
It is surprising that the Club did not have a bar until 1930, a short time after the second clubhouse was built beside Griffiths Road. The early golfers surely had the same thirst as today’s players, but only cups of tea are mentioned prior to this time.
The reviving tea was sometimes provided by the Associates and sometimes by a woman employed by the Associates. Mrs Spall was frequently mentioned in the late 1930s, and a Mrs Thomas was asked to "take charge of the Members refreshment arrangements" in 1938 and 1939.
When the bar opened about 1930, it soon took on a central role in the Clubhouse. The provedore acted as mine host and manager and, like the secretary, was usually paid an honorarium to help with expenses, although there was never payment for the enormous amount of time put in.
The method of supplying beer was simple. At the end of the day, people indicated if they intended to stay on. A quick head count determined whether or not a keg could be opened.
Some staff were employed at various times. A Mrs Brown was engaged as "stewardess on trial" in 1942 during the war years, but there is no indication whether the trial was a success. In 1947, the committee agreed to employ a fulltime steward but again, details are scarce.
A popular and profitable bar was even more important at the new course, helping to provide much-needed finance and also encouraging people to use their golf course and enjoy its facilities. It was a big step forward when Joe Stafford was employed as a fulltime steward in 1961. The Clubhouse could then be opened daily for the collection of fees and for dispensing drinks. Joe became a legend and only ill-health forced his retirement in 1973 after 11 years service. A casual was appointed to help him in 1965 and the staff gradually grew. The first female steward, Tina Adams, was appointed in 1974.
Other landmarks in connection with the "19th hole" were the installation of a temprite system in 1957 and a glass-washing machine in 1962 and two major beer strikes - one in 1976 and a 12-week strike in 1979 which played havoc with both the Club’s enjoyment and finances.
Catering
When the Club first moved to Leichhardt, catering was carried out mainly by the Associates as a fundraising exercise. A small group of dedicated women worked regularly and their contribution was vital in those early years. They were led by "the three musketeers" Mrs Dickson, Mrs Cameron and Mrs Jenkinson. Employed part-time assistants in the 1950s included Mrs Wilson and Mrs Gruelke.
In 1966, the Club appointed Mrs Marsh and Mrs Thompson as caterers. They were followed by a large number of people including Mrs Bognuda in 1969, Ken Conder 1972, Mrs K Patterson 1973 and Dianne Turnbull 1974. Len French took up the contract in 1977.
In 1993, the surge in growth following introduction of poker machines required a change. The Club took back responsibility for catering to allow it to control promotions and costings and also to become more flexible. Len French joined the staff and Rob Farraway was appointed as chef .
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