While rainy weather and a struggling economy have combined to force many country clubs into financial ruin, Willowdale has managed to stay afloat after members voted to increase dues and collectively pay a one-time fee of $32,000.
Rainy weather for the last several months has affected the club and would have caused expenses to exceed revenues by $50,000 to $60,000 by the end of the year. In order to offset this, the board of directors examined several options, including increasing membership dues and a one-time assessment of $32,000 to be paid by the members.
More than 100 members and non-members showed up at a meeting last month and 86 percent of the members voted in favor of increasing dues by 15 percent and paying the one-time assessment.
Together, the changes will bring the club $71,000 in revenue.
“The vote is a testament to the fact that the membership is determined to ensure the financial viability of the club,” Willowdale Country Club President Dwain Fuselier said. “With these changes, we feel that we are positioned to be successful now and in the future.
“Still, we are very dependent on good weather.”
Over the last five years, Willowdale Country Club has had one small dues increase and two equally small assessments. But even after cutting costs to the bone, the club was struggling. In fact, Fuselier said the club can’t afford to hire a greens superintendent this year.
“Things aren’t great, but we haven’t filed for bankruptcy like a lot of other clubs have had to do,” he said. “We don’t have any creditors asking us for money and we have managed to pay all of our bills.”
Ormond, the parish’s only other country club, will declare bankruptcy after Chase Bank called the club’s $900,000 note. The club has formed a new corporation to handle the bankruptcy and put together a long-term plan to save it.
Turkington said that the new corporation, DRG, will try to think of ways to attract more people to buy membership at the club.
Ideas he mentioned include adding an exercise room and upgrading the restaurant. He said they also hope to offer cheaper membership options.
Willowdale offers several different membership options, with the most popular being the $143.75 general family membership, which includes tennis, golf and use of the pool. An associate membership allows only use of the pool and tennis courts, while a special golf membership, which runs around $172 a month, includes as much golf as a person wants to play and comes with cart, green fees and range balls included.
Following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008, Willowdale held an emergency meeting in order to recoup funds. That plan called for selling parcels of land that the country club owns to homeowners that border the golf course.
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