2019-2020 Dues & Membership Update

We appreciate all of the members and visitors that supported the club and enjoyed our golf course this year!

The 2019 season brought nice course improvements. Chris Saylor and his crew worked hard to maintain it and fit in some important projects. Meanwhile, Claire and Rick continued to add color by adding plants and maintaining the flower gardens. Champlain has been known for its greens, but now we can add recognition for our fairways and surrounding areas too.

The staff at Champlain worked hard in 2019, and it shows:

  • Big shout out to the Greens Department! Thank you for all of your hard work.
  • Thanks go out to Mike Swim, Sally Barber, and the Pro Shop crew for the many things they do to keep the day-to-day operations running smoothly.

Financial Recap 2019
Our income for 2019 is projected to finish down 7.2% with expenses up 3.2%. The biggest change in income came from tournaments, senior membership, and daily cart rentals.

  • Numbers for a few of our regular tournaments were down from previous years, but weather could’ve been a factor.
  • Daily cart rentals were down from last year—mainly because of the weather. Early in the season, we were cart path only and the temperate summer weather meant golfers did not mind walking.
  • Membership in the Senior age range dropped, but members in the Golden age bracket increased. So, happy birthday to our senior members who are now golden!
  • The Young Adults bracket increased, which we hope will help for years to come.
  • On the expensive side, salaries, cost of goods, and fuel all increased.

As we move forward to the 2020 season, the board has decided to increase dues across the board by 3%, which is our first increase in three years. For example, this would mean an increase of $30 for our senior membership. If you golf once a week starting in May until the end of September, the increase is about $1.10 +/- a few cents per week. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee, which isn’t too bad for playing a course that is in great shape.   

Consistent with previous years, there is still an incentive of a 5% discount and two greens fees for members that register prior to January 31st. You can check out the dues schedule and complete a membership application online.

Happy Holidays to all! Enjoy family and friends during this special time of the year. We look forward to seeing you in the spring of 2020!

Cheers! Paul Blanchard,
President of the Board of Directors