Royal Dornoch Winter Newsletter 2024

along with us as we move through these stages but
we have been stuck because of this planning issue
but I can see us moving forward relatively quickly.
It is beholden on us to try as far as possible to keep
the membership informed and able to comment on
the proposals as they go forward.
Approved by a show of hands.
17. Clubhouse Project
Captain – I know that many of you attended my
presentation on the clubhouse earlier this year. I’m
not going to repeat what I said then. Since then, we
have completed all of the work associated with the
road widening, the movement of the bowling green
and the car parking, and the walls which will enable
us to commence work on the clubhouse. However,
what I have discovered in relation to moving
forward with construction projects is that they don’t
in the post covid move as quickly as we might hope
that they would. We have had to deal with the
introduction of new building regulations and the
energy crisis have each slowed down the
construction industry. Our decision to install PV
tiles on the south facing roof also slowed progress
because it involved protracted discussions with our
engineers. The first stage of the tender was the
prequalification process. This involved assessing the
record and financial stability of companies
expressing an interest in tendering. Once this work
was completed, a group of suitably qualified
companies were asked to tender. This involves each
company approaching subcontractors where
necessary to price each of the many work packages
that are involved in the construction. Midway
through this process, some of the companies asked
for an extension to our original closing date. We felt
the best strategy was to grant the extension. This has
led to a delay in receiving the final tenders: these are
due on the 25th August, a week from now. After the
tenders are received, there is a process of checking
and assessment. Initially our QS will be checking
the compliance of the tenders against the original
specification. The QS will then work with us on any
further qualifications necessary to produce what is
called a “purified tender”. We will then enter a
dialogue with the contractors to aid our decisionmaking
process. It is our intention to present the
members with a resolution at a Special General
Meeting on 21st September that will give us
confidence to finalise a contract with the preferred
bidder and start the 15-to-18 month build.
Grant Shannon – Howe many contractors are
tendering?
Captain – Can’t tell you that at the moment as it is
confidential.
David Robertson – Can you tell us a bit more about
the money you are borrowing. How much you are
borrowing? What the rates are going to be? How
long to pay it back?
Captain – We have had offers from 2 banks, one a
10 year term and the other a 20 year term. We are
not tied to any of that at the moment and we haven’t
ruled out the possibility of using bonds so we are not
at a stage where that decision is being made. We may
come to that before the end of the year but the
question of borrowing or bonds we have explored
quite a bit but in the last few weeks have been
making sure we move forward with the tenders so
that we have some kind of number so that we know
how much we would have to borrow and when.
18. Tenure of President
Rule 13 (a) says that the President and Vice
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