Pre-Nomination Form

Importance of The Nomination Process

Kinloch is a club we have all come to love. As we strive for maximum success at the club with great golf, wonderfully simple facilities, delicious food, and gentile southern hospitality, we must keep our club’s culture at the forefront. The culture, which is the heart and soul of our club, is dictated by the people we allow to join. It is the most critical factor for maintaining great clubs; by their very nature, clubs are first and foremost about the quality and compatibility of members. The number one strength of any club must be its members. When the quality of members falls, so does the quality of the club. Your role as a member is not just crucial; it's pivotal in upholding this culture and ensuring the club's success. It's a responsibility we all share and a source of pride for us all.

Lowering our membership standards can be a dangerous path. It can lead to a decline in our board, leadership, and, ultimately, our club. A slippery slope can drive out our seasoned members, altering our club's culture. While change can be necessary for survival, avoiding the risk of attracting the wrong members and losing our ability to bring in 'good' new members is crucial. We must be vigilant and protective of our club's culture, ensuring that every new member upholds our high standards.

Our membership program has undergone a significant redesign. We now focus on carefully analyzing our candidates, selecting those who can contribute as leaders, fostering lasting friendships, supporting the club financially, and enhancing our reputation when visiting other clubs. This new approach ensures we maintain high standards and preserve our club's culture. Your role in this process is not just important; it's essential. Your nominations are the lifeblood of our club, and we value your input and judgment in selecting suitable candidates.

For a club to safeguard itself, it must consciously guard its membership quality and admissions process to remain great and keep its culture.

Please bear these thoughts in mind when choosing a candidate for membership in the Kinloch Golf Club. You are the person who will take the lead for the candidate you are proposing for membership. Please consider the “Kinloch Experience” when recommending a potential candidate for membership.

The process for a nominee to become a member of Kinloch is a lengthy one. Attached are the following steps required for the nomination of a candidate for membership:

Upon a request from a member, The Membership Director will share the following:
 

1. A message on the importance of the membership process.

2. A Pre-Nomination Form
   This form collects basic personal contact information, GHIN #, and items required to complete a credit report.

3. An outline of what we expect in letters endorsing nominees for membership.

1. A picture will be requested from the nominee.

2. A supporting letter from the Endorser is required. Others may send support letters if desired.

3. The candidate’s name and photo will be provided in the biweekly electronic newsletter for input from the membership.

4. Based on this feedback, a Nomination Profile will be sent to the Endorser to provide to the Nominee to fill out.

1. The Nominee will be invited to play a round of golf with the Endorser and others.

2. The Nominee will be submitted to the Board of Directors for review and approval.

3. If approved, the Nominee will be added to the Membership Pool.

4. When appropriate, the Board will take candidates from the Membership Pool into membership.

5. The new member will be required to pay the Initiation Fee in effect at the time of acceptance and the pro-rated dues for the remainder of the term.

Kinloch Golf Club Applicant Reference Letter Guidelines

Kinloch Golf Club requires a letter of reference from members who know and are associated with applicants to the club. This is a guideline for what we are looking for in your recommendation of an applicant. If you are approached and asked to write a reference letter for a candidate for membership, consider whether you can legitimately do so. It must be a formal document typed and written in a profound and business-like style.

Who should write a reference letter?

A reference letter is a formal document, and you must give us your honest opinion about an applicant for membership. We want to get to know this person so that we can adequately evaluate how this person will fit with the other club members. If someone wants a reference letter from you:

• The candidate should be someone you know reasonably well. For example, you cannot provide any authoritative background of someone who works at the same institution as you if you have only casually met them

• You should know the candidate in a capacity that allows you to write a meaningful reference.

• You should be able to provide an honest and positive reference. If you genuinely feel that the candidate has no good qualities for you to emphasize, or if you have had a personality clash with them in the past, you would be wise to ask them to find someone they know better to write the reference letter for them.

The structure of a reference letter for membership will differ slightly on how you know this person, but a good outline is:
 

1. Start using the business letter format and address the letter to the membership Director of Kinloch Golf Club at 100 Kinloch Lane, Manakin Sabot, VA 23102.

2. It is often helpful to introduce yourself as a member in good standing and your relationship with the candidate in the first couple of lines of your letter.

3. Your next paragraph should confirm any facts you know the candidate will be supplying along with your letter. For example:

   • The person’s job title and the company for which they work.

   • Describe how you know this person and for how long.

   • Tell us about playing golf with the candidate, if you have.

   • Tell us about the candidate’s family.

4. In your third paragraph, you should provide your judgment as to whether or not you feel this person would be an excellent addition to Kinloch and any skills or value that the candidate will add to the club. Single out any exceptional qualities that the candidate has—perhaps their drive and enthusiasm, their love for the game of golf, or their ability to add value to the club.

5. Close your letter on a positive note, and if you are willing to receive further correspondence about the candidate’s application, make this clear.

We appreciate your interest in Kinloch Golf Club. Please complete this Pre-Nomination form so we can begin processing your application.

Kinloch Golf Club extends credit for monthly charges, so we require a credit check. We will safeguard the information for our internal use only, and if desired, we can share the report at their request.

This authorization is valid for verifying information given under a desired membership and extension of credit covered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). By my signature below, I authorize all credit reporting agencies to release all credit information they may have about me. This authorization shall be valid in original or copy form.

By my signature below, I authorize all credit reporting agencies to release all credit information they may have about me. This authorization shall be valid in original or copy form.