Unhappy shareholders at Mid Ocean Club are proposing to limit the scale of redevelopment at the iconic golf course.

The club unveiled its modernisation plans in July, with renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse hired to restore the Charles Blair Macdonald-designed course to its original 1920s layout.

While leading shareholders, including former club presidents David Ezekiel and George Hutchings, support that initiative, they are unhappy with the infrastructure rehabilitation project, which includes renovations to the clubhouse.

The total cost of the Mid Ocean redesign is projected to be $40 million, but in a letter seen by The Royal Gazette, Hutchings and Ezekiel, along with several other former directors of the club, have urged their fellow shareholders to adopt a string of amendments at the shareholders’ general meeting tonight to limit the scale of redevelopment.

“Our agenda is simple: we want what is best for the shareholders and members of the club, both now and in the future,” the letter reads. “There is no effort towards regime change, no hidden agenda and no self-interest whatsoever.

“We, and the overwhelming majority of the members, support the proposed restoration of the golf course. We believe it is a critical investment in the club’s principle asset and its future.

“However, we do not support the wider clubhouse project as proposed. Our position is that the existing clubhouse should be made watertight, safe and fit for purpose through essential structural repairs and the necessary updating of plumbing, electrical installations and other building services. We do not believe the case has been established for expenditure beyond those requirements.

“We therefore propose an amended resolution that approves the golf course project separately, while limiting expenditure on essential clubhouse remediation to a maximum aggregate amount of $7 million.”

Six amendments are being proposed to the board at the general meeting, with amendment one requesting the immediate approval of golf course restoration.

Amendment 2 demands limiting the borrowing for these projects to $10 million, which together with current cash resources of $16 million, is deemed sufficient to conclude the project.

The next two amendments call for limiting the clubhouse remediation budget to $7 million and permitting encumbrances in the same amount.

Amendment 5 asks for the abandonment of wider clubhouse development, including the golf operations centre, bag-storage and cart facilities, engineering building, transformer, car park and other associated infrastructure.

The final amendment seeks to authorise any two directors to execute and deliver all necessary documents to give effect to the other amendments.

In conclusion to the letter, which is signed by 12 shareholders, including former presidents, vice-presidents, treasurers, and men’s and ladies’ golf chairs, members eligible are urged to attend the meeting and vote accordingly.

“We ask the shareholders to support these amendments to the resolution prepared by the board, for all the reasons outlined above or either abstain from voting or vote against the resolutions put forward by the board should the amendments fail to find traction at the meeting,” the letter reads.

“Our support for restoring the golf course should not require us to accept a wider clubhouse project whose necessity, eventual cost and financial consequences have not been adequately established.

“The writers behind this letter are ingrained in the fabric of the club and are in constant contact with the members, and we are confident that the overwhelming majority of the members would support these amendments.

“Should the shareholders require support for that opinion it is open to them to require the board to conduct an independent survey of the members, and then be guided by the outcome, something the board has firmly resisted doing during their two-year tenure. We hope fellow shareholders will support this approach.”