Consequences...... but it's not a game
_ ____________________________________________ In this article - reproduced by courtesy of The Golf Club Secretary - Jack Crawford highlights some of the problems that currently beset the Scottish Golf Union.
The paragraphs in italics are the comments of other contributors.

Most Scottish Club golfers will by now have got the message that there are current issues which may well upset their world of golf. These arise directly from the activities of the Scottish Golf Union of which the Club golfer, until now, has not been known to have any concern (or indeed knowledge). Certainly he has never been directly affected - but, is this about to change ?

The SGU in constitutional terms is significantly different from the EGU in that the members of the SGU are Subscribing Clubs NOT the individual members of such Clubs as in England.

Centralised Handicapping

The Club golfer may be just aware of this scheme. It has, however, been the subject of intense debate within his Club Committee for some time now. Whether or not there is any merit in centralising handicaps is irrelevant to the debate.

Clearly all that is required to operate such a system is the provision of the name and handicap of a Club member. The system being promoted by the SGU, supported by the injection of cash from commercial interests and the Union, is requiring Clubs to provide names and addresses and even the age of members.

Agreeing to this demand means handing over the Club's membership database. This presents a problem for Club Committees, particularly Clubs who allow no commercial access to their members. Despite assurances by the SGU that handing over the information demanded will not contravene the Data Protection Act, many Clubs doubt this and are refusing to comply.

Even within Clubs who agree to hand over this data, there will be individual members who refuse to allow their names and addresses to be released. So, where does this leave the member or the Club in this scenario ? Will the SGU seek to exercise sanctions - and if so, what ?

A centralised handicap system for all Club golfers is thought by many to be totally unnecessary and is only relevant to Category 1 handicaps.

Another advised that their Club has a high percentage of their membership who are social golfers and consequently not interested in playing competition golf on a regular basis. Yet the SGU still insist that they require every members' details including age, all of which is irrelevant. This is causing much suspicion as to their motive. Consequently the Secretary, who is the Club's licence holder, is not prepared to allow the divulgence of such information to the SGU.

Scottish National Golf Centre Ltd

The Club golfer may be aware by now of the SGU's difficulties in respect of the losses being incurred by the Scottish National Golf Centre Limited - a company whose annual accounts show a deficiency of £1 million and an operating loss in excess of £600,000. The accounts state that "the Company is financially supported by its sister organisation, the Scottish Golf Union". The Union, however, shows an operating loss in excess of £300,000 and the Company should be in liquidation, not being in a position to meet its liabilities. There has been much correspondence in the press from Club golfers who are both well-informed and concerned.

The situation has been brought about through ineffective actions of those involved in the SGU executive and the SNGC company. Three directors of the latter have resigned, but the major blame for the present situation must lie with the executive and their choice of Drumoig to site the SNGC. The Centre can be summed up as 'way over the top and way out there on the Fife coast'.

The SGU has done much good work in relation to the promotion of Junior Golf, the provision of self-financing auxiliary services and the creation of a superb training facility at Drumoig. This facility is located midway in Scotland on a North/South axis, adjacent to a reasonable road network and within easy reach of the highest concentration of golf courses in Scotland.

However, it was pointed out by another that, although there is a high concentration of courses in the Fife area, the highest population centre is further West.

Faced with the appalling state of the Union and Centre finances, the SGU is promoting three ways to recover the situation, all of them at the expense of Club members, and one of the proposals sees an increase in the per capita fee from £5 to £10. The SGU assures that the money so raised will wipe out the Centre's deficit and put the Union's funds on an even keel. Commentators doubt this and make clear their belief that this will do nothing to redress the on-going losses of the Centre that will inevitably continue.

This view has already been agreed by many individual Clubs and others acting in concert in regional groups. They are adamant that under no circumstances will they meet this increase in the levy to the Union.

The financial problems of SNGC and by nature of association with SGU, the latter's financial difficulties are significant. Clubs cannot run away from such debts as have been incurred. The debts were allowed to accumulate in the name of subscribing Clubs and it is pointless to seek retribution on individual members of the SGU executive. A rebellion by these Clubs does not therefore represent a responsible option.

Another contributor advised that their Club's income is heavily subsidised by visitors and for various reasons this is severely down this year. Consequently, they could not support any increase in subscription to the SGU.

So, we have a second scenario to consider. Will the SGU seek to exercise sanctions against these Clubs and what might these be ? The SGU was set up as a loose union of Golf Clubs and was never envisaged as a managing body. The single area where control can be exercised lies in the handicapping system which became one of the Union's functions. Could this be the ultimate weapon ?

Golf in Scotland is on a dangerous course. Should members of Clubs, who refuse to pay the increased levy and members of Clubs who choose not to hand over their database, have their handicaps removed by the Union, where do we go from there ? The Union does not inspire confidence in its problem-solving capabilities and the consequences of such action will be far reaching for Scottish Club golf.

One other suggestion offered by one contributor is that, as successful professional golfers earn huge sums, a percentage of their prize winning earnings might be seen as an equitable means of assisting in the financing the SNGC, similar to the system operated by the Swedish Golf Union. Almost without exception they will have, in their amateur days, benefited from the support of their national Golf Union by way of coaching and the opportunity top participate in the competitive arena of international team competition, providing them with invaluable experience.

Reproduced by courtesy of the The Golf Club Secretary November 2001