Golf: Anger flows as union told it uses members as cash 'tap'

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 10:14

THE Scottish Golf Union has been accused of using golf club members as a "money tap" after revealing proposals that will raise more than £500,000 over the next three years.

At last night's annual general meeting of the Lothians Golf Association at Newbattle, Stuart Bruce, a delegate representing Broomieknowe, raised the SGU's proposals to increase the per capita fee paid by members of affiliated clubs over each of the next three years.

In a letter to clubs, the SGU has said it wants to increase the fee to 8 in 2010, 9 in 2011 and 10 in 2012 but, according to Bruce, no reason or rationale has been given.

"This was the organisation that lost 57,000 last year and 40,000 the year before that," he said. "Even if there is a ten per cent reduction in the 193,000 (male] club members in Scotland next year, that will see the SGU raising 173,000 and, over three years, it will be close to 600,000.

"It's as though the SGU seems it can turn a tap on that says give us money, the members will pay for it and sort it out."

Responding, Lothians President Ken Wood said the SGU had tabled the proposals in the face of a reduction in the number of people joining golf clubs in Scotland as well as a decrease in sponsorship income.

When asked what cutbacks had been made by the SGU, Wood added: "Staff have been made redundant and expenditure has been cut by 12 per cent across the board."

A series of seminars are being held around the country by the SGU to let clubs have their say on the proposals, one of which is being held at Ratho Park next Wednesday, though that is already over-subscribed.

Hamish Grey, the SGU's chief executive, said the proposals had been made to give the organisation that governs the amateur game in Scotland a chance to plan ahead and also to let clubs know what was happening over the next three years rather than being kept in the dark.

"Like any club and business in the current economic climate, we have been cutting our cloth and will continue to do so, but there is a limit to how much that can be cut before you are not able to deliver strategies," said Grey.