Lothians clubs urged to support Scottish Golf's bid to increase affiliation fee

£3 rise acknowledged as being deemed ‘high by some’ but will ‘allow progress to take place’

The biggest of Scottish Golf’s 16 men’s Area associations is urging member clubs to support the governing body’s proposal to raise its per capita affiliation fee by £3.

In a letter to clubs, the Lothians Golf Association has said it plans to vote ‘yes’ to an increased fee of £17.50 at the upcoming AGM on the strength that it will allow Scottish Golf to “progress the game to the benefit of all”.

A proposal to raise the affiliation fee from £14.50 to £15.75 had been put on the table for last year’s agm. But, after taking on board feedback from Areas and Counties, a decision on that was delayed.

Proposals at Scottish Golf's upcoming AGM in Stirling include a motion to increase the per capita affiliation fee from £14.50 to £17.50. Picture: Scottish Golf

That has now been dropped, with the new proposed fee having been tabled in a bid to allow Scottish Golf to implement a strategy that includes the appointment of regional development managers and a full-on bid to increase female playing membership in the country to 30,000 - a rise of 15 per cent on the 2023 figure - by 2027.

In the letter to clubs in an around Edinbiurgh, Lothians secretary David Doig said: “The Lothians Executive currently feel that the approach now taken by Scottish Golf is more open and transparent and is being led well by the current CEO and his staff members. We consider that this change of direction is good for our game, and this should be supported by the affiliated members to allow progress to take place.

“Like many organisations at present, SGL is feeling the financial rise in many of the utilities, staffing costs and the current cost of living crisis. They have had a stand still position financially for some years now with the per capita fee being frozen since the beginning of 2019. The increase of £3.00 may be considered high by some, but the Association feel that had a cost of living increase happened year on year then we would be at a similar level to that being asked now. Indeed, SGL has provided information that shows that the increase is slightly below the inflation rate during that period.

“To allow them to progress the game as we would expect it, they should be afforded the ability to do so, with the influx of some financial assistance. The use of this finance will allow the regional managers to be reintroduced and this can only benefit clubs in the long term.”