Golf enthusiasts have shot at top job

ONE of the most significant positions in the region is up for grabs, with Golf Victoria in the process of hiring a new regional development officer to help grow the game in Geelong.

The role provides strategic and operational direction to local golf clubs and covers towns as far and wide as Queenscliff to Portland.

Golf Victoria’s regional development manager, Mark Bamford, said it was a rare opportunity for someone to stamp their authority on golf in the south west region of the state.

“The biggest thing for us is that we want to put the clubs onto a sustainability track,” Bamford said.

“They are all different and are at different levels of maturity in terms of the clubs themselves and their commit- tees, but in terms of how they look towards the future, it is a very different proposition for every club and what we’re trying to do is say that there is a lot that we can help you with.

“There are a lot of different areas where we have expertise … so it is a middle ground role as well.

“But the main part for us is what we call club help, so it is talking to committees about their structure and governance, if they haven’t got stra- tegic plans we can help them, and just get them to an area where they are looking forward rather than just the dayto-day game of golf.”

While a background in the sport is seen as ideal, Bamford said some of the best development officers Golf Victoria had were not golf people before they took on their roles.

He said the sport had to get past the idea that it was negative to be progressive.

“Golf is a funny game and is still entrenched in traditions that we need to break down,” Bamford said.

“Those traditions are around inclusivity and men playing on weekends and women playing midweek, there is still a lot of that that goes on, and we need to break that down.

“If we’re going to get new people into the game we’ve got to get them playing when they want to play, not when the club wants them to play.”