Leinster Golf expresses ‘serious concerns’ about Golf Ireland proposal
LEINSTER Golf is in favour of the proposal to form One Governing Body for golf in Ireland but chairman Joe McNamara expressed the organisation’s “serious concerns” about making it work during its Annual Delegates Meeting at Carton House this week.
Following a briefing by the Chairman of the GUI Board, Iggy O’Muircheartaigh and CEO Pat Finn on the Golf Ireland proposal, Mr McNamara said Leinster Golf was “very much supportive of One Governing Body and
support the sentiments that are covered in the proposal.”
However, he outlined Leinster Golf’s concerns in relation to finance, assets and staff; the rotation of the Golf Ireland presidency; the composition of the proposed Regional Executive and the composition of the Board of the proposed new body, Golf Ireland before presenting suggestions to amend the Golf Ireland proposal in each area.
Speaking in a telephone interview this week, he said that Leinster Golf had concerns over fairness and equitability as well as “logistical” worries about the management of the proposed new Leinster region.
“We are being asked to manage a region with the same size council as other [smaller] regions,” he said. “It is going to be logistically difficult. The election process for that is quite complicated and difficult as well.”
He explained that even before the addition of two ladies districts, Leinster Golf already faces challenges catering for 60,000 male golfers in 150 clubs.
He added: “We want equality and gender balance and have suggestions to help that along. However, we’d like to see the proposed structure adjusted before the vote on January 19.”
In other business, a proposal that “with effect from 2019, the first round of the Senior Cup in Leinster is played as Stroke Play Qualifying”, was carried.