EGU: No mandate to double our fees

Jan 21 2010 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

John Petrie, chief executive of the English Golf Union, replies to comments about affiliation fees made in The Journal last week by Elliott Procter, president and secretary of Northumberland, and reveals an investment of £181,000 is on its way into North East golf

AMATEUR golf struggles to get much coverage in the media, although The Journal is well known for giving the regional game a fair crack of the whip.

It is disappointing therefore to find that when column inches become available, they are used by some, not to promote the great game we play and the hard work of our golf clubs, but to criticise the national governing body and the EGU President, Norman Forrest.

It is doubly disappointing when the criticisms are factually incorrect.

The headline “Fees plan gets a rough ride” and the article’s opening line of “The EGU says they have a mandate to double the annual contribution” are both wrong.

There is no such fees plan in existence and neither has one been discussed. The EGU does not have such a mandate and has never claimed to have one.

The EGU affiliation fee is just £5 for 2010; a figure agreed by the counties in general meeting and, as Jamie Forteath, secretary of the Northumberland club, said in The Journal article, “It’s not enough money to be worth getting up a head of steam about”.

The EGU held meetings in all 34 counties between October and December 2009, including Northumberland and Durham. These meetings were to communicate to clubs the following important issues:

:: A national database for handicapping.

:: The future funding of golf.

:: Equality and safeguarding legislation that may affect clubs this year.

:: Court cases being fought on the iniquities of VAT.

:: Development of golf in the counties.

:: Merger talks ongoing with the English Women’s Golf Association.

These are really important issues for golf clubs and with 1100 clubs and over 2000 delegates attending the meetings, they were well worthwhile and the EGU has received very positive feedback from the clubs.