Scottish Golf has delayed its controversial vote on increasing affiliation fees until March in order to extend the consultation period with golfers and clubs.
The governing body wants to more than double the amount every golf club member pays from £11.25 to £24, to raise an additional £4m over the next four years. The body say Scottish golfers pay the second lowest fee in Europe (England is the smallest) and that the extra money raised would be invested into the game for the good of all.
It was due to hold a referendum on the issue on December 2, but that is being postponed. The CEO of Scottish Golf, Blane Dodds, recently resigned from the organisation to join Tennis Scotland.
In a statement the board at Scottish Golf said: “The board of Scottish Golf planned to hold a Special General Meeting (SGM) on December 2, as previously outlined.
“The SGM was scheduled to allow members to vote on key recommendations that would enable the governing body to implement a four-year strategy, by delivering much-needed investment into the game and making our golf clubs – and the game as a whole – more sustainable.
“Those remain our core strategic objectives as a board. However, in light of the departure of our chief executive, Blane Dodds, and having consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in recent weeks, we believe the immediate priority should be in securing a new leader for the organisation.
“To that end, we intend to cancel the scheduled SGM in December, but use the date to provide a platform for all members – and others with an interest in golf – to debate the future direction for golf in Scotland, with a view to creating a collaborative set of proposals for our annual general meeting in March 2018.”
