In our ongoing series with Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland, our readers get clarity on golf’s most pertinent issues
I’d like to know how GA uses the affiliation fee paid by every club member. Regional courses by location get minimal – meaning zero – access to assistance, and the total fee paid by clubs can be significant. – Matthew Butler, via Facebook
Golf Australia’s mission to Govern, Operate, Lead and Serve, and Future-proof (or “GOLF”) offers insight into our operations and where money is spent.
For each individual golfer, part of the fee paid is to provide a Golf Australia Handicap and our new Golf Australia Connect platform will elevate the handicap offering to another level.
The Player’s Personal Liability Insurance Policy is another key benefit as part of your membership of an affiliated golf club. All club golfers who have an official handicap are provided with up to $20 million in personal liability cover for protection regarding certain damages that may occur while playing golf.
The funds dedicated to the promotion and growth of golf lead to considerable flow-on benefits, and there’s also funding directed to course setup and ratings, staging events for all ages across the country, learning and development programs and, perhaps most importantly, club support.
There is a great deal more depth to this subject, and it’s important to note that our regional clubs do pay lower fees than metropolitan venues, while the futureproofing of golf, and ensuring there are more places to play, is of the upmost importance.
One area where our staff across the country have had great success with assisting clubs in regional areas is in securing much-needed grants for on and off-course improvements. Recently, Golf Australia helped Queensland clubs receive $300,000 in government funding. Head to golf.org.au/current-grant-funding for more information.
Also see golf.org.au/clubsupport/ for a range of information that is available, and consistently updated, to assist clubs.
▶ ▶ ▶
Did you ever seriously consider bringing the Women’s Australian Open to WA for the next three years and, if so, did anyone make a visit to WA to look at courses like the revamped Mount Lawley? – Sue Thomson, via Facebook
As is always the case when looking at where we play our national Opens, we conducted a thorough process and conversations with governments before a final agreement was entered into with South Australia to play in Adelaide for at least the next three years.
Western Australia is clearly producing a remarkable number of our elite players, especially in the women’s game and the courses and infrastructure in the west plays a role in that. Since joining forces with Golf WA, we now have even greater insight into the game there, including being regularly updated on course and club developments and improvements.
Mount Lawley’s renovation is understandably receiving plaudits, and it will be great to see it in the spotlight at the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open in October.
▶ ▶ ▶
Why are there three bosses in Australian golf? Couldn’t it be folded into one organisation bringing the sport together? I understand there are different audiences, but all golf is golf… – Phillip Smith, via Facebook
It is understandable that things may seem top-heavy from the outside looking in, but as the end of your question suggests, the remits of the three main golf organisations and their CEOs are vastly different and focus on defined areas of the sport. For Golf Australia, and personally, we are tasked with growing and nurturing the amateur game, assisting our clubs and facilities, looking after handicapping, and a great deal more, whereas the PGA of Australia is dedicated to the professional game and its members, with the WPGA Tour of Australasia closely aligned to run women’s professional golf.
There are times when we intersect more publicly, like the Australian Opens, but each organisation’s work is perhaps less obvious but highly important to the shared vision of growing and servicing the game via the Australian Golf Strategy. The strategy has seen greater collaboration, and to some of your points, the organisations now share certain services working across multiple businesses, including partnerships, finance, events and public affairs and marketing.
