End of March 2017

A One Governing Body Discussions Group (DG) was established in November 2015 and has four representatives from both the ILGU and GUI. Fifteen meetings of the DG have been held to date and significant progress has been made.
The DG consulted with a number of Golf Club members amongst others, at a workshop in February of this year on the topic of the Organisational Structure of the new joint Governing Body for Golf in Ireland. Feedback was received on the future competition and administrative structure of the OGB, in addition to how the roles, responsibilities and functions of the OGB should be carried out. The DG are progressing with these recommendations and Clubs should expect further updates on this topic by mid-summer 2017.
The DG are hopeful to have a draft proposal presented to Golf Clubs in the autumn of 2017. Additional consultation meetings will take place at this stage with club members on a number of topics essential to the successful establishment of a new Governing Body.
To make progress in a timely manner the DG established eleven Working Groups (WG) in areas of acute importance, such as Organisational Structure, Future Club Formation, Club Services and Game Development, to name but a few. The eleven WG’s will report to the DG in April and May. Recommendations from the WG’s will then feed into the draft proposal for OGB.
The Communications WG recognised the requirement to effectively engage with all interested parties during the ongoing discussions. In this effort, a dedicated One Governing Body for Golf in Ireland website has been created and can be accessed via: http://www.onegoverningbody.com.
The website provides the public with the opportunity to consult on all relevant materials relating to OGB for Golf in Ireland.
General queries from Golf Club and Golf Club members should be directed to onegoverningbody@gmail.com
Sinead Heraty Pat Finn
CEO CEO
Irish Ladies’ Golf Union Golfing Union of Ireland

Skerries Golf Club was transformed on Friday 21st April into a pop up shop with plenty of Glitz.   The entrance to the club was set up with a marquee where the audience were treated to a glass of bubbly on arrival.    Guests then had a chance for some retail therapy as several local  businesses showcased their products, these  included Seiodín, Linda Minto Real Life Greeting Cards, called She’s All About Aloe 💚, Hand crafted Jewellery by Alice, Stella & Dot, Designworks Photography & Aileen Boylan Millinery to mention but a few.

The models for the Fashion show were all members of the Golf Club and they strutted their stuff on the catwalk with a selection of clothes from local businesses : Frock Exchange, Chic Boutique, Phillanns & Shankeys from Skerries,  Carraig Donn & Pamela Scotts from the Pavillions and Dorian Black from Balbriggan.

The best dressed lady was kindly sponsored by Frock Exchange and was won by  Cathriona Clinton Duffy.  Wysteria provided the beautiful floral decorations on the night.

The organizing Committee (Lady Captain Nuala MacMahon, Lady Vice Captain, Ciara Boylan, Daire Hassett,  Sheila McGloughlin, Nuala McGrath & Emer Pyke) worked hard to ensure all went smoothly on the night.

A great night was had by all.

Fashion Show

Time, please: GUI lead mission for pace control 

Pace of play is the focus of a new campaign from the Golfing Union of Ireland which aims to get players moving more efficiently around the golf course.

A common complaint among club golfers, the GUI is taking the lead on the thorny issue of slow play. During a week-long awareness campaign, the Union will highlight practical steps that clubs and players can take.

Last year, the GUI lead by example when ‘Ready Golf’ was introduced during round two of the AIG Irish Close Championship at Ballyliffin. Ready Golf – a term to indicate that players should play when they are ready to do so providing it is safe to do so, rather than adhering strictly to the ‘farthest from the hole plays first’ stipulation – saw round-times reduced by an average of 45 minutes.

As well as endorsing Ready Golf, the GUI have made use of forward tees and central hole locations to give players every opportunity to play as quickly as possible at their championships.

Although it seems like slow play is a modern phenomenon, history says otherwise. A report from the South of Ireland Amateur Championship of 1966, published by The Irish Times, reveals that players were taking up to five and a half hours to get around the course.

In response to complaints about pace of play in the modern game, The R&A undertook an extensive international survey of golfers and hosted a special conference at St Andrews entitled: Time for Golf. Professionals and administrators involved in golf at all levels were invited to the conference, which helped to bring about an official manual on the subject.

Research on pace of play has shown that overcrowding is the most common cause of rounds taking longer than necessary. Starting intervals should be as wide as possible – eight minutes for two balls and up to 12 minutes for four balls.

For players, Ready Golf is a common sense approach that will ensure the game flows as smoothly as possible. For example, shorter hitters play first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait.

The majority of golfers report that they would enjoy the game more if it took less time to play. More to the point, there are few players who enjoy playing slowly. Pace of play affects clubs when it comes to securing repeat business and retention of members.

There are a variety of reasons for wanting to improve pace of play and there are a number of ways of achieving this goal. The GUI’s latest campaign will educate players and clubs alike.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PACE OF PLAY – See www.golfnet.ie/paceofplay