GOLF IRELAND A SINGLE GOVERNING BODY FOR GOLF IN IRELAND. A Proposal from the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU)

Transcription

1 GOLF IRELAND A SINGLE GOVERNING BODY FOR GOLF IN IRELAND A Proposal from the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU)

2 GOLF IRELAND Members of the Discussion Group (DG): Billy Black, GUI Past President (DG member: November 2015 November 2016) Frank Bowen, GUI Past President Teresa Byrne, ILGU Finance Director Pat Finn, GUI CEO Sinead Heraty, ILGU CEO Brege McCarrick, ILGU Past Chair Iggy O Muircheartaigh, GUI Chair (DG member: August 2016 October 2017) John Power, GUI Independent Board Member (DG member: Joined November 2017) Ethel Ruddock, ILGU Ulster District Executive (DG member: Joined June 2016) Kevin Stevens, GUI Ulster Branch Executive Officer (DG member: Joined November 2016) External Consultant & Facilitator: Jane Williams, Sia Partners Project Manager: Sarah Crowe 2

3 To our Fellow Golfers We are delighted to present here our proposal to form Golf Ireland. The Discussion Group came together in November 2015, with a brief from the two Unions to set out what a new governing body for golf in Ireland might look like. Since then we have been listening to the views of club golfers all around Ireland, to representatives of clubs and to officials and staff members of both Unions. We have also looked at how golf is administered in other countries and we sought input from representatives of other sporting bodies in Ireland. We were also very mindful of the fact that Ireland is the only country left in the world to have two single gender governing bodies for golf. All of the conversations, submissions and presentations we have been part of have helped us to form a very clear view of how we should shape our new governing body so that it can deliver the best possible outcome for the future of golf in Ireland. We now firmly believe that the establishment of Golf Ireland gives us the best chance of securing a bright and prosperous future for golf. In this proposal, we set out in some detail how Golf Ireland will work in its organisational and regional structures, financial arrangements, legal structure, governance and how it will extend the level of services available to clubs. We also set out our proposals on how Golf Ireland will operate, including how it will promote and develop the game for golfers of all levels of ability, streamline the handicapping and course rating systems, set up a new and integrated calendar of events, recruit new volunteers and recognise better the invaluable work that volunteers do all around Ireland. We would like to thank everyone in the golf community and beyond for their frank and open engagement with this process over the past few years. It has been an immensely enjoyable and rewarding experience, and we have tried to capture the spirit of those contributions in this proposal, as much as possible. We would also like to thank our fellow Discussion Group members for their incisive observations and for contributing to the excellent collaborative atmosphere in which we worked. It remains for us to formally ask you to give your support to the proposed establishment of Golf Ireland. John Moloughney GUI, President Iggy O Muircheartaigh GUI, Chair Vonnie Noonan ILGU, President Clodagh Hopkins ILGU, Chair 1

4 Acknowledgements Championships: Aidan Marsden (Chair), Sandra Barnett, Linda Bradshaw, Barry Doyle, Paula Reynolds, Mark Wehrly Rules: Tom Donnelly (Chair), Norman Bennett, Ger Henry, Brian Hutchinson, Barbara O Keeffe, Anne O Sullivan Game Development: Anne Brett (Chair), Tracey Farrell, Lucia Farrell, Richard Gormley, Diarmuid Logue, Cathal McConn, Teresa Thompson Finance: Teresa Byrne (Chair), Frank Bowen, Sinead Heraty, Michael Malone, Rollo McClure Club Services: Nick Agate (Chair), Gordon Campbell, Agnes Curley, Ben Headon, Beth Mason, Sean Moran, Goretti O Connor High Performance: Alasdair Gibson (Chair), James Corcoran, David Kearney, Cian Hoban, Clodagh Hopkins, Neil Manchip, Denise McCarthy Communications: Sarah Crowe, Alan Kelly, Carla Reynolds Course Rating/ Handicapping: Patricia Jordan (Chair), Jerome Clancy, Tom Jones, Jim Mooney, Nora Murphy, Carla Reynolds Organisational Structure: Frank Bowen, Pat Finn and Sinead Heraty 2 Future Club Formation: Donard MacSweeney (Chair), Pauline Bailie, Grainne Clancy, Ger Ennis, Neil Kilgallon, Barry Ramsay, Lesley Williams Volunteerism: Terry Crothers (Chair), Anne Brett, Derek Ervine, Rosemary Hayes, Michael Heaney, Jane Joyce, Henry Lee. The GUI and the ILGU would also like to thank all affiliate Golf Clubs and members, Union Officials and Staff who contributed to the consultation and feedback process. The input received was invaluable and enabled us to continue developing and testing emerging ideas. Also, a special thanks to the following for their knowledge and input in a range of areas pertinent to the project: Amanda Bennett (Fair Play Enterprises), Tom Craig (Scottish Golf Union), Alan Kirk (Legal NI), Michael Doyle (Arthur Cox) and Frank O Riordan (Legal). The ILGU and the GUI are also grateful to Deloitte (Accounting and Tax) who offered their ongoing services throughout the project, and to Matheson (Legal) for their expert legal view.

5 Contents 1. The Case for Golf Ireland 4 Why we need Golf Ireland 4 The Idea of Golf Ireland and how it Developed 4 Consultation Process 5 The Dream : what we want in a National Governing Body 5 The Strategy for Golf Ireland 6 The Benefits that Golf Ireland will bring 7 Honouring the Heritage of ILGU and GUI 7 2. The Model for Golf Ireland 8 Structure and Culture of Golf Ireland 8 Golf Ireland and the Clubs 9 The Governance of Golf Ireland 10 Club Voting in Golf Ireland 10 Financial Management of Golf Ireland 11 Projected Income and Expenditure of Golf Ireland 11 Communications Operations of Golf Ireland 14 Volunteers 14 Developing the Game 14 Handicapping and Course Rating 14 Championships 15 Rules 15 High Performance 15 Ensuring Environmental Sustainability Making the Transition to Golf Ireland 17 Creating the Structure 17 Creating the Organisation 17 A. Historical Financial Schedules 18 GUI Income and Expenditure, 2016 and ILGU Income and Expenditure, 2016 and CGI Income and Expenditure, 2016 and GUI, ILGU and CGI: Combined Income and Expenditure 2016 and Membership Numbers 20 Historical Balance Sheets 20 B. Presidential Rotation in Golf Ireland 21 The office of President of Golf Ireland 21 Eight-year Cycle 21 Honorary Life Members 21 C. The Board of Golf Ireland 22 Composition of the Board 22 Rotation of Regional Board members 22 GenderBalance on the Board 22 D. Golf Ireland Staffing Structure 23 E. Golf Ireland Regional Executives 23 Elections to the Regional Executives 24 Support teams for Regional Zones 24 Rotation of the Regional Executives 24 3

6 1. The Case for Golf Ireland Why we need Golf Ireland With our strong roots that go back to the end of the 19th century, golf in Ireland has so much to celebrate and be proud of. We have a long sporting and social tradition that has become a part of life in every corner of Ireland. Our courses are among the finest and most challenging in the world, and we have all been inspired by the exploits of some of our best Irish golfers and their victories in the world s major competitions. But as well as celebrating the great successes of golf in Ireland, we must continually search for ways to bring the game forward, to attract new members and to reinvigorate our clubs. The success of Irish golfers male and female on the international stage can make it easy to believe that the game of golf on the island of Ireland is in good shape. Certainly, the elite player programmes run by the GUI and the ILGU over many years have been very successful. However, when we look elsewhere at the game in Ireland, we see that there are many questions we need to ask. Meeting the needs of modern Ireland As we move deeper into the 21st century, we need a governing body that can extend its focus beyond rules and competitions and look more widely at regulation, promotion and development of the game, as well as meeting public expectations in relation to all aspects of modern life in particular, diversity, gender and inclusivity. Our current structure of two Unions one for men and one for women struggles to meet the demands and expectations of modern society and is confusing for members and affiliate clubs. In practical terms, we know that future funding from Sport Northern Ireland will be contingent upon golf having a mixed gender governance structure, in line with Sport UK norms. In the medium-term, there may be similar issues with Sport Ireland and with sponsors. Facing up to declining participation Those of us who play golf know what a wonderful, healthy outdoor activity it is a game for life for body and mind. We also know what a great social outlet it is, where we can meet and compete, no matter what our stage in life. The reality is, however, that club membership peaked in 2004/2005 at around 220,000 and has declined steadily since, with a drop of approximately 40,000 in overall memberships. At the same time the average age of participants has continued to rise, as the participation of under 50s and under 18s has declined. One third of golf clubs in Ireland have no junior girls, and 5% have no junior boys. It is easy to attribute the decline in membership to the economic crisis, but the decline had already started by 2008, and studies here and in other developed golf countries have found that time availability is the main cause of falling participation. Modern time-poor two-earner families are no longer attracted to golf and are turning to other sports in search of healthy, outdoor activities. Golf as a game is not meeting the needs of modern Ireland and there is a substantial risk to the popularity of the sport. Change is needed at national, local and club level to meet the challenges facing our sport. A single governing body, Golf Ireland, is an essential first step. The Idea of Golf Ireland and how it Developed The idea of bringing Ireland s two golf Unions together to establish a single governing body for golf in Ireland began a number of years ago on the initiative of the Boards of both Unions. In November 2015, the detailed work of thinking this through was given to a Discussion Group made up of four members of each union, with an independent facilitator and a project manager. The Discussion Group also commissioned assistance from volunteers with relevant expertise, who worked collaboratively in working groups (which included Union officials and club members) to develop proposals on specific elements of the proposed new body. Good, collaborative working relationships were established among members of the Discussion Group, whose main aim was to allow time for the necessary insights and for understanding to emerge and grow into a strong, coherent and well-considered proposal. Learning from the experience of other countries and other sports The Discussion Group considered the experience of other golfing organisations, principally in the UK, and it also sought input from other sporting bodies in Ireland on their structures and the development of their single governing body. Wide consultation with the golfing community From the beginning, the Discussion Group also sought the views of the wider golfing community on the development of the proposed new body. Those consulted included clubs, branch/district officials, Union staff and focus groups of golfers. The feedback received made a considerable contribution to the Discussion Group s vision of what the new body needs to look like. Particular emphasis was given to ensuring that all key stakeholders including clubs, golfers, volunteers and funders were kept well informed on the progress of the project. The Boards of the two Unions were also briefed regularly by their members of the Discussion Group. Moving towards a proposal Early in the process, the Discussion Group developed a framework that identified the key elements of a National Governing Body and how it might be established. For each of these elements, a work stream was defined and assigned to a working group, each of which produced a report and set of 4

7 recommendations on their assigned element and presented these to the Discussion Group. Among the key elements reviewed in this way were: The future legal and regulatory structure of a new governing body. The basis for the Statement of Strategy to guide the first five years of the new body. Club formation and the nature of their affiliation to the new body. The role of volunteers and their development. The delivery of a world class Rules system, in keeping with the high standards set by the two Unions. A modern and efficient Championships and inter-club structure for all golfers. Maintenance of a High Performance system that produces players who can continue to compete on the world stage. Developing the game and catering more for a range of abilities, while still focusing on club service provision. The current Handicapping and Course Rating Systems, and the journey to be made towards a single Handicapping and Course Rating System based on best-known international practice. In tandem with these developments, consultations continued to take place with clubs, officials, golfers and the two Unions on the emerging proposal. Where we are now: decision time The current proposal to establish Golf Ireland as the new governing body for golf on the island of Ireland summarises the position at which the Boards of both Unions have arrived. The proposal is now being presented to the affiliate clubs of both Unions through a series of communications briefing sessions. Affiliate clubs of the ILGU and the GUI will be asked to vote on a series of resolutions to legally constitute Golf Ireland at separately convened EGMs of the GUI and the ILGU on 17th November In effect, there will be a series of contingent resolutions to formally adopt the proposal to form Golf Ireland, to establish it as a company limited by guarantee, and to provide for the eventual winding up of the ILGU, the GUI and CGI* (Confederation of Golf in Ireland), following a transition period, led by a Transitions Team. *The CGI was established in 2013 by the GUI, ILGU and the PGA (Irish Region) to respond to the challenges facing the game. The CGI compliments the work of the unions as well as providing a combined approach to certain key strategic areas in the future development of golf in Ireland. Consultation Process Detailed consultation has been undertaken at points during the process, to obtain the views of clubs, Union officials, staff members and focus groups of golfers. The initial consultation started with a blank sheet, to obtain the ideas of all participants, without bias or influence, on what an ideal governing body should be. In later stages, the views of clubs and branch/district officials on key elements of Golf Ireland were obtained through briefing and feedback groups. The extensive consultation process used well-attested research tools and techniques to obtain accurate feedback and to allow difficult questions to be explored. Because of this it has provided the process with robust insight and input, and it has also had a strong and positive influence on the design and development of the governing body. The consultation process has shown that clubs and many officials see the establishment of Golf Ireland as both necessary and inevitable. There is both anxiety and excitement about its potential to address falling membership numbers that golf clubs have suffered over the last number of years. It also revealed concerns that some people have that certain aspects of golf that are important to them might be lost for example, competitions that have a strong resonance among golfers. There is also hope that Golf Ireland can address issues such as behaviours towards some categories of golfers, governance of handicapping cheating and the public perception of golf below the elite level. Because of the significance of the structure to golfers and clubs, we decided to research attitudes to different aspects of this with a large sample of clubs. A workshop was held in Westmanstown Golf Club at which issues of structure were teased out, with outcomes showing: An openness to change away from the current structures. A recognition that neither of the existing structures in the two Unions is perfect. An identity attachment to competition names. A willingness to consider proposals that will support a strong future for golf. The consultation process heard from a wide spectrum of opinions and views. Every club was given an opportunity to participate, and all staff and Union officials were similarly included. Although there was significant variance in the views expressed on a few core topics, overall there is a large middle ground on all areas. The Dream : what we want in a National Governing Body In consultation with clubs, officials and the Boards of both Unions, a dream was developed of what the new national governing body for golf could be. Golf Ireland will commit to the following, while always ensuring transparent and accountable practices throughout the organisation. In its administrative structures, the new national governing body Will be one body for all golfers. Will carry out all of the work currently done by GUI, ILGU and CGI including handicapping and course ratings, organising championships and inter-club events, high performance and international matches, providing support to clubs, managing finance and game development. Will represent golf in the wider world and secure a greater profile and access to funding for golf. Will recruit people with appropriate skills, with due regard for diversity and gender balance. Will be open, transparent, accountable and democratic in its governance structure. In its commitment to equality, the new national governing body Will lead by example, adopting the Governance Code: A Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland (taking cognisance of the UK Code) and ensuring that equality is a core value within Golf Ireland. Will be open and welcoming to all potential golfers, particularly encouraging juniors, who will be protected, welcomed and treated with respect. Will seek to ensure that clubs welcome golfers irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, age, or any of the grounds for discrimination prohibited in legislation. Will focus strongly on club golfers and seek to redress the perception that golf is too taken-up with elite players. 5

8 Will seek to ensure that clubs treat all members fairly and that rights and entitlements are determined by membership categories and not by gender. Will work to remove barriers to participation, including the perceived expense of the game and the lack of facilities for people with disability. In its commitment to develop the game, the new national governing body Will moderate the emphasis on competition and encourage more fun in golf. Will work with clubs to develop policies and programmes to support ongoing participation among younger time-poor adults, as well as among youths and juveniles. In its work with affiliate clubs, the new national governing body Will be a governing body that is connected from top to bottom, acting always in the interests of its affiliate clubs and golfers. Will communicate well with members clearly, accurately, consistently and authoritatively. The Strategy for Golf Ireland To make the dream of a fully-functioning, modern and efficient national governing body for golf a reality, Golf Ireland will take the following text as its Statement of Strategy for its first five years: Golf Ireland will successfully establish itself as the National Governing Body for golf on the island of Ireland. It will do this by building on the 125 years of tradition and development of its two predecessors, the GUI and the ILGU the two oldest golfing unions in the world. It will administer golf in Ireland so that golf will be played fairly and in keeping with the rules. It will provide development services to its affiliate clubs to support them in providing the facilities and the sense of belonging that golf provides to its players and supporters. It will set out a description of the new organisation s desired culture and how it will manifest itself to the golfing community. It will run attractive championships for golfers of all abilities, with the support of its clubs and volunteers. It will promote the game so that its attractiveness as a game for life is widely understood. It will support players of all abilities to reach their potential through its relationship with the PGA and through its own development programmes. It will grow and develop the game to secure its longterm future and standing. It will be the voice of golf at national and international level, ensuring that Irish golf is resourced and perceived appropriately. It will do all of this through its skilled and dedicated volunteers and staff, with the resources provided to it by clubs and funding organisations, in a fair and equitable way, as a modern and efficient organisation that golfers deserve. Delivering on the strategy: high-level goals To deliver on this strategy, the following are the high-level goals of Golf Ireland for the first five years of its existence. Clearly the successful achievement of these goals will require the support and co-operation of clubs. Golf Ireland will educate and support clubs wanting to modernise their governance structures whilst accepting that clubs are autonomous bodies and no change will therefore be imposed. 1. Establish Golf Ireland, taking over the roles and responsibilities of its predecessors, the ILGU, the GUI and the CGI, smoothly and efficiently, stepping into the role as the unified voice of golf, speaking for all golfers equally. 2. Provide competitive opportunities for golfers of all abilities at regional, national and international level. 3. Support clubs through enhanced and more extensive support programmes, tailored to the needs of different types of clubs, delivered at regional level by dedicated and skilled volunteers and staff. 4. Govern the game so that all golfers can be certain of fairness. 5. Promote the game of golf, attracting funding so that the game s fun and health benefits, as well as its competitive position, are seen and attract increasing numbers of participants. 6. Grow and develop the game so that it has more players who are members of clubs, is successful at all levels and is seen as an attractive game for life that is growing, vibrant and respected. Golf Ireland will seek to meet the above goals in cooperation with clubs and golfers by: Putting in place a Board-led structure based on a clearly defined and developed governance process where ultimate authority resides in the affiliate clubs. Operating from a central headquarters with, as part of its governance process, devolved authority and functions to four regions. The functions in each region will be supported by a trained and properly resourced staff and volunteer structure which will allow for an appropriate level of local democracy. Promoting equality, openness and accessibility within golf in Ireland. Recognising that the long-term health of golf as a sport is very dependent on strong and vibrant clubs operating not just in urban areas but right across the country. It will therefore develop a range of club-centred services at national and regional level to support clubs in all aspects of their operation. A clear road map of how to access all such services will be available to clubs, as well as a process by which individual golfers would be made aware of the role and function of Golf Ireland. Identifying the issues and perceptions that have hindered the progress of the game and developing programmes to address these. Golf is unique in the opportunity it offers to older adults to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of participation in outdoor sport. 6

9 The Benefits that Golf Ireland will bring With the establishment of Golf Ireland, the game of golf in Ireland will have an all-inclusive governing body for the first time. No single entity has ever been truly responsible for the game of golf in Ireland. GUI and ILGU were established in the early 1890s for the purpose of organising championships and international matches and developing the game. Society has changed hugely in the past 125 years and it is important for golf to have a modern governing body that can respond better to the needs of affiliate clubs today. Better for the development and promotion of golf Having a single governing body will make it considerably easier for golf to project the clear and consistent message that golf is healthy, challenging and fun; and that it can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages; by boys and girls; and by elite players, social players, average players and beginners. Golf Ireland will promote golf as an integrated familyoriented sport with wide appeal, and one that can compete successfully to be one of Ireland s most popular leisure activities. Better for clubs Golf Ireland will be better for clubs on many fronts. Clubs will have their voices heard as active members of the governing body for golf in Ireland. With the current GUI and ILGU structures, clubs do not have the opportunity to provide input on matters such as golf development, promotion and club support. Club support will be a core function of Golf Ireland. This will include support in the areas of governance, business planning, membership growth and retention, communications, marketing and so on... Clubs will have the option to retain their current structures or to move to a single club structure for male and female members. Golf Ireland will work with clubs to develop a range of efficient management structures to ensure the future success of the game at club level. Better for attracting capital funding While the ILGU and GUI have enjoyed good relationships with government funding agencies and international golfing bodies, golf in Ireland has never been represented by a single voice, resulting in sub optimal support for golf clubs in sports capital funding. Golf Ireland will be positioned to speak on behalf of golf in Ireland and is committed to lobbying on behalf of golf to improve these levels of support. Better for attracting commercial partners Golf Ireland will also be much more attractive to commercial partners and sponsors. A single governing body for men and women is easier to deal with and fits much better with the aims and values of companies today. Better for equality Countries with a single governing body for golf tend to have a much healthier ratio of female to male members, reflecting the environment of equality promoted by the governing body. For example, in Germany, women account for approximately 37% of all golfers, in the Scandinavian countries it is 28% and in Ireland we are at 22%. Golf Ireland is committed to driving up participation and membership of women to European norms. Better for the image of the game Achieving media coverage for amateur golf is difficult, particularly nationally, and too often the media focus on the historical gender difference rather than positive aspects of the game. Golf Ireland will actively and confidently promote the positive aspects and challenge negative stereotyping of the game when it occurs. Honouring the Heritage of ILGU and GUI As we move forward into a bright new future with Golf Ireland, it is appropriate that we pause and reflect on the long years of achievement of the ILGU and the GUI. They are the epitome of Irish golf as we have known it, and the rich golfing heritage that we all enjoy is a tribute to the men and women who have steered the two Unions over the last 125 years. We propose that we honour the rich heritage that the two Unions have left us by preserving the golf museum in their honour at the Golf Ireland Headquarters at Carton House. This is a proposal that we sincerely hope the golf community will heartily endorse. In addition, the names of the Irish Ladies Golf Union and the Golfing Union of Ireland will be enshrined in the Memorandum and Articles of Association of Golf Ireland and the organisations names and logos will remain in place on the many existing trophies and pennants that adorn the walls of the clubhouses throughout Ireland. 7

10 2. The Model for Golf Ireland Structure and Culture of Golf Ireland Legal structure Golf Ireland will be incorporated as a company limited by guarantee (CLG). This is an ideal structure for a sporting or notfor-profit organisation as it provides legal certainty around the company s structure and responsibilities while also providing enough flexibility for a large and disparate organisation to work efficiently. A Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association will set out the formal legal structure of the new organisation and will be supported by a set of stand-alone regulations and conditions of competition. Following its formation, Golf Ireland will adopt the Governance Code: a Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland and will take cognisance of the UK Code. Organisational and regional structure For administrative purposes, Golf Ireland will consist of four regions, based on the four provinces. Each region may be subdivided into two, four or eight zones, depending on the density of clubs in the region and the distances between them. The idea behind the zones is to help reduce travel distances for inter-club matches. In the first instance, the zones will be recommended by the Transitions Team in consultation with the GUI and ILGU volunteers from within each region. Thereafter, each Regional Executive Committee may amend the number and/or boundaries of zones, subject to approval from the Board of Golf Ireland. Historically in Ireland, most sporting organisations are subdivided by province and people feel an emotional bond to their province. This was clearly expressed by a number of those who attended first and second rounds of consultation, and also by those who responded to an Omnibus survey, which was completed by Union and golf club officials in late The proposed organisational structure is based on extensive consultation with officials, staff and affiliate club members and also on the work of a working group dedicated solely to organisational structure. We formed the view that the ability to support clubs should be paramount in determining the organisational structure of Golf Ireland. The proposed structure is centred on efficient and effective central and regional administrative structures, together with agreed funding for regions and subdivision into zones for competition purposes. Three of the four regions (Leinster, Munster and Ulster) currently have good or adequate office accommodation that can transfer into Golf Ireland as regional headquarters. In the case of Connacht, we will consider proposals for the purchase or long-term lease of a suitable premises. The culture of Golf Ireland Simply put, culture is how we do things in this organisation. It is intangible and often not consciously recognised, but it does frame the values, behaviours, decision making, efficiency and effectiveness of every organisation. As we tried to define our dream of what a new governing body would look like, we took the opportunity to consult widely to identify the cultural attributes that it would be important to retain, and what we could safely leave behind. Golf Ireland will bring the best cultural elements of the two existing organisations together while also integrating new ideas and new ways of doing things that can help enhance the attractiveness of golf into the future. Examples of some of the cultural traits that Golf Ireland will hope to foster include evenness of regard for all golfers and clear and good quality communications within golf and within the wider society. The elements of Golf Ireland s culture will emerge as it gets to work for example, in a strong culture of service to the clubs, in a clear agenda of equality and inclusiveness, in the efficiency of its operations and in the openness of its governance practices. The strategic plan for Golf Ireland will set out a description of the new organisation s desired culture and how it will manifest itself to the golfing community. 8

11 Golf Ireland and the Clubs How Golf Ireland will work with clubs The club is the key building block on which golf is developed and which establishes and maintains the relationship with golfers. Clubs will be at the core of Golf Ireland s emerging strategy. There are 395 GUI fee paying clubs and 374 ILGU fee paying clubs, as per the end of All clubs currently affiliated to the two unions will automatically be affiliated to Golf Ireland on its establishment date. Golf Ireland recognises that the affiliate clubs are individually constituted bodies and is committed to working in partnership with clubs to develop the game of golf and to strengthen clubs. Golf Ireland will work closely and support clubs in a number of ways: Support in operational matters Leading on the development and implementation of handicapping. Providing systems supports with key suppliers and with systems for managing membership, timesheets, competitions and handicapping. Developing policies on matters such as prizes. Training support Developing induction training materials for new committee members to increase the effectiveness of club committees. Providing training to Vice Captains, Secretaries, and to Handicap and Competition officers. Developing and expanding existing training and education programmes for clubs. Support in communications and promotion of the game Assisting clubs to attract new adult and junior members. Helping clubs to become more resilient and responsive to members needs. Providing clubs with communications materials that present a better and more positive image of the game. Supporting clubs in the development of their social media strategies (including training). General management support Developing a governance code for golf and governance guides for clubs (ROI & UK (NI)). Supporting clubs to implement best management practices. Helping affiliate clubs as they transition to the new Golf Ireland organisational and regional structures, through basic changes to their constitution regarding affiliation to Golf Ireland. Current club constitutions make reference to either the GUI or ILGU and their conditions of affiliation and there will be a requirement to change references from ILGU and GUI to Golf Ireland. Several ladies clubs will be moving from a District Structure to a Provincial Structure which will require a change to constitutions. Assisting affiliate clubs who wish to make the journey towards a new club model, with best practice guidance provided by Golf Ireland. Services to clubs: a key focus for Golf Ireland Golf Ireland s plan for club services is based on the recommendations of the Club Services working group, which are derived from the information gathered in the working group s service preferences surveys, as well as on feedback received from the consultation process throughout 2016 and Essentially, the services that Golf Ireland will provide to clubs are the services that the clubs told us were most important to them particularly support on membership issues, governance, equality issues and competitions/handicapping. The current range of services provided by CGI will be retained, expanded and delivered through the regional structure. As currently with CGI, skilled staff will be based in the regions, and delivery of services will help ensure the strengthening of relationships between Golf Ireland and the clubs. Golf Ireland will also support clubs by promoting the game of golf more widely and by positioning the game more positively in the changing social and economic context, emphasising particularly the benefits of golf as a healthy outdoor activity that people of all ages and all skill levels can enjoy. Golf Ireland will also explore ways of making golf more attractive to the estimated 40,000 golfers who are no longer members of affiliate clubs. Principles for clubs in Golf Ireland Successful vibrant clubs are central to the growth of the game of golf, and our affiliate clubs will be the foundation of Golf Ireland. For the future, we want to increase the number of golfers playing the game, and the way to do that is for golf to become more engaging with, and attractive to, younger players. This will involve Golf Ireland working to promote the game at a national level, but it will also require clubs to become more innovative across the range of their activities at local level. Golf Ireland supports the promotion of the following fourteen principles that clubs can adopt as part of their strategy to grow and advance the game in their locality. 1. Position your club in the top five sports of choice in your community. 2. Govern your club under a modern democratic inclusive management structure. 3. Prioritise both adult and junior membership growth and retention to ensure the future of your club. 4. Promote the integration of golf administration, including competitions and handicapping. 5. Promote inclusivity and equality for all members. 6. Ensure compliance with a range of regulatory requirements. 7. Adopt and implement the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children s Sport* and Golf s Safeguarding Policy. 8. Be fair and consistent in implementing the CONGU UHS. 9. Comply with the rules of golf as approved by the R&A. 10. Work closely with Golf Ireland in implementing their policies and practices for golf clubs. 11. Attract members of all ages with appropriate skills to become club volunteers. 9

12 12. Encourage high levels of participation and integration in club activities and competitions for all members. 13. Provide a comprehensive competition schedule which meets the needs of golfers of all handicaps, genders and ages. 14. Continuously review coaching and playing opportunities and assess them to ensure they are providing all members with appropriate opportunities to participate in the game. * Published jointly by The Irish Sports Council and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (currently known as Sport Ireland & Sport Northern Ireland) Published jointly by GUI, ILGU, the PGA in Ireland and CGI The Governance of Golf Ireland Golf Ireland will be a company limited by guarantee with a membership consisting of affiliate golf clubs and honorary life members situated on the island of Ireland. The above members will be entitled to attend general meetings of Golf Ireland, including the Annual General Meeting, at which the business of the organisation will be discussed and financial reports, rules changes and the appointment of a Board of Directors will be voted upon. The Board will be comprised of thirteen Directors, all volunteers, including an appointed Chair who will serve a fouryear term, a President (one year), a President Elect (one year), a nominee from each of the regions and six other directors. The Board will have various subcommittees including, but not limited to: Game Development Club Support Championships and Tournaments High Performance Rules of Golf and Amateur Status Handicapping, Venues and Fixtures Junior Golf Audit and Risk/Finance Nominations, Governance and Compliance Selection Committees The strategy of Golf Ireland will be determined by the Board and implemented with the support of volunteers by an executive team comprising a Chief Executive and the heads of the core departments. This will include, but not be limited to, Game Development, Club Support, Championships and Tournaments, High Performance, Commercial, and Communications. To aid the implementation of its strategy, Golf Ireland will have four regions each of which will have a Regional Executive of fourteen members, all volunteers. The Regional Manager will report to the CEO of Golf Ireland and on a day-to-day basis will work closely with the Regional Executive. To ensure good communication, quarterly meetings will take place between the Chair and CEO of Golf Ireland and the Regional Managers, Chairs and Secretaries of the four Regions. The four regions will receive notes from the National Board meetings. The regions will be funded by Golf Ireland. The Golf Ireland affiliate clubs in each region will meet annually at a regional meeting to vote on notices of motion on matters relevant to their region and to elect local officials. Golf Ireland will rely heavily on elected and appointed* volunteers to both determine its strategies and to assist in their implementation. The volunteer recruitment process will seek people with particular skills and competencies and will be underpinned by Golf Ireland s gender representation policy. * Appointed in this context is intended to mean not a current Director of the Board of Golf Ireland, a current member of a Regional Executive and is subject to a vote at the AGM of Golf Ireland. See also: Appendix B in relation to the presidential rotation, page 21 Appendix C in relation to the Board composition, rotation and gender balance, page 22 Appendix D in relation to proposed staffing structure, page 23 Appendix E in relation to the regional executive composition, rotation and gender balance, pages Club Voting in Golf Ireland Most golf clubs in Ireland have separate men s and women s clubs/sections, as were required by the GUI and ILGU. In the interest of unity, Golf Ireland has decided to treat such clubs as a single member club. This means that, in normal circumstances, the delegates representing the overall club will receive and cast the votes at Golf Ireland meetings. While the voting system set out below may seem unusual, the GUI and ILGU feel that it is important to ensure that women s golf has a clear voice within Golf Ireland. To achieve this, the voting system provides for a splitting of votes where the men and women within a club cannot reach an agreement on what way the club should vote on a motion or in an election. It is anticipated that the overall club will agree on how to vote in the vast majority of cases. During consultation with clubs on the Golf Ireland project, many club representatives expressed a desire to move towards a one club model, without a men s and women s section, where all membership categories would be open to both genders. When a club opts to move towards such a structure, the provision to split the vote will no longer be necessary. Voting System Two men and two women from each affiliate club will be entitled to attend General Meetings of Golf Ireland and of its Regions. The minimum number of representative(s) from an affiliate club is one and this person may be male or female. Single Gender Clubs 26 clubs are solely affiliated to the GUI, as they only have male members and five clubs are solely affiliated to the ILGU, as they only have female members. The voting system, as detailed in the following table will apply to all Golf Ireland affiliate clubs, including single gender clubs. One Club Golf Ireland will recognize that some clubs have already made a journey to a one club structure, where separate men s and ladies sections do not exist. For these clubs, the number of votes allocated to that club will be dependent on the number of club members, as per the following table. Clubs with separate Men s and Ladies Sections In the majority of affiliate clubs, two separate sections do exist both men s and ladies clubs. The voting system in the following table applies to all clubs, however, male and female club members must endeavor to agree in advance of the AGM or EGM what way the club is voting. When agreement is reached on what way to cast the vote(s), the appointed Voting Club Delegate may cast all vote(s) on behalf of the club. 10

13 If the male and female club members cannot agree on how to cast their vote(s), they must inform Golf Ireland at least one week in advance of the relevant meeting. Golf Ireland will organise for the club vote to be split with the larger section receiving two-thirds of the vote and the smaller section receiving one-third, on the stipulation that the larger section must exceed 60% of the membership to receive twothirds of the vote. If it does not, then the vote will be split 50/50. Number of club members < >700 5 Number of votes Financial Management of Golf Ireland The accounting period for Golf Ireland will be from 1 January to 31 December. This will apply to the head office and all of the regions. Financial administration will be managed centrally. This will include management of contracts (sponsorship, property, service, procurement, staff, insurance, etc.), staff salaries and pensions, processing of volunteer and staff expense claims, cash-flow management, banking, etc. The Regional Treasurer will liaise closely with Golf Ireland s Finance Director in the preparation, management and control of regional finances. Each region shall submit budgets on an annual basis for approval by the Board. Once regional budgets are agreed, the region will be provided with the necessary financial resources to manage its own business including the management of its own regional bank account. Regional accounts will be prepared for and presented to the regional AGMs. All regional and head office accounts will be combined for the purpose of representing the national financial position, which will be presented in Euro currency. Year-end accounts will be audited by an externally appointed auditor. Foreign exchange Golf Ireland will have income and expenditure in two main currencies, euro and sterling. These currencies trade openly and change their value relative to each other daily. With the uncertainty of Brexit, the variations in value may become greater. In general, though, there is not a significant gap currently between sterling income and sterling expenditure on an annual basis. Golf Ireland will manage its operations prudently and take its fiduciary duty seriously: Receipts and payments in each currency will be quantified on an annual basis to identify any exposure and the volatility of receipts and payments. An assessment of the extent of currency exposure of Golf Ireland and the options for management will be presented (including specialist advice if required) to the Board for consideration. These options might include hedging, buying or selling forward on behalf of Golf Ireland. Possible sale of ILGU Head Office at Furze Road, Sandyford While the current ILGU office at Furze Road will be included in the Golf Ireland Balance Sheet, significant consideration is being given to the sale of this property. This is being considered in the interest of maintaining just one head office (the current GUI offices at Carton). The property is held at a value of 1.5m on the balance sheet of the ILGU, having been revalued at this amount in It is expected that in the event of a sale, the value realised will be at least that of the current net book value of the asset. The proceeds of this sale will be used for any future move or expansion of Golf Ireland Headquarters, or for other appropriate capital expenditure. Savings associated with the disposal of this property are estimated at an annual amount of 84k (Rates 16k, Insurance 33k, Repairs, Maintenance and Cleaning 35k). Projected Income and Expenditure of Golf Ireland Golf Ireland will be funded by the combined resources of the current organisations, GUI, ILGU and CGI. The business model will be one that supports the objects of Golf Ireland as laid out in the Memorandum of Association. Golf Ireland will operate on a break-even basis. One-off costs (such as legal, rebranding, staff relocation, infrastructural, system changes/upgrades) associated with the establishment of Golf Ireland are not included but will be provided for in a separate Transition Budget. The following tables project the income and expenditure of Golf Ireland for the first 12 months of it s operation. The 2017 actual income and expenditure figures in these tables are aggregate figures for GUI, ILGU and CGI. 11

14 Income / projected income summary Description 2017 Actual Year 1 Golf Ireland Increase/ (Decrease) Notes Member subscriptions 4,099,395 3,928,278 ( 171,117) Fee equalisation See note 1 below LGU Capitation Fee ( 101,512) 101, last applicable year Grants 1,223,846 1,268,176 44,330 Increase in Sport NI funding primarily Sponsorship 237, ,500 34,759 Team Ireland Pro Am 50k contra in expenses Competitions 509, , Fee Equalisation under review Golfnet Cards and Advertising 226, ,000 ( 6,211) Reduced advertising income Other 94,426 40,000 ( 54,426) Interest receivable, other income Total 6,289,355 6,238,954 ( 50,401) NOTES 1: Annual Subscription There will be a single annual subscription which will be paid by each Club, based on the number of Home Club members to Golf Ireland from an agreed future date. The adult fee will be 24 for Clubs in the Euro region and 20 for Clubs in the Sterling region. The junior fee will be 5 for Clubs in the Euro region and 3.50 for Clubs in the Sterling region. All of these amounts will be fixed for years 1 & 2 of Golf Ireland. Description 2017 Actual Year 1 Golf Ireland Increase/ (Decrease) Notes Administration 2,427,541 2,612,994 ( 185,453) See note 2 below Office Expenses 290, ,387 ( 19,763) See note 3 below General Expenses 993, ,500 85,150 See note 4 below Competitions 620, ,000 ( 49,792) Estimate based on last 2 years International Matches etc. 476, ,000 ( 23,971) Estimate based on last 2 years Coaching 762, ,000 ( 87,990) Estimate based on last 2 years Depreciation 284,031 75, ,012 See note 5 below Team Ireland 226, ,000 ( 53,635) Contra Sponsorship above Total 6,080,458 6,206,899 ( 126,441) Expenditure / projected expenditure summary NOTES 2: Administration Staffing synergies will be achieved in some areas but are offset by incremental staffing to provide enhanced services to clubs as strongly articulated at consultation meetings. Meeting/travel expense savings above relate primarily to the replacement of two separate bodies by a single Board. 12

15 GOLF IRELAND 3: Office expenses Increase shown is primarily due to a re-adjustment of the Carton Management fee. Estimated annual savings of 84k will be realised on the sale of ILGU HO at Furze Road (not included in these projections). 4: General expenses Savings of 210k associated with reduced insurance, audit fees, computer support, bank charges & other one-off amounts are offset by a new Marketing budget of 50k and an increased provision of 75k for staging EGA events. 5: Depreciation Depreciation charge reduction is due to prior write off of the Golfnet website & centralised database in 2018/2019 plus GUI National Academy completely written off in 2017 and assuming no substantial investment in the immediate future. 6: Other All property will transfer to Golf Ireland at net book value held on the individual Balance Sheets at 31 December All other assets and liabilities will transfer to Golf Ireland. Independent Review The figures have been subject to a procedure review by an Independent Chartered Accountant. Communications How well Golf Ireland manages its communications will be a major determinant of how successful we are at building a positive and efficient organisation that serves the game of golf in Ireland and looks after the needs of our affiliate clubs and members. In serving golf better, we need to have strategies for fostering positive media coverage of golf, emphasising the health and wider social benefits that the game brings. We will also need to ensure that day-to-day communications between Golf Ireland and its clubs and members are done in an efficient, clear and engaging manner. Among the communication practices that Golf Ireland will implement are: More direct communication with clubs and members through a dedicated Club Communications and Consultation Officer. Training for clubs in PR, social media and marketing. Development of a strategic marketing plan to communicate with a non-golfing audience. Heightened use of social media, to be used for meeting specific objectives of Golf Ireland. Implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for affiliate golf clubs, to enable us to communicate better with affiliate clubs. Communication of relevant and targeted updates from Golf Ireland to affiliate clubs and members. The development of a communications strategy covering all of these areas will be a key activity of Golf Ireland. 13

16 3. Operations of Golf Ireland Volunteers Where would golf be without volunteers? Quite simply, they make so much possible. By administrating, officiating, scheduling, selecting teams, transporting juniors, planning, coaching, rating courses and all the many other tasks they undertake to support clubs and competitions in the game. The GUI and ILGU have hundreds of dedicated volunteers who freely give their time to ensure the day-to-day running of all of these different areas. The strategic and essential value of volunteers is recognised now by the ILGU and the GUI, and this ethos of volunteerism will be carried through into Golf Ireland. The planned actions on this important element are based on the work done by the working group on volunteerism and on the detailed consideration we have given to this aspect of the game and its importance into the future. Golf Ireland will continue to recruit and train volunteers as a core element to how it will operate, and it recognises the great value that the volunteer base of both Unions will be to the successful roll-out of Golf Ireland and its operations. It will take the following actions to ensure the continuing success of the volunteer contribution: Put in place a strategy to develop a dependable volunteering framework to underpin its endeavours. Implement a recruitment structure to ensure the continuing high quality of volunteers. Develop descriptions for different kinds of volunteer roles, specifying clearly what is expected of volunteers. Develop induction training for volunteers and make this available to all volunteers, current and new. Attract younger volunteers via a Junior Forum and develop a give back to golf programme to encourage alumni to make a contribution. Put in place a review process to ensure that the programmes for volunteers are working well; in particular, monitoring the implementation of the safeguarding policy, and adjusting where needed. Recognise the contribution that volunteers make immediately after events where their contribution has been key and also doing so in an annual message. Developing the Game Acknowledging the work of JGI and CGI Over the past fourteen years there has been a strong focus on developing the game by both Unions through the provision of specialised development wings, Junior Golf Ireland (JGI) from 2004 to 2013, and the Confederation of Golf in Ireland (CGI) from 2013 to the present. JGI, though focused specifically on junior golf, made tremendous strides in breaking down barriers for juniors within clubs; it also brought in the Junior Golf Charter and Golf s Safeguarding Policy. JGI also provided first touch experiences to over 100,000 juniors through their Tri Golf initiative and through School Awareness Days. Through Phase One of the CGI Development Plan, CGI have provided support to 78% of clubs through their Get into Golf initiatives, leaders programmes and by offering clubs key support in areas such as governance, strategic planning and marketing/ communications. Moving forward, the main focus of Golf Ireland will be to continue building sustainable club structures with more members being recruited and retained by clubs. Addressing negative perceptions of golf There are some negative perceptions of the game in the wider community and some of these perceptions will be slow to change. Addressing these negative perceptions will require a range of different initiatives at both local and national levels. Breaking down barriers to participation Understanding and breaking down the barriers to participation and club membership will be a major objective of Golf Ireland. International and national research has identified time availability as the main reason for reduced participation, followed by cost. The same research indicates that increased participation by women and a stronger family-oriented approach are crucial to growing the game. Adolescents are the future of the game, and we need to do considerable work to understand how we can motivate them to take up the game and continue to play as they become young adults. For whatever reason, the current structures continue to present barriers for some young people. There are many ways that we can try to learn about young people s experiences of golf for example, through our volunteer network and through more formal seminars and youth consultation programmes. There are also ways that we can incentivise young people to take up and stay with the game. Catering more for the range of abilities While we will continue to value our elite players, we also need to place more emphasis on retaining people within the game and meeting the needs of the entire population of golfers in Ireland, particularly at junior level. One critical factor in attracting and retaining golfers with a range of abilities is having courses that are set up to meet the full spectrum of driving distances and swing speeds. For example, more appropriate positioning of tees could better accommodate beginners, seniors, young people and people with disabilities. Proposed centres of excellence If established, Golf Ireland will give consideration to the formation of centres of excellence and will ensure that the centres can adequately service the number of members using the facilities in that area. Each centre could act as a focus point for skills development and have a strong promotional value for golf in the region. Handicapping and Course Rating Golf Ireland will have a single Handicapping and Course Rating System, based on best international practice and incorporating the World Handicap System. This system is designed to encourage as many golfers as possible to obtain a handicap; to enable golfers of differing abilities to play and compete on a fair and equitable basis on any course around the world; and be easy to understand and implement without sacrificing accuracy or integrity. This will be overseen by a National Handicapping and Course Rating Committee consisting of highly experienced people who will ensure consistency of practice and good communication with clubs. This National Committee will have two sub committees: 1) National Handicap Sub-Committee and 2) USGA Course Rating Sub-Committee; charged with regulating and overseeing Handicapping and Course Rating respectively. Under Golf Ireland, Handicapping and Course Rating will be an improved follow on from the system currently operating in the GUI/ILGU. 14

17 Regional Course Rating teams will be trained in the Course Rating System which is designed to ensure that the rating of a course relates properly to the ratings of other courses. A USGA Course Rating, based on the performance of scratch golfers, together with the Bogey Rating based on the performance of bogey golfers, provides for a Slope Rating. Handicapping and Course Rating at club level will require an education programme regarding the Slope Rating System. Under this system each player will be allocated a Handicap Index which adjusts up or down as the player s game changes. A Handicap Index is portable from course to course as well as from one set of tees to another, as a player converts a Handicap Index to a Course Handicap based on the Slope Rating of the tees played. It is also proposed that men and women start working together on handicapping and that each mixed gender club should have a mixed gender handicap committee. Championships Golf Ireland will hold attractive and well-run championships and inter-club competitions across a range of playing abilities. A National Championships Committee will be formed to set national strategy and policy guidelines in relation to all championships and inter-club competitions, with regional championship committees taking responsibility for delivering these guidelines in their regions. The National Championship Committee will be responsible for: Forming a new and integrated calendar of events following a rationalisation review. Bringing together the current GUI and ILGU Inter-Club National Finals. Modifying the ILGU District Championship structure to ensure that equivalent events are scheduled in Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster. Introducing a new Championship for girls alongside the existing boys under 16 and under 14 championships. Introducing a medal competition for males, similar in format to the ILGU s Medal Competition. This is in recognition of the appeal that the ILGU Medal Competition has for club golfers at all levels. Reconfiguring existing inter-club competitions that have a specific geographical connection within the regional structure; the transition to Golf Ireland will require further work in this area. Introducing standardised uniform and equipment for referees so that referees are instantly recognised by players and spectators alike and can carry out all of the duties required. Ensuring compliance throughout the organisation with the Rules of Amateur Status. High Performance As far as is practicable, Golf Ireland s national High Performance (HP) programme will be a joint programme for male and female players. The competitive element of the HP Programme will be separate by virtue of the separate events (team and individual) for male and female players. The coaching element of the HP Programme will be split into regional and national programmes. The regional programme will be mixed, in that it will allow female players who are on the periphery of the HP Programme to access coaching and services together with male players in the regional development centres. The national HP Programme will be led by two coaches one who will work with the female players and the other with the male players. It would not be feasible for a single coach to become sufficiently familiar with all of the male and female players in the national squads. It is vitally important for the national coaches to build relationships with the players to help them achieve their best particularly during team events. Despite having different coaches, male and female highperformance training sessions can take place simultaneously, allowing for male and female players to mix, particularly during on-course sessions and meal times. Ensuring Environmental Sustainability We have identified environmental sustainability as a crucial area for attention and acknowledge that golf needs to do more. The R&A has made substantial strides in leading golf towards environmental sustainability and it has programmes that are available to Golf Ireland to support clubs in this area. Golf Ireland will also utilise the services of The Golf Environment Organisation (GEO), funded by the European Golf Association (EGA) to help clubs promote cost effective sustainability and promote golf s positive environmental story. Rules Golf Ireland will maintain the acknowledged high standards that GUI and ILGU have set in the delivery of rules across all championships and inter-club competitions. A National Rules Committee will be formed to set national strategy and policy guidelines in relation to rules, with regional rules committees taking responsibility for delivering these guidelines in their regions. The National Rules Committee will be responsible for: Setting standards for rules officials at national, regional and club level to an internationally recognised standard. Recruiting and retaining referees at all levels. Creating pathways for rules officials to move from club level to national/international level, with appropriate training at all levels. Allocating rules officials to national and international events. Setting policy for dealing with rules queries from affiliate clubs and club members at national and regional level. 15

18 GOLF IRELAND 16

19 GOLF IRELAND 4. Making the Transition to Golf Ireland Assuming a yes vote on the 17th of November the Transition Period will commence immediately thereafter. The Transition Period will extend from then until the first AGM of Golf Ireland at which all positions as set out in the Articles of the company will be filled by a vote of the member clubs. For this to happen the Regional structure, as set out in the Proposal agreed by the Boards, will have to be in place with the Regional Directors nominated prior to the AGM. While the process of creating the structure is ongoing a parallel process of creating the organisation will also be in train. The transition will be managed by a Transitions Team appointed by the Boards. Creating the Structure Golf Ireland will mirror much of what is already in place at the GUI and the ILGU, a professional organisation supported by and ultimately accountable to its member clubs and volunteers. The primary focus of the Transitions Team will be on creating the Regions by recruiting volunteers, developing Terms of Reference, Rules and agreeing Zones etc. It will also interact with clubs in adapting to the new governing body. At national level the focus will be on creating the Board structure as set out in the Articles. Creating the Organisation The objective is to take the best of the ILGU and the GUI and create a single national governing body which will administer golf on the island of Ireland. The key to this process will be the appointment of a CEO for Golf Ireland who will work with the Transitions Team. The pace at which this person can drive the creation of the new organisation will be influenced by whether the appointment is internal or external and how soon they can be recruited. The agreed Proposal sets out a recommended structure for Golf Ireland and it is only as these roles are filled that the shape of the organisation will evolve. The objective is to put in place an organisation that can deliver the services, run the competitions and prepare teams as set out in the Proposal. The GUI and the ILGU will continue to operate throughout the Transition Period but once a CEO is appointed the process of transferring personnel and functions into Golf Ireland will commence. The ideal scenario would be that by the time of the first AGM all aspects of Golf Ireland would be in place and the dissolution of the GUI and the ILGU would then come into effect. All this will take considerable time. The current target date for the first AGM and Regional meetings is the final quarter of 2020 with a formal go live date of the 1st January

20 A: Historical Financial Schedules GUI Income and Expenditure, 2016 and 2017 ILGU Income and Expenditure, 2016 and 2017 Income Member subscriptions 2,747,703 3,087,878 Grants 473, ,185 Sponsorship 179, ,650 Competitions 349, ,746 Other 274, ,394 Total 4,025,711 4,324,853 Income Member subscriptions 1,032,087 1,011,517 LGU Capitation Fee -103, ,512 Grants 235, ,780 Sponsorship 39,271 39,091 Competitions 154, ,502 Other 29,669 33,512 Total 1,387,670 1,418,890 Expenditure Administration 1,542,075 1,571,062 Training 663, ,008 International Matches 330, ,000 Competitions 515, ,672 Office Expenses 223, ,592 General Expenses (including depreciation) 971, ,083 Grant to CGI 200, ,000 Exchange (see note 1) 107, 338-6,505 Total 4,554,353 4,165,912 Surplus/(deficit) (528,642) 158,941 Expenditure Administration 544, ,405 Training 232, ,002 International Matches 180, ,029 Competitions 217, ,536 Office Expenses 70,455 63,120 General Expenses (including depreciation) 270, ,544 Grant to CGI 50,000 50,000 Exchange (see note 1) 98,527 17,373 Total 1,665,011 1,423,009 Surplus (deficit) (277,341) (4,119) 18

21 CGI Income and Expenditure, 2016 and 2017 Income Grants 503, ,881 Grant, GUI and ILGU 250, ,000 Other 7,159 37,731 Total 760, ,612 GUI, ILGU and CGI: combined Income and Expenditure, 2016 and 2017 Income Member Subscriptions 3,779,790 4,099,395 LGU Capitation Fee -103, ,512 Grants 1,462,281 1,473,846 Sponsorship 219, ,741 Expenditure Administration 427, ,074 Office Expenses 30,853 27,912 General Expenses (including depreciation) 165, ,054 Team Ireland 196, ,365 Exchange (see note 1) 21,144-5,383 Total 842, ,022 Surplus (deficit) (81,886) 48,590 Competitions 504, ,248 Other 310, ,637 Total 6,173,544 6,539,355 Expenditure Administration 2,514,564 2,427,541 Training 896, ,010 International Matches 511, ,029 Competitions 733, ,208 Office Expenses 324, ,624 General Expenses (including depreciation, see note 2) 1,407,403 1,277,681 Team Ireland 196, ,365 Grants GUI/ILGU to CGI 250, ,000 Exchange (see note 1) 227,009 5,485 Total 7,061,413 6,335,943 Surplus (deficit, see note 3) (887,869) 203,412 NOTES 1: Exchange losses: The significant exchange loss in 2016 was driven by the sharp fall in the value of sterling following the decision by the UK to leave the European Union. 2: Exceptional expenditure in 2016: Exceptional expenditure in 2016 includes costs associated with the proposed Golf Ireland, the hosting of the World Amateur Team Championships and maintenance and hosting of Golfnet. 19

22 3: From deficit to surplus: There is a net improvement of almost 1.1m year over year which is primarily due to the GUI increase in subscription rates in 2017 plus favourability in practically all areas of spend. Membership Numbers Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) Men 130, ,097 Juniors 18,722 16,787 Total (GUI) 149, ,884 Historical Balance Sheets The balance sheets of GUI, ILGU and CGI show that the organisations are strong, stable and financially viable. GUI Fixed assets 5,058,407 4,669,356 Investments 1,120,628 1,120,780 Current Assets 2,628,708 2,888,792 Current Liabilities -651, ,048 Net Assets 8,156,376 8,060,880 Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) Ladies 35,941 35,665 Juniors 3,647 3,349 Total (ILGU) 39,588 39,014 Total (GUI and ILGU) 188, ,898 NOTE Membership generally continues to decline however the rate of decline has slowed somewhat which is due in no small way to the success of Get Into Golf Programmes provided by CGI. Adult male membership showed a net decline of 2.6% and adult female membership showed a decline of 0.77% year on year. The greater concern is in the rate of decline in junior golf membership with boys showing a drop of 10% and girls showing a drop of 8%, year on year. This highlights the need for change in how we target, attract and retain younger members. ILGU Fixed assets 1,494,723 1,457,824 Investments - - Current Assets 2,396,618 2,413,660 Current Liabilities -158, ,161 Net Assets 3,732,958 3,740,323 CGI Fixed assets 51, ,955 Investments - - Current Assets 272, ,358 Current Liabilities -403, ,064 Net Assets -79,343-30,751 GUI, ILGU, CGI combined Fixed assets 6,605,091 6,207,135 Investments 1,120,628 1,120,780 Current Assets 5,297,417 5,598,810 Current Liabilities -1,213,145-1,156,273 Net Assets 11,809,991 11,770,452 20

23 GOLF IRELAND B: Presidential Rotation in Golf Ireland The Office of President of Golf Ireland The President of Golf Ireland will hold office for one year. The President Elect will succeed the President after his/her year of office. The Presidency will alternate annually by gender. A nomination for the post of President Elect will come from the relevant region. No member of the Regional Executive can be nominated for the post of President Elect. If a member of the Regional Executive seeks the nomination for President Elect, he/she must step down as a member of the Executive before being eligible for nomination by the Regional Executive to this post. Honorary Life Members Honorary life members will have a role in helping the incumbent President carry out the full range of his/her duties during his/her year of office. A Presidential support team will also be in place and this team will include the President Elect and all past Presidents of Golf Ireland, GUI and ILGU. This support team will be assisted by the Chairs of the Regional Executives of Golf Ireland, as deemed appropriate. Eight-year Cycle Over an eight-year cycle the nomination of a Male and Female across each region, will be achieved in the following manner: Year 1 President, Male from Region 1 President Elect, Female from Region 2 Year 2 President, Female from Region 2 President Elect, Male from Region 3 Year 3 President, Male from Region 3 President Elect, Female from Region 4 Year 4 President, Female from Region 4 President Elect, Male from Region 2 Year 5 President, Male from Region 2 President Elect, Female from Region 1 Year 6 President, Female from Region 1 President Elect, Male from Region 4 Year 7 President Male, from Region 4 President Elect, Female from Region 3 Year 8 President, Female from Region 3 President Elect, Male from Region 1 Thereafter, the cycle repeats. 21

24 C: The Board of Golf Ireland The first full Board of Golf Ireland will be appointed by a Nominations Committee. The Nominations Committee will consist of four people nominated from the Boards of the ILGU and the GUI, two from each organisation and a fifth member who will be appointed as Chair. Members of the Nominations Committee cannot be contenders for membership of the Board of Golf Ireland. The process of appointing the Chair will involve a shortlist of candidates being drawn up, following consultation with Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland. The Boards of the GUI and the ILGU shall agree their chosen candidate from those shortlisted. The nominees may, but are not required, to be members of the Boards of both organisations. Composition of the Board The Board of Golf Ireland will have thirteen Directors, including the Chair, the President and the President Elect. All Board members will be entitled to vote. The Chair will still have the casting vote, in addition to his/her individual vote. There will be a minimum of four male and four female members of the Board. No member of staff may be a Board member. The CEO may attend Board meetings in accordance with the memorandum/articles of the company. The Chair The Chair will be appointed for a term of four years, which may be followed by a further term of two years. The President The President will serve for a term of one and the year and will be succeeded by the President President Elect Elect the following year. Members One member will be nominated by each of the four regions (four regional members in total), to serve for a term of four years (regional members). In each of the first three years, one regional member will be required to resign to initiate and maintain the gender rotation of members. Six appointed Board Directors with specific skills will be recruited to serve for a term of four years, which may be followed by a further term of two years. Normally, these appointed members will be members of golf clubs, although this will not be an explicit requirement. In each of the first three years, two appointed Board Directors will be required to resign to initiate and maintain the rotation of members. Volunteers in Golf Ireland, along with members of affiliate clubs and others, from across the country, are eligible to apply for nomination. Transitional requirements will be agreed for the first Board. In every year, the President and at least one regional member and one appointed member will retire from office. Skills audits will be carried out to determine the specific skills required for membership of the Board. All appointments to the Board, except those nominated by the regions, must be approved by the Nominations Committee and agreed at the AGM of Golf Ireland. Elections for positions on the Board will take place annually at the Golf Ireland AGM. Rotation of Regional Board Members The gender balance for Regional Board Directors will be one male, one female and two others, who may be male or female. The rotation for regional nominees rotation is as follows: Years 1 to 4 Years 5 to 8 Years 9 to 12 Years 13 to 16 Region 4 male Region 1 male Region 2 male Region 3 male Region 2 female Region 3 female Region 4 female Region 1 female Region 1 / Region 3 Either male or female Region 2 / Region 4 Either male or female Region 3/ Region 1 Either male or female Region 4 / Region 2 Either male or female Gender Balance on the Board Following the election of the President, the President Elect and the regional nominees, there will be at least two males and two females on the Board. It is then the responsibility of the Nominations Committee to ensure that a minimum of two further males and two further females are selected either as appointed Board Directors or as Regional Directors (if some of the regional positions remain to be filled). All appointments are to be carried out based on the best person for the job unless the Golf Ireland gender quota (30% female, 30% male, 40% either) is required to be applied. The term appointed in this context is intended to mean not a current Director of the Board of Golf Ireland, a current member of a Regional Executive and is subject to a vote at the AGM of Golf Ireland. 22

25 D: Golf Ireland Staffing Structure The graphic below shows the expected staffing structure of Golf Ireland. Chief Executive Head of Finance/ Academy Manager Office Manager CE Support/ Admin Mobile Driver Finance Admin Executive Head of Communications and Marketing Digital/Social Media Executive Content Writer Head of Championships Rules/ Handicapping/ USGA Executive Tournament Director Tournament Administrator High Performance Programme Manager High Performance Admin Head of Participation/ Club Support Participation Officers x4 Club Support Officers X4 Women & Girls Co-ordinator Safeguarding/ Volunteer Manager Regional Managers x4 Staff per region (appropriate to size of region) Safeguarding Admin E: Golf Ireland Regional Executives The following is a summary of the composition of the Golf Ireland Regional Executives: Position Term Gender balance Chair Maximum term of four years. At least one of the three Regional Officers must be male and one female. Secretary Term of four years can serve a further term of two years. Treasurer Term of four years can serve a further term of two years. Executive Members Eleven members (eight from the zones & three others from the entire region) term of four years. May serve a second four-year term if re-elected. In every year, a minimum of one-quarter of the executive members must retire from office. The maximum term of office on the Regional Executive is ten years six years as an ordinary member and four years as an officer. At least four of the eleven executive members must be male and four females. Regional Board Nominee Shall be an ex officio member of the Regional Executive while a Director of the Board of Golf Ireland and shall be entitled to attend but not to vote at meetings of the Regional Executive. Regional Officers Chair, Secretary and Treasurer A member may serve a maximum of 6 years before being nominated as a Regional Officer. 23

26 GOLF IRELAND Elections to the Regional Executives Elections to the Regional Executives will take place at the Regional AGMs. Candidates shall be nominated by clubs and voting at elections shall be in accordance with the system set out on pages 10 and 11, titled Club Voting in Golf Ireland. Support Teams for Regional Zones To properly service clubs, each person elected to the respective Regional Executive from a zone within that region, may have a support team to assist them in servicing clubs in that zone. This composition of the team will be decided by the Regional Executive and shall include people with expertise in areas such as Handicapping, Junior Golf, Course Rating, Rules and the administration of Championships and inter-club Matches. Rotation of the Regional Executives Members; Chair (C), Secretary (s), Treasurer (T) & Executive Members (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11) Officers Chair, Secretary & Treasurer Year 1 term in brackets Chair (4-years), Secretary (4-years), Treasurer (2-years) all elected Executive Members; no s 1 to 3 (1 year), 4 to 6 (2 years), 7 to 9 (3 years), 10 to 12 (4 years) all elected Year 2 Chair, Secretary & Treasurer in post Executive Members; no s 1 to 3 for re-election, 4 to 11 in post Year 3 Chair in post, Secretary in post, Treasurer to be re-elected Executive Members; no s 1-3 in post, 4 to 6 for re-election, 7 to 11 in post Year 4 Chair, Secretary, Treasurer all in post Executive Members; 1 to 6 in post, 7 to 9 to be elected, 10 to 12 in post Year 5 Chair to be elected, Secretary to be elected, Treasurer in post Executive Members 1 to 9 in post, 10 to 12 to be elected, etc. 24 This assumes that an existing Regional Officer, when due for election, is not replaced by an existing member, as and when this occurs the member is to be replaced by an individual with a new 4-year term. All Regional Executives will be newly established, and all positions will be open to current and future volunteers. Voting for each position will occur one by one with the best person for the job getting the position. If the gender balance is not achieved using this method, then the final positions would need to appoint the best male/female candidate to achieve the correct balance. This will require clear thinking on the night of the election and some forward planning to ensure that sufficient candidates of both genders are in the nomination listing.

27 GOLF IRELAND 25

28 All queries should be directed to W onegoverningbody.com 26