I FULLY appreciate Brian Chrystal's comments regarding golf clubs and their administration(Letters January 23) but I feel he takes too rosy a view in light of the current problems being experienced by our golf clubs.
I have played our great game for more than 50 years and have had the privilege of being a club member for the vast majority of that time.
I have been involved in amateur sport administration on a voluntary basis most of my life and a consistent feature of this time has been spent encouraging young people into sports. I have been greatly impressed by the work done in various sports, tennis and curling to name but two, to bring youngsters into their sport and importantly keep them in it. I do not believe that any sport has the complete answer and we can all learn from each other. The Scottish Government has done a great job with Clubgolf Scotland in introducing youngsters to the game.
However, the problem arises when these young people wish to join a club. In spite of Mr Chrystal's view, there are many clubs in Scotland who still see junior members as at best an inconvenience. It is difficult for a young person to gain access if the club gives preference to children of members to the exclusion of others for the often very limited number of junior memberships available.
The structure of many private clubs inadvertently acts as a barrier to young people with non golfing parents. I appreciate the dress code is set by the members but as the majority of them are retired or nearly retired I wonder if they appreciate the extra burden they place on families with limited income when they insist on a specific code of dress which is in many cases far from the normal wear of these young people.
Golf as a sport rightly prides itself on a high standard of integrity by those who play the game and I would never suggest that this should change, but as one who has played and been a member of golf clubs both here and abroad I have to say that I have witnessed shocking rudeness in the name of club rules between members of some Scottish golf clubs which would not be tolerated anywhere else. I would agree that clubs that allow this behaviour are in the minority but I would suggest it is a significant one and it is my contention that it is these clubs which are suffering currently. I have always believed in the credo manners maketh the man.
David Stubley,
22 Templeton Crescent,
Prestwick.
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