The votes have been cast and the results are in.
Scotland's golf clubs have spoken - well, over half of them - and what they are saying is a hearty 'aye' to amalgamation.
It wasn't quite a referendum-style turn out but an independent poll on the subject of the proposed merger between the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) and the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association (SLGA) revealed that 97 per cent of the country's clubs, the lifeblood of the game in its historical cradle, are very much in favour of joining up. Scotland, one of only three nations in the world with separate governing bodies for amateur golf, is set for an act of union it seems. "This sends out a powerful message about what clubs want to help build a positive future for the game in Scotland," said Tom Craig, the chairman of the SGU.
The question the clubs were asked was simple, even if the wording of the long-winded question itself almost required you to strap on some breathing apparatus. You might turn blue reading this so fill your lungs. 'Should the SGU and SLGA amalgamate as detailed in the Official Proposal -Scottish Golf Amalgamation: Creating a single unified national governing body for amateur golf in Scotland?'
A total of 362 clubs, from across the SGU's 16 Areas, took part in the survey - an overall response of 58.1 per cent - with 351 voting 'yes' for the proposal and just 11 voting 'no'.
There will probably be pitch-fork wielding mobs marching on the SGU's headquarters at the Duke's course demanding the naming and shaming of 'the 11'. The top brass at Duddingston in Edinburgh went on record last week to say they would not be supporting the new proposal while the poll results showed a rejection of the paper from one club in the Glasgow union, four in Fife, two in Angus and one each in the Borders, the North East and the South.
Of course, this is not the final decision on a long, drawn out process. That will be taken at the SGU's extraordinary general meeting in Stirling on March 30. Forget the shenanigans at Rangers, this is the big EGM but it should be a mere formality. Officials of the 16 Areas, who represent the clubs, will make the ultimate vote that day and, given the overwhelming support for merger from the clubs themselves, you cannot see how they would go against the masses. In 2011, after much bickering and in-fighting, the first stab at a merger was voted down with a 10-6 majority from the Areas, even though the SLGA members had unanimously backed the proposal. Four years down the line, the tweaked and re-hashed document was once again given the thumbs up by the women - 204-0 in favour at a recent agm - and now it is up to the men to push the proposal through.
Response figures to the poll varied across the country. In the Borders, for instance, 81 per cent of clubs responded but in Stirlingshire and Renfrewshire it was 35 per cent and 34 per cent respectively. In these challenging times for clubs, the merger of the two governing bodies is probably not at the top of the list of priorities while a general apathy at club level has been a long standing problem. That the poll attracted a response of nearly 60 per cent of clubs, however, has provided a decent gauge of the general mood. "We expect that the poll will provide those charged with voting at the SGU egm with a clear mandate from their affiliated clubs," added Craig.
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