Five motions were passed at the Golfing Union of Ireland's Annual General Meeting at Carton House today. Several related to handicapping and a proposal by the Munster Branch that "no player can receive more than twenty point ones (0.1's) from qualifying competitions during a calendar year," was carrier and will now be proposed by the GUI to CONGU.

The Leinster Branch also succeeded in its proposal that "in order to be eligible to compete in all Singles Qualifying Competitions at an Away Club, with the exception of all events listed in No. 6 of the Union Bye Laws, a Member of a GUI Affiliated Golf Club must have competed in at least three Singles Qualifying Competitions at his Home Club on or after 1st January in the previous calendar year."

The following motions were passed: 

1. Proposed by the Executive Committee 

That Rule 23.1 of the Constitution be amended to read: 

“No person, unless he conforms with the “Rules of Amateur Status” for the time being approved by the R & A and is a member for whom the GUI and Provincial Subscriptions have been paid by the Club in the current year or is an Honorary Member of that Club, shall be eligible to represent such Club at a Branch Meeting or to be elected a Branch Officer, a member of the Provincial Council, an Honorary Delegate to Provincial Council, an officer of the GUI or a member of the Council. If any question arises as to whether or not a person conforms with the said Rules the matter shall be referred to the Executive Committee whose decision thereon shall be final.” 

 

2. Proposed by the Executive Committee 

That Rule 11.2-11.7 be amended to read: 

11.2 Forward the proposed draft Constitution and the other documents to GUI Headquarters so that the Executive Committee can satisfy itself that the Constitution and documents comply with the provisions of the Constitution of the GUI. 

11.2.1 On being advised by the Constitution Review Committee that the proposed Constitution and other documents are in order, the relevant Provincial Council shall visit and inspect: 

11.2.1.1 the course or links to ascertain if it warrants the allocation of a Standard Scratch Rating in compliance with Sub-Clause 10.2.1 

11.2.1.2 the clubhouse facilities in compliance with 10.2.2. 

11.3 On being satisfied that the application is in order and is not contrary to the best interests of another affiliated Golf Club having use of the same facilities and having received a favourable report from the relevant Provincial Council, the Executive Committee shall notify the applicant that it is prepared to accept the application for membership and grant affiliation forthwith. 

[….] 

11.5 The Central Council will formally ratify the decision of the Executive Committee at its next meeting and the Club will be entered in the GUI records as an affiliated Golf Club. 

11.6 If the Executive Committee rules that an applicant club should not be admitted to membership it shall notify its decision in writing as soon as possible to the applicant which may appeal to Central Council whereupon the matter shall be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of Central Council for its consideration and the applicant shall be notified in writing of the time and place at which the meeting is to be held and shall be invited to send not more than three representatives to such meeting. 

Having considered the report of the Executive Committee and such representations as shall have been made on behalf of the applicant, Central Council shall either confirm the ruling of the Executive Committee or reverse such ruling and admit the applicant 

to membership subject, if Central Council considers necessary, to such conditions as Central Council may impose. The decision of the Central Council shall be final. 

11.7 Any club applying for membership of the GUI makes its application in the knowledge that it has no entitlement to membership and must accept that, if its application is refused by the Executive Committee, the outcome of the appeal to Central Council shall be final. 

 

3. Proposed by the Leinster Provincial Council 

In order to be eligible to compete in all Singles Qualifying Competitions at an Away Club, with the exception of all events listed in No. 6 of the Union Bye Laws, a Member of a GUI Affiliated Golf Club must have competed in at least three Singles Qualifying Competitions at his Home Club on or after 1st January in the previous calendar year. 

Motive: 

The CONGU UHS requires each player to return three cards at their Home Club to be allocated a handicap. In addition to this initial requirement a further fundamental basis of the UHS is that every player will return a sufficient number of Qualifying Scores to provide reasonable evidence of current ability. Thus, by returning a minimum of three Qualifying Scores at his Home Club, annually, the player's Handicap Committee and peer information will better contribute to keeping the player's handicap under review leading to a more equitable handicapping system. 

If passed, this motion may result in increased participation by players in Qualifying Competitions at the Home Club as players will have to compete in at least three such competitions to ensure that they are eligible to compete in Open Qualifying Competitions at Away Clubs. However delegates should also weigh the extent to which this may result in a reduction in the number of golfers competing in Open Qualifying Competitions at Away Clubs. 

If passed, this motion will become effective on 1st January 2015. 

*The GUI will provide guidance to Clubs on how this motion is to be implemented. 

 

4. Proposed by the Munster Provincial Council 

That CONGU UHS clause 20.4 be amended effective from January 1st 2016 

Current CONGU clause 20.4 

Subject to the provisions of clauses 18.4 and 18.5 , if a player returns a score with a Nett Differential above his Buffer Zone (including clause 19 adjustment if applicable) or records a No Return his exact handicap is increased by 0.1. 

Proposed amended CONGU clause 20.4 

Subject to the provisions of clauses 18.4 and 18.5, if a player returns a score with a Nett Differential above his Buffer Zone (including clause 19 adjustment if applicable) his exact handicap is increased by 0.1. 

If a player fails to return a scorecard his exact handicap shall not be adjusted. 

If a player fails to complete the stipulated course, or returns an incomplete scorecard without providing an adequate explanation deemed to be acceptable to the handicap committee his exact handicap shall not be adjusted. 

If a player records a No Return in a stroke play competition but has completed the stipulated course and returned a completed scorecard his score shall be adjusted in accordance with the provisions of clause 19 and his exact handicap shall be adjusted accordingly 

Motive: 

Under the current system (CONGU clause 20.4) Golfers can enter qualifying competitions and be automatically awarded a 0.1 increase in handicap if they; 

· Fail to tee off at all 

· Leave the course early after playing only a few holes 

· Return an incomplete scorecard 

· Fail to hand in a scorecard 

· Fail to record or enter the score in the computer 

It is our view that the automatic upward adjustment in the above circumstances has the potential to facilitate handicap building and, in such cases, goes against the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play inherent in golf. 

We propose the CONGU UHS be altered to eliminate the automatic awarding of 0.1 for No Returns and to only award 0.1 in the event of completion of the stipulated round and return of a completed scorecard. Provision can be made in the event that a player has to discontinue his round of golf so long as a satisfactory reason acceptable to the Handicap Committee is provided. 

*The changes required in this motion will now be proposed by the GUI to CONGU. 

 

5. Proposed by the Munster Branch 

Would like to submit the following amended motion to call on CONGU to introduce the following change in the handicap system that would take effect from the 1st January 2016. 

"That no player can receive more than twenty point ones (0.1's) from qualifying competitions during a calendar year". 

*The change required in this motion will now be proposed by the GUI to CONGU.

 

 GOLFING UNION OF IRELAND 

Union Officers, Committees & Representatives 2014 

Union Officers 

President L. Martin 

President-Elect M. Connaughton 

Hon. Secretary A. Lee 

Hon. Treasurer R.R. McClure 

Executive Committee 

L. Martin (President), M. Connaughton (President-Elect), A. Lee (Hon. Secretary), R. McClure (Hon. Treasurer), J. McGovern (Chairman, Connacht Branch), K. McIntyre (Chairman, Leinster Branch), J. Moloughney (Chairman, Munster Branch), P. Sinclair (Chairman, Ulster Branch), M. Heaney (Hon. Secretary, Connacht Branch), J. Ferriter (Hon. Secretary, Leinster Branch), J. Long (Hon. Secretary, Munster Branch), E. O’Connor (Hon. Secretary, Ulster Branch), I McCandless (Immediate Past President). 

Finance Committee 

President, Union Officers, Trustees, M. Evans, (Connacht), J. McNamara (Leinster), M.J. Murphy (Munster), J. White (Ulster). 

C.O.N.G.U. Representatives J. Clancy, J. Mooney 

S.T.R.I. Representative B. Dunne 

E.G.A. Representative R. McClure 

Irish Senior & Youths Team Captain P. Hogan 

Boys Captain R. Archibald 

Seniors Captain T. Goode 

Junior Golf Committee 

M.J. Murphy (Convenor), Union Officers, Junior Selection Committee, D. Murphy, J. Durcan, J. McKinstry, P. English. 

Championship Committee 

General Secretary (Convenor), J. Mooney (Connacht), N. McLoughlin (Connacht), J. Duggan (Connacht), J. Long (Leinster), J. McNamara (Leinster), K. Raftery (Leinster), T. Donnelly (Munster), L. Harkin (Munster), B. Lynch (Munster), J. Boyd (Ulster), B. Hutchinson (Ulster), D. Heaney (Ulster). 

S.S.S. & Handicapping Committee 

J. Mooney (Convenor), Union Officers, CONGU Reps, N. McLoughlin (Connacht), M. Heaney (Connacht), H. Lee (Leinster), J. Ferriter (Leinster), P. Dunne (Munster), L. Harkin (Munster), N. Bennett, D. McNeill (Ulster). 

Venues & Fixtures Committee 

J. O’Donoghue (Convenor), Union Officers, N. McSweeney (Connacht), E. Lonergan (Connacht), J. McNamara (Leinster), T. Thompson (Leinster), L. Harkin (Munster), K. Walsh (Munster), D. Montague (Ulster), K. Stevens (Ulster). 

Rules of Golf / Amateur Status Committee 

T. Donnelly (Convenor), Union Officers, M. Evans (Connacht), C. Maguire (Leinster), B. Lynch (Munster), D. Irwin (Ulster). 

Irish Senior & Youths Selection Committee 

P. Hogan (Convenor/Team Captain), J. Carroll, T. Goode, N. MacSweeney, J. White. 

Irish Junior Selection Committee 

R. Archibald (Convenor/Team Captain), C. McConn, A. Marsden, J. Long, A. Gibson. 

Irish Seniors’ Selection Committee 

T. Goode (Convenor/Team Captain), T. Basquille, B. Doyle, B. Hutchinson, S. O’Leary. 

Greenkeeper & Ecology Committee 

B. Dunne (Convenor), Union Officers, R. Canavan (Connacht), J. McGrath (Leinster), M.P. Murphy (Munster), E. O’Connor (Ulster). 

Constitution Committee 

I. McCandless (Convenor), Union Officers, T. Basquille (Connacht), J. Ferriter (Leinster), E. Brick (Munster), T. Jones (Ulster). 

High Performance Committee 

J. White (Convenor), Union Officers, Irish Team Captain, Irish Boys Captain, Convenor Junior Golf, S. Fitzgerald (Connacht), J. Long (Leinster), P. Cooney (Munster), B. Edwards (Ulster). 

Honorary Delegates 

S. Smith, D. Benson, C. Madigan, M. Burns, T. Jones. 

Trustees 

F.W. Perry (Connacht), W. Skelton (Leinster), J.V. Lynch (Munster), R. Bell (Ulster). 

Auditor: 

W.J. Miscampbell