Rich River Golf Club has elected to become a member of Golf New South Wales

Posted on: 21 March


Rich River Golf Club has elected to become a member of Golf New South Wales instead of continuing its long-standing Golf Victoria membership.

Please CLICK HERE to read notification Letter from Mark Bamford Golf Development Senior Manager (Victoria)

Message from GMGA President

On Wednesday 20 March 2019 Golf Victoria announced by letter to all GMGA Clubs that Rich River Golf Club has affiliated with Golf NSW rather than re-affiliating with Golf Vic.

The “issue” of Rich River affiliating with Golf NSW and not Golf Vic has been under discussion for a few months now.  The decision (as described in the letter also posted on the GMGA Web site) will impact on the GMGA and Rich River members.

I want you to know that I have been involved in discussions and correspondence (to the highest level of Golf Vic) to try to reach another outcome.  However, it has happened and as President of GMGA I must now deal with the consequence.  

Without going into all and the varied details; for me and the GMGA Committee the outcome is final as there are two key points that govern us

  • Under the GMGA Rules of Association the GMGA is bound to “adopt and implement polices of Golf Victoria and Golf Australia
  • Under the Golf Vic Constitution “District means a district golf association representing Affiliated Clubs in a particular geographical area…..”

As Rich River is no longer affiliated with Golf Vic it cannot be in a Golf Vic district.

From now the Rich River club and its members can no longer participate in GMGA competitions, that is, pennant and specific events.  However, Rich River members can, and I hope do, participate in “open” events (mostly women’s) that are not restricted to GMGA Club members.

Also at this point in time I have two main hopes

  • That this all becomes a “blip” for about a year only and that soon Golf NSW join One Golf/Golf Aust and then State boundaries and State Affiliations can be done away with and Rich River can get back into GMGA
  • That Rich River achieve its main objective to get assistance for grants/loans for facility upgrades.

 

At a personal, Committee and I think a wider GMGA perspective one of the major ramifications and disappointments is that GMGA no longer has a Men’s Captain.  Graeme Stevens is a member of Rich River and as such can no longer continue as a member of the GMGA Committee and has resigned from his position as GMGA Captain.   Graeme has been a strength for our Association.  Without Graeme’s drive and perseverance the amalgamation of the two former Men’s and Women’s Districts may never have happened back in July 2017.  He has also been the organiser of pennant, events and many of the initiatives and developments that have occurred in recent times.  He has worked tirelessly as a member of the GMGA Executive.  We will all miss Graeme and owe him a big THANK YOU for his contribution to our Association and golf in this district over many years. 

Later this week to early next week, Women’s Captain Annie Beveridge will start to organise Women’s winter pennant.  In addition I will be sending information about the forthcoming Men’s and Women’s teams events  (14 April at Mooroopna), the Mixed Event (28 April at Valley View) and Men’s Winter Pennant to all clubs in the very near future.  

David Roberts

PRESIDENT


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