SOUTH-WEST REGIONAL CLUB FORUM - Scottish Golf host event at West Kilbride and introduce recent appointees from Ayrshire

The Scottish Golf South-West Regional Club Forum was held on the afternoon of Thursday the 3rd of April at West Kilbride GC where club and area representatives present were updated on the work of, and recent developments within, Scottish Golf.

The event was hosted by Scottish Golf Regional Development Manager Glenn Hays.

The presentations included a review of the Scottish Golf  AGM business, by Ian McFarlane from Scottish Golf, who reported on membership figures for the 568 affiliated clubs, which showed an increase in junior boys participation, a slight increase in junior girls and a decrease in women’s membership.

In the South-West region, the per capita total of playing members was 21,243 which showed an increase of 16% in junior playing members, but a decrease of 1.8% in male playing members and a decrease of 5.8% in female playing members.

There were also presentations from Glenn Hays on his remit and issues highlighted by clubs, including attracting new members to women’s clubs and local communication between clubs, West Kilbride General Manager Stuart Fairgrieve on his first years’ experience at the club and the positive steps taken to reverse previous financial issues, club PGA Professional Lyndsey Dye on her positive work through the love.golf programme at the club to engage with new women golfers and develop them towards club membership,  Liam Barn , head of consultancy at Players first, a provider of  survey facilities to various sports clubs and bodies and Claire Middleton of the Club Managers Association Europe (Scotland).

Malachy Ryan

During the meeting Malachy Ryan of Annanhill Golf Club who has recently been appointed as the first of two South-West regional representatives to the newly formed Scottish Golf Regional Sub-Committee was introduced the the club representatives present.

Malachy gave a short resume of his golfinvolvement and business experience, which he hopes to use to the benefit of the clubs in the South-West region.

Rory Abercrombie

Also introduced to the representatives present was 17 year old Rory Abercrombie of Annanhill GC who was recently selected as one of the first group to be enrolled in the Scottish Golf Young Leaders programme. Rory gave a short resume of the projects he has been involved in since the programme comence earlier in the year, and outlined projects that the group were working towards developing in the coming season.