AYRSHIRE WOMEN REJECT AMALGAMATION WITH MEN

The membership of the Ayrshire Ladies' County Golf Association has overwhelmingly rejected proposals to amalgamate with the men's Ayrshire Golf Association.

Shortly after the amalgamation of the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association in 2015, initial discussions took place between officials of the men's Area Association and the Ladies' County Association to investigate whether amalgamation of the two Ayrshire bodies would be a positive step, to form a middle tier administrative body in the county, representing all club golfers of both genders.

Discussions progressed over the intervening two years, which included liaison with clubs in the county with exclusively female members, by officials of both the men's and ladies' county administrations, to highlight the perceived benefits of the proposed amalgamation for all golfers in the county.

The Ayrshire Golf Association also arranged an information evening for the member clubs to seek the feeling of their membership regarding the proposed merger, which would have seen Ayrshire leading the way as the first all encompassing local golf administration for both genders in Scotland.

The Ayrshire Ladies' County Golf Association Captain, Liz Keohone (pictured left) and Vice captain Catherine Malcolm presented the concept of the proposed amalgamation to the individual female members of the ladies' county association at an extraordinary general meeting at Caprington Golf Club on Tuesday of this week, seeking their approval to progress the proposed amalgamation to a conclusion, but the overwhelming majority of the individual members present, estimated at around 50 ladies, voted against the proposal.

Ayrshire Golf Association Secretary Alasdair Malcolm commented:-

"It is disappointing that the members of the Ayrshire Ladies' County Golf Association felt unable to support the proposed amalgamation of the two bodies, which the Ayrshire Golf Association executive considered to be a positive progression to safeguard the golfers and golf clubs in the county and allow consolidation and positive development of the activities of both current bodies whilst also providing resilience to golf and amateur golf events in the county going forward".