golfweloveit

During an Open at Muirfield one year I stayed in Edinburgh with a lovely local couple. Mr Castle was quite a character. He was a proud artisan golfer who loved telling stories about his group of friends whose greatest entertainment was outwitting Captain Paddy Harmer, the formidable Secretary and sneaking onto the links of Muirfield. Captain Harmer was no respecter of status in golf. He once shooed off Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson, who had returned to play a few more holes the night that Watson had won the Championship. What made Captain Harmer even more irate was that Polly and Linda were with Ben and Tom. And God forbid, they were walking on the greens in high heels.

These stories of people sneaking onto Muirfield to challenge the elitism and male only attitudes may become less now that the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers have decided to vote on allowing women members. It will be by postal ballot, to encourage more people to vote. This follows the decision of Open venue Royal St Georges to allow women in, alongside Royal Troon, this year’s Open venue who are also considering the issue. Finally, we are getting somewhere. It’s only taken this club 300 years.

Broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has waded into the row about the increase of membership fees at Wentworth Club. He says that The new owners, Reignwood Group,” have no regard for the feelings of the existing membership and have expected that most would go away quietly. They have misunderstood”.

The Wentworth Residents Association have instructed lawyers to look at all the legal options to clthe new conditions, which may be an injunction or Judicial Review. A letter to the Minister for Sport, Tracey Crouch, has brought a reply that although the Government are “disappointed” there is little they can do to resolve a private dispute.

Sir Michael Parkinson was invited to a meeting with Wentworth’s Chief Executive, Stephen Gibson where he accepted an offer to retain his membership without paying the new debenture fee, an offer open to members over the age of 75. Sir Michael no longer plays golf but his wife does so he is staying at the club so she can continue there. However he says some of their friends have made arrangements to move to other clubs.

The current 4,000 members have until the end of June to decide whether to remain at Wentworth. The new debenture can be paid in two instalments, due by the end of 2019. This debenture grants no equity in the club.The membership is expected to be reduced to 900. About 10% of the current golf membership are expected to remain. Stephen Gibson explains that Wentworth Club is in a state of decline and needs massive new investment to elevate it to being he best private golf and country club in the world.

Many would prefer it to remain as it is, hardly shabby and much loved.

The Royal and Ancient and the Ladies Golf Union are to merge from January 2017 it was announced today. After a period of consultation, the two St Andrews based organisations will integrate their staff at the beginning of next year. Until then all LGU Championships and matches will be run as normal by existing staff. The LGU’s Amateur Championships were losing money and the LGU’s Finance Director admitted it was not tenable in the current form, particularly as they will be hosting the Curtis Cup at Dun Laoghaire this Summer. The LGU and R and A will unite to encourage more young people to play golf.

Trish Wilson, the Chairman of the LGU, said, “The LGU has a long and proud tradition of supporting women’s and girls’ golf. Funded by the lady golfers of Great Britain and Ireland, the LGU has positioned golf as a game for all women and girls. My gratitude is due to our shareholders for their foresight and support in this move.

“I would like to thank the Chief Executive of The R&A and his team, and the foresight of his predecessor, for their initiative and conviction in achieving this outcome. Building on the strong relationship it already enjoys with The R&A, the LGU looks forward to realising the potential of this merger.”

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “The LGU and The R&A have a wealth of experience in running successful championships and we have a shared focus on supporting the development of golf. The merger will enable us to capitalise on the strengths of the two organisations for the wider benefit of the sport, including the development of golf for women and girls.

“This is a historic move and an important step forward for golf on these islands. I would like to thank the LGU Board for their commitment and enthusiasm throughout this process and their stakeholders, including Ricoh and IMG, for their tremendous support.”

Hideki Matsuyama is such an impressive golfer. He’s a battler, dogged and determined and at 23 years old is another of the young guns who are transforming golf at the top. His victory in Phoenix at the weekend, beating Rickie Fowler who is in supreme form. This will hopefully kick start the sport again in Japan which has been in serious decline. Matsuyama is refreshingly honest about the state of his game:

“I struggled all week with my game, but it really came around today and I was really pleased that it did,” said Matsuyama, who hadn’t won on the PGA Tour since the 2014 Memorial and now has eight worldwide wins. “I’m really happy that I won. Surprised and sad that Rickie finished that way, but all I can do is my best, and I was lucky to come out on top.

“I’m really happy. Really, really happy with the win. It’s been a while since the first one.”

While talks continue about a merger of the Asian and European Tours, the JGTO still want to retain their own tour, which has 25 events in 2016. This makes it stronger than the Asian and One Asia tours. Sandwiched between what will be an Asian Tour run by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of China run by the USPGA Tour, the Japanese are determined to keep their own identity. Their tour starts on April 17 as the weather is too cold to play there before, allowing time for their players to play in co-sanctioned events before to warm up. With Song Young-han beating Jordan Spieth in the Singapore Open last week the emergence of a new breed of young players from across the world can only be a great for the sport.

The Ryder Cup team from Medinah wish their Captain Jose Maria Olazabal Happy 50th birthday along with salutations from many friends. And Happy  Birthday to those with a birthday today too…

Very sorry to hear last week of the passing of Dave Renwick. He guided three players to major championship wins, Jose Maria Olazabal, 1994 Masters, Steve Elkington, 1995 PGA and two wins with Vijay Singh, 1998 PGA and 2000 Masters.

Veteran caddie Wobbly, Phil Morbey said, “You look at Dave’s record and you recognise he was the best of us”.

There will be a big turn out of the golfing fraternity for the funeral in West Lothian, Scotland tomorrow. Players, journalists and journalists recalling his successful and colourful life.

Rio Olympics golf organisers have a new challenge preventing the spread of the zika virus. They are taking advice from the World Health Organisation on how to prevent golfers and spectators contracting the disease because there are two standing water hazards on the new course built by Gil Hanse and Amy Allcott.

The disease is carried by mosquitoes who gravitate to standing water. There are two hazards, the larger lake dissects holes 2,3 and 5 and a smaller one on hole 10. Althouh the disease is not life threatening it does cause birth defects. 1.5 million people have already been infected in Brazil and with 500,000 visitors expected for the Rio Olympics urgent action is being taken to educate players and spectators, offering mosquito repellent and introducing movement to the still ponds.

Golf returns to the Olympics after 112 years Aug 11-14 for the mens event and Aug 17-20 for the womens event. A test event will be played over the newly built course at Barra dia Tijuana next month.

The Major of Rio de Janiero, Edoardo Paes has said about the golf event: “In Brazil I dont think there will be much of a legacy, It is not a sport people in Brazil are interested in, its not a popular sport in Brazil”.

However, the Head of the Rio Olympic Games, Carlos Nuzman disagrees: “There could be a big legacy. There are a lot of young kids who will want to participate it’s a big chance for golf to be developed in this part of the world”.

Women professional golfers are concerned about the situation. LPGA Chief Executive Heather Daly Donofrio said they were closely monitoring the situation and working with the IGF. Lydia Ko, the World Number 1 player says that “nothing would prevent her from competing in the Olympic Games and there are some things we cant control and are out of our hands”. However Azahara Munoz says “I would go anyway but I hope they deal with the situation bcause it’s scary”.

This week the Club Captain at Wentworth Club told the Financial Times ” I dont think the PGA Championship can go ahead at the moment in such an environment, such a situation”. Disturbing thoughts for the European Tour which also has its base at Wentworth.

The ongoing dispute has escalated between the Chinese owners of Wentworth and the existing members who are reeling at the impostion of a £100,000 debenture and annual fees of £16,000, twice the current fees. In a 15 page letter to the owners, it was said that “if residents are effectively excluded from the club they may be minded to refuse permission to close roads on Wentworth Drive. They mention that covenants in their deeds will allow them to object to grandstands, hoardings and the noise from the Saturday night rock concert. They may object to the disruption the roads closure causes them.

This could cause a logistical nightmare for the organisers. A spokesman for the Tour says that “it would be extremely unfortunate if the current dispute between Reignwood and Wentworth residents had effect on the BMW PGA which shows golf round the world and raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities”.

On February 6 1971 astonaut Alan Shepard hit a 6 iron on the surface of the moon. See the film here.

Martin Slumbers took office as Chief Executive of the Royal and Ancient last September and has just given his first major interview to BBC Sport. Here are the main points:

In the wake of the tennis betting scandal he said that the Royal and Ancient have no evidence of this happening in golf but they remain vigilant. “We are not complacent. Inappropriate betting undermines the sport. We are looking at the implications and keeping a close eye on it”. Currently all European Tour players and competitors in The Open sign a declaration preventing them from betting on golf.

He says that golf’s return to the Olympic Games this summer is a massive opportunity to grow the sport on a global scale. The exposure of the sport to hundreds of millions of people could lead to a long term surge in participation. As well as ensuring that they work alongside the International Golf Federation to ensure the event is a great success and then capitalise on that success beyond the event.

He says a major challenge which the R & A is tackling is making the game more relvant to younger people. He admits old fashioned stuffiness remains prevalent in the sport. He says that the rivalry between McIlroy and Fowler two weeks ago at the Abu Dhabi Championship was a great image for the game. The sport needs to be more relevant for younger people to come out and play.

With the European Tour this month relaxing its dress rules allowing players to play practice rounds in shorts, Martin Slumbers says this would ne something the R&A might consider in the future, but not for this year’s Open Championship.

He says “golf shouldn’t be frightened of making sure it is modern and relevant, but balancing that with preserving the history and integrity of the game”.