A policy is a board declson made ahead of time. Policies are used in a club to guide decision making and provide transparency. Irrespective of size. All golf clubs should adopt a series of basic policies and procedures.
Once policies are in place it is important that they are regularly reviewed and updated where needed.
Policies are only as good as the people who use them; the most common mistake made by clubs is not actively referring to their policy to guide decisions. Your club should ensure that all board/committee members, volunteers, staff and club members are aware of the relevant policies that impact on their participation.
Play by the Rules is an initiative promoting and reinforcing the messages of safety, fairness and inclusion on and off the sporting field. It provides a diverse range of information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of club participants, including administrators and officials. These tools can assist in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment and child safety issues at your club.
Refer to the Play by the Rules website for further information and helpful resources.
The following template which may be part of a series of policies will assist in developing a Member Protection Policy that aims to outline the responsible behaviour required to ensure a person’s right to be treated with respect and dignity, and to be protected from abuse are observed at all times.
A new Member Protection Policy was developed by Golf Australia in 2018.
The Member Protection Policy calls on all golf entities to promote a supportive and nurturing environment, maximising the enjoyment and health benefits that come from participation.
The Policy outlines expected standards of behaviour of people associated with golf, their legal and ethical rights and responsibilities, as well as provides guidance in incidents of discrimination, harassment and abuse.
An integral part of this Policy is the Child Protection Commitment Statement. The Statement consists of a set of principles and procedural benchmarks in relation to the protection of Children that all Golf Entities should have in place.
In early 2019, Golf Australia is developing guidelines to assist clubs in their implementation of the policy, particularly in relation to becoming a child safe entity.
The policy document is attached below this page.
Accessed also from the Golf Australia website at https://www.golf.org.au/policies, The Policy should be read, adopted and implemented at your golf entity in 2019.