Golf in Queensland has taken a huge leap forward with Women&aposs Golf Queensland and the Queensland Golf Union deciding to amalgamate into one unified body. At separate AGM s, the members of both organisations voted unanimously to support the unification of the sport which will now occur on or around 1 July this year. The organisations will form a company called Golf Queensland to be the governing body for golf in Queensland. Barry Shepherd, President of the Queensland Golf Union said the occasion was a historic moment for the sport. I think it is a really important achievement for those involved and it was the result of hard work and careful planning, he said. Its logical in this day and age that there is one body for all golfers not just males or females. It was really pleasing to get across the board support for it from both sets of members. WGQ President Carmel Smith was delighted with the result and the impact it would have on golf in Queensland. I think this is a positive thing for all golfers in Queensland. Ultimately it helps us streamline our operating costs and put more money into the development of golf, which of course is our main charter, she said. We were a little nervous going in because you never know how a major vote will go, but we felt that we had done an enormous amount of work on it and communicated it well to the members. There are several new initiatives that are not featured in the existing structures including the ability of clubs to nominate potential directors and the appointment of two independent directors which will help to ensure the sport attracts a strong and balanced board. The CEO of the two existing entities, Stephen Pitt said the decision would have a range of important benefits for the sport. The thing we focused on over the past year was to ensure we adhered to good governance principles at all times, he said. Sometimes you have to compromise on that to get it through, but we feel like we genuinely were able to get support for a structure that will help drive golf forward in Queensland. The new entity will have around 76,000 members spread between 257 golf clubs in Queensland. For further information please contact: Stephen Pitt – Chief Executive Officer Women&aposs Golf Queensland and Queensland Golf Union – PH: (07) 3252 8155 or MOB: 0438 374 757
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