Sandy Jones joins England Golf board
By Alistair Dunsmuir
The long-running chief executive of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), Sandy Jones, has joined the board of England Golf.
England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England.
It has been a period of change for the organisation, as it was formed following the merger of the English Golf Union and the English Women’s Golf Association last year.
A few months after the merger its chief executive, John Petrie, resigned, and he has now been replaced by the former director of Derbyshire Sport, David Joy.
Jones has joined the existing 12 directors of the England Golf board as a co-opted member for at least the next two years.
The appointment suggests that the amateur and professional game will be working closely together over the coming months.
Jones commented: “I am delighted to have been asked to join the board of England Golf. This is a very exciting, as well as challenging, time for our game and I look forward to working with the England Golf team as they develop their future strategy to encourage more people to play golf and to inspire existing golfers to play more.”
David Joy added: “We are delighted that Sandy has agreed to serve on England Golf’s board. This step will further strengthen the excellent partnership which already exists between the PGA and England Golf, as we work together to develop golf in England.”
Nigel Evans, the chair of England Golf, also welcomed the news. “This is an innovative appointment and a very positive step for England Golf. Sandy will bring a different perspective and years of experience to our discussions as we begin to plan our new future,” he said.
Sandy Jones’s involvement with the PGA goes back over 34 years and he has led the association in its work to identify and support the needs of over 7,500 qualified member coaches worldwide in his role as chief executive since 1991.
By Alistair Dunsmuir
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I suppose PGA joining Englandgolf board has always been a formality but this is why GCMA needs to stand up and be counted.
I am quite sure there will be pressure on Bob Williams to join the England golf board too, probably along with UKGCOA.
We must never lose sight that GCMA represents golf club secretaries and no one else.
Every since Sport England starting handing out big chunks of cash to England golf, golf foundation ,PGA all of them are steadily turning their backs on the golfers who subscribe., and joining into one grey blob of the civil service.
I am quite sure there will be pressure for Bob (GCMA) to also join this board followed by UKGCO association as well.
There is no difference now between all these once noble golfing bodies: they all draw a substantial part of their pay from central government.
Such a position actually weakens golf for UK and leaves only market forces , followed by R&A, GCMA GCOA the only meaningful bodies in golf.
Do we really want Sport England and the wishes of government ministers (many of whom do not play or understand golf) to be in charge?
There is nothing these remaining bodies can do but we must all be aware that this is what is happening!!
A typical example of the outcome we should now expect was seen at a County Junior organisers meeting.
Due to excellent efforts of the county golf partnership in marketing, this event was better attended than any county JO meeting I have attended in the last 20 years.(usually about 60 people representing 25 clubs ,this year there were well over 100) .
Many of these honest volunteers were first timers :- they came seeking guidance on Bullying, dealing with pushy parents, how to organise golf for girls, how to negotiate with Golf Club commitees etc.
This has been the sort of agenda pursued in the past.
This time the whole meeting was taken over by the need to satisfy the demands of Sport England to seek out and train potential candidates for the male England squad. (Most of whom will turn pro and be lost to amateur golf membership)
The excellent speakers came from PGA, England golf partnership and county select squad.
When the floor asked “What about girls golf?” and “What about the vast majority of juniors who will never make the team, what are we doing for them, they are our future membership and mainstay of our clubs?”
The answer came back “There is no money for girls, there is no money for the average junior in this budget, you must ask elsewhere”. Im sure many of those good souls went home wondering why they came. Certainly that very point was discussed by the county golf union afterwards and was concerned for the support of their county JOs.
Those junior organisers were not asking for money: just cooperation and guidance. As a result , quite independently, 4 of our local clubs are “doing our own thing” and holding our own sessions monthly to encourage girls and average juniors.
It is a shame central government funding is affecting grass roots golf in exactly the opposite way of its intention, just so the right boxes can be ticked to ensure future funding for this newly emerging combined body growing increasingly distant from the average golf club member.
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