President banned from Sleaford Golf Club

A member of Sleaford Golf Club who was about to take over the club’s presidency has been banned from the club for three years following allegations of cheating during a club competition.

Earlier this year three members of Sleaford Golf Club said they saw Richard Tacey, 73, who has captained the Lincolnshire club twice during his 45 years as a member, kicking his ball out from behind a tree in a monthly medal.

A three-man disciplinary committee was set up and Mr Tacey stated to it that he could have accidentally made contact with the ball while he was kicking pine cones away. However, he was found guilty and the disciplinary committee recommended that he receive a three-month Sleaford Golf Club exclusion and a one-year ban from its competitions.

However, an executive golf committee opted to impose a three-year ban on him.

Mr Tacey appealed against the length of the ban, which meant an EGM was called, where more than 70 percent of the club’s members who attended voted for the ban to remain at three years.

Spokesmen for both parties in the dispute have told Golf Club Management that Mr Tacey had ‘made enemies’ during his time at the club – some seniors, for instance, were unhappy with his attempts to abolish the concessions they receive on their subscriptions, one of the most contentious issues in golf today.

Mr Tacey’s son said his father has now ended his involvement in golf.

A club statement said: ‘The member was allowed the right of appeal, which was heard at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members and his peers. The member’s appeal was rejected by the overwhelming majority of the members present, which totalled in excess of 200.’