Reform the R&A?

[Anthony Gray]

Sponsored unaccustomed visits of friends are no longer permitted; a great shame in my opinion as they were appreciated by all.

Bob

So sorry to hear that.   I really enjoyed my two visits.   Was a reason given?

  To prevent selling of visits would be one.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Melvin for the record, Bob is a friend, not my employer or client. He is fortunate as well for we all know I am unemployable having been a self employed professional/business owner/investor for 35 years now. lol. I stand by my statement that we fortunate to have a Member speak out on these issues rather than those that might take a fact or two out of context or a piece of history and attempt build a case with them. I have my own points where I am openly critical of moves made by these organizations. They are not perfect by any means. Yet, as I look over time and see how much our world and society has changed I feel both the R&A and USGA have served our game well. I am sorry to shock you and disagree with due respect on the issues you find offense too. I made a personal pledge that if I got past this current challenge i would be a walking golfer for as long as possible in this life, except when the social or course design dictated otherwise. Yet, I played 4 holes for the first time in 8 months yesterday. My daughter and I took a cart to allow for the energy to do this. I am not 75 or 90 but am not in good health at the moment and the cart allowed me to get past the driving range and onto the course on a beautiful day. Not all things in life are black and white, yet the beauty of time with family on a golf course on a Sunday afternoon is timeless to me.

[PThomas]

"As for this site I am preparing my swan song"

Talk about music to our ears!!!

+1

[Kris Shreiner]

Tiger,

I am heartened to hear you were back out on the golf course, playing with your daughter! Play on my man...I hope 2012 finds you out on the golf course plenty.

Cheers,
Kris

[Ulrich Mayring]

Getting back to the original question: does the R&A need reform? Well, I can't say anything about the make-up of its membership, but it probably needs to be more international than ever. The R&A is the de facto ruling body of golf in the entire world save USA and Mexico.

I would like to see a system of proportionate membership in the sense that two countries with 1 million golfers have the same number of members and twice as many as those countries with half a million golfers. It does not need to be mathematically exact (as it is in many legislatures), just to get rid of an overrepresentation of the UK and/or Scotland.

Yes, the R&A is a Scottish invention, but it has IMHO transcended its original purpose. A system of invites seems more geared towards a private club or society, where "those who know each other want to mingle amongst themselves". Most national golf organisations have a system in place with a mixture of democratic and meritocratic aspects.

Ulrich

[Tony_Muldoon]

Getting back to the original question: does the R&A need reform? Well, I can't say anything about the make-up of its membership, but it probably needs to be more international than ever. The R&A is the de facto ruling body of golf in the entire world save USA and Mexico.

I would like to see a system of proportionate membership in the sense that two countries with 1 million golfers have the same number of members and twice as many as those countries with half a million golfers. It does not need to be mathematically exact (as it is in many legislatures), just to get rid of an overrepresentation of the UK and/or Scotland.

Yes, the R&A is a Scottish invention, but it has IMHO transcended its original purpose. A system of invites seems more geared towards a private club or society, where "those who know each other want to mingle amongst themselves". Most national golf organisations have a system in place with a mixture of democratic and meritocratic aspects.

Ulrich

If you want to talk about representative then you have to address the ‘problem’ of women.  Reform is overdue. However this is where the two R&A’s confuse things.  Ulrich are you talking about the Rule makers or the private membership club?  I can’t see how you can address women’s representation in one and not the other.


I worry that I am the reason why they banned unaccompanied visits.  I was on my best behaviour and really enjoyed the whole thing, but then I asked a female member of staff where “The Gents” were? She smiled and pointed out an unmarked door; “I think you’ll find what you want in there”. They have now succeeded in keeping troublemakers like me out!

[Mark Chaplin]

The private members club can naturally choose who it wants as members.

Obviously the club wasnt set up to run golf, that's how things evolved. As for representation from around the world on the governing body I do not know how it works. In football the small nations have all the power not the places where the game actually makes the money.

[Mark Pearce]

In football the small nations have all the power not the places where the game actually makes the money.

Nonsense.  In football the "power" now sits with a small number of corrupt individuals.  No "small" country on its own has power but, through the wonders of backhanders and "favours" the individuals who run the game can rely on enough support from those countries to maintain their power.  Football is actually structured in a very democratic way, it's the corruption with which it is riddled that ruins it.

[Ulrich Mayring]

Say what you will about football corruption, but at least we are not playing every World Cup in the same place. Africa, Asia and America would not get any events, if they were always played "where the money is".

This does not mean that I think the Open Championship should travel, but the R&A as a rulemaking body (as opposed to the private club playing over the Old Course) should.

Ulrich

[Mark Pearce]

Say what you will about football corruption, but at least we are not playing every World Cup in the same place. Africa, Asia and America would not get any events, if they were always played "where the money is".

Ulrich,

Russia and Qatar may be different places but they are most certainly where the money is, as I'm sure many FIFA delegates' bank accounts would confirm.  The World Cup going to South Africa was a great thing.  It being bought by Putin and the Quataris is most definitely not.

[Bob_Huntley]

Mark,

The sonner Platini takes charge, the better for FIFA. The corruption in the awarding of the World Cup to Qartar was a grotesque joke.

[Ulrich Mayring]

Yeah, I was more thinking of South Africa and Japan / South Corea and Brazil in two years. Russia deserves it as well, though. Qatar is a joke, granted.

Ulrich