Scottish Golf has appointed Karin Sharp as its chief executive after Andrew McKinlay stepped down to

SCOTTISH Golf chief executive Andrew McKinlay has been replaced by Karin Sharp after he stood down yesterday, in the wake of the financial hit the governing body is suffering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chief operating officer Sharp was asked to lead the organisation with immediate effect by Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf, which has now lost three chief executives in four years since the former Scottish and Newcastle brewery director took over as head of its board in 2015.

McKinlay, who joined from the Scottish Football Association in February 2018, decided to leave Scottish Golf on Tuesday to “ensure a sustainable future for Scottish Golf.”

His successor has already taken a 20 per cent pay cut, as has chief commercial officer Iain Forsyth, who will assist Sharp in her new role.

Earlier this month, the game’s governing body significantly reduced staffing numbers through the Government furlough scheme.

In addition – and in response to the global health crisis – the board acted quickly to cancel all of this year’s championships and Scottish Golf events, as well coaching session for its performance squads for the remainder of the 2020 season.

That move meant available resources could be prioritised towards supporting Scottish Golf’s 575 affiliated golf clubs through the “extreme financial challenges” brought on by the closure all clubs in the UK under the Government lockdown, introduced on March 23.

Eleanor Cannon said in a statement: “The board and executive team have had to make very tough decisions in order to focus on ensuring we are in a sustainable position going forward when courses reopen.

“With many clubs feeling the financial strain, which in turn has had a knock-on effect on our income, we have prioritised expenditure accordingly.

“Now more than ever we need strong leadership backed up by robust actionable plans.

“I am very pleased to announce the board has invited Karin Sharp to lead the organisation with immediate effect, from her current role as chief operating officer.”

Scottish Golf chief executive Andrew McKinlay stepped down yesterday to help the governing body cope with the financial problems caused by the COVID-19 outbreak

From banking to golf administration

SHARP worked for RBS for 23 years, mostly in its corporate and commercial banking division before moving into golf adminstration.

She joined Scottish Ladies Golfing Association in November 2013 as chief operating officer and, following the amalgamation in 2015, continued in the same role for Scottish Golf.

Karin said: “In response to these unprecedented circumstances we have issued a short financial health check survey to our member clubs which seeks to gather key information, specifically around the impact of COVID-19 to golf club operations.

“This detail will directly contribute to, and significantly inform, our ongoing dialogue with Scottish Government in relation to the struggles faced by golf in Scotland.

“This information is crucial. To enable us to represent the situation accurately and effectively, I urge all clubs to complete the survey at the earliest opportunity.”

Scottish Golf is also hosting the first of its weekly support webinars, open to all member golf clubs, later today.

Sharp added: “We have brought together experts from golf club management, finance, marketing and commercial disciplines that are on hand to offer advice on the significant challenges our clubs are currently facing.”

A spokesman added that Scottish Golf: “Continues to be in active dialogue with Scottish Government, sportscotland and the R&A on the up-to-date guidance and advice relative to the current health and economic crisis.”

Sharp will be supported by Forsyth, who has spent more than 30 years working in the golf industry, and is behind the introduction of Scottish Golf’s venue management system (VMS).

The new product has attracted public criticism from some clubs who feel they are being forced to ditch their existing software systems.

That is because the new World Handicapping System will only be accessible via Scottish Golf’s new VMS, when it is rolled out north of the border later this year.

The VMS will allow clubs to sell tee times online and manage other club functions as do rival software systems.

The latter can also calculate handicap allowances for all club competitions, home and away under the current arrangement with CONGU, but have been told they will not be able to when WHS is introduced.

Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf, thanked outgoing chief executive Andrew McKinlay for his service

Former Scottish Football chief leaves after two years

McKINLAY, who left the Scottish Football Association in Feburary 2018, paid tribute to the team he worked with at Scottish Golf, for just over two years.

He said: “It has been a privilege to lead this fantastic organisation and I am grateful to Eleanor and the board for the opportunity.

“Above all I am indebted to the team at Scottish Golf for their commitment in implementing the objectives to take the game forward towards a sustainable and, indeed, prosperous future.”

Cannon thanked the outgoing chief executive who was forced to put two-thirds of his staff on furlough leave under the UK Government scheme last month.

Cannon said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Andrew for his contribution to Scottish Golf over the past two years.

“He brought a wealth of experience to what can be a pressurised role. He has helped take the organisation forward and has now taken a very difficult decision at this challenging time.

“I thank him for doing so and wish him the very best for the future.”

• Andrew McKinlay took over after the short-lived reign of Blane Dodds, the former Scottish tennis international who left after 14 months in October 2017.

Dodds succeeded Hamish Grey, who had steered the Scottish Golf Union through its drawn-out merger with the Scottish Ladies Golf Association – which was finally approved in 2015.

Grey stepped down from his increased role as head of the combined organisation just three months after his formal appointment to the new role.

 

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Wiltshire’s Jake Bolton will be unable to defend his Scottish Amateur Strokeplay title with the 2020 Scottish Men’s Open at Muirfield now cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Picture by SCOTTISH GOLF

SCOTTISH Golf has become the first of the four Home Nations to completely cancel its entire domestic season as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf, announced her board had decided to postpone all remaining events in its championship calendar as the number of deaths from COVID-19 continues to climb – and with no sign of the Government lockdown being lifted as it nears the end of its third week.

A number of Scottish Golf’s early season events in April were called off last month. But the complete suspension of all activities means there will be no Scottish Amateur Championship for either men or women in 2020.

The Scottish Amateur Championship was due to be held at Murcar at the end of July, while the Scottish Women’s Amateur was heading to Ladybank in early June.

Also scrubbed from the calendar is the Scottish Men’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship, which Muirfield was set to host from May 29-31.

The strokeplay event – won in 2019 by Wiltshire’s Jake Bolton – was moving to an earliier date in the season, the week before England’s Brabazon Trophy, which attracts a strong international field, and was being played at Sherwood Forest GC, before it was also cancelled last month.

The Scottish Girls Amateur was set to be played at Strathhaven at the same time as July’s Open Championship, while the Scottish Boys was to be played at Haggs Castle, from July 15-19.

Eleanor Cannon, who chairs Scottish Golf

Eleanor Cannon said: “This is the most difficult time we have all had to face in a generation, both personally and professionally.

“All of us have been affected by COVID-19 either directly or indirectly.

“Scottish Golf, like its member clubs, is having to make some tough decisions in light of a significant delay in our member income, so that we can continue to support our clubs as we come through these difficult times.

“To this end, we have furloughed the majority of our employees and made the necessary decisions as regards our season’s calendar of events.

“We have taken the decision to cancel all our events and our performance programmes for the remainder of the 2020 season.

“I recognise that, for each of our 575 affiliated clubs, our committees, employees and members, it is a time of uncertainty and stress.

“Tough decisions are being taken by your management teams so that your clubs can re-open their doors in as strong a position as is possible.

“Clubs need their members more than ever to support them financially so that they can survive the lockdown in an already tough market – and so that we each have our club to come back to.”

Scottish Golf is working on implementing the new WHS handicapping system which CONGU is due to roll out in the UK later in 2020

Work on VMS and WHS continues

SCOTTISH Golf stressed important work is still being carried out during the lockdown to ensure it was in a “positive position” when clubs and courses reopen.

The Hive eLearning platform is being developed further. which will allow clubs to access self-learning tools to manage various aspects of the club, including assistance with educating members on the WHS handicapping system, which had been set to be rolled out in 2020.

Work is also being finalised on the controversial Venue Management System project, which will control all future centralised handicapping under the new WHS system, as well as offering clubs a different way to manage their tee booking systems.

Some unhappy clubs have spoken out over statements that the current CONGU system, which is licensed for individual software companies that service golf clubs across the UK, will only be used north of the border in conjunction with the VMS system and app developed by Scottish Golf.

Scottish Golf’s chairwoman Eleanor Cannon said: “Work continues on the development and testing of VMS.

“We know that many clubs are using the current down time to learn the new system and we have retained team members to support (clubs) in this.

“We continue to liaise with Sport Scotland and the Government and we will ensure we communicate with you as and when decisions about the game are made.

“As a community we represent so much more than golf. Together, locally, we represent camaraderie, friendship, and support.

“We are all pulling together in the golf clubs that we love, reaching out to each other – making sure our golfing friends who are on their own and vulnerable are being looked after and feel supported by their club, and their fellow members.

“In time we will all get back out there onto our courses. For now, we must look after each other and the communities our clubs serve.

“Once we can start playing the game we love again, we will all work together to re-establish golf as the life blood of our communities.

“Thank you for the commitment you have shown us. We look forward to working with you all both now and in the future.”

Jake Bolton reached the South African Amateur Championship semi-finals in February before losing to Scotland’s James Wilson. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Bolton fast out of the blocks in 2020

JAKE Bolton joined an illustrious list when he became just the seventh Englishman to win the Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at The Duke’s St Andrew’s last summer.

The Wiltshire England A squad member capped off a fine season in which he led qualifying at the English Amateur at Hankley Common and North Hants GC at the end of July.

The Ogbourne Downs member had lost a play-off in the Selborne Salver, in April 2019, taking second place in the Hampshire Salver for the aggregate at Blackmoor GC and 24 hours later in the Hampshire Hog at North Hants GC.

The 21-year-old finished with back to back birdies to claim the Scottish Strokeplay – the biggest win of his career so far – to complete a wire-to-wire win at St Andrews.

Jake finished one shot ahead of Yorkshire’s Sam Bairstow – ironically it was the left-hander from Sheffield’s Hallowes club, who denied him the Hampshire Salver on countback.

Bolton said after his win: “This is a really nice way to end my season and to win in such an iconic place as St Andrews is special.

“Knowing my name is going to be beside some of these great players in this trophy is brilliant and a reward for the way I played.”

Former winners of the Scottish Strokeplay include Tommy Fleetwood, Paul McGinley, Stephen Gallacher, Andy Sullivan and Richie Ramsay, who have all gone on to win on the European Tour.

Bolton has committed to staying amateur for at least 18 months more to push for a place in the 2021 Walker Cup, which is due to be played in May, as Florida’s legendary Seminole GC is the planned host, meaning August’s traditional date would be too hot, and September – the normal date in the UK – would be in the hurricane season.

Bolton, who helped Wiltshire win the English Boys County Finals in 2015 and 2016, made a good start to the 2020 season in South Africa.

He reached the semi-final of the South African Amateur Championship, at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, in February.

But he was beaten by James Wilson, from Balmore GC, who went on to lose 7&6 to South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, in the final.

That was in the last week of February before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, cancelling the rest of the early amateur events of the new season and cancelling nearly all international travel within a month.

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