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Our goiters have "had"
die-hard
dominance
By JACK DILLON
Domination of the Australian Golf
Union by a conservative group is
nearing an end.
Probably this group's
final victory was in
Perth last September,
when they decided that
the 1953 Amateur championship
will be held in
Sydney and The Open
in Melbourne.
This was very much
contrary to the wishes of
players, strongly opposed
by NSW, and is now regarded
as "the last straw."
The undue influence of
the conservatives, who in
seven successive post-war
meetings disregarded players'
desires, and who
viewed NSW as "reactionary."
stemmed from the
way the AGU is constituted.
Leading
clubs
It is composed of representatives
of five leading
clubs — the Royals of Melbourne.
Svdney and Adelaide.
plus Australian and
Metropolitan — and dele-!
gates from each State association
Often 'State delegates,
and proxies, came from
the same clubs. For yearsi
ultra-conservatives held
influence and had their,
But it seems now
they
have had their day.
The
long
sustained
campaign
a change by NSW has
had
its influence.
It has
swung to their way at
least three of the five clubs
and at least three States.
These dictatorial legislators,
mostly of no great
significance as players,
have continued to prescribe
long drawn out national
meetings in one city using
two courses, or the separation
of the meetings .-V;
two cities.
Players protest they
cannot afford time or
money for such programmes.
Specifically they
do not like the way the
amateur championship is
played by 18-hole matches
to the final, and they
want the pre-war Qualifying
through the Open.
Last year with the
"Mobilco," open. interstate
games and amateur,
some players were in Perth
for nearly a month.
Among these was a student,
who had to make a
financial sacrifice to be
present. However "next
!time" may be easier. Last
week his mother won
' £25,000 in "Tatts.'
HeVe^S
tlfie
platl
RHpflv fl
Bneflj, y th
,
l«an
th_
«ic
^ c h e s
f or
three
days;
"open"
over
three
days.
with the leading 16 amateurs
to qualify for their
national; four days of 36
hole matches for the Australian
amateur
title.
With such a plan, even
the
finalists
in the
amateur
need
be away
from
home
less
than
a
fortnight.
It
is now
expected
indeed
it has
been
admitted
bv
some
of
the
"die-hards" — that there
will be a different atmosphere
at the 1953 AGU
meeting.
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