Irish Ladies Golf Union District Annual General Meeting 2011

1. Irish Ladies Golf Union District Annual General Meeting 2011

2. Agenda • Changes to Inter-club championships • New ILGU Policy on the use of buggies • Members on Leave of Absence • Golf Club Membership 2010 • ILGU Medals 2010 • New Junior Medal • High Performance Programme • District Coaching • Club Coaching • Road to Recovery Conference 19th November 2010 • Workshop for Lady-Vice Captains

3. Inter-Club Matchplay Championships • Review completed early October – after national finals • Representatives from all Districts involved in the review • Existing format unchanged since 2006 • Findings from the review • Standard of golf in the finals has deteriorated in the past two years • In a number of cases lower handicap players in each category are not being selected • System currently places an over emphasis on shots • System rewards players for holding handicaps and discourages players from losing shots during the season • Evidence of players not playing in qualifying competitions as teams progress through rounds • Anecdotal evidence of clubs playing 14/15 holes competitions or playing under “winter rules”

4. Inter-Club Matchplay Championships Junior Cup 8 – 15 Intermediate Cup 16 - 22 Minor Cup 23 - 29 Challenge Cup 30 - 36 Senior Foursomes + - 14 Junior Foursomes 15 – 30 • Flat matches (no shots) will be introduced in 2011 for three years • All matches will continue to be played in handicap order • Minimum combined handicap in Senior Foursomes 14 (no maximum) • Minimum combined handicap in Junior Foursomes 35 (no maximum) • Step down players allowed • Rationale • Parameters are set for each category and shots are diluting the quality of golf • No reward for building handicaps • A player in the lower end of a category will not meet a player in the higher end • GUI play their Cups and Shields off scratch within category • Better for the game and better for the competition • No shots of itself will not solve the issue of holding handicaps but it is a step in • the right direction

5. ILGU Transportation Policy 2011 • Why is there a need to revise the existing policy? • The number of queries/issues regarding the existing policy has risen in the past two years • There is abuse of the existing policy – greater use of buggies on hilly courses • It is too complicated and not clear • Principles which underpin the new policy • The policy will be applied to ALL competitions organised/owned by the ILGU • Clubs are required to define their own rules on the use of buggies in competitions • run at club level. • Permission will only be given where a player has a disability. For the purpose of • the policy a disability shall mean – a person with a physical or mental impairment • which has substantial and long-term adverse effect on her ability to carry out • normal day to day activity. • Players with short term injuries will not be given permission. It is a principle of all • sports that players with short term injuries must be substituted. • Approval must be sought and received from the office a minimum of 10 days prior • to the competition. • The new policy will apply from the 1st March 2011. Copy available on the ILGU website www.ilgu.ie

6. Leave of Absence • The Handicap of a member on Leave of Absence for 6 months or longer shall lapse. • When the member resumes her role as a member of her club she can regain her • handicap by submitting three cards in the usual manner. • (Refer CONGU clauses 25, 26 and 16.2.) • She will not be required to pay a Union Subscription for the period of her • Leave of Absence. • During her period of Leave of Absence she shall not be eligible to represent • her club in inter-club competitions or compete in Open competitions. • Members on Leave of Absence must be designated “non-playing” on golfnet and • her handicap number and name forwarded to the ILGU Head Office

7. Golf Club Membership 2010 Ladies by District – fall over 4 years = 8% Eastern 5.75%, Midland 10.7%, Northern 6.5%, Southern 9.8% Western 10.9% Girls by District – fall over 3 years = 9% Eastern 6%, Midland 5%, Northern 4% Southern 14%, Western 21%

8. ILGU Medals 2010 • Two finals held in 2010 – 10th May (2009 finals) and 11th Oct (2010) finals • Moving the finals into the same year as the medal competition proved very • popular – huge demand to get on the timesheet • 258 played in the 2010 medal finals – Luttrellstown and Hermitage • 176 played in the 2009 medal finals – Portlaoise and Portarlington • 134 played in the 2008 medal finals – Thurles and Nenagh • 176 played in 2007 – Rossmore and Co Armagh • 164 played in 2003 – last time in Dublin club (Lucan and Westmanstown) • By moving the finals into the same year, we did not anticipate the additional • demand for places. • Approach next year will be different – options currently being considered but • places will be limited to approx 300 – venue is Headfort (old and new)

9. ILGU Junior Medals 2011 • Piloted in 2010 – July, August and September with National Finals in October • mid-term break. • Open to all girls under 18, registered on CDH with a handicap. Scores taken • from any singles competition, Opens, Championship, Ladies, Junior, stokes, • stableford ……. purpose to get girls playing • 1,260 girls competed in an average of 7 competitions during the period • 226 clubs participated. • Top 50 qualified for National Finals (aggregate of 4 nett scores) • 2011 competition will be sponsored by Annika Sorenstam & Golf Digest • 2011 will be over the months of May, June, July and August with final in Sept • prior to Solheim Cup

10. High Performance Programme 2011 Tour High Performance 2 Panels – Junior and Senior 15 girls in total Intensive 1:1 management and training District Coaching Under 13, Under 15 and 16+ 10 per panel = 30 per district Receive 6/8 winter coaching days Club Coaching Programme Open to girls under 15 30 programme with 10 girls on each programme Junior Golf Ireland 50 Schools awareness days in 2011 12 clubs will be selected and assisted with coaching – target for 200 girl membership They will work with a further 20 clubs to get sleeping membership active

11. Road to Recovery Conference 19th November 2010 • Venue – Convention Centre, Spencer Dock, Dublin • Time – 8.30 – 16.30 • Cost - €150 • Objective: Address the current status of the golf market and agree a way forward • Chairman – Dermot Desmond, • Topics • Current Market Research on the Golf Industry • Restructuring your Business • Operating a Golf Business Profitably • Changing membership landscape – GUI and ILGU • Revenue & Sales