Jan. 18, 2005 – The peak bodies representing golf in Australia, Women's Golf Australia and the Australian Golf Union, failed to reach agreement on amalgamation following discussions in Adelaide last week.

While both parties remain committed to amalgamation and had reached agreement on an appropriate organizational structure, including the representation on both the proposed Interim Board and final integrated Board, the final sticking point was the make-up of the Council.

The AGU had proposed that the Council of 13 voting delegates would be constituted of 8 men and 5 women from the State Associations.

"This is nothing short of a quota system reflective of attitudes which permeated Australian society in the 1950's" said WGA President, Viv Beer. "The offer is one of superficial equity in that, although it reflects our respective membership numbers, would institutionalize a spirit of sexism in golf which is contrary to prevailing community attitudes. It is certainly contrary to the spirit of equal opportunity in Australia."

WGA had proposed a model that provided the men's and women's State Associations an equal vote on the Council of the new national organization.

It reaching its decision, the WGA Board had concluded that it is in the best interests of golf that men and women have an equal voice; that it is in the best interests of golf that all State Associations have an equal voice; and that women and men are equally qualified to elect the appropriate people to run golf in Australia.

While no further meeting is planned at this stage, Ms. Beer said that the discussions had been carried out in a great spirit of co-operation and commitment to amalgamation and that she was hopeful that discussions to resolve this final issue would resume shortly.

Source: WGA