As a junior golfer, Marc Warren wasn’t entirely sure what the phrase “insidious growth” meant.
But he knew that it wasn’t a compliment.
These days Warren is the leading Scottish professional in the world rankings, but he has revealed that he could have been lost to the game as a result of the treatment he and his peers received at his local club when he was starting out.
The 34-year-old is delighted that the two amateur governing bodies for golf in Scotland have amalgamated, and hopes that the merger will play a part in ensuring all young golf club members are welcomed and encouraged rather than tolerated and resented.
“My experience?” Warren said. “I don’t go back to the golf club I grew up playing in because off all that.
“We had a strong junior section at East Kilbride, and we were treated quite poorly. Obviously it’s changed days, but what happened then leaves a really sour taste.
“We were only allowed at the golf course to tee off at certain times. In a medal it was only after three o’clock.
“The secretary at the time called the junior section an insidious growth.
“I possibly could have been (lost to golf). Fortunately it was a wee bit later on.
“The whole point of it was that we had three internationals coming through our junior section, four possibly..
“The highest handicap was two. We had a really strong junior section. Now I think only two of that section are members. They were lost purely because what happened.
“The point is how easily you can be put off. It’s totally unnecessary.”
Perthshire’s Carly Booth is also fully supportive of the creation of the new governing body.
Her hope is that it gives young female players parity with the boys a situation that she believes didn’t exist in her teens.
“I personally think we should have joined together years ago,” she said. “It’s something I spoke about even when I was a young player.
“With Scottish golf the boys got a lot more financial help. When I first came on to the SLGA scene playing for Scotland at 11 I used to have to share my outfits with Lynn Kenny.
“I can remember having to give her some of mine.
“We would give our blazers back and they would send you whatever size they had left. It could have been an XL. I just showed up where I was supposed to be, put on the uniform and played golf.
“We never really had the same privileges as the guys who were wearing their Adidas stuff.
“My brother had all the nice stuff.
“I think this merger will be a huge help. When I heard it was happening I thought ‘about time’.
“It will help boost the ladies and younger generation hopefully, giving them more opportunities than we maybe had as juniors.”
Meanwhile, the recent Solheim Cup has whetted Booth’s appetite to qualify for the next European team.
“Of course it’s one of my goals,” she said.
“I was close in 2013 after a good 2012.
“I miss matchplay. We played it so much as amateurs and I’d love to get there in two years’ time.”