Scottish Golf plans to plough on with its ambitious and controversial new strategic plan despite the surprise resignation yesterday of the man who was trying to pilot it through to approval, chief executive Blane Dodds.
Dodds (50), SG CEO for only 16 months, has taken a post as chief executive of Tennis Scotland, starting in the New Year. He already served as non-executive chairman of the tennis governing body for the past year and a half while working with Scottish Golf, an arrangement that had met with some disquiet within golfing circles.
Dodds – a former Scotland tennis internationalist – quits Scottish Golf in the midst of the consultation process for the governing body’s new strategic plan, which proposes more than doubling the annual levy on all golf club members to £24 to pay for a customer management database of all golf club members in Scotland and a unified tee booking system.
The ambitious plan, which is aimed at filling a funding gap with Scottish Golf poised to lose nearly £400,000 from the Scottish Government, is due to be addressed at a Special General Meeting of Scottish Golf on December 2.
Eleanor Cannon, chair of Scottish Golf, will assume an executive leadership position on an interim basis with immediate effect, with Dodds assisting handover over the coming weeks.
“We are disappointed that Blane is leaving Scottish Golf and thank him for his efforts in leading our modernisation programme,” said Cannon.
“The timing of this decision is unfortunate, but we acknowledge Blane’s long association with tennis in Scotland and the emotional pull it has on a former internationalist.
The chairwoman was adamant that consultation for the new strategic plan would push on despite the departure of the man who publicly fronted it.
“The Board of Scottish Golf remains unanimously committed to its core strategic objective, which is to deliver significant investment to the game and provide a sustainable future for it – at a time when the Government is significantly reducing its contribution to the game,” she said.
“We will continue to engage with and listen carefully to golfers and clubs over the coming weeks, to underline our belief that by making a relatively small personal investment in the game, golfers can help strengthen the foundations of this great sport and better serve future generations of golfers and visitors to Scotland.”
Cannon did however concede the widespread disquiet within clubs and club members with the strategic plan.
“We acknowledge the concerns of some people and clubs around the detail of our proposals and will obviously reflect carefully on all of the views we are hearing prior to finalising what goes to the SGM by the start of November,” she said.
“Our desire is to continue to consult and build as much consensus as we can around the future of golf in Scotland.”
Dodds said he was leaving Scottish Golf “with a heavy heart”.
“I would like to thank the Board and staff for their dedication and unwavering support during my time with Scottish Golf,” he said.
“I am proud of the progress on our modernisation programme and especially given the significant work under way to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for the game via the four-year strategic plan.
“However, the opportunity to lead Tennis Scotland as a former player was the one job that I could not turn down.”
A recruitment process for a new chief executive would begin immediately, said a spokesman for Scottish Golf.
