Dear Members,
Following our last update in June on the long-standing dispute between a banned ex-member, JG and Church Stretton Golf Club (CSGC), a number of questions have been raised and more information has been requested.
As a result and in the interest of transparency, this update aims to provide some additional, substantiated background.
As JG takes issue with the matters set out in the previous update and has challenged the Club to submit proof of its position, we can confirm that everything detailed in this update can be and has been supported by documented / hard-copy evidence, some of which is attached for your information.
History
JG claims that he was made an Honorary Life Member (HLM) in 2006/07, when he was 19 years old. However, the Club do not accept this position.
The Club’s financial records and receipts show that JG’s father paid JG’s annual subscriptions at discounted student and under-30 rates during the years 2006 to March 2010. This is contrary to what JG claims, as no annual subscriptions would have been required during these years had JG been an HLM.
Should anybody wish to see them, the original receipts are available in the Club’s archives, together with details of these payments.
JG became a Professional Golfer in September 2009 and was given “courtesy of the course” at CSGC with effect from 1st April 2010. From this date onwards, JG ceased to become a member of CSGC as he did not have to pay an annual subscription due to the Club’s very kind offer to let him play for free via his “courtesy of the course” status.
As JG was no longer a paid-up member of CSGC after March 2010, he was not eligible to enter any club Honours Board competitions. After 2010, JG’s name does not appear on any of the Honours Board plaques in the clubhouse.
Prior to 2010 and as a previously paid-up member of CSGC, JG’s name appears on numerous clubhouse Honours Board plaques.
In 2015 and despite having not been a paid-up member of CSGC since March 2010, JG was offered a role of Marketing Consultant to the Club for which he received a remuneration.
This was not a Management Committee member post (which are elected / unpaid / voluntary roles) and JG’s remit was to advise the Management Committee on how to improve its marketing to attract more members to the Club.
However, in 2016, due to a dispute with the Management Committee, JG’s contract as a Marketing Consultant was terminated and JG was banned from CSGC for a period of three years (2016-2019).
The attached letter dated 25th July 2016 from the Club Captain of that year, Mr Chris Richards, details the withdrawal of JG’s “courtesy of the course”, his three-year ban and confirms that JG has never been an HLM of the Club.
In response, JG sent the attached letter dated 7th August 2016 to all CSGC members, in which he confirms that his “courtesy of the course” had been withdrawn.
In his letter, JG does not mention his subsequent and alleged HLM claim.
Previous claim
As members will be aware, JG issued a claims of age discrimination. This matter was settled on a no-fault / no-liability basis and drew a line under this episode in 2017.
This no-fault settlement incorporated JG’s earlier 2016 ban (2016 until 2019) and did not include any reference to JG’s later claims that he was made an HLM in 2006/07.
As it is now seven years on from the date of the agreement, the current Management Committee feels that this episode of the dispute was settled long ago by mutual agreement.
Posts on social media
The Management Committee are therefore disappointed to learn that JG continues to refer to his alleged claim on social media as he accepted the no-fault settlement, and the terms of settlement are confidential. In this regard, JG’s continued reference on social media to this alleged and long-since completed action may contravene the terms of settlement.
JG Current Claims
As you may remember, during the past few years, JG has been repeatedly asked by the Club and others to provide written evidence to substantiate his HLM claim. He has not done so, often stating on social media that he cannot do so for legal reasons. In this regard, the Management Committee can confirm that there are no legal reasons which prevent JG sharing his alleged proof with anyone.
In JG’s more recent social media posts, he now states that his alleged HLM claim is a “red herring” as he is now happy to pay a green fee.
This stance is the direct opposite of many of JG’s earlier claims shown on his social media posts when he was repeatedly challenged playing the course without paying after his three-year ban ended in 2019. Although JG has now deleted these videos from his social media sites, we still have copies of these recordings.
It was JG’s constant refusal to pay green fees post-2019, as he claimed he was an HLM, that was a significant factor in the Club’s decision to ban him in June 2021.
For transparency, we have attached a copy of the letter from the Club’s solicitor’s, “Kennedys”, dated 4th June 2021, which informs JG of his second ban and the reasons for it.
This letter clearly states that the second ban was not connected to the circumstances of his earlier ban (2016-2019).
For additional clarity, when JG received his second ban in June 2021, he was not a member of CSGC and had not been since March 2010 (although he did have courtesy of the course up to 2016).
The 2021 ban remains in place.
As you may be aware, JG’s unauthorised playing of the Course since June 2021 and his visits to the Club are usually supported by his colleague, RD, who is also a banned ex-member.
In this regard, it may be helpful for members to know that RD voluntarily resigned his CSGC membership in early February 2020. At this point in time, and as he was paying his membership subscription by monthly instalments, RD had not paid his full 2019/20 membership (as per Club rules) and owed the Club for the period January to March 2020. This debt is still outstanding.
As a non-member from January 2022 onwards, RD then continued to play the Course by paying a green fee. Then in June 2022, RD received an indefinite ban from the Club’s facilities and playing the course, owing to what the Club believed to be his constant intimidation and harassment of Club members and officials.
The Management Committee would like to reassure members that the Club, with the full support of the Shropshire and Hereford Union of Golf Clubs (SHUGC) and England Golf are committed to resolve the continuing problems caused by JG and RD.
We are unwavering in our determination to protect the integrity and rich history of Church Stretton Golf Club and will keep you informed of future developments.
CSGC Management Committee – September 2024
