Coast golf club bunkers down with resignation of several directors

There’s trouble in the sand bunkers of a prestigious 95-year-old Queensland golf club with the resignation of several directors in a kerfuffle over a senior manager.

There is trouble in the sand bunkers of the prestigious 95-year-old Southport Golf Club.

IN THE ROUGH

TROUBLE in the sand bunkers of the prestigious 95-year-old Southport Golf Club.

City Beat spies tell us the revolving door has been spinning furiously in the club’s boardroom after concerns were raised about the terms of employment of former general manager Nik Robinson.

We hear that some of Robinson’s benefits, including use of a fuel card, was not signed off by the entire board, although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Robinson.

The issue was raised by director Adrian Rowney who suddenly resigned along with the club’s treasurer last week.

In a surprise development, Rowney is now being hauled before a disciplinary hearing for allegedly breaching club rules by conducting his own investigation. But Rowney obviously has his supporters, with about 200 people turning up last week at an informal meeting to back him. With storm clouds gathering on the 18th hole, president Bryan Wiig fell on his sword, replaced by local solicitor Michael Kyle, who was previously vice-president.

The board now appears to be doing a great deal of backside covering, claiming it was aware of information from a “confidential source” about the concerns raised by Rowney and was conducting its own investigation.

“It was intended that if the investigation revealed that something inappropriate had occurred a report would be made to the board and the appropriate action carefully taken with the benefit of expert legal advice,” the board says. “The process was completely derailed by the actions of Adrian and pleas to allow the board to deal with the issue confidentially fell on deaf ears.”

The board told members that last year the general manager’s employment agreement was retrospectively updated to include use of the fuel card.

The arrangement had earlier been agreed to by the former president with other board members unaware.

“As far as the board is aware, no additional payments or benefits were authorised,” it says.

Kyle says Robinson currently remains employed with the club, although City Beat is not sure in what position given a new general manager, Bernadette Lance, has already been announced.

Rowney declined to comment, as did Robinson.

FIGHT BACK

WE HEAR Rowney is fighting back and plans to bring forward a no-confidence motion in the board for its handling of the club’s finances. “Times have changed – we have just gone through a Banking Royal Commission which demands better governance from boards,” he says in an email to members obtained by City Beat. “The same should apply at Southport Golf Club.” New president Kyle says Rowney will have the opportunity to defend himself at the hearing but declined to comment further. “I don’t want to prejudge the matter,” Kyle said. Rowney responded with a fiery email to his supporters. Fore!!

WORKERS’ CLUB NEWS

OUR spies deep inside the Queen Street Workers’ Club, aka Tattersalls, tell us the politburo met this week to process the applications for the first of its female members. Readers will recall this follows a bitter legal battle fought out in the People’s Supreme Court (see Hogans Heroes v QSWC 2019) over whether to allow women members.

Women free to join Tattersall’s after court throws out challenge

That saw a historic victory for the pro-women faction led by club president Stuart Fraser. We hear lady comrades are so keen to enter the hallowed halls of the club and sup on the previously forbidden nectar of the pea and ham soup in the members’ dining room that the club’s membership website crashed. The first female members will be welcomed next month.

TO BE SURE

REGULAR City Beat reader Merv Bartlett has sent us a gentle slap on the wrist about our item noting St Patrick’s Day celebrations on Friday, March 15. As Merv rightly points out, St Patrick’s Day falls on Sunday, March 17.

The Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce is holding its celebrations on a weekday for business networking purposes. “The Ides of March has a certain ominous ring about it,” quips Merv, who points out his birthday is March 17.

A good day for a bloke whose mother’s maiden name was Molly Delaney from County Cork. March 17 marks the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (AD385-461), the patron saint of Ireland.