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Women's Golf Association To Break Up

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 21, 2009

A civil war (at least it's been mostly civil thus far) has broken out in the ranks of the Women's Golf Association, a member group of the Sun City Center Golf and Social Club, Inc.

Last week, 91 golfers of the WGA (out of some 150) voted as to whether to stay as members of the WGA and thus the SSCG & SC. Fifty-six voted to secede while 35 voted to remain. It is estimated, said Udea Onslow-Thompson, a vice president of the WGA, that a large majority of the non-voters would stay and play with the SSCG & SC.

Patti Ducharme, who had been the publicity chair of the women's group, issued a press release on Jan. 11 saying, "A new golf association for women golfers has formed in Sun City Center playing on Friday mornings. Special tournaments and social events will be scheduled."
Ducharme said 2009 membership dues are $25 and the new "Ladies Golf Association" will be affiliated with the SSCG & SC because its members will be a part of the group, as well as members of the Florida State Golf Association. The major advantage of this, which those who voted to leave the group will not have, is to be issued a United States Golf Handicap which is accepted in tournaments and leagues nationwide and as Patti Ducharme says, "Is very beneficial for those of us Sun City Center golfers who travel with golf bags in our trunk or checked baggage."

Jan Huber, one of the leaders of the women voting to leave, said, "I believe the reasoning behind the decision to vote 'no' to joining the Sun City Center Golf & Social Club stems from a reluctance to support a club with the potential underlying objective of purchasing the golf courses."
Huber called for a liaison between the two groups to dispel some of the misinformation and rumor that often occurs in a small closely-knit community."

Onslow-Thompson, responding to Huber said, "This rumoring was very upsetting to a number of people who were also told they could be assessed to buy the courses. This option is somewhere between virtually none and none," she said, adding, "One major problem has been the Women's Golf Association has refused to let officers of the SSCG & SC speak to the women's membership prior to the latest vote. Thus, rumor and perception won the day."

I look at this as another sad case of perception trumping truth and causing trouble.

Golf Course Report

The Golf Course Task Force charged with choosing a company to analyze the value and condition of the SCC golf courses has issued its report and it was discussed at a public board meeting on Jan. 12.

CA President Ed Barnes, who headed the task force, has scheduled the report to go before the CA board of directors at the Feb. 11 board meeting. A copy of the task force report is in the SCC Library for those interested in reviewing it. More on this in a future column.

Community Planning

Anne Cross, who moderates the Community Planning group that is looking down the road at what Sun City Center and the general area here should look like in the future, says the next meeting of the Community Planning workshop will be take place in the Maintenance Building Conference Room on Feb. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Bob Black is a journalist and member of the Sun City Center Community Association board of directors.

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