New umbrella body to develop Irish golf

Leading sports policy makers have praised the formation of the Confederation of Golf in Ireland (CGI) after the game’s governing bodies united yesterday to “further develop and grow golf” on the island of Ireland.

The Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI), Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) announced the umbrella body’s formation yesterday and have appointed businessman John Roche as its Director of Golf and Business Development while Fáilte Ireland chair Redmond O’Donoghue will serve a similar role on the CGI board.

The establishment of the not-for-profit CGI is a result of 18 months of study and preparation by the associations in conjunction with the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland and the intention is for it to complement the work of the associations while providing a “necessary combined approach to certain key strategic areas in the future development of golf in Ireland”.