Gordon Hutchinson ... I would like the courtesy of one more two-year term. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
GORDON HUTCHINSON will seek re-election as president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) when his post come up for grabs at the association's annual general meeting next Thursday at the Constant Spring Golf Club.
While there have been mutterings of a potential challenge for the association's leadership, it's business as usual for the Barbadian 63-year-old who has been at the helm for three years and, prior to that, served as secretary of the JGA for more than a decade.
Hutchinson said he simply does not have time to worry about such things as challenges and is primarily devoting his efforts to making sure the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC), which will be held in August at the Cinnamon Hill course, Montego Bay, goes off without a hitch.
One on One caught up with Hutchinson at the Cable and Wireless National Golf Academy in New Kingston yesterday.
Q: The JGA's AGM comes up next Thursday, are you going to be opposed for the position of president?
GH: Frankly, I don't have the slightest idea. It is a lot of responsibility and a tremendous amount of work. I certainly don't want to hog it for too long. I would like the courtesy of one more two-year term. No one should stick around for more than five years.
Q: This year looms as a busy one for golf in Jamaica with the CAGC coming here, you'd obviously want to see that through?
GH: Yes, that's what has been occupying my attention. It needs a lot of work and a lot of help from many people which we haven't been receiving at the moment. We are not getting the help and cooperation which we expect from various areas and that makes it even more challenging.
Q: What about the Jamaica Open which has been on the cards for two years now; is that finally likely to happen this year?
GH: Yes. We are looking at a November date, but we haven't really got anything settled yet as it is hard to focus on two things at once and we don't want to confuse our sponsors. Once we get certain aspects of the CAGC out of the way - particularly the sponsorship, which we hope to have within a month - then we can get on with the Open.
Q: What do you rate as some of the highlights during your presidency of the JGA to date?
GH: One would be the opening of the academy in 2003. I didn't initiate it, but I was involved and it was opened in my time as president. I have also maintained, within the minds of the stakeholders, the value of golf tourism. My only disappointment is that the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has not grasped the concept.
It is so far off the mark. It really pains me when I see what is happening in the other countries like Barbados, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts.
The CAGC was in St. Kitts last year and I spoke to their Prime Minister who said they had closed the sugar factories there and were using the land to build golf courses. We were way ahead of all these countries 25 years ago; we had more golf courses than all of them and now we are trailing.
Golf tourism can earn this country as much as any agricultural crop and probably more than all of them combined, but the message is not getting through ... it would be a bonus to the economy and all Jamaicans.
Q: The Cricket World Cup 2007 is on the way. What is the JGA doing to capitalise on the influx of visitors and potential golfers?
GH: We are developing a strategy. We have already had discussions with the Kingston courses and those in MoBay about running some events and we will also utilise the academy. We know cricketers and cricket lovers are also golfers.
Q: There has been a gradual decline in the number of tournaments played in Jamaica over the past few years and also a drop in the standard of play, what do you put that down to?
GH: There's more fun golf than competitive golf being played now. Most of the players are recreational and not really competitive, only about 15 per cent, I would say, play seriously.
We have had an influx of charity tournaments on our calendar and they tend to be very light events. You don't get too serious about them, you go out and play, have a drink, win a prize and go home.
And some of the prizes are quite good. In the past you used to win a tankard or a trophy or medal but nowadays people want to win weekends for two, TV sets and air-condition units.
Q: How do you change that mindset and get the play back to a high standard?
GH: I think we have to get more of the youngsters involved ... we have shown with all the programmes that we have done with the youth that they have developed from it. We have golf at the tertiary institutions now and we have an inner-city schools programme.
The various clubs, particularly on the north coast, are doing a lot of work with youngsters, so eventually, once we have a large enough pool of young players, that talent will spill over and the standard will improve.
- Tym Glaser
