The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Members of the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association were delighted to be back on the golf course over the weekend as they honoured the memory of their founding father, the late Roy Bowe.

But at the end of the National Championship, held in Bowe’s honour and won by Grand Bahamian Greg Maycock over five other competitors, BPGA president Chris Lewis and executive director Glenn Pratt said more of their members need to be employed on the various golf properties in the country.

“The whole thing about the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association was started with Roy Bowe and we are doing everything to honour his legacy,” said Lewis at the end of the four-day tournament at the Ocean Club.

“He was a true gentleman in the sport. Everybody in America knows Arnold Palmer as their golf hero. Everybody needs to know Mr Bowe as the true Bahamian hero for professional golf in the Bahamas.”

Crowned as the king of professional golf in the Bahamas, Bowe was the first Bahamian to turn pro in 1967. One year later in 1968, he founded the BPGA. Bowe, who was also an outstanding sloop sailor, died on November 1, 2012 at the age of 78.

“The constitution that we operated on now is the one that he put together,” Pratt said. “A lot of the policies that were put in place are not being utilised and that is why the professional golfers are not being employed.

“The main policy in place that we are urging the government to enact is that at every golf course, the head pro position was reserved or Bahamians only.

“So if there was a foreign director, a Bahamian would be the second person in charge.”

Pratt said the golf properties are changing the policy and leaving the Bahamian pros on the sidelines.

“As an organisation, we intend to litigate it if we have to and allow the government and all the properties to account to how it’s done because we have folks coming in here for five years and end up staying for 15 years and the Bahamians are shoved aside.”

According to Lewis, who is based in Grand Bahama, the labour law indicates that if there are qualified Bahamians, they should be given the opportunity to perform their duties.

“But that is not adhered to or even being considered,” he said.

“It’s second nature to what is taking place and we as Bahamian professional golfers are left out of the process.”

Georgette Rolle is currently the head pro at Baha Mar, while Richard Gibson is the head pro in Exuma.

At Albany, Lemon Gorospe is the director and the head pro position is reportedly still vacant. Keno Turnquest, the top Bahamian pro golfer, is also at Albany, but he’s not the head pro.

“There is no succession plan for Bahamians at the golf clubs,” Lewis said.

“If there is one, whenever the golf director leaves, the Bahamian should take over. But that is not the case and we hope we can change that.”

At present, there are at least 10-12 golf properties in the Bahamas and there are less than that amount of pro golfers who are employed on those properties.