We have been left in the dark

Jane Emerick
Members have accused Torquay Golf Club of leaving them in the dark over plans to sell the club’s 40-hectare site to RACV.
Michael Buckley, a former captain and a member for 20 years, said members were still waiting for promised “multiple” forums with club president Ken McCallum to hear details of the RACV deal.
“The forums were in order to explain the proposal (from the RACV) and allow comment,” Mr Buckley said.
“While there has been much speculation, no formal proposal has been presented to the membership.”
Mr Buckley said members were angry about reading details of the sale in last week’s Independent rather than hearing it from the club.
Another member, Alan ‘Tiger’ Wickland, said he was “shocked” when he read the story.
“The papers got it and the members haven’t got it and that’s definitely wrong,” he said.
“If there’s information about the deal then we should have received it. There has been no information.
“I’m at the golf club every day and I haven’t heard anything about what I read in the paper. Sure, I’ve heard this and that on the grapevine but you can’t take that as gospel”.
General manager Bill Laird said the club had no more information to give members.
Mr Laird said the information in last week’s Independent must have come from conversations he had with club member and local sport columnist Spencer Leighton.
The Independent found the information on the club’s website.
Mr Laird said he had “never” seen the website. He would not comment further on the plan.
The Independent reported last week that the RACV deal proposed 55 apartments on the course. It would also add an indoor pool and a gymnasium as well as renovate the clubhouse and bistro.
Members would receive five to 15 years of free memberships depending on how long they had been with the club.