Members,

It has been brought to the attention of the YGC Committee that once again emails are circulating, questioning both the decisions of the greater YGC Membership at the 2019 AGM, the YGC Committee and the re-instatement of recent disciplinary outcomes.

Please be aware that this disciplinary action was not taken lightly, and was the action of last resort. For a short period after the AGM overwhelmingly rejected Wolf Dietrich’s proposal, it seemed that the matter had been ‘put to bed’, but alas that was not the case. The email flurry resumed, and further allegations of Committee manipulation and malfeasance were laid.

After last year’s divisive actions, and the decision of the membership at the AGM, Wolf was again asked to cease his constant emails to the committee requesting changes to competition processes. He was asked to cease his allegations of unfair and biased practices by the elected Committee, who were enacting the wishes of the Members and running the competitions as they have been for 15 years. This did not occur.

As a result a Disciplinary Sub Committee was formed and Wolf requested to appear. He refused to appear before the DSC, which comprised Committee and peer members, alleging bias and bullying . As a result the DSC deliberated, considered all the available evidence, and reached the verdict that, as Wolf was unwilling to abide by the decision of the vast majority of members at the AGM, and despite being requested to cease, continued this course of action, the only course open was to rescind his membership. He was duly advised of this decision.

At the behest of a close associate of Wolf’s, a last minute reprieve was granted. A “Confidential and Binding Agreement” was drafted by Wolf’s close associate, and agreed to by both Wolf and Committee. The core component of that agreement was that Wolf was not, under any circumstances, to resurrect his failed proposal. He was not permitted to discuss it on YPGC premises or to raise, or cause it to be raised by another, to any member of the Committee.  It was strongly suggested to Wolf that, as golf was so vitally important to him,  he enjoy the company of his friends, play the game, and stop obsessing over his proposal.

There is no doubt that Wolf understood the lifeline that he had been given, and no doubt of his understanding of the consequences of breaching the agreement.

Earlier this year a ‘Club Health Sub Committee’ was established, it had as a core mission, to explore the health and future of the Club; with a focus on demographics, gender and age balance, to develop strategies to attract youth and diversity to ensure the Club would prosper over the next 5 to 10 years, particularly given the ageing population of golfers in general.

No sooner had the Committee been established, and Wolf again submitted his proposal. He was advised, very politely, by the SC Chair, that the Committee was aware of his thoughts, and that this what not the time for his proposal, that he would be approached if his input was sought. Despite this clear advice, Wolf sought to submit his proposal through one of the peer representatives (who was unaware of the Confidential and Binding Agreement) which Wolf was breaching again, by this course of action.

The proposal which again accused the Committee of manipulation and unethical behaviour, raising the same issues that had been rejected by the members at the AGM; the same issues regarding competition practices which have been well established and have been followed by every previous Committee since inception,  the same practices that, prior to his departure, Wolf sought to change at his previous club.

Having breached the Confidential Agreement as detailed in a previous missive, and reactivating the penalty previously imposed, Wolf sought the intervention of Golf Australia. Golf Australia have provided their response (reprodudcd below). During conversations with GA, they sought to reassure the Club and Committee that we have been more than reasonable, followed the principles of natural justice, and considered the voice of the greater membership as voted at the AGM.  Further GA said,

“You cannot punish better golfers for being better, just as you cannot punish high handicap golfers just because they aren’t as good. Some clubs have an A Grade with less than 10 players, a D Grade with only 5 or 10 players, or a Women’s grade with 2 or 3, everyone should be treated equally, to encourage better and new golfers to the course and to encourage everyone to improve, if there is no incentive to improve, why would you?”

Obviously, Wolf was not satisfied with that decision either, and has now sought to again tar the Committee with slurs of prejudice and unreasonable and unethical behaviour. As stated, this was not the first course of action, it was the very last course – as even after the last minute reprieve was granted, the behaviour continued. It is not unjustifiable, nor is it unwarranted action.

To be clear there is nothing stopping Wolf from playing golf . He can play golf anywhere he chooses, be that at Yarrambat Park, Heidelberg, Bundoora or Strathallan or anywhere else. He is not prevented from attending Belgravia Leisure functions or having his grandson take lessons as part of Brock or Aaron’s junior clinic and his attendance at the Course in not impacted.

The only sanction is that he is no longer a Member of the Yarrambat Golf Club, and cannot play in any YGC sanctioned event.

 

 

Stuart Thompson

President YGC

on behailf of the full Committee of YGC

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