Sir, - Not for the first time your golf correspondent, Dermot Gillieece, suggests (May 2nd) that the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) is endeavouring to facilitate gender equality in golf clubs by offering "enlightenment" to them on the likely impact of the Equal Status Bill. He goes on to state: "Through bitter experience clubs have found that a strong effective management committee - on which both male and female players are represented - is absolutely critical towards the smooth implementation of equality". What he does not say is that no club with such a committee will be hearing from the GUI. Only clubs which are exclusively male are, or can be, affiliated to the GUI under its constitution - and it is to its affiliated clubs that the GUI will be offering "enlightenment". I wonder will the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) be offering "enlightenment" on equality legislation to its exclusively female affiliated golf clubs? - Yours, etc.,
Geo Smillie, Station Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin. Olier Street Dublin 2 May 10, 2000 Vincent Brownes Change of Mind