Motions dealing with litigation against golf clubs by the occupants of houses being constructed close to the boundary of golf courses were among the many discussed at the GUI's provincial general meetings last week.

A motion from the Ashbourne club stated: "Having regard for the current legal position whereby golf clubs have been forced to redesign their courses in order to comply with court orders favouring new housing developments on land adjacent to golf clubs, this a.g.m. directs the executive of the GUI to take all necessary steps to ensure that legislation is enacted that protects the rights of existing golf clubs over such new developments." The motion was passed in Leinster but surprisingly defeated at the Munster a.g.m at Mallow.

Bundoran had a motion passed in Ulster requesting all clubs to pay a £500 levy to the GUI to set up a fund for litigation on behalf of clubs such as Bundoran which have problems with houses being constructed close to the boundary of the course. However, the same motion was defeated in Munster.

At the Munster meeting, the president of the GUI, Paddy Murphy, said that it was the legal view that to pursue such litigation could cost the union up to £500,000.

Proprietary clubs also came in for much discussion. A motion from the Ballinascorney club which effectively called for a club licence from an owner to a club to last for five years instead of the one year now in operation was passed at the Leinster meeting.