There are a lot of things needed to take the sport of golf in the country forward, and the two years provided to elected officials might not be enough time to get the job done. In a few weeks president of the Bahamas Golf Federation (BGF), James Gomez and others will cast their votes for the persons who they believe can further assist with the growth and development of the sport.
At this time Gomez is not certain if he will seek re-election, but said he will still like to make a meaningful contribution. If he decides to throw his name into the hat for the elections, which are set for the end of October, and is unsuccessful in his bid, Gomez will be known as the immediate past president. This is a capacity Gomez said he is comfortable with, if needs be.
"Generally what happens is the president stays on as an advisor and maintains a seat on the board in any regard. Whether I decide to throw my hat into the ring again, I will continue to be a part of the organization," said Gomez.
"There were a couple of things that I tried to implement as president. Some of them will take a bit of time, with some coming into fruition starting next year. At the end of the day, there is a need to implement a better junior golf program, where parents will feel like a part of the entire system and encourage junior golfers in the program where necessary.
"We usually see a drop off where junior golfers go and come. What we have done is try to implement programs such as international travel, where they can compete in international tournaments. We are trying to push that so we can keep that interest there in the sport, so that has been a major thing for us."
An 11-member team represented The Bahamas at the 24th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships. The Bahamas was among nine Caribbean countries competing at the championships, in Barbados, in July. As a team, The Bahamas was fourth overall in the Hank James Trophy division with 110 points. Puerto Rico retained the title, totaling 167 points over the three days of play.
The fourth place finish at the championships was praised by the executives in the BGF, who noted the many challenges that the golfers faced. One of the main problems is a fixed training facility. Even though access to the Lyford Cay Club Golf Course and the Cable Beach Golf Courses were granted to the golfers, an 18-hole home base is yet to be secured. Right now, the BGF's Driving Range is the place the federation calls home. There are only five holes out at the facility located at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Of the five, three are in use.
Since there are limited access to the golf courses in New Providence, many programs had to be put on hold, until further notice. Gomez said:
"As president I made a commitment to bring the national amateurs back. We had it, not this year, but last year. The limited access, with respect to the golf courses on New Providence, has created a problem for us in that regard, but last year when the golf courses were open, we were able to re-introduce the national amateurs which had not been played for probably three to four years. That was good.
"During my tenure we were also able to foster a good relationship with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. We want to give them an understanding on what we are about, as a federation, and that we are truly a sport that deserves recognition and financial assistance, just like any other sport in The Bahamas."
A couple of the executive members in the federation are Dudley Martinborough and Dion Godet.
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