The EGA's Annual General Meeting, held in Italy last week, capped the end of a successful year for the Association.
Delegates representing 38 of the EGA's 49 Member Federations, as well as officials from affiliate organisations and guests, attended the meetings in Rome.
Highlights of the event, which took place from 17 to 19 November, included the official assembly itself, networking opportunities for member federations and a golf day at nearby Marco Simon Golf & Country Club.
Additionally, three 'workshop' sessions, which allow officials of the Association to lead discussions on a range of important topics were held for delegates. This year, the topics included the new 2023 - 2027 strategic plan for the EGA, sustainability and pesticide use, and the interoperability of the World Handicap System between different countries. Niels Dokkuma, Sustainability Manager and Agronomist at the Dutch Golf Federation, helped lead the session on sustainability. For the next 12 months, Niels will devote 20% of his working time to the EGA. His mandate will focus on helping the EGA formulate a common approach in Brussels regarding the EU draft regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides, while working closely with sustainability experts in Europe to exchange best practices.
The Assembly, which took place on 19 November, heard several reports from officials of the Association. Amongst them, Jan Hubrecht (President) reported on the work of the Executive Committee throughout the year, Achim Battermann (Honorary Treasurer) presented the financials of the Association, and Yves Hofstetter (Championship Committee Chairman) summarized the championship season.
The Assembly unanimously accepted the Executive Committee's new Strategic Plan for the next five years, and the re-election of the Honorary Treasurer, Achim Battermann.
Prior to the official assembly, 55 delegates competed in the traditional Luxembourg Salver. The event is a stableford competition for the attendees of the Annual General Meeting, and took place at next year's Ryder Cup venue, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. The competition, played for the first time since 2019, was won by Rastislav Antala of the Slovakian Golf Association with a net score of four-under-par.
Altogether, approximately 100 officials, staff, committee members and delegates attended the meetings in Rome. The EGA's 2023 Annual General Meeting will take place in England on 18 November.