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Businessman takes golf club to court over suspension
Edinburgh, Feb 05: A businessman whose golf-club membership was suspended for a year went to court yesterday to challenge the club`s decision.
Edinburgh, Feb 05: A businessman whose golf-club membership was suspended for a year went to court yesterday to challenge the club’s decision.
Yuill Irvine was disciplined by the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh after "a disturbance" at a charity event. He maintains the action taken against him was contrary to natural justice, and is asking a judge in the Court of Session to set aside the ban.
The club, founded in 1735 and based at Barnton, Edinburgh, denies its treatment of Mr Irvine was flawed, and insists there were grounds for holding that his behaviour "had endangered the character, interests or good order of the society".
The court was told that Mr Irvine, an investment consultant, of Markinch, Fife, joined the club in 1980 and paid £945 a year. On 2 June last year, he took part in a charity golf day. According to Irvine, there was a disturbance within the clubhouse at 7:15pm and the secretary spoke to him. Later, he was reported to the council of the society. A meeting was held and it was announced that he had breached club rules, and his membership was to be suspended for a year.
As a consequence of the ban, it was said, Irvine had "lost the opportunity to network with other members and advance his business". He was apprehensive that his standing had been damaged in the eyes of members, and his business had suffered. Irvine’s lawyers say that the allegations against him were unspecific and unclear, and that a wide range of issues beyond matters arising from the incident on 2 June had been discussed.
In answer to the petition, the Royal Burgess said that a council meeting was being held that evening and was interrupted by a complaint about a group of people taking practice swings on the first tee and causing a disturbance. The secretary left the meeting to deal with the complaint and identified Irvine as part of the group. The group was asked to leave the course and, initially, Irvine complied. However, some 45 minutes later, the meeting was again interrupted and the secretary was advised Irvine had returned to the course.
He was spoken to, and the secretary "was concerned that he had acted with disregard to other members, had twice been the cause of interruption to the council meeting and had given a bad impression of the society."
The club said that, before the decision was made to suspend Mr Irvine’s membership, he had attended a meeting with the captain and had been given the chance to respond to the allegations, which he took. Also, he wrote a letter, setting out his position.
The judge, Lady Smith, will give her ruling later.
Bureau Report
Yuill Irvine was disciplined by the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh after "a disturbance" at a charity event. He maintains the action taken against him was contrary to natural justice, and is asking a judge in the Court of Session to set aside the ban.
The club, founded in 1735 and based at Barnton, Edinburgh, denies its treatment of Mr Irvine was flawed, and insists there were grounds for holding that his behaviour "had endangered the character, interests or good order of the society".
The court was told that Mr Irvine, an investment consultant, of Markinch, Fife, joined the club in 1980 and paid £945 a year. On 2 June last year, he took part in a charity golf day. According to Irvine, there was a disturbance within the clubhouse at 7:15pm and the secretary spoke to him. Later, he was reported to the council of the society. A meeting was held and it was announced that he had breached club rules, and his membership was to be suspended for a year.
As a consequence of the ban, it was said, Irvine had "lost the opportunity to network with other members and advance his business". He was apprehensive that his standing had been damaged in the eyes of members, and his business had suffered. Irvine’s lawyers say that the allegations against him were unspecific and unclear, and that a wide range of issues beyond matters arising from the incident on 2 June had been discussed.
In answer to the petition, the Royal Burgess said that a council meeting was being held that evening and was interrupted by a complaint about a group of people taking practice swings on the first tee and causing a disturbance. The secretary left the meeting to deal with the complaint and identified Irvine as part of the group. The group was asked to leave the course and, initially, Irvine complied. However, some 45 minutes later, the meeting was again interrupted and the secretary was advised Irvine had returned to the course.
He was spoken to, and the secretary "was concerned that he had acted with disregard to other members, had twice been the cause of interruption to the council meeting and had given a bad impression of the society."
The club said that, before the decision was made to suspend Mr Irvine’s membership, he had attended a meeting with the captain and had been given the chance to respond to the allegations, which he took. Also, he wrote a letter, setting out his position.
The judge, Lady Smith, will give her ruling later.
Bureau Report