ONE has to assume it's nothing personal, but the appointment of Eric West as head professional at Port Royal Golf Course has raised the ire of so many of his fellow pros that Premier Ewart Brown felt it necessary to come to the defence of those who made this decision.

That, unfortunately, may have done more harm than good.

When the head of the country believes he should comment on what, in the greater scheme of things, wouldn't be considered an issue of national importance, then suspicion is aroused that something isn't quite right.

That said, Port Royal itself is of national importance if golf is to continue to play a role in attracting that rare species known as tourists.

Dr. Brown made it quite clear that West's appointment was an "excellent choice" and was done "above board", and no doubt many will agree with him.

"Whenever there is a selection process, somebody is left unhappy. In this case I have been assured that the process was above board and that the candidate selected was an excellent choice", said the Premier.

This issue, however, while not personal is according to Bermuda Professional Golfers Association, a matter of principle.

West has been caught in the crossfire of this ongoing controversy.

He forwarded his application, apparently impressed at the interview and was awarded the post. Nobody can blame him for that.

But neither should the BPGA be attacked for expressing their concern for what they consider was an appointment which went against 'all of the rules'.

That's why the Association are in existence – to protect their members.

And while in this instance they might have a solid argument, in retrospect they might also feel they could have done more to ensure that more dialogue had taken place with the Government's Board of Trustees who oversee Port Royal before the appointment was announced.

The crux of this matter is not that West cannot handle the job but that, according to the BPGA, there are many of their members far more qualified, some of whom have gone to great lengths and spent much of their time and money to get those qualifications only to find it's extremely difficult to secure employment.

When Government decided to close down the course and splash out $14m to rebuild it, there were those within the BPGA who realised that golden opportunities would be created.

Those opportunities became even clearer as the closure happened to coincide with the retirement of Frankie Rabain, the long-time head pro at Port Royal whose friendly smile and welcoming demeanour has made him the most popular pro among local golfers and the thousands of visitors who have returned to the Southampton course since it was opened in the early 1970s.

Now, for the second time within a year, the BPGA members feel they've been snubbed.

Andrew Brooks was brought in from overseas to fill the post of Golf Director – and few could argue about his credentials – and this month, West, not a member of the BPGA, came home from overseas where he had been fighting to establish a viable tournament career and landed a plum position over many who believed they were far more worthy.

It's not that we haven't seen this scenario before. It happens in business all of the time. One applicant, as the Premier said, always feels he or she is better than the next.

But ultimately if those in a business so crucial to ensure Bermuda becomes a successful golf destination are encouraged to acquire the best qualifications they can, put in the time as a golf club assistant pro in order to gain the necessary experience only to find their efforts count for nought, then they have every right to feel aggrieved.

It's unlikely that the decision will be changed. West, who has never run a pro shop and spent little time as a full-time instructor, now assumes the job under enormous pressure. Any mistake he makes will be criticised by those who feel they could have done better.

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THE inequitable distribution of sports funding was again demonstrated last weekend as Bermuda's national women's volleyball team crashed out of the World Championship qualifiers.

Having won their first three matches against Caribbean islands in St. Martin last month, they moved onto the second round in Trinidad last week, winning again against Suriname and moving within touching distance of a spot in the third round of qualifiers to be held in the Dominican Republic this weekend.

But then there was the realisation that success came at a price. Were they to win just one of their following three games, it would take $12,000 to ensure they could carry on.

Having already spent all of the funding provided by Government, the players were forced to dip into their own pockets. And if they wanted to move into the third round of the qualifiers they'dhave to dig even deeper.

As it turned out they lost those final three games in Trinidad and were eliminated. But it's difficult not to imagine that the cash crisis somehow didn't reduce motivation.

When the volleyball players see millions of dollars thrown at our two national sports and believe they could achieve far more with just one percent of what those sports receive, then they and other minority sports have a right to grumble.

Swimmer Roy Allen Burch, deprived of the title of Male Athlete of the Year, spoke out on numerous occasions on how he could have achieved so much more with just a small fraction of what the footballers and cricketers get, and local sailors have made the same argument.

When the various allocations are discussed before next year's Budget, it must be hoped that the past and potential success of any sport and the ambition and commitment of the players involved comes into play rather than popularity alone.

– ADRIAN ROBSON