Parents are worried their children have been left in "limbo" after the Ballarat Golf Club ended its junior coach's contract, leaving the future of roughly 180 junior players in question.
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At an AGM on Thursday, it was announced that the club would no longer continue contracting PGA golf teacher Andrew Cartledge, who heads up the region's junior golf program.
The decision came as a shock to parents with children interested in the game, with many saying they were left in the dark about the decision.
One parent with the club, who asked not to be named, told The Courier they had made multiple calls to the club's board about the future of its junior program but had not been given an answer.
The parent said none of the other parents involved in the program agreed with the decision to part ways with Mr Cartledge.
Another parent, who also did not want to be named, said they were "disappointed" with the decision.
Mr Cartledge is the founder of the Ballarat Junior Golf Academy, which was contracted by the Ballarat Golf Club to provide junior coaching services using their facilities.
His work with the golf club will end on May 4, when his contract expires.
In a statement issued to the golf club's members, president David Wallis said the club would continue to provide its facilities to Alfredton golf store Tatt Golf, and work on an alternative juniors program.
"We believe that making this decision now will allow Andrew to make suitable alternative arrangements following the end of the current agreement with the Club, and enable him to continue to provide his valuable services to junior golfers in the region," Mr Wallis said.
"We thank Andrew for his considerable and ongoing contribution to junior golf development and wish him well for the future.
"The Club will continue to provide its facilities to Tatt Golf and its associated professionals who continue to provide a range of coaching and development services for golfers of all ages and abilities, and will introduce a Junior Development program for junior members of the Ballarat Golf Club commencing in May, details of which will be provided shortly.
"Over the coming months the Board will examine further options for junior development, and believe that the outcome will complement the services currently provided by local service providers including Andrew's Academy."
Ballarat Golf Club's general manager Gary Fry said the club echoed the letter's comments but was unable to say why the decision was made not to continue Mr Cartledge's contract.
"We are heading into autumn and winter, so the availability is quite limited. They (Ballarat Golf Club's board) will be examining options for extra junior coaching," he said.
"We already provide some coaching through our professionals here. They will be looking at alternatives as we come into summer.
"Andrew started using our facilities a year ago. I assume that he will make some other arrangements as he had before."
The decision came as a surprise to Mr Cartledge, who said he felt "more work was left" in building the region's junior golfing participation.
"It is a surprise. Junior golf in Ballarat is widely successful at the moment, it is certainly one of the only regions in Victoria where growth of junior golf is massive. There are more junior golfers playing golf than probably ever before," Mr Cartledge said.
"I am a bit flat about it."
Mr Cartledge said his academy took in kids from clubs around the region, including Mount Xavier, Buninyong and Maryborough.
While he could potentially relocate the academy to another golf facility, he said the program would inevitably be scaled back as there were no other golf clubs in the area with similar sized facilities to Ballarat.
"Without the security of a driving range under lights, even if I was to successfully be working at another club, I would probably still have to reduce our academy numbers by two thirds, to 60 or 70 kids rather than 180," Mr Cartledge said.
"Whichever scenario I look at, it is not a very good one for the kids that are playing.
"Stopping the Ballarat Junior Golf Academy from operating without continuity does leave those 180 kids that we were in contact with every week in limbo."
