Election of a new president of the Icelandic Golf Union

For decades there have not been elections to the highest position in the Golf Union of Iceland until now, but on this weekend 2 electors from each of the 65 golfclubs of Iceland will have a chance to vote for a new president.

Jón Ásgeir Eyjólfsson, the present president of the Icelandic Golf Union has announced that he will not seek reelection.

Hence two candidates are running for the office of president; Haukur Örn Birgisson, a 34 yr. old advocate, who has been serving as vice president of the Icelandic Golf Union for the past 8 yrs. and Margeir Vilhjálmsson, 41 yrs old, former managing director of Icelands largest golf club, The Golf Club of Reykjavík.

Candidate for the president of the Icelandic Golf Union Margeir Vilhjálmsson far right with his family from left to right Sigurjón his brother-in-law, Herborg, his wife and Arnar his father- in-law. All play golf. Photo: Golf 1

Haukur Örn has been working for the Icelandic Golf Union more or less for the past 12 years and has drafted and lead the Union´s work on a draft for the policy for the Icelandic Golf Union till the year 2020; the draft being presented on the Golf assembley where the election will take place, this weekend 22.-24th of November 2013.

The candidates policy and sense of direction the Icelandic Golf Union should be heading into seems to be a rather different one.

Margeir´s focal point seems to be the Eimskip series, a series of 6-7 tournaments held each summer by the Icelandic Golf Union, where Iceland´s best golfers compete. He wants to turn the series into tournaments for pros whereas Haukur Örn points out that among the approximately 16.000 members of Icelandic golf clubs only 72 hold a handicap of 3 or below and the main attention should be on the „average golfer”, which comprises a larger pool of players in Iceland. Already much of the Union´s finances go towards Iceland´s elite players.

Haukur Örn´s position is also to enhance co-operation between the Union and the golfclubs in Iceland and that the Union should serve the golfclubs better.

In Margeir´s point of view golf in Iceland should be defined as a public sport, he wants a 100 milljon Icelandic krona fund to support our best and his goal is also to increase the number of people playing golf in Iceland especially those 30 yrs with special emphasis on women… without pointing out how he wants to enhance the participation of women in particular.

Haukur Örn says that in the 8 yrs he´s been the vice president of the Golf Union in Iceland, women´s participation in golf has increased from 10% to 30% so they must have been doing something right.  He points to that whilst everywhere in Europe and the rest of the world golf clubs have been fighting people quitting to play golf, Iceland has in fact seen a gain in the popularity of golf with an increased number of participants.  Haukur Örn says that it must remain the main goal to increase the no.´s of Icelanders who play and find golf enjoyable.  He also points out a way for golf clubs to increase the numbers of golf club members, for example by adding more flexability, in teetimes for golfers and also allow for more flexibility in membership fees.  A young mother, who for example can only play golf weekdays in the mornings, 2 days a week should not have to pay full membership fees. Thus flexibilty would lead to more participants, and could increase the numer of women golfers.

Paul Ingrassia, managing director of Reuters visited Iceland last summer, played golf in what has to be the nastiest golf weather in past years and despite that …. seemed to enjoy it. He wrote an excellent article where he a.o. talked to Haukur Örn, who at the end of the weekend might be the next president of the Icelandic Golf Union. You can see  Ingassia´s article by CLICKING HERE: