Vale Colin Phillips
Colin Phillips recently at his beloved second home, The Metropolitan Golf Club. Photo: The Metropolitan GC
Colin Phillips, one of the best and longest running managers of the Australian gulf, died at the age of 76.
Phillips, who received an OAM in 1996 for his services to the sport, fought a brief battle with cancer before being in a hospital in Melbourne on Sunday evening.
Of the many roles he played in international golf, Phillips will be remembered the most as the boss of the Australian Golf Union, who, together with Women & # 39; s Golf Australia, was the forerunner of what is now Golf Australia. He served that role with distinction from 1979 to 2006, while at the same time building up Australia's international reputation with his work for R & A and the young Asia Pacific Pacific Golf Club
The President of the Gulf of Australia, John Hopkins, was sad when he heard that Phillips had died.
"He has devoted his life to improving golf and has provided tremendous service over a very long period," said Hopkins.
"Colin was an extremely important and central figure in Australian golf history, not only with the AGU, but also with the R & A and APGC in recent years. He will be missed and his contribution is certainly a very important over a very long period. "
According to chief executive Pitt of Golf Australia, Phillips emphasized his dedication to the sport he mentioned to provide support when he started working in 2008.
"Colin was one of the first people to call me and offer his help in every way possible and I really appreciated that offer of support and friendship and I knew it was real," Pitt said.
"He was considered by everyone as someone who understood the traditions and values of the game and worked hard to maintain them.
"He was a very loyal person, had tremendous integrity, honesty and very strong values."
Phillips was an enthusiastic golfer all his life and was appointed Assistant Manager of The Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne in 1962.
He later moved to Great Britain where he worked for more than four years at the West Kent Golf Club as secretary manager and also helped the Kent Golf Union.
He returned to Australia in 1975 when he offered the position of secretary to the Victorian Golf Association before landing the position with the national authority.
Phillips was the driving force behind and guided many initiatives in his time at the AGU and in other roles within the golf industry. These include the formalization of National Development Programs, especially for juniors and promising amateurs, the creation of GolfLink and the precursor to the current Australian disability system.
He helped initiate an environmental strategy for Australian golf courses and was on committees that established the world ranking system of sport, the Alfred Dunhill Cup and the Confederation of Australian Sport
Phillips has been a member of The Metropolitan Golf Club since 1975, served on his committees and acted as greens convener for many years. He was a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, honorary member of Kingston Heath and West Kent Golf Clubs, Sorrento, Moonah Links and Frankston golf clubs.
He was also the honorary secretary of the APGC, director of Asia-Pacific for R&A, chairman of the Australian Open championship from 1975-2005 and the first Australian to participate in the Rules committees for The Open, US Open and Masters.
Phillips is survived by his wife, Coralie.
