Funding shortfall will hurt game

charging exorbitant amounts of money for their time – some are up to $5000 for a day of their time – and Lynch is moving to America after Christmas to start with Bann a resort-based golf teaching school.

He will be a significant loss to Australian coaching but American market places a greater value on his knowledge than the Australian one.

As long as our sporting success as a nation is seen only through the prism of an event held once every four years, golf will be under-funded by government.

There is an argument to suggest golf has done just fine on its own with limited funding from Canberra but the lesson for golf is the demise of tennis. It was taken for granted that we would always have great tennis players until now when we only have one. Golf must not go down the same path.

Losing coaches of the ability of Dale Lynch may not seem such a big deal now but the reality is he is moving to America because of the financial opportunity and our sports minister should be looking at why one of the best coaches involved in one of our most successful sports is moving overseas.

For all the money the government may be looking at pumping into Olympic sports for 2012 and 2016 it would do well to look outside of sports that bring gold medals that make us feel good and pay some attention to a game that has been a huge part of the sporting culture of this country.

And at least with golf we know we have a chance to compete with the rest of the world because by and large we know we are competing on a level playing field.