Herald Sun reports on ACCC submissions against Golf Australia

The following is a statement from SGA founder & Managing Director Matthew Pitt

The Herald Sun published an article yesterday (30/09/2026) with the headline: "Golf Australia reported to ACCC over claims it copied virtual golf club model"

While we are pleased that News Corp are reporting on the multiple ACCC submissions alleging anti-competitive conduct by Golf Australia (GA), the initial narrative of the report suggests GA copying our idea and business model is the issue. It is not. The issue we took to the ACCC is the allegation of anti-competitive conduct by GA.

The submissions to the ACCC allege that members of GA's Golf Australia Club are allowed access to use the GA App, which is controlled by GA, for Conforming Social Score (CSS) submissions for handicap scores whilst GA specifically withheld (and continues to withhold) the same functionality from the members of its competitors in the Virtual Club market, thereby using its market power to gain an unfair competitive advantage.

The sub-headline in the original version published online states: "Social Golf Australia has accused golf's governing body of brazenly ripping off a business product that gives weekend hackers an official handicap without having to join a club."

While it is true that The Golf Australia Club replicates the SGA model that has been operating in partnership with GA for nearly two decades, the issue is far more than simply lacking originality. In doing this, Golf Australia appear to have created an untenable conflict of interest by entering a market they control.

The issue that we and others took to the ACCC was not that GA have copied the business model of their stakeholder Virtual Clubs, it is the allegation that GA are using their market power, through their GA App and the handicapping system, to gain an unfair advantage in the market.

It is a distinction that we think is very important. Social Golf Australia does not have a problem with competition. We embrace it. We started in the Virtual Club sector in Australia two decades ago and we would have had a dozen entities copy our model. As it happens, nearly all of them have come and gone while SGA has become the biggest golf club in Australia and we are still going strong.

We have been competing for nearly two decades and we believe competition ultimately produces better services, better value and more choice for Australian golfers. And Golf Australia has benefited directly from that with more than three million dollars paid in affiliation fees for golf handicaps by SGA since 2006.

Over a long period, we have demonstrated that we embrace competition. What we don't like is a fellow competitor, which in this case is the governing body, breaking the rules to try to gain an advantage. Our concern in this matter is about whether the competition is taking place on a level playing field.

It is valuable to note that Golf Australia isn't simply another participant in this market. It is the national governing body of the sport and sits at the apex of Australia's handicapping and golf administration ecosystem, which it controls.

For many years, organisations such as SGA have worked closely with GA within that system controlled by GA, paid affiliation fees and helped thousands of social golfers transition to memberships at traditional golf clubs.

What we and the other operators in our market are not getting now is a fair go. We welcome competition in a free and fair market. But GA should compete on the same terms and without using its position and power as the governing body to give its own product an advantage over its competitors.

And this is entirely setting aside that GA arguably should not be competing in the market it controls due to the clear conflict of interest that creates. That they have chosen to enter the market as a competitor and then exploit that conflict of interest is damning.

Moreover, the GA defence for their anti-competitive behaviour, that is regurgitated in the Herald Sun article, contains misinformation that needs to be called out. The article attributes these quotes to Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland:

"Golf Australia Club was created to address a clear gap in the golfer journey between casual round players and club membership,"

There was no clear gap. Golf Australia had been working closely with SGA and other similar providers in the Virtual Club sector for decades in fostering this part of the golfer journey. Since 2006 I and others have had detailed conversations with representatives of GA at the highest levels about the "pathway to club membership" model that we developed in partnership in GA.

The success of that initiative has been remarkable and has been widely promoted by Golf Australia for many years. SGA and other Virtual Clubs have been reporting statistics to GA over those years of golfers in the tens of thousands moving from virtual clubs to traditional club membership. The sector is vibrant and active and had been for a very long time.

Mr. Sutherland is also attributed the claim in the article that:

"…the GA Club was created to "complement" the market, not "replace or compete" with other virtual clubs."

Firstly, the GA Club is directly competing with Virtual Clubs in the existing market and to claim otherwise is untrue. Competing in a market means fighting other businesses for the same customers and market share, which is what GA are doing with The GA Club, while complementing a market means offering products or services that add value to someone else's offerings and make them more useful.

The claims to the ACCC against GA are that GA are allowing GA Club members access to scoring systems that enhance their customer experience and GA are deliberately denying that access to the members of their direct competitor clubs in the Virtual Club market.

If they were sharing the access to the scoring systems, then GA would be complementing the market. They are, however, doing the complete opposite by withholding access to CSS submissions via the GA App in an effort to give the Golf Australia Club an unfair advantage in the Virtual Club market.

Golf Australia's defence against the allegations of anti-competitive conduct is that they are calling the thing they are doing the opposite of what it is.

Moreover, it has been made clear to GA many times over a long period that they are in conflict with Australian competition law, which they could remedy by allowing virtual clubs like SGA the same access to the submission of CSS handicap scores on the GA App, yet they persist in not making this change.

At SGA, we don't object to competition; we embrace it. What we object to is the referee joining the game and then using the system they control to create an unfair advantage. And then misrepresenting the facts to defend their actions.

Our intention is to stand up for what is right and fair for everyone competing in our market and sharing the great game of golf and to try to ensure Australian golfers continue to have genuine choice and that independent organisations can compete fairly in our sector.

SGA has spent many years supporting Australian golf and providing an affordable pathway for social golfers to obtain and maintain an official handicap. In addition, SGA has contributed millions of dollars to our governing bodies via affiliation fees and helped deliver many millions of dollars more into golf clubs around Australia through SGA events and green fees paid by SGA members to clubs. We want to continue doing that alongside Golf Australia and other providers and keep helping the game of golf prosper and grow.

All we are asking for is a level playing field. What is so remarkable is that our governing body seems committed to denying that opportunity to its own stakeholder clubs and golfers, who are the ones that help fund GA.

To us at SGA and many others in our sector, it is truly shocking that GA could even allow a scenario to develop where an allegation of contravening competition law could be considered, let alone worthy of multiple submissions to the ACCC.

We should and we do expect more from the peak governing body of our game. It is not drawing a long bow to hope that GA hold themselves to a higher standard and be accountable for upholding the values that the game of golf aspires to - good sportsmanship, honesty and integrity.

Media enquiries
Matthew Pitt, Managing Director
Social Golf Australia
Email: matt@sgatour.com.au
Phone: 0425 742 501
Website: www.socialgolfaustralia.com.au

About Social Golf Australia
Social Golf Australia (SGA) is Australia's largest golf club, providing 100s of golf events and compliant handicapping access and member support for golfers around Australia who wish to hold an official affiliated golf handicap.