this very topic, and the feeling I didn't belong because my views didn't comport with the "loud and rather apparent majority" who post here almost daily, I was told to not let the door hit me on my way out by just about every one of them. And all this after reading so often about so much concern with the dwindling amount of club members and the difficulty the club constantly faced with gaining new ones (for its own survival).

But, because my love of chipping trumped my feelings of not belonging, along with a few members like Doug Smith, who went out of their way to encourage me to continue, I did. And glad of it!

But, I just have to say, I have had a few friends of mine who share this great hobby, after visiting this message board, come away saying they would never join our club because of some of what they read here!

It is such a turn-off to so many, myself included.

It is because of this I no longer take part in any of the political threads posted here.

I'm not telling anyone what they can do or cannot do, except to say this, "What you post here does reflect on the club to so many (whether that's right or wrong - it doesn't matter) and has a very direct influence on how people think about and view our club. I know personally that it has pushed away people who otherwise would have joined.