A TALENTED amateur golfer has successfully sued a York golf club for breach of contract after it went back on an offer of membership to him.

Fulford Golf Club has been ordered to make amends to Andrew Holmes, 33, after he took them to York County Court.

Mr Holmes, a married businessman and father from Lockhouse Lane, Earswick, York, has a handicap of four and has been playing golf since he was a child.

He had been a member of Fulford Golf Club from the age of nine until he was 23, and applied to rejoin in October 2000.

He had an interview, and last February received a letter offering him membership, subject to his sending in an application form and resigning from any other golf club in the York Union of Golf Clubs. No other condition for his membership was mentioned.

Mr Holmes agreed to the club's terms, and resigned as a member of Heworth Golf Club, but in March he received a letter, returning his £150 deposit and saying: "Unfortunately, at a meeting of the full board of directors last evening, it was decided that your application for full playing membership of the Fulford Golf Club could not be approved."

Mr Holmes said he had asked the club for a reason, but had been told that it did not have to give one under club rules.

Meanwhile, he applied to join Headingley Golf Club in Leeds and became a member in June.

Fulford has now been ordered to pay him £215.51 for costs incurred while he was not a member of a golf club, £13.50 interest and £80 court fees.

Mr Holme said: "I applied to go back to Fulford because I decided I wanted to improve my golf.

"It was the way that I was treated that made me decide to go ahead with the court case, the way in which they could be so blase in sending me that letter.

"I feel relieved that I've proved my point and I feel happy that I have won the case against the golf club.

"But I feel disappointed that I had to go through this when I've done nothing wrong, and disappointed that I'm not playing at Fulford Golf Club."

A statement from the club said: "Fulford Golf Club accepts that there was ambiguity in the letter sent to Andrew Holmes regarding his application for membership and therefore abides by the decision of the County Court Judge to award Mr Holmes £309.01.

"In the best-regulated of circles things go wrong, our procedures were at fault and have now been rectified.

"The essence of all private members' clubs is that applicants make a choice as to which club they wish to apply to for membership, for whatever reason they may have. Equally the members of a private members' club have a choice in selecting new members with whom they feel comfortable. This applies throughout society, be it in golf clubs, social clubs, probably even journalists' clubs - that the members choose to whom membership will be offered."

Updated: 10:55 Tuesday, February 26, 2002