Blue Hill Country Club Retaliates Against Golf Writer And Member

Veteran New England golf writer and publisher Tom Gorman was banned from Massachusetts’ Blue Hill Country Club where he was a member. It appears a fairly innocuous story in August covering a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling against Blue Hill for violating the “Tips Act” was the problem.

What’s most troubling: Gorman wrote about the decision and considered potential ramifications for all courses in the region. The club lost but apparently took issue with this:

The SJC decision could have wide-ranging ramifications on other private clubs, hotels and spas in Massachusetts that have engaged in the practice of clipping their help of hard-earned income, as Blue Hill CC has done. Also, of note, Holtzman said all the defendants are personally liable even though most no longer work at the club.

“This Supreme Judicial Court decision is important confirmation that Massachusetts law provides clear protection against workers having their tips taken from them,” said Holtzman in a telephone interview August 24. “This is a reaffirmation of the fundamental principle that workers are entitled to the proceeds from all service charges on events they’ve worked, including the frontline workers who’ve been continuing to deliver service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“It’s gratifying that this victory means these workers will now receive not only their back wages and tips, but also the mandatory treble damages designed to deter future violations. It is also an important reminder of the broad scope of the Tips Act protecting workers at hotels, spas, hair and nail salons, restaurants, catering halls and country clubs – anyone in an occupation in which employees customarily receive tips.”

Even though the club was found guilty, Gorman’s story was apparently too much for Concert Golf Partners, the owners of Blue Hill. As Gorman writes in this account of his membership termination, “hostile opinion” in the above story was the rationale for ending his membership.

In a 20-minute call on Friday Nov. 19 Mr. Straub informed me that I am not welcome back to Blue Hill CC for the 2022 season and that my $10,000 initiation is non-refundable.

“We have received 37 complaints from members of Blue Hill that are not happy with the way you presented the club in recent published articles,” said Straub, from his Concert Golf corporate office in Lake Mary, Florida. “Concert Golf has many options in deciding what’s best for the club. Based on the feedback of members and other criteria we made a decision that you are not welcome there and that we will not renew your membership for next year.”

So, I asked, “Is this retaliation?”

“We believe that your published article in August on the Massachusetts SJC decision against Blue Hill contained some inaccurate content, and reflected more as a hostile opinion piece,” added Straub. “That type of journalism should not be coming from a member. You can use your media platform to do whatever you want and I’ve already been informed you plan to make this issue public. That is not the way Concert Golf does business. We handle these matters confidentially for the benefit of both parties.”

It’s hard not to wonder if poor reading comprehension skills were an issue for General Manager Jason Adams, whose letter to Gorman is a hot mess of mistakes:

The actions of the club should not go unnoticed here. To lose the case in the state’s highest court over skimming tip money is a stain on Concert Golf Partners.