LANCASHIRE could miss out on a share of a £12.8m development grant unless they change their minds and become a member of the England Golf Partnership.

They are one of four counties along with big rivals Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire who have resisted joining the scheme established in 2005.

The partnership is an alliance between the English Golf Union, the English Women's Golf Association and the PGA with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England who have made the award.

It’s a significant increase on the £8.2m allocated for the previous four-year period and it has surprised many inside and outside the game as the recession begins to bite.

Together with club and coaching funding already secured it means that more than £14m will be available to support development programmes at every level. 

 Cheshire, Northumberland and Bedfordshire are at an advanced stage of negotiations to sign up along with the 26 counties already committed.

 But Lancashire could come still in from the cold.

Secretary Tony Moss revealed that two delegates will attend a conference at the EGU’s  Woodhall Spa headquarters next month to listen to updates on the scheme.

“The money is not just for the counties, it’s also to help run England Golf, and we still want to find out exactly what it is they’re going to be doing,” he said. 

“There is a difference between smaller counties of 30 clubs being involved than ourselves and Yorkshire with the numbers we have in terms of employing someone to run the initiative.

“Cumbria have received £22,000 over three years which is not a lot of money. If there’s a guarantee for how long it would last we might look at it. But it would not be up to us to spend what we want because a new body would be formed.”

The EGU’s Richard Flint said: “Lancashire have nothing to lose and the general feeling of their clubs who attended a forum 18 month ago was to move forward.”

Meanwhile, Lancashire County Ladies are seeking further talks with the regional development officer. “If they go ahead hopefully they will eventually form a partnership with the men,” added Flint.      

“All the counties are benefiting from the scheme like all the others. I’ve also heard a few noises out of Yorkshire that their men on considering it.”