As a golfing member of this beautiful club for over 50 years, I would like the people of the Illawarra to know that the present clubhouse and course has evolved over 119 years thanks to the thousands of loyal members pouring millions of dollars and countless years of their time and effort to make the club what it is today -  one of the oldest in the country and one of the best in the state.

The two holes proposed for the double-storey driving range have only recently had a lot of money spent on them to make them the best on the course.  To remove them and replace them with par three holes elsewhere on the course would see the course go from a championship course to a social course.

There is the problem of golf balls, especially from the top storey of the driving range, causing considerable damage to the four lanes of cars and buildings on Corrimal Street.  I suggest the Council check the height of damage done to The Links residences.

Glass panels and windows up to five and six floors have been replaced because of wild shots inflicted by strong young men on the ground level seventh hole.

The accommodation, dining room, lovely outdoor seating, bars, function  room and golf course are popular with members, visitors and social players and have provided a steady profit to the club.  I would hate to see this downgraded to keep some tourists and noisy "funseekers” happy.   

Take a trip to the driving range at Primbee on a Sunday - that is a good place for a driving range.

Proud old golfer.

Mrs Barbara Mackey, Unanderra

There are many sensitivities about the Vietnam war and many have suffered in their own personal way.

I do not wish to offend anyone but I must comment on the myth that the public, and particularly members of the moratorium movement, did not welcome our troops on their return to Australia.

The rejection came from the Army and the RSL.

The Army refused to allow national servicemen to march in any of the fifteen welcome marches that occurred before the 1987 Welcome Home March.

After being rejected by the Army, the “nashos” then discovered that the RSL would not accept them until they had fought in a “real war”,  and various RSL branches in every state blocked Vietnam veterans, regular and conscripted, from joining.

The Army and the RSL do not represent the anti-war movement, but they exemplify painful rejection by those from whom returning veterans expected support and succour.

There are still Vietnam veterans who have not attended an ANZAC or Vietnam Veterans Day function and still refuse to darken an RSL doorstep.

Ben Morris, Wollongong

Now that the Olympics has finished, and all the dust as settled, there are still allot of whingers out there saying we could or should have got more gold.

Can I say, the sportsmen and women were all beaten by better trained athletes, who won because they were hungrier and wanted to win.

Not because we only threw a few million bucks at them. Money does not make one win a gold and neither does throwing more money away.

The USA does not waste their taxpayers money to pay Olympians?

Maybe we should do the same here. Pay them if they win.

We can't keep on making excuses, cause if you have a lame duck, no amount of money will make them swim faster.

Lawrence Wren, Fairy Meadow