Golf boss was a real life swinger

THE recently appointed head of the New Zealand Hotel Council has resigned after his board discovered he starred in a porn movie and was pictured having sex in a six-page spread inside an X-rated Kiwi magazine.

Garth Stirrat, 40, last night quit the council as it also emerged he had featured in the porn shoots using the alias Steve Parnell when he was employed as chief executive of the New Zealand Professional Golf Association.

As the country's golf boss, he was regularly photographed with such homegrown greats of the game as Bob Charles.

But the more graphic images of Stirrat in R18 magazines NZX and Brass left NZHC bosses at a loss for words.

"I don't know what to say," said Southern North Island area manager Zayne Boone, who appointed Stirrat.

"Obviously we need to make sure that the way in which we conduct our business is in keeping with what we would expect our members to expect."

Boone said the spread, which featured Stirrat having sex in a number of positions, was "disappointing".

The NZHC confirmed on Friday it was investigating Stirrat's secret life as a porn star but yesterday issued a statement saying he had moved on after just one week on the job.

"I've spoken to Garth and he told me that he was involved in some filming over six years ago, while he was single, living in Auckland," chairwoman Jenny Langley said in the statement.

"I have also spoken to NZHC Board members who were previously unaware of the situation and they have accepted his resignation."

Stirrat resigned from the NZPGA in June. At the time it was publicly said he left to "seek greener pastures".

Sunday News has learned after Stirrat's departure, it was discovered no GST returns had been filed for the association for the past year.

And no electronic accounting records covering the 2008 financial year could be located.

But an investigation into the PGA records by a team of forensic accountants cleared Stirrat of any wrongdoing.

Sources within the PGA confirmed bosses had been shown copies of the Brass and NZX mags in which he featured and had also been made aware of his part in a 2003 adult movie produced by Kiwi porn king Steve Crow Sex Around the World: New Zealand.

One well-placed source said if Stirrat who worked for the PGA for six years and was previously at Sky TV and lease firm Esanda had not resigned, and it was possible he could have been sacked for bringing the sporting organisation into disrepute.

When Sunday News approached Stirrat earlier this week, he initially denied he was the man pictured in the magazines or in the porn movie.

He said he had never heard of the stage name Steve Parnell.

Yesterday he was unwilling to discuss the matter, saying: "I have nothing to say about this. You have ruined my life."

Stirrat's wife Karen, whom he married in March last year, has described her relationship status on her Facebook page as "complicated".

Karen, a nurse employed by Kapiti Coast Health Services, told Sunday News she didn't believe her husband had starred in any porn titles.

- © Fairfax NZ News