Clubhouse Europe

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

MDP dates and latest news on courses – page 6

European Conference – full details and registration Sustainability– building back better HQ Building the Business – protecting the bottom line Hospitality Social Media Awards – it’s time to shine

ISSUE 22

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WELCOME

Welcome

Contributors

Fellow Club Management Leaders “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

George Bernard Shaw With the world seemingly obsessed by the nature and condition of how our leaders are elected, it will serve us well to review how effective we are when husbanding our own club governance structures.

The word democracy is derived from the Greek ‘Demos’ meaning people and ‘kratia’ which means power. In this respect, an equity club is no different from a nation of millions, with the members enjoying joint and equal responsibility to elect their Board and Office Bearers.

However, in the same way that national politics is defined by a relatively small number of politically engaged activists, a club AGM is populated by those members most energised by the relatively dull process of club governance.

Club Managers are in the unique position to influence this process and it is vital that we do not neglect this duty. Governance tools such as New Board Member Orientations, Role Descriptors, Long Term Planning Committees and Board Retreats are invaluable instruments when piloting a club through the troubled waters of club management.

CMAE not only provides the resources to learn about effective club governance but the support from our peers and partners has helped countless clubs thrive, despite all the challenges of the current pandemic.

In the pages of this magazine, amongst other topics, there are tips on membership marketing, how to shape a golf green agenda, crisis management and caring for your own mental health.

CMAE has a most distinctive network of contributors, who demonstrate a passion for the club industry and a lasting commitment to share their knowledge with all of us who share such enthusiasm.

If we continue to learn from each other and from industry experts, we can shape the futures of our clubs and enjoy the governance we deserve.

James Burns CCM President, Club Managers Association of Europe

Simon Bell CMDip

James Burns CCM

Sean Ferris

David Foster

Debbie Goddard

Torbjörn Johansson

Jules Murray

Laurie Martin

Justin O’Regan

Caroline Scoular

Nick Sellens

Jill Slingsby

CMAE Board of Directors David Balden CCM dcb@caledonianclub.com Michael Braidwood CCM mbraidwood@ecgolf.com James Burns CCM james.burns@cmaeurope.org Niall Carroll CMDip niall@cducestates.com Debbie Goddard debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org Alberto Iglesias CCM aiglesias@fdlgolf.es Torbjorn Johansson Torbjorn.johansson@cmaeurope.org Michael Newland CCM michael@theberkshire.co.uk Silvia Serrano CCM serrano_silvia@yahoo.es Mary Lou Watkins CMDip office@luffnessnew.com

Editor Caroline Scoular caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk Design David Foster Editorial Nick Sellens Sales and Marketing Manager Leigh-Ann Ogilvie Circulation Jonathan Hardy Association Manager Debbie Goddard Debbie.Goddard@cmaeurope.org Publishing Director Sean Ferris sean@alchemymedia.co.uk Clubhouse Europe is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing Ltd.

ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX United Kingdom t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk

CMAE The Club Managers Association of Europe 1b Bagshaw Close Ryton on Dunsmore Warwickshire CV8 3EX United Kingdom t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers or the CMAE. Clubhouse Europe does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 3

Contents 8

29

25 Sustainability – its role in golf’s future Results of a GEO poll show that in the face of new and significant challenges, important conversations are happening around the globe about building back better.

27 Clubhouse Awards launch 5 News, views and industry insights Bursary recipients announced, plus congratulations to CMAE’s latest CMDip and CCM.

17

29 Never say never – lessons learned from COVID-19

6 MDP dates and updates Since CMAE’s Management Development Programme courses began, over 100 courses have been run in 14 countries with over 2000 delegates.

Now, there are over 400 Club Manager Diploma (CMDip) holders and 58 Certified Club Managers (CCM). Here’s how to join the pathway to success.

8 The CMAE European Conference on Club Management 2020 - Preview Taking place on 30 November-2 December CMAE’s virtual European Conference is looking forward to bringing together industry professionals for seminars, sessions and workshops. Not registered yet? Here’s why you should.

16 Check up from the neck up Everything you do has an impact on someone, so there is massive benefit to be gained from taking the time to give yourself a positive ‘check up from the neck up’ says Simon Bell CMDip, PGA.

20

They’re back! It’s time to shine in the Clubhouse Awards.

COVID-19 has taught us some very harsh lessons, says Laurie Martin, as she considers just how crisisready are we? Has it changed our employees and has it changed our members?

32 Hospitality Social Media Awards 17 Club membership – making a performance of it It is no surprise that 2020 is proving to be a volatile year. Uncertainty and confusion abound with ambiguity aplenty, says Jules Murray. Time to look again at your Value Proposition to give members the confidence they crave in your safeguarding ability.

Social distancing is never an issue with social media, so now more than ever clued-up clubs are focussing efforts on using it to reach out to members and the local community. It’s time to take a bow.

34 Updating your website Studio44 examines the signs that may point to the need for a redesign of the club website.

20 The new value of golf’s green spaces

36 Taking care of your mental wellbeing

A social media poll has highlighted the stressrelieving benefits of golf and golf courses, with new members saying that stress relief has been an important reason to join a club during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has thrown up all sorts of challenges for those forced to self-isolate or work at home. So how can we take care of our own mental wellbeing and of those around us? Key tips from Outreach Manager, Boris MacKey.

40 HQ Building the Business A free service to UK readers, including a new energy comparison site, COVID-19 safety products, telecoms packages and special offers.

For more information on any of these articles or to contribute to our next issue, contact Editor Caroline Scoular. e. caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk t. +44 (0)1753 272022 For more information on the CMAE, its events and/or courses contact Debbie Goddard. e. debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359

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News from the frontline STOP PRESS...

The CMAE Conference has gone digital and takes place on 30 November – 2 December, 2020. Full details on pages 8-14, or visit www.cmaeurope.org

Malone Golf Club Manager becomes the latest CCM success Malone Golf Club Manager Paddy Dean has becomes the 58th CCM in Europe and the first in Northern Ireland.

Paddy, who had previously held positions in fields including insurance and accountancy, first moved into club management in 2014 when he became General Manager of Malone Golf Club, Belfast. He attended his first MDP course at Stirling University three weeks into the job and was awarded the CCM certification after passing the seven hour CCM exam, consisting of a multiple choice examination and a case study.

The CCM exam can be taken by those who fulfil a number of eligibility requirements, including completing the full Management Development Programme pathway and attending the World Conference on Club Management in the USA.

Suzann Pettersen becomes a Sustainable Golf Champion Following a successful career as a professional golfer, Suzann Pettersen has established a new collaboration with the non-profit GEO Foundation, to help the mission of accelerating sustainability in and through golf around the world.

The partnership will see Suzann becoming closely connected to GEO’s advocacy and communications, as well as programmes, certification and the celebration of leadership results.

Suzann becomes the first professional golfer to become a GEO Sustainable Golf Champion and joins an existing and growing community of leaders across the sport.

European Club Education Foundation announces Joe Perdue Bursary recipients The annual Joe Perdue Bursaries have now been awarded by the European Club Education Foundation (ECEF).

Debora Drago, Operations Manager, Army & Navy Club, London, will attend the CMAA World Conference as part of her bursary, while attendance at MDP Strategy & Leadership courses have been awarded to Eduardo Carrillo de Albornoz, Manager at Golf las Pinaillas, Spain and Luis Rio, Golf Secretary at Morgado Golf Resort, Portugal.

The Joe Perdue Bursary was established in 2015 in memory of CMAA’s Joe Perdue, the pioneer of club management education in Europe, and instrumental in helping CMAE to establish the now renowned Management Development Programme.

This year’s applications came from five different European countries and were praised for their high standard.

ECEF CEO Marc Newey said: “The quality of the applications was extremely high giving the ECEF Board a challenging job in identifying the worthy recipients.”

On receiving her bursary award, Debora said that she was “thrilled and honoured”.

Debora Drago of the Army & Navy Club is a recipient of the annual Joe Perdue Bursary

“This is a dream come true,” she said.

“This award will allow me hopefully to achieve the CCM qualification soon, whilst continuing to learn and widen my understanding within this challenging yet remarkable field.

“Not only is this a great opportunity of experiencing one of the most well-known conferences in the world, but also meeting with like-minded professionals and listening to excellent motivational and knowledgeable speakers.”

The key bursary criteria were: 1. Their previous support of CMAE and its education programmes.

2. Their goals in attending an MDP Course within the next 12 months.

3. The funding already available for their CPD at their club.

4. The impact, which the successful candidate will make upon their colleagues and their area of influence.

• www.euroclubfoundation.com

First CMDip for the Netherlands

New CMAE partnership

Golfclub Cromstrijen’s Office Manager, Nicole Kardienaal, has become the first club employee in the Netherlands to attain the CMAE Club Management Diploma (CMDip).

CMAE Director of Education Torbjorn Johansson said: “It gives me great pleasure to award Nicole her diploma having seen her work incredibly hard during her time at MDP 1 and 2, both of them seeing her travel to Portugal for the courses. The CMAE are supporters of the R&A’s women in golf charter and we hope that positive stories like this will inspire women to join and thrive in the golf club management industry.”

Golfclub Cromstrijen has over 1,000 members, amongst which there are around about 100 active volunteers.

Prior to becoming Office Manager, Nicole worked in a variety of PR and Marketing roles.

“I am grateful to the board for their willingness to invest in my personal

The Club Managers Association of Europe is delighted to announce a new official supplier partnership with mobile technology company Pacesetter.

Set up in 2013, Pacesetter specialises in mobile apps for the club industry to deliver an exceptional member experience, using name recognition software and a member photo directory to put a face to a name, enabling tailored experiences and stronger member connections.

Pacesetter Founder, George Stavros, said: “After many years of conducting education sessions with CMAA and building custom apps for some of the greatest clubs on the planet, we are proud to announce our partnership with CMAE and having Richard Clements leading our efforts in the UK. We look forward to innovating together and finding ways to enhance the member experience, while keeping them safe.”

• www. pacesettertechnology.com

development and the golf club,” said Nicole.

“The golf industry faces challenging changes that offer opportunities.

“At Golf Club Cromstrijen we use those opportunities to firmly promote the most attractive club in the Rotterdam area, in the Netherlands and abroad. It makes me feel proud that, with my obtained knowledge, I can add value to that!”

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MDP COURSES

Management Development Programmes Since the introduction of our Management Development Programme (MDP) courses in 2011, the CMAE has run over 100 MDP courses in 14 countries to over 2000 delegates. It now has over 400 Club Manager Diploma (CMDip) holders and 58 Certified Club Managers (CCM).

GET INVOLVED If anybody is interested in attending a course date, please do get in touch with us on office@cmaeurope.org and we will register your interest until a time when we have a decision if the course will go ahead and under what capacity.

SUSAN SECURES DREAM JOB South African Susan Bohlmann came to the UK in February 2019, with the dream of joining the golf industry. Susan embarked on the CMAE education pathway, making a personal investment in both MDPs 1 and 2, gaining her Club Management Diploma and securing her first club role as Membership Sales Manager at Hampshire’s Sherfield Oaks Golf Club. Susan also attended 2019’s CMAE European Conference in Cascais, Portugal, and just a couple of months later was rewarded with her dream move to the Scottish Highlands having been appointed Office Manager at Brora Golf Club.

FROM GREENKEEPER TO CLUB SECRETARY In June 2020, Senior greenkeeper James Lillitou was appointed as the Club Secretary of Flackwell Heath Golf Club, his first job in a club management position following his progression on the CMAE’s MDP pathway.

James had been working as the senior greenkeeper at Beaconsfield Golf Club for over 15 years. Keen to progress his career into club management, he enrolled on the CMAE’s Management Development Programme completing both part 1 and 2 and gaining his Club Management Diploma. James’s dream became a reality when he was appointed as the new club secretary at the South Buckinghamshire club.

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MDP - PLANNED DATES MDP Part 1 14 - 18 December 2020

LOCATION

HOST

INFO

Online

CMAE

Full

25 - 29 January 2021

Online

CMAE

Brochure available at www.cmaeurope.org or use this QR code.

15 - 19 February 2021

Online

CMAE

Brochure available at www.cmaeurope.org or use this QR code.

February/March 2021 1 - 5 March 2021 2 - 6 May 2021 16 - 20 August 2021 25 - 29 October 2021

Online Dublin, Ireland Dubai, UAE London, England Stirling, Scotland

CMAE CMAE Dubai Golf/CMAE CMAE England CMAE

TBA TBC TBC TBA TBA

MDP Part 2 5 - 9 April 2021 2 - 6 May 2021 7 - 11 February 2021

Manchester, England Dubai, UAE Stirling, Scotland

CMAE England Dubai Golf/CMAE CMAE

TBC TBC TBC

MDP Golf Management 29 March - 2 April 2021

St Andrews, Scotland

CMAE

TBC

MDP Food & Beverage Management 2 - 6 May 2021 Dubai, UAE

CMAE/Dubai Golf

TBC

MDP 3 Strategy & Leadership Spring 2021 Online

CMAE

TBA

MDP Sport & Recreation 2 - 6 August 2021

London, England

CMAE

TBC

MDP Taster Events 2021 (TBD) 2021 (TBD)

Italy Finland

AITG FGMA

TBA TBA

To register your interest in attending any of the above courses please contact debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org or use this QR code (see left).

KEY INFORMATION TBA – means a brochure is being produced TBC – course details yet to be confirmed Provisional – course not yet fully confirmed. Register your interest by emailing torbjorn.johansson@cmaeurope.org. You will then be contacted should the course go ahead.

COVID-19 – a number of MDPs are taking place online while the pandemic continues.

We continue to monitor the situation and will update members on any changes. The safety of delegates, presenters and staff is paramount, and courses will only be run when it is safe to do so.

CCM HELPS SECURE SUNNINGDALE GM POSITION At the age of 32 Adam Walsh became one of the youngest Certified Club Managers when he passed the CCM exam in November 2018. Nine months later he was appointed as the General

Manager at Sunningdale Golf Club. Tristan Hall CCM, Secretary of Sunningdale Golf Club, who appointed Adam, was asked whether the CCM qualification was an influencing factor in the recruitment process. “The sim-

Join up, join in – the value of MDP courses

“

CMAE’s Management Development Programme (MDP) is an education programme for Managers in Europe, Middle East & Northern Africa. Here’s what just some of our colleagues have to say.* For an experienced golf club manager, MDP1 helped underpin the knowledge I already have and give me confidence that I am working to best practice. It also opened up opportunities for improvements that will both benefit the club I manage and my career. The administration, venue and presenters were first class. I look forward to MDP2.

” “

Chris Donovan, General Manager, Hindhead Golf Club, England

The course was very worthwhile and I would highly recommend it to anyone currently in the golf industry or considering a career in the future. Once again the CMAE attracted people from all over the world so the networking opportunities allowed you to learn from some best practice examples in the world of golf.

“

”

Stuart Finlay, Regional Club Development Officer, Wales Golf

”

A must for anyone in the industry who wants to develop themselves and their Club. A comprehensive course with opportunities to not only learn from industry experts but also from the other individuals on the course – a fantastic, highly beneficial week.

“

Claire Hodgson, Head of Participation, England Golf

”

The F&B week in Marbella was superb!

To be able to spend time with like-minded people on a course that incorporated education, hands on experience at both Les Roches and Valderamma and networking was invaluable.

Mary Lou Watkins, Assistant Secretary, North Berwick Golf Club, Scotland

ple answer is yes,” he said. “When we got down to the final six candidates we discovered that they were all involved in CMAE and its education pathway and two of the six were CCMs. This was highlighted as a desired attribute of the candidates.” *The job titles referenced here are as at time of the testimonial.

“

”

MDP1…The most amazing training I ever had! A month has passed and I’m still full of energy and enthusiastic about work! The academic part of the training is great but people is what made the experience amazing! From the organisers, always ready to help, the presenters, knowledgeable

and fun, and my colleagues – wonderful people that I hope to have the pleasure to see again at MDP2!

Really looking forward to it!

MDPs PROVE A PATH TO SUCCESS Marc Tarrago Freixa was a PGA professional turned lawyer. He worked within the golf sector in 11 different countries and worked in various law firms before realising what he loved was club management. Marc embarked

on the MDP programme completing MDP 1, 2, 3 and Golf Operations with his goal to become a CCM. In March this year he secured his first General Managers role at Costa Daurada Tarragona Sports Centre, Spain.

“The specific training of the MDP has been essential to achieve the position of GM.,” he said, adding that the knowledge sharing and network-building are also an invaluable part of the MDP courses.

Rosa Davies, Events Manager, Victory Services Club, England

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 7

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CMAE CONFERENCE

European Conference on Club Management 2020 Welcome to the Club Managers Association of Europe’s 2020 Conference, says Director of Education, Torbjörn ‘Toby’ Johansson.

C

MAE’s European Conference on Club Management is renowned for bringing together the whole gamut of industry professionals - from Club Managers and Golf Pros to Management Consultants and Food & Beverage Professionals.

Our reach and reputation has gone further and further around the globe via social media, this magazine and – most importantly – via our members and MDP ambassadors, as evidenced by the record number of 22 countries represented at the 2019 Conference. From Sweden and Switzerland, to Italy and Ireland and from Hungary and Hong Kong to Denmark and Dubai, the breadth of experience is unparalleled. And this year will be no different.

Ok. Well – maybe just a little different! For all the very obvious Coronavirus reasons, we’ll be welcoming delegates via a multitude of remote, virtual and video links. This is our very best version of how we can all continue to interact in this strange world we find ourselves in.

The quality of content and presentations remains as high as ever, and welcoming so many people from so many countries, all sharing the same passion for networking and knowledge is a very great pleasure.

8 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

REFLECTIONS ON 2019 FROM DAVID ROY CMAE’S conference has to tread a fine line between simply supplying information and sustaining the interest of the delegates. In truth, this equation always produces variables and whilst this was no less true in Cascais, we still managed to unearth some genuine golden nuggets. In no particular order, here are some key learnings from 2019’S various sessions: • Sometimes the leader has to fly his own plane. Justin Hughes explained that when the high performance fighter jet display team was enveloped in cloud so thick that they lost sight of the plane less than 2 metres away, the leader had to ignore the demands of the display and simply fly his own plane. As a metaphor for life, this is most apt, for we are incapable of performing well as a leader if we are involved in our own personal plane crash.

• Strategy is operational. Rob Hill drew upon the commanding presence of three industry leaders to illustrate how best to implement effective club strategy. Javier Riviego, James Burns and Marc Newey all carefully explained that even the best club strategy will fail if it is not operationally effective and commands the support of the entire team.

Each in his own way was able to illustrate how a club has to engage with all levels of staff to ensure the success of any strategic decision making, otherwise the entire project can fall at the first hurdle.

• Mystery Shoppers are not a mystery. Simon Wordsworth was able to display in stark graphic form the incredibly simple steps that seem to elude most club employees.

Training staff to routinely upsell is not only quick and easy but given the tiny number of clubs who bother to do this, it will provide a significant market advantage.

• Sustainability is not an option. Cindy Schoenrich illustrated in unambiguous terms that the need to instil sustainability in our business plans is not only financially astute but quite simply the right thing to do.

We are unavoidably in a climate emergency and the need to act with urgency is vital to the point of being the core of the club mission.

• Make it a Festival. Paddy Keane not only entertained his audience with celtic witticisms and expertly produced video clips but the truth of his message lay in the fact that golf can be the catalyst for down to earth, old-fashioned fun and there can be nothing finer in life than mixing music, dance, a pint with the odd round of golf.

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 9

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CMAE CONFERENCE

DAY 1 – 30 NOVEMBER Our first day focusses very much on the CMAE as a whole. It’s an invaluable introduction to those who don’t know so much about us yet, exploring our ethos, education pathway and certification.

Our Management Development Programmes – or MDPs – have grown in stature and are now recognised as an important and career-advancing qualification. As those who are already on the MDP pathway know, the contacts and friends you will meet on this journey form a life-long support network where ideas and issues can be shared, discussed and worked through.

The day also serves as a reminder of just how much we continue to develop, adapt and build, positively tackling the challenges which our industry faces, past, present and future. So Day 1 is a good opportunity to re-acquaint yourself with the CMAE, some of its key officers and the networking newbies who we expect to joining us on this special first day.

We will also officially open the Conference at the end of Day 1. We are honoured to announce that CMAE President James Burns CCM will be joined by Mark Bado MCM CCE, President of the Club Managers Association of America, out of which the CMAE was born.

10 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

DAY 1 - THE PROGRAMME 09.00-09.45

Open CMAE Meeting CMAE Portfolio and Strategic Plan

10.00-10.30

Open session on E-Learning – Discussions

11.00-11.45

Alliance Partner Meeting • Alliance Partner Contacts Only

12.00-12.30

Launch of CMAE Book Club Join and listen, sign up & discuss (NEW)

12.30-13.15

CCM Meeting • CCMs Only (Updates)

14.00-14.30

CCM Pathway Eligibility & Exam Information & Discussions

15.00-15.45

Corporate Partner Meeting • Corporate Partners Only

16.00-16.30

CMDip Meeting New information for CMDips & Discussion about WBA

17.00-17.45

Welcome to CMAE European Conference 2020 James Burns, President CMAE, Mark Bado, President CMAA

17.45-18.30

After Work Tribute to Corporate Partners 2020

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CMAE CONFERENCE

DAY 2 – EDUCATION & NETWORKING An exciting line up of seminars and keynote sessions. Using an interactive map registrants will be able to explore four different floors and connect with delegates, sponsors and educators.

08.00 Virtual doors open for delegates; Conference Area opens.

09.00 – 09.40 Measuring Leadership Success KEYNOTE SPEAKER 1 Rob Hill, GGA Partners Most of us have hero-leaders whose accomplishments we admire. Some are renowned the world over. Some are personal to us. We judge the success of their leadership by the decisions they make, the way they arrive at them and most of all, the positive impact of their actions.

So how should club leaders measure the success of their leadership? Are they measuring what really counts? In his keynote address, Rob Hill will suggest metrics for measuring leadership success in 2020 and beyond.

10.10 – 10.50 Membership and Marketing travel back to the future Daniel Asis CCM & Alberto Iglesias CCM Clubs and golf courses are a fighting ground for traditions and modern trends. Club managers need strategies to improve member attraction and retention in post- COVID times. The array of tools is

12 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

wider than ever to retain members and attract new customers.

Building Trust in your Club Andrew Whitelaw CCM & Tristan Hall CCM Believing in the reliability, truth or ability of someone is a key building block to running a successful club.

This session “Building Trust in your Club” examines how Trust is built through the various stakeholder groups highlighting the key components of Trust that will help you drive the performance of your Club. An engaging session drawing on various examples of how building Trust is essential and in particular during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Work life balance through Effective Management Fraser Jervis CMDip & Criscia Walker CMDip With this seminar comes Structure within the work place – Roles & Expectations, Training & Planning all lead to good Governance. If all of this is in place it will have a positive effect on Time Management and therefore assist in work-life balance.

11.30 – 12.15 Effective Change Management KEYNOTE SPEAKER 2 Andre Van Hall Do Not Fear Managing Change – Be the Change

The most important kind of change is the one that YOU initiate or influence, the one you can make happen on purpose! Of course, it’s easier to fall into a safe routine and resist moving forward, but I am here to tell you: “Do not fear managing change – be the change.”

12.45 – 13.20 How to burn down your Clubhouse (in three easy steps) David Roy CCM & Chris May CCM In this session, you will learn: • How to neglect maintenance to generate spontaneous combustion.

• How to ensure that staff can spectate as their clubhouse is reduced to ashes. How to prevent the Fire Brigade interfering.

A major fire is a highly traumatic experience, frightening and life-threatening. There are a number of reasonably simple maintenance issues that can help prevent such an event and this session can illustrate how.

Overcoming F&B hurdles James Burns CCM & Michael Braidwood CCM In these strange times F&B operations have had a lot of restrictions put on them. These ‘hurdles’ have allowed creative thinkers to come up with innovative ideas on how to overcome the challenge and make

Rob Hill

Daniel Asis CCM

Alberto Iglesias CCM

Andrew Whitelaw CCM

Tristan Hall CCM

Fraser Jervis CMDip

Criscia Walker CMDip

Andre Van Hall

David Roy CCM

Chris May CCM

James Burns CCM

Michael Braidwood CCM

Gabriel Sota CCM

Derek Mckenzie CCM

José María Olazábal

Arnaldo Cocuzza CCM

Laurie Martin

Howie Roberts CMDip

Adam Rowledge

Michael Newland CCM

David White CMDip

Ascanio Pacelli CCM

Vincent Phipps

their F&B operations viable. In this session you will learn about collaborative and creative thinking to aid you F&B operations through challenging times via six different international case studies: • Collaborative thinking • Dare to be different • Great time to experiment • Keeping your team engaged

the world (Canada & Bali) will bring a seminar worth remembering.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast – learning to succeed through challenge and change Adam Rowledge & Michael Newland CCM In this session we will share with you how to transform your business through effective culture change, drive competitive advantage through learning and lead through change and uncertainty. Throughout the current challenging times that we’re in, our ability to ‘do change’ well, learn and innovate is what sets us apart from the competition. Join us to benefit from tips, tools and techniques to help you succeed.

Passion, Integrity, Respect Gabriel Sota CCM & Derek Mckenzie CCM & José María Olazábal Ryder Cup Captain and World Hall of Famer José María Olazábal will share stories from the past but most importantly talk about his thoughts about the future of golf and the golf clubs. His values lies in the following three words: Passion, Integrity, Respect.

In 2012 he captained Europe’s Ryder Cup team to a narrow victory over the US, which seemed improbable at the start of the final day’s play when the Europeans trailed 10–6. They came back to win 141⁄2–131⁄2.

José is now active in the golf industry, designing Golf courses with his company Olazabal Design and looking for the future development of the game.

What’s wrong with your Social Media?

David White CMDip & Ascanio Pacelli CCM A seminar on Digital Marketing where we will hear how a club potentially could ‘win’ in social media without having employees fully dedicated to social media marketing. We also cover why you need to invest in your platforms.

16.15 – 17.00

14.00 – 14.40 Roller Coaster Ride KEYNOTE SPEAKER 3 Arnaldo Cocuzza CCM Arnaldo was a very successful Club Manager at an Italian Club and also former President of the CMAE. Life was good. He then lost his job and received some negative criticism. He was offered a position and new opportunity in the USA and uprooted his family for an American adventure.

After many years of hard work, he has secured a Visa and now finds himself at the exclusive Desert Mountain Club in Arizona in the role of Director of Athletics. Hear his story here.

15.00 – 15.35 Amazing Encounters & How to KISS Laurie Martin & Howie Roberts CMDip Listen to the stories about having a greenkeeper who is first generation non-cannibal, having a gun fight at the golf course, entertaining presidents – but also how to deal with stress and encounters with yourself and your team. This duo from two different parts of

Attitude Amplifier KEYNOTE SPEAKER 4 Vincent Phipps Vincent Ivan Phipps is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and communication coach. Vincent is called The Attitude Amplifier due to his high energy, content rich material, and interactive presentation style.

Vincent’s philosophy is, “If I can get you to laugh, I can get you to listen. If I can get you to listen, I can help you amplify.”

17.00 AFTER WORK Tribute to CMAE’s Corporate Partners.

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CMAE CONFERENCE

DAY 3 – WORKSHOPS Attend your choice of six virtual specialised workshops with our expert presenters.

09.00 – 10.40

11.00 – 12.40

Principles for a high performance culture Be committed – Be fully present with ‘what is’ – Engage in deep dialogue – Look for answers within.

How do we give members the warm embrace – when we dare not embrace?

Golf rounds have spiked. Historic perceptions of our game are under review. And younger people have decided that a club might be for them after all! But with clubhouse restrictions ongoing and precautions to be followed, how do we continue to put CLUB into clubhouse? Kevin Fish CCM will help delegates discover what clubs around the globe are doing to overcome this challenge, and help you to assess your club’s approach to the four questions that will ensure you lead your team in your never-ending mission to increase member loyalty and belonging.

Susan Stevenson, co-author of the book Polar Bears and Penguins and co- founder of GRIP Arabia, a company based in the Kingdom of Bahrain focusing on enabling organisations and individuals to realise their full potential and positively impact their desired business results. She is also an International Implementer of The Entrepreneurial Operating System®, helping SME’s get what they want out of their businesses.

10.00 – 12.00 Lean Process and Six Sigma Darshan Singh’s experiential workshop will share tools, systems and framework that have been developed and used in other industries for eliminating defects and waste in the business process. The workshop will provide an introduction to a way of thinking and behaving that has changed many corporations in the world.

It will also give participants an opportunity to reflect, learn, and create new tools, ideas, concepts to apply in their clubs to deliver the intended result in 2021 and beyond.

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13.00 – 14.40 Scenario Planning Scenario planning is making assumptions on what the future is going to be and how your business environment will change overtime inlight of that future. More precisely, Scenario planning is identifying a specific set of uncertainties, different ‘realities’ of what might happen in the future.

Bill Sanderson has been in constant demand as a business coach, to all types and sizes of business, for over 30 years. Bill guides, motivates and inspires in equal measure but always through the delivery of

exceptional performance.

14.00 – 16.00 Change Management Participants will be able to discuss what change is currently affecting them, and not only how to deal with it effectively, but also how to make change happen.

The completed worksheet will give them a living document to take back to the office and quickly begin implementing a ‘culture of curiosity’ both in their personal and professional lives.

Andre Van Hall’s career in the hospitality industry spanned three continents and the world’s finest hotels. Andre was at the peak of his game.

Until the day tragedy struck. He went blind and this was followed shortly by a diagnosis of cancer that was metastasizing. André made a discovery and is now sharing it with the world.

15.00 – 16.30 Amplify your Presentation online This will be an exciting and engaging workshop!

Amplify yourself and your club with improved skills.

Vincent Phipps is an attitude amplifying keynote speaker and communication coach.

Vincent is called, the Attitude Amplifier due to his high energy, content rich material, and interactive presentation style.

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PERCEPTIONS

The story of my ‘check up from the neck up’!

“How I’m perceived is very important to me,” says Simon Bell CMDip, PGA, Assistant Secretary at Basingstoke Golf Club. “Not because I’m an egomaniac – Lord knows the world doesn’t need any more of those – but simply because I want everyone I meet to feel comfortable around me from the word go.”

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would like everyone to view me as trustworthy and approachable and ultimately to appreciate that I’m simply a good person (because the world definitely needs more of those!). Looking at it from a professional standpoint I guess that is my ‘brand’, the reality that sits below the surface and contributes towards my performance.

I have always thought a lot about my personal impact on people too. Again, not because I’m obsessively self centred or anything, but because since the age of seven I have stammered when I speak. It’s not dreadful by any means and I haven’t let it define me, but I still can’t help focusing on how people react, especially when they meet me for the first time. It’s not always positive I assure you, but it does help me to understand what work I need to do to help them better understand who I am.

Coupled with the fact that I am always striving to be a better manager and currently attending interviews for new roles, gaining a better understanding of how to deliver a powerful and positive presence is a must. Fortunately I was lucky enough to attend a two-day CMAE webinar recently with the wonderfully inspiring Jules Murray from Spider On The Wall Ltd, entitled ‘Enhancing Personal Impact’.

I first met Jules on my MDP2 course last year where she presented compellingly on Team Dynamics and Customer Service Standards and I have been lucky enough to benefit from her guidance ever since. She is effortlessly engaging and someone who definitely walks the walk as opposed to simply dishing out advice.

The course highlighted the reality that we are constantly having an impact on everyone we meet, and being fully prepared for that is both a skill and major contributor towards success. For want of a better word, people are ‘judging’ you most of the time. I don’t mean that as negatively as it sounds, but if you are having a bad day people do tend to notice don’t they?

The importance of being able to project your best self at all times should never be underestimated. Not just at key moments like interviews, board meetings, AGMs, etc., but in every other interaction we have throughout every day. I always think back to that image of Barack Obama fist-bumping a custodian during his presidency and how much that simple act

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told you about the man behind the public persona.

We began the first session by stating honestly what three words we would use to describe our ideal self. Knowing perfection isn’t possible and that being authentic is the best way to success is fundamental in freeing up your potential. It is after all, much easier to be yourself day in, day out than acting like someone you think you should be. I particularly loved the line “if it’s not your thing, don’t do it.” Amen to that.

The idea that how we interpret what is going on around us ultimately affects performance was new to me. How people speak to you, what you see and hear, your surroundings, your state of health, sleep patterns, your inner dialogue and so on. Your brain naturally sorts through all this information (millions of pieces per second apparently) and determines your emotional state.

The key is training your brain to interpret things differently. Imagine being able to turn anything that happens to you into a palatable, positive response. I appreciate that’s easier said than done when people and circumstances out of our control are chipping away at our happiness and confidence at every turn (and not just in 2020). But perhaps the most obvious, yet powerful message to be gained here was, “you won’t perform at your best if you allow things to

affect you negatively.”

That’s why a course like this is priceless to most people, but particularly for managers. Those that are leading from the front need to be able to manage their emotions in order to effectively inspire those around them. Everything starts with a thought, but you’ve got to be strong to turn those into habits that breed consistent results. Adding knowledge and techniques that enable you to do that can only be of benefit to your business and everyone around you.

I’ve thought a lot about Jules’s advice since the course and have been finishing every day with a five-minute personal recap. I ask myself “did I live up to my brand today, did everyone think I was a good person?” Hopefully they did. For the record the three words I went with were ‘honest’, ‘creative’ and ‘inspiring’. I’d be very happy to be described that way. If you take nothing else from this article though, it should be that everything you do has an impact on someone; there is massive benefit to be gained from taking the time to give yourself a positive ‘check up from the neck up’ and there are good people out there who can help!

• See opposite page for ‘Club Membership – making a performance of it’ by Jules Murray.

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CLUB PERFORMANCE

Club membership – making a performance of it!

It is no surprise that 2020 is proving to be a volatile year. Uncertainty and confusion abound and ambiguity is aplenty, says Jules Murray.

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n the past several months our lives have been disrupted in ways previously only depicted in unnerving science fiction literature, and TV dramas.

It is time to look again at your Value Proposition and your Customer Journey Map and radically adapt them! It is time to give members the confidence they crave in your safeguarding ability.

To show clarity and efficiency in your communications and to demonstrate understanding and empathy to their individual, situational needs. Whilst there will be a huge investment in PPE and safety standards in order to be COVID compliant, CPD must also be addressed to ensure that your staff have all the support and resources they need to solve the challenges they face with empathy, insight and understanding.

Despite there being record numbers of members at many clubs these days, complacency cannot be allowed to fill your minds and behaviours. Building on member relationships and brand loyalty is of paramount importance if you are to continue to enjoy riding the storm with high/regular attendance.

Focus can now be given to replacing lost green fees (for golf clubs) and achieving a financially sustainable business that gives excellent customer service to its members and guests through effective leadership of the team.

A recent article released by Price Waterhouse

Jules Murray

Coopers on the evolving Travel & Tourism Business stated that 80% of Consumers are now making their travel choices based on the communications they receive from their Providers.

Travellers are up for grabs! No longer being loyal to their previous Provider. Take Heed! This is

Ask yourself this…

• Is your club currently struggling to meet sales targets?

• Are you losing members?

• Are your conversion rates down?

• Are your sales and marketing strategies aligned and effective?

• Have you given the staff the tools and training to maximise sales opportunities?

• Do all staff understand their role and the importance of maximising their own personal impact during The Customer Journey?

indeed a valuable lesson for all of us and is in no way exclusive to the travel industry. It is time to talk in-depth about membership recruitment processes and apply some necessary emotional intelligence to the ‘Club Member Customer Journey Map’.

Addressing the member’s anxiety about the disruption to their membership and the on-site safety procedures, and having clear responses and evidence to show them, is of utmost importance if we are to maintain their loyalty.

Members may be more demanding and have

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CLUB PERFORMANCE Top Tips • Re-write your club’s value proposition and ensure that all staff understand their role in the newly enhanced Sales and Customer Service Journey.

• Demonstrate and evidence in the club’s communication the organisational agility to the proactive measures put in place for a further crisis.

• Guide members through the membership process with a step-by-step personal and virtually adapted tour of the club facilities.

• Revisit marketing plans and place extensive focus on the local community where the promise of a community playground is steps, rather than miles away.

• Revisit the Customer Journey Map and explore touchless innovation to allow guests and members to navigate the club experience more safely.

more questions for you to answer in terms of their continuation of membership if Clubs must close again. How will this impact fees? What online provision will be provided for exercise classes and group activities for example? What about their event booking? The anguish of the bride and groom’s forthcoming wedding! All of these questions and more will come up this year from members and event guests who will have read articles in the press and will use them as a benchmark for what they want from your club in a new normal of recreation.

It is time to focus on the extraordinary Customer Service elements of your club’s offerings and ensure that member and guest relationships are cherished and nurtured like never before. Your communications must be clear and explanatory, using the language patterns of the members and aimed to reassure and build trust in your stakeholder relationships. Loyalty to your brand must be encouraged and demonstrated in your staff’s confidence and personal presence, recognising also that this may of course, be a virtual presence and impact. How will you get across in a ‘Broadcaster’s camera view’ using an unstable internet connection, exactly how much you value this member’s engagement?

Going the extra mile, at every twist and turn, to maximise the (non) touch points of every Customer

“

Explore touchless innovation to allow guests and members to navigate the club experience more safely.

Journey is now an essential part of your club experience if you are seeking to raise your new member sales conversion ratios. What valuable feedback are you gathering from your cancelling memberships?

Are you conducting member exit interviews and how are you using this information to improve your services and communications? What is it that the competitor clubs are doing which has lured your member away and prompted them to discard their loyalty to you?

A new member, on average, will research three clubs before they decide. If this is done virtually, then does your video tour speak in terms of imagery, sound and language? If you are in an expatriate area, think about being as accessible as possible to families from non-English-speaking countries by offering Google Translate on your websites, a phone call or email spoken in the mother tongue, pictures that deliver the essence of the secure club environment.

A smile behind a face mask is still a smile in the eyes. A warm and welcome greeting without a handshake is still a warm and welcome greeting with open

A warm and welcome greeting without a handshake is still a warm and welcome greeting... An instruction to ‘follow the arrows on the floor’ can be delivered in the tone of a reassuring guide, rather than an authoritative order.

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body language. An instruction to ‘follow the arrows on the floor’ can be delivered in the tone of a reassuring guide, rather than an authoritative order.

The family decision on which club to choose will most definitely be weighted by the emotional, personal impact of the experience and the memory they are left with after the encounter.

How far will you go to leave no stone unturned and what memory will they take away from your club?

Jules Murray is greatly in demand for her experience in dramatically enhancing the Customer Service Experience and ability to maximise sales opportunities. She provides valuable insights into 2020 challenges, she advises on simple practical, strategies designed to improve the Customer Journey and ultimately maximise new member recruitment.

The result of which is seen in greatly improved conversion ratios and enhanced and empowered recruitment performance.

Jules has 14 years’ experience in people development. A qualified NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner, a DISC Personality Profiling Practitioner and a Goal Mapping™ Practitioner. She brings great interpersonal skills, humour, challenge, and creativity to all her work as well as high quality professionalism. jules@spideronthewall.com +44 (0) 7939 128 668 http://www.spideronthewall.com

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ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES

The new value of golf’s green spaces A social media poll has highlighted the stress-relieving benefits of golf and golf courses, with new members saying that stress relief has been an important reason to join during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sygenta Gold explains the significance of this research.

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he social media poll, conducted by Syngenta Golf, follows the publication of The New Value of Golf’s Green Spaces, providing a snapshot survey of 250 golfers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Over half (55%) of those who had joined a club in the previous six months cited mental wellbeing as their primary reason for joining, followed by the sporting challenge (50%), physical wellbeing (38%) and social wellbeing (31%). Club competitions rated 12% when it came to reasons for joining their club.

Mark Birchmore, Syngenta Global Head of Marketing, Turf and Landscape, said: “This is a simple, snapshot survey with a small sample, but it gives an indication of some of the reasons people have joined golf clubs in recent months.

“While the COVID-19-pandemic has highlighted issues of stress and mental wellbeing in day-to-day

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consider as it could be an important factor in the value proposition for golf and club membership.”

Professor Jenny Roe, University of Virginia life, the reality is that the experience of spending time in nature on a golf course has always been one of the sport’s key benefits – it’s just rarely communicated as a marketing message. But it is something clubs might

Green spaces for wellbeing Speaking about the importance of green spaces in The New Value of Golf’s Green Spaces, environmental psychologist Professor Jenny Roe, University of Virginia, says that contact with nature slows down stress response and induces calm – particularly relevant during the current pandemic.

“COVID-19 will unleash a tsunami of mental health problems. I think people are already beginning to change their perceptions of the value of nature and its importance, particularly to mental health during a time that is very challenging, when we are all experiencing anxiety.”

In the new normal, golf and golf courses could be perfectly positioned to offer a solution.

ROYAL BLED, SLOVENIA Stephen Chappell, Superintendent of Royal Bled, Slovenia, believes that Golf courses’ wellbeing benefits are undersold.

“I’d like to think that the people that come and experience our environment are not just looking at it from a point of view of manicured turf or a good conditioned golf course, but it’s the peripheral vision that myself and my team get every morning when we set the place up,” he says.

“You hear the birds singing, the water running, wildlife, the backdrop of the mountains. There’s a lot to be said for what golf courses can offer from a physical health point of view but also mental health, the wellbeing of people to be in that kind of environment. It’s a big plus point.”

“It is promoting stress resilience, it is improving our mood, it’s decreasing our risk of depression and increasing our social wellbeing, particularly on a golf course where you are interacting with other members of that community. So there are a host of mental and social wellbeing benefits.”

Two theories for how nature benefits our health: 1. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) Suggests our response to nature is a cognitive one, where experiencing nature (e.g. seeing light filtering through a tree canopy) captures our involuntary attention which, in turn, provides scope for reflection. Our fascination, curiosity and wonder at nature promotes psychological restoration, or restorative health.

2. Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) Suggests our response to nature is an emotional response, in turn slowing down our stress response and inducing calm. Seeing and experiencing nature triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, effectively a biologic brake that slows down the body and enables it to ‘rest and digest’.

Golf’s natural appeal In global market research commissioned by Syngenta, more than 3,515 non-golfing women in eight countries, from the United States to Japan, were asked what piqued their interest about golf.

The top two answers were being outdoors (1st)

and relaxation or stress relief (2nd). The physical exercise benefits of golf ranked fifth. “When I see golf on TV, it looks so relaxing and it looks so calm. It looks beautiful,” said one respondent.

Put together these are important insights into how golf might develop its value proposition and sales messaging.

In fact, environmental psychology informs us that many of the natural features that help us to relax and destress are found on golf courses, including: Water: green spaces with water have an added benefit with increased opportunities for curiosity and

fascination (e.g. from patterns of light and wind hitting the surface of water).

Biodiversity: a richer natural environment has an important impact on the restorative health experience. Also, a healthy planet makes healthy people.

Spatial variety: land forms, undulation and the way the terrain changes stimulate our fascination and curiosity, including the shaping of holes and fairways.

Light patterns: the way light filters through trees and is cast across the ground triggers physiological and mental processes.

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ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES

Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Foundation.

PGA CATALUNYA RESPORT, SPAIN PGA Catalunya Resort’s in-house biologist, Oriol Dalmau, and his colleagues at the nearby Girona University, Spain, used to believe that golf courses were damaging to the environment.

“We were all wrong,” says Dalmau. “When golf is planned correctly it can create a great diversity of habitats and therefore act as host for an incredible diversity of species.”

Dalmau’s about-turn came when he realized the resort’s pioneering double purified water system, combining long-term lake storage, was having a beneficial impact on native flora.

Now, the 36-hole golf estate, a European Tour Destination which also features a 5-star hotel and residential development, has received the IAGTO Sustainability Award for Nature Protection for 2020.

Its biologist has led a number of positive environmental projects, including the introduction of one million honeybees, situated in hives neighbouring the resort’s organic vegetable garden. Both the garden and the hives supply the resort’s restaurants and residents.

There are also conservation projects for bats, birds, tortoises and plants – and guided nature walks for residents, guests and local children.

“PGA Catalunya Resort not only stimulates the local economy, but most importantly it stimulates the ecological environment and aesthetics,” says Dalmau.

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Demonstrating the value of golf courses During the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, a public campaign was launched to open courses for public exercise.

While some courses voluntarily opened their gates as acts of goodwill to local citizens, the vast majority did not.

The campaign might be an indication of future pressures on green spaces, including golf courses, especially as growing populations swell urban areas.

According to Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of GEO Foundation, the international not-for-profit dedicated to helping golf gain greater recognition for its value to people and nature, there is a clear opportunity here.

“Golf could become such a valued and welcome land use, particularly in a world where communities are appreciating nature, and are recognizing that the quality of the local environment is directly linked to the quality of life.

OPERATION POLLINATOR Operation Pollinator is designed to reverse the plight of bumblebees and pollinating insects, by creating valuable new habitats in out of play areas of golf courses.

There are now more than 200 active projects in Europe and the United States.

Syngenta has conducted more than 10 years of research on the benefits of establishing an Operation Pollinator habitat, which include: • Playing a key role in reviving native bees and other pollinating insects • Introducing native wildflowers to courses for pollinators • Attracting organizations and players interested in sustainable efforts on golf courses • Generating pride for courses and local communities • Enhancing visual appearance of the course and overall golfing experience when full establishment is achieved • Creating positive publicity for the club.

The latest winner of the Syngenta Operation Pollinator Award is Banchory Golf Club, Deeside, Scotland.

“The win-win is that golf courses that are naturalized are less expensive to maintain, provide more stimulation to golfers, create opportunities for other types of recreation and deliver many wider ecosystem services to society.”

But how do you value a golf course as a green space, with social and environmental benefits?

Measurement and evaluation is already integrated into GEO’s OnCourse® and GEO Certified® programs.

Last year, the GEO team completed a significant international ‘Sustainability reporting for golf’ project, involving over 200 people in consultation, gathering all of the social and environmental metrics required to value and communicate the value of a golf course’s green space.

This includes carbon emission and sequestration calculations as well as annual Sustainability Reports.

It will be broadened in future to include further ecosystem service and natural capital elements.

“It’s really about quantifying, increasing and then promoting the whole range of environmental and social services a local golf club provides, as well as being open about the resources that are used to sustain that value,” says Smith.

Enhancing Golf’s Green Space There is an opportunity for golf now to think about how it can improve course environments for the benefit of both customers and the planet.

But in a post-COVID-19 era, where superintendents may well be working with reduced budgets and smaller teams, how can courses do more to enhance environments with less?

The view of Olympic golf course architect, Gil Hanse, is that opportunity may lie in focusing main-

tenance on the in-play areas – tees, fairways and greens – while taking a more naturalistic approach to out-of-play areas.

While Hanse’s work focuses primarily on the construction of new courses, he likens courses to ancient tapestries, focused on tightknit turfgrass playing areas at the centre, but then fraying at the edges where the course blends into natural surrounds.

“We’ve seen it first hand; golf courses can be beneficial for the environment,” says Hanse. “It’s our responsibility to ensure courses should come as close as possible to reflecting the natural surrounds.”

Hanse talks about the importance of preserving soil structures and using indigenous plants.

“We want to make sure golf courses belong in their own environment and habitat and by doing so we’ll absolutely create habitat for wildlife to flourish in those surrounding areas.”

Getting involved The challenge to golf courses is to begin to think about how to use out-of-play areas for the benefit of both people and wildlife. Nature trails around course perimeters are one idea and dedicated wildlife areas another.

A decade ago, Syngenta initiated Operation Pollinator, a program that introduces low maintenance, native wildflower areas to golf courses to encourage bumblebees and pollinating insects.

Now, with more than 200 active projects, primarily in Europe and the United States, clubs and courses are reporting not only the nature benefits, but the positive responses of customers, including local communities and schools who are invited to visit and experience good environmental stewardship.

Gil Hanse, Olympic golf course architect.

CONTACT DETAILS For more information on growing golf, register with Sygenta at https://www.growinggolf.com/register Syngenta also supports Monarchs in the Rough, a partnership between Audubon International and Environmental Defense Fund, encouraging the creation of habitat for the monarch butterfly in North America.

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HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE AND GROW THE GAME OF GOLF

It’s about obsessing over the little things, the details no one else sees. It’s never tolerating anything less than the best. Perfection is a mindset. And that’s worth being proud of.

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INDUSTRY SURVEY

Building back better As clubs continue their determined efforts to keep their doors open during COVID-19 – or prepare to open them again, depending on where you’re reading this – the concept of how to ‘build back better’ is emerging, according to a poll by the GEO Foundation. Respondents from 19 countries shared their thoughts on how to work towards a more sustainable recovery with some interesting results.

In August this year Harjattula Golf, Finland, became one of the latest clubs to be granted a GEO certificate, one of 13 in Finland.

“The certificate is a sign that we take the environment and sustainable development into account,” reports the club. “It also obliges us to keep track of nature, resources and the community and to develop them in a way that is more sustainable, for example by reducing energy and water consumption.”

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Club Management Solutions

Onsite Solution Online Member Services Online F&B Ordering Mobile App

A single platform to manage your club W: www.e-s-p.com T: 020 8251 5100 E: info@e-s-p.com

CLUBHOUSE AWARDS

They’re back! Welcome to the Clubhouse Awards 2021 The Clubhouse Awards were first launched in 2006 to applaud excellence in golf clubs across the UK. Now the Awards are back – and with a vengeance!

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he Clubhouse Awards 2021 are now open for entries. From owners and club managers to business development teams and membership managers, these unique Awards underline the significant role that the golf clubs are playing in the UK and Europe.

From the big hitters to smaller, communityfocussed clubs, the Awards are hard-fought and much prized and now include a number of International Categories.

AND DON’T FORGET THE CLUBHOUSE CLASSIC

Our last tournament hosted 88 golfers from clubs around the country. To be held on the day of the Awards (date to be announced post COVID-19) the Clubhouse Classic is open to all-comers.

HOW TO ENTER To nominate a club or enter your own, just email us with your name, job title, club and email address, along with which categories you would like to enter.

Categories include • Business Initiative of the Year • Green Club of the Year • Marketing Initiative of the Year • Youth Initiative of the Year • Catering Club of the Year • Community Club of the Year • Refurbishment of the Year • Manager/Secretary of the Year • Steward of the Year • Chef of the Year • Golf Group of the Year • Clubhouse of the Year • Social Media club of the Year • Website of the Year • International Venue of the Year • International Clubhouse of the Year • International Social Media club of the Year • International Website of the Year

To enter, please email info@clubmirror.com CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 27

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SUCCESSFUL PLANNING

Never say never – lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic Most people aren’t pessimistic. We don’t like to think about the worst thing that can happen – let alone plan for it – but COVID-19 has taught us some very harsh lessons. It has made us look at the organisation differently, says Laurie Martin, as we ask: How crisis-ready are we? Has it changed our employees and our members?

W

ho would have thought we’d be living through a pandemic, with no real end in sight after the better part of a year?

Could anyone have predicted how drastically it would change our world and how we run our dayto-day lives and the operations of your club? If we’ve learned anything from this horrific experience, it’s that a crisis like this can happen and we need to be prepared in many ways.

An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure Facing fears of burns, trips, slips and falls, heart attacks, death, providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, or COVID-19 coming to your club are all real and probable to your people, and the whole idea of preparing for what might happen is more than just a little daunting. Where do you start? How do you plan for the unknown? How do you keep your plans alive? How do you keep your sanity? How do you help your employees? How are you helping your members? The good news is – you don’t have to do it alone.

Life Interrupted Inc. helps clubs prepare for and deal with the risks they face. We can guide your team step by step through the process – from teaching crisis/emergency response, to creating best practices and learning how to keep your team as a whole together through tough times. We will put a custom-designed plan in place to address any possible challenges or a critical situation that may occur at your club, and provide effective tools to make the process easy to implement and update.

By building a crisis-ready culture designed specifically for the unique risks you face, you, your employees, members, and your business will never be caught off guard again. When your people understand what to do before, during and after a challenging and scary time, they will adopt the takecharge attitude necessary to keep the crisis/emergency and health and safety plans active and the ‘how to’ engage differently with your members.

With proactive frontline crisis education, the stress can be minimized and contained. When you understand the anatomy of stress, the physiology behind the ‘chemical cocktail’ of emotions that occurs, and you are able to read the signs and signals in body language, you can apply your new frontline skills for better results. When you know

2.

3.

Laurie Martin how to conduct a group debriefing, you and your team can stay focused, productive, safe and confident in any type of situation.

The people and the process There are two key aspects to any successful plan: the human element and the tactical component.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT involves the emotionalfirst-aid of crisis planning for management, employees, members, boards of directors, the press, your community, and basically anyone who is touched by the current situation.

We’re in the middle of a pandemic and everyone is feeling stressed. We are emotional and irritated when others are not respecting the protocols. We are inundated with fears and overwhelmed with complaints because this new normal is anything but. And no one can read our minds to know what our real concerns are.

In order to be an effective leader in a critical situation, you need to: 1. Understand the human response to crisis – In a crisis situation, emotions run high and responses may be challenged and uncertain.

Even a strong leader may not react in his/her

4.

5.

typical take-charge way. That’s why it’s so important to train, inspire and motivate the entire team with various components of crisis education, and conduct regular practice drills so the response in a crisis is automatic and you and your teams are confident and focused.

Build a trusting environment – When the workplace is prepared for a critical situation (solid plan in place, proactive training of all current/new staff, board members are aligned with the club leader, and everyone knows his/her role and the impact of the situation) people feel safe, valued, confident, less vulnerable and more resilient. Staff retention is higher, which results in lower recruiting/training costs and fewer absences, less accidents and your club has a reputation as a good place of employment and membership.

Reform your club’s mindset for proactive crisis-ready response training – Your emergency response plan is a living, breathing program; it needs to be nourished and cherished. As a leader, you need to recruit/assign individuals for the team – those who are comfortable with the raw emotion and physical injury in emergencies - to regularly review, maintain and update the plan as a team. This involves scheduled training, and regular practice drills, including AED (defibrillator), CPR and First Aid training, best practices for phoning the emergency number, how to speak and work alongside the emergency responders, refreshers, and scheduled training as new staff is hired.

Identify your club’s vulnerabilities – Since each club is different, with its staff, layout, geography, services and unique risks, no two emergency plans will be the same. The program should address your specific needs, offer custom-designed seminars and tools for your managers and leaders, help you design a roll-out plan, and determine the best ways to keep your program alive and effective and your team connected on a daily basis.

Take action and make rapid and wise decisions – With the right training and tools, leaders are more effective and efficient in taking control in a critical situation – from keeping people and the club safe, to getting back on track quickly, to knowing how to communicate to

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 29

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SUCCESSFUL PLANNING

each other, and following up with staff, the board and members. This is why having an external resource can reduce the frightening part of crisis by dealing with the tough stuff head on for the team.

6. Conduct regular frontline crisis-ready debriefing sessions – This invaluable tool helps you and your teams validate and assess a situation that occurred at your club, or one you’ve heard about that could occur. It’s important to review what went well and what could have been done differently, and helps the whole team identify opportunities for improvement. This great learning tool keeps your plans current, will help your people gain confidence, which reduces stress, and leaders and teams will feel more connected.

THE TACTICAL COMPONENT is a little more cut and dried, but just as important to the success of your club during a crisis like the pandemic.

Processes and procedures may differ at each club, depending on the layout, the services offered, geography, size and membership. We can help you determine the best processes and roll-out plans for your club’s unique emergency response plan, and provide the training, practice drills, and regular reviews to keep your plan current and effective.

Clubs are inundated with protocols because of COVID, but they are necessary measures to protect employees, members, and guests. Some of the procedures have been implemented specifically for the club industry by the health department, along with your health and safety professional.

Something for consideration – when the club slows down or closes at the end of the season, it’s

30 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

wise to take photos and catalogue the placement of signs, floor arrows, and other measures you’ve put in place. That way, you won’t have to do the ground work over again. You can also turn the photos into a PowerPoint presentation to review with your teams when you ramp up and open again.

The STARS™ Model (Situation, Tactical, Action, Results, Support) Facilitating and guiding your team and Board of Directors creates a valuable information-sharing opportunity for individuals to be heard, creative and validated. This is an extremely important and effective tool that can be immediately applied for creating better practices for crisis/emergency planning, dealing with conflict and also used to debrief postcrisis situations. Life Interrupted Inc. created the STARS™ Model thought processor. It’s an easy-touse yet valuable tool that enables leaders and employees to self-correct, gel as a team, and enhance their performance. This model provides information, education, and coping strategies to help reduce stress and enhance current plans.

In the case of the COVID-19 crisis, we recommend the STARS Model is utilized for employees currently at work, or for those who are waiting to return. The concerns and stress of COVID-19 (known as the invisible loss) can be scary, and the fallout can cause strong emotional or physical reactions that the individual may not even realize.

Education is key. Some individuals emotional reactions could interfere with productivity, result in absenteeism or sick leave, or create low morale in the club setting.

Individuals will walk away from this session with coping strategies that will help to create the motivation for stay-at-work and return-to-work engage-

ment. Your people will gain the confidence they need for daily interaction with members and each other, especially during the ongoing pandemic.

The open and honest communication from this session will help to create best strategies and checklists for your club, with the added bonus of building camaraderie – and that means happy, healthy, motivated workers!

This new normal is anything but Now that we are in the throes of a very real and unpredictable pandemic, it might seem too little, too late. It’s never too late; this is the ideal time to design or enhance your crisis response plans with a fresh perspective. We’re adjusting to COVID, getting back into routine, and learning how to manage it. Now we need to move forward and revisit the plans for this and any crisis, to keep everyone safe and the business successful.

We’re here to help!

Laurie Martin, EPC, CTTS, Author, is founder of Life Interrupted Inc. She is an innovator with an ability to change the way club leaders think, both professionally and personally, and to assist them by keeping teams motivated. Laurie has over 25 years of practice and more than 17,000 hours of accredited frontline experience. She teaches crisis education using a solid process for preparing ahead of time for any unexpected critical life interruption. Laurie’s techniques keep leaders resilient, focused and safe. All programs are accredited.

To learn more, contact Laurie at laurie@lifeinterrupted.ca or visit lifeinterrupted.ca

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t: 01444 220060 e: info@smarterbusiness.co.uk w: www.smarterbusiness.co.uk

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HOSPITALITY SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS

Hospitality Social Media Awards Social Media – making it count. Are you engaging with your members? Reaching out with advice on COVID-19? Sharing ideas with your CMAE tribe? Social media is immediate, accessible and – literally – at everyone’s finger tips. So now’s the time to throw a spotlight on all that you do. Welcome to the Hospitality Social Media Awards.

he Hospitality Social Media Awards (HoSMA) are the only pan- industry awards designed to celebrate golf clubs, golf resorts and licensed outlets of all types and sizes who are using social media to help engage with their members and broader communities.

Clubs of all shapes, types and sizes, along with colleagues from across the Hospitality spectrum, are invited to enter their good news stories on how social media is proving a valuable asset for both the business and members.

Want a sense of the event? Head over to www.facebook.com/ HSMAwards for a flavour of last year’s event, happily held at the

T

32 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

House of Commons, London. To see 2019’s finalists then it’s www.hsma.biz/news, and don’t forget the twitter handle – twitter.com/HSMAwards.

What are they again? Just to recap! The Hospitality Social Media Awards celebrate how social media is helping clubs and the hospitality sector as a whole to communicate build their business. Last year saw hundreds of entries from all forms of hospitality imaginable, from golf clubs and tennis clubs to hotels and spas.

So whether you’re a prolific tweeter or a facebook aficionado using social media to spread the word, we’re waiting for your entry.

See opposite page for how to enter. Good luck!

2019 winners

Club Insure’s Jason Cook (left) presents Leicestershire County Cricket Club with the opening category of the 2019 Hospitality Social Media Awards, Sports Club of the Year.

Golf Club of the Year goes to the impressive Formby Golf Club, presented by Bob Williams (centre), Chief Executive of the Golf Club Managers Association.

BT Sport’s Ed Cracknell (centre) presents worthy winners South Shields FC with the 2019 Football Club of the Year trophy.

Canterbury Rugby Club’s Ian Lloyd (right) collects the Rugby Club of the Year trophy from Club Control’s Chris McNally.

HOW TO ENTER

Dransfields’ Trevor Roberts (left) congratulates Northern FC on becoming joint winner of the 2019 Community Club of the Year Award.

To enter online – visit www.hsma.biz/enter or use this QR code.

Alternatively – email info@hsma.biz with your details and we’ll send you a self-entry form.

Wortley Men’s Club celebrate their joint win of Community Club of the Year, collecting their trophy from Trevor Roberts, Dransfields (centre).

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 33

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UPDATING THE WEBSITE

What gives a website an outdated look?

A key trigger for clients heading to Studio44 for advice is when they feel that the look and feel of their website has become outdated. Here, the company’s Doug Rubashow discusses examples that may point to the need for a redesign.

I

s your website visually outdated? An outdated website can completely devalue your club, leading to a loss of enquiries and therefore revenue and membership opportunities.

Cluttered look and feel The modern trend with website design is to allow your content space to breathe – the days of trying to include too much on a single page of a website are long gone.

‘Above the fold’ This is somewhat linked to the previous point about a cluttered look and feel, but ‘above the fold’ is a term that is becoming less and less relevant in website design. Above the fold refers to anything that is immediately visible on a website and therefore doesn’t require scrolling. It used to be the case that as much as possible was above the fold as the theory was a visitor was most likely to action anything they saw straight away. But - particularly with the advent of smart phones and scrolling becoming more and more familiar with website visitors - keeping everything above the fold is now becoming and outdated technique and actually leads to a cluttered look and feel which, as discussed earlier, is no longer a popular design trend.

34 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

Design that isn’t full width The days of a fixed width website are also gone.

Internet users will access websites on such a myriad of screen sizes that if you don’t have a full width design that maximises the use of the space, you’re really missing a trick. A fixed width design often leads to a messy, cluttered appearance whereas a full width design gives your content room to breathe and is therefore much more aesthetically pleasing for a user.

Poor performance on mobile An optimal performance on mobile for a modern website is absolutely essential. If your website doesn’t look great on a mobile device then it’s definitely time for a change. Every website we now design and build carefully considers the mobile performance. And it’s not just for users, Google much prefers a website that’s optimised for mobile. So if your website is either responsive and not up to scratch, or not responsive at all, that’s a clear sign of an outdated look.

Text heavy Modern design trends, for a good few years now have dictated that visual websites with large images are the way forward. Traditionally, many websites incorporated lots and lots of text, partly because it was felt this was the best way to rank in search engines. Since then,

search engines have got more sophisticated with how they index websites. Website technology has become more sophisticated too, which has enabled designers to create a more minimalistic look and feel which is pleasing to the user.

Some text heavy websites still exist though, and there are clever ways such as expandable boxes which help retain a minimalistic look for sites with a lot of text. If too much text is visible straight away on your website, it’s definitely time for a visual refresh.

So what’s next?

There’s more to a website than the look and feel, but investing in a quality design is important and with a website being the first port of call for anyone checking out a product or service, having an outdated website is not an option. So in short, start planning for a new website sooner rather than later if you think your website falls into any of the above categories, and please do get in touch if you’d like to talk through ideas and options in more detail.

CONTACT DETAILS For advice and more information visit www.studio44.agency or call them on 01892 888 011.

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MENTAL WELLBEING

Taking care of your mental wellbeing The pandemic has thrown up all sorts of challenges for those forced to self-isolate or work at home.

So in these unique set of circumstance, how can we take care of our own mental wellbeing and of those around us? Here are some key tips from Outreach Manager, Boris MacKey. 1. Connect with people without meeting them Staying at home, self-isolating, social distancing and avoiding physical contact with other people as much as possible can be trying.

Luckily, with modern technology, we can easily connect with others online and via mobile devices.

2. Set up a routine For people who stay at home during the COVID-19 outbreak, it might feel slightly chaotic to stay at home for such a long period.

Therefore it’s important that we set up a routine and stick to it to prevent us from becoming lazy and depressed.

It would be a great idea to devise a plan and write it down, and then try to stick to it on a daily basis.

3. Physical activity is key Try to stay as active as you can. You can exercise at home, even without equipment. Try to follow online videos, there’s a lot of resources for that.

Additionally, now you will have time to clean your home and do your chores, which is a good form of activity. Go for walks in nature, and try to sit less.

4. Go out into nature and get some air Get as much sunlight as you can, especially if you live in an area where there’s an opportunity to go out into nature. Go for walks, grab some fresh air, and expose yourself to sunlight.

Getting enough vitamins not just during the COVID-19 outbreak, but at all times, is crucial for a stronger immune system and mental wellbeing.

5. Work or study from home You might be instructed to do that, but prepare yourself properly. Make a working environment where you’ll be able to focus on your work. It might be hard to do that, especially if you have children to care for.

Try to keep them as busy as possible – make sure they do their homework and avoid other children.

For employees working from home, read everything about your rights and ask the employer about the policies.

6. Keep yourself busy Now that we will have more time to spend, make

sure you keep yourself busy. Do activities, clean your home, have a clear out, sort your computer files, photos, or anything that needs sorting.

7. Keep your brain challenged Read books, magazines, articles, online material, solve puzzles or crosswords, watch shows or films, listen to podcasts. Anything that will keep your mind busy and your thoughts free of the coronavirus.

8. If you start feeling claustrophobic Open your windows, get out of the house and grab some fresh air. You can do the chores on your garden, or even look out your window more often to get a sense of space. Change rooms you’re in often.

9. Limit your media diet Being informed about the coronavirus spread is helpful, although excessive worrying about it doesn’t help your mental health.

Especially if you watch the news or listen to the radio, where almost the only thing that’s talked about is the COVID-19 spread. Keep a balance between being informed and excessively following the news.

Too much information every day can become stressful. Check the news once or twice a day, which is more than enough to get the latest news.

Plus, limit your time you spend on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, where everyone shares their thoughts and feelings on the novel coronavirus.

• https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/coronavirus/ mental-health-coronavirus

36 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

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Cares N O R T H S TA R

Trouble free solutions for troublesome times At Northstar, we understand that now more than ever, caring for members is a club’s top priority and we remain fully committed to help make it happen in a safe and easy manner.

Adapting to the times, we have launched Northstar Cares, a suite of products and services that help promote a contac contact-less environment at the club, ensuring safety and well-being of members and club staff.

Facilitating convenience and safety for members and an additional revenue stream for clubs with delivery and pick up options for essentials.

Enabling clubs to offer value added services like expedited food pick up & delivery

Utilizing employee downtime with over 40 educational webinars

Bolstering communication between the Club & the members with an additional 40,000 emails per month

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CLUBHOUSE

Alchemy Contract Publishing proudly presents Clubhouse Europe in association with the Club Managers Association of Europe

ISSUE 22

EUROPE

MDP dates and latest news on courses – page 6

European Conference – full details and registration Sustainability– building back better HQ Building the Business – protecting the bottom line Hospitality Social Media Awards – it’s time to shine

To see what Alchemy Contract Publishing could do for you please call Sean Ferris on +44 (0) 1753 272022

PRINTED PRODUCTS

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COURSE SIGNAGE

Panoramic Drone shot of Hadley Wood GC from 200 above the golf course

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We offer EVERYTHING that a golf venue or business will ever need to operate & to help promote their full range of facilities, services or products; from traditional print & collateral, through to technology driven marketing, high impact video & multiple other marketing services across all media. We aim to supply them at significantly be er value than current golf industry providers.

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – FREE SERVICE TO CLUBS

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

HQ Building the Business – free UK reader service Is your club set to come out of the COVID-19 crisis in fighting fit shape?

Now is the time to review that all-important bottom line. We’re here to help with all your purchasing queries. In this issue we focus on energy, and UK clubs can check out the new energy comparison site.

Free EV Car Charging Why should I install Free EV chargers at my organisation?

• Lower your club’s carbon footprint and improve your green credentials.

• Free or low-cost EV charging is an extremely affordable perk to offer as part of an attractive benefits package for staff.

• Run your club’s vehicles in the most cost-effective and environmental way.

• Clearly and obviously demonstrate your commitment to climate change.

• Create an additional revenue stream by charging for your EV charging services.

(T&C’s Apply.)

Tips for Savings There’s no denying that clubs are expensive to run.

The Carbon Trust estimates that the annual energy costs for the small businesses exceeded £1.3 billion as of 2018. So if you’re one of these feeling the pinch.

Here are a few ways that you can reduce your costs.

“David and the HQ team have been very successful in reducing costs for our members. They specialise in the field of energy management, however, within the company they also are able to reduce costs in other key areas as well. Find the time to have a conversation with David. It will pay dividends!”

Dave Edmundson, Chair, Spring North

Lower your heating costs Try to avoid overheating your corridors and offices. You should be aiming for a temperature between 19-21°C. Any higher and it can become uncomfortable for your staff and members.

Grants and funding schemes are still available subject to survey, credit and application process, please contact us for more details.

Get Smarter with lighting Cut the cost of lighting by installing occupancy and

daylight sensors. Smarter lighting will ensure that your lights are only on when they are required.

Take this tip to the next level by replacing your lights with energy-saving equivalents – such as T5 tubes or compact fluorescent or LED lamps. Doing so could reduce your electricity consumption by up to 80% as well as lower wasted heat.

How to contact Us For cost saving reviews for your business, please contact us via +44 (0)1753 272022 or email info@clubmirror.com. www.hqbuildingthebusiness.com

Our services include: Energy management & compliance• Office supplies • Telecoms • IT & digital support • Waste management • Fire equipment & maintenance • Boiler & air-conditioning replacement and maintenance • Renewable technologies • Health & Safety • HR • Transaction Handling • Food & Drink • Business insurance • ANPR/Parking facilities • Refurbishment • LED projects

40 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

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CLUBHOUSE

Alchemy Contract Publishing proudly presents Clubhouse Europe in association with the Club Managers Association of Europe

EUROPE

MDP dates and latest news on courses – page 6

ISSUE 22

European Conference – full details and registration Sustainability– building back better HQ Building the Business – protecting the bottom line Hospitality Social Media Awards – it’s time to shine

To see what Alchemy Contract Publishing could do for you please call Sean Ferris on +44 (0) 1753 272022