The Golf Club Manager: May 2019

THE GOLF CLUB

MANAGER I S S U E 2 6 | M AY 2 0 1 9

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

AGM SPECIALF:ROM S ALL THE N1E9WGCMA THE 20 NERAL ANNUAL GEING MEET

GRASS ROOTS

THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY

HOW A KENT CLUB IS FINDING NEW INCOME STREAMS GOOD PRACTICE

CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD LO O K I N G AT T H E W O M E N I N GOLF CHARTER A YEAR ON

FAME’S FORTUNES

THE STORY OF HO W FORMER L ADIES EUR OPEAN TOUR STAR FA M E TAT E C A M E TO S WA P P R O L I F E F O R O W N I N G A C LU B

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE ‘

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CONTENTS I S S U E 2 6 | M AY 2 0 1 9

GCMA

CAREERS

12

50

All the news from the 2019 GCMA AGM

On the move: Richard Penley-Martin

NEED TO KNOW

GOOD PRACTICE

20

56

Why the industry must become more sustainable

The impact of the Women in Golf Charter

INDUSTRY

GRASS ROOTS

32

Keeping you in the loop with the latest news

64

37

From the LET to owning your own golf club

Langley Park’s success story

50

20

37

WELCOME

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION GCMA Bristol & Clifton Golf Club, Beggar Bush Lane, Failand, Bristol, BS8 3TH Tel: 01275 391153 | hq@gcma.org.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE Bob Williams - bob@gcma.org.uk COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Mike Hyde - mike@gcma.org.uk GOLF MANAGEMENT RESEARCHER Jim Cunning - jim@gcma.org.uk EDUCATION COORDINATOR Niki Hunter - niki@gcma.org.uk FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR Shirley Edmondson - shirley@gcma.org.uk COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Marie Taylor - marie@gcma.org.uk MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Julie Knight - julie@gcma.org.uk PRESIDENT JR (John) Jones 2019/20 CAPTAIN Ian Symington BOARD OF DIRECTORS Phil Grice, Amy Yeates, Andrew Rankin, Judy Barker, Stuart Leech, Brad McLean, Andrew Minty THE GOLF CLUB MANAGER IS PUBLISHED BY: SPORTS PUBLICATIONS LTD 2 Arena Park, Tarn Lane, Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, LS17 9BF, UK Tel: 0113 289 3979 | info@sportspub.co.uk PUBLISHER Tom Irwin - t.irwin@sportspub.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dan Murphy - d.murphy@sportspub.co.uk OPS DIRECTOR Will Shucksmith - w.shucksmith@sportspub.co.uk EDITOR Steve Carroll - s.carroll@sportspub.co.uk PRODUCTION EDITOR James Broadhurst - j.broadhurst@sportspub.co.uk CHIEF DESIGNER Andrew Kenworthy - a.kenworthy@sportspub.co.uk DESIGNERS Becky Clark - b.clark@sportspub.co.uk Vicky Jones - v.jones@sportspub.co.uk Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.The views expressed in The Golf Club Manager do not necessarily represent the views of the company or the editor. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from participation in any offer, competition or advertising contained within The Golf Club Manager.

THE GOLF CLUB

MANAGER I S S U E 2 6 | M AY 2 0 1 9

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

AGM SPECIAL: FROM ALL THE NEWS THE 2019 GCMA RAL ANNUAL GENE MEETING

GRASS ROOTS

THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY

HOW A KENT CLUB IS FINDING NEW INCOME STREAMS GOOD PRACTICE

CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD LO O K I N G AT T H E W O M E N I N GOLF CHARTER A YEAR ON

FAME’S FORTUNES

THE STORY OF HO W FORMER L ADIES EUR OPEAN TOUR STAR FA M E TAT E C A M E TO S WA P P R O L I F E F O R O W N I N G A C LU B

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE ‘

001 GCMA May 19 Cover.indd 3

30/04/2019 10:22

ON THE COVER: Fame Tate

I S S U E 2 6 | M AY 2 0 1 9

I

began last month’s Welcome by commenting that the National AGM would soon be upon us and, this month, I am going to once again start by reflecting upon the same event.

As we all know, the Club (or in my case the GCMA) Annual General Meeting is the one event that you need to ensure you get right.

We had an unprecedented situation of having eight nominations for just six places on the Board and it provided an opportunity for the nominees to inform the voting members about what skills they would bring to the governance of the Association.

My sincere thanks go to Colin Bee and his team at Coxmoor Golf Club for hosting the AGM as well as the Captain’s Cup, which was played for in the afternoon.

I would also take this opportunity to welcome the elected Directors to the Board and commiserate with those nominees that were not elected – thank you for being prepared to stand.

The Board are all volunteers who will give up their precious time to assist the Chairman and I to guide our Association in the right direction. A full report of the AGM can be found on pages 12 and 13.

Looking ahead, I am sure many of you will be aware that, in conjunction with England Golf, we are hosting five workshops at various locations that are aimed at the committee volunteers who work alongside you in managing the club.

We are all too aware that a poor

committee or Board can be terribly disruptive to the smooth running of the club and these workshops will provide an opportunity for your committee members, or prospective members, to understand what is required from them.

If you would like to know more then please contact HQ for information.

Finally, we held our latest Diploma induction day at The Belfry at the beginning of April, which was attended by a further 14 students who came from all parts of the country, as well as two from overseas – one from India and the other from Geneva. I wish them all well in achieving their goals.

Bob Williams – chief executive

“The Board are all volunteers who will give up their precious time to assist the Chairman and I to guide our Association“

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GCMA Everything you need to know about what’s happening around the UK in the world of the GCMA

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

Picture of the

MONTH

The GCMA’s annual general meeting was held at Coxmoor Golf Club, in Nottinghamshire, last

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month.

Turn to page 12 to read more about how the day unfolded and

to read the reports of the chief executive, chairman and finance director.

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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Meet the new

NATIONAL CAPTAIN

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

Ian Symington was formally elected as the figurehead for the GCMA at the AGM. We sat down with the experienced golf club manager and asked him to chart his year ahead…

C

ongratulations on becoming national captain. What does this mean to you?

I’ve been a secretary for over 20 years and the GCMA has been a huge part of my life during that time. I have attended as many regional meetings as I have been able and I’ve always found a wonderful opportunity to network with other secretaries, a wonderful chance to talk to them, discuss my problems, and offer encouragement and support, and occasionally advice, to other members who have been struggling in their own jobs. I look forward to the opportunity to go round all the regions and meet other secretaries who are still working hard at the job and see how other regions operate.

What is your background as a golf club manager?

I started in 1997 at High Post and did three years there. I then moved to Hollinwell and spent three years there before working for four years down at Royal Cinque Ports. I finished doing 12 years at Brancaster (Royal West Norfolk).

During the course of that time I was a member of six different GCMA regions: Southern, Wessex, East Midlands, South East, East Anglia and Norfolk so I have seen quite a few of the regions from the inside and shall

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enjoy coming to other regions during my year and seeing them from the outside.

What would you like to achieve over the next 12 months as national captain?

I just look forward to meeting other secretaries, to going round and seeing all the huge advances there have been in our industry and the much greater professionalism that there is now among golf club managers than there was when I started over 20 years ago.

What opportunities exist for the GCMA at the moment?

There is an opportunity for the GCMA to move forward and to expand the membership – particularly through the new affiliate scheme. It’s a good opportunity for younger assistant managers to undertake training with the GCMA, take on the affiliate membership and then move forward into taking over a club of their own with a very good background. They’re not thrown in at the deep end and know what the job is all about before they start having a club they are actually running themselves.

The role of national captain gives you quite a lot of freedom to stamp whatever mark you wish, so how do you see your role?

There is a board of directors

who will run the GCMA and I will give them my full support, but I will also see myself very much as a point of liaison between the Board of Directors and the regions. I will be visiting the regions and letting them know what the Board are doing, what their plans for the future are but I will also be talking to the regions, learning what their hopes and aspirations are, as well as their fears, and I will report those back to the board so they can act accordingly.

So you see the position more as a ceremonial role…

I would not expect to take any active part in the running of the GCMA. I would just like to be someone who is there that people can talk to if they have problems or issues and they don’t know where to turn. I hope they would feel able to talk to me and express those fears and I would be able to direct those in the right direction.

It’s an enormous commitment, in terms of time, meetings and matches, but are you looking forward to getting started with that?

Very much so, yes. I am fortunate, having retired, that I will have no other commitments during the course of this year and I have written the year off and said I will be doing GCMA work. Whatever days are required, I will be doing it.

GCMA.ORG.UK | 3

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

GCMA’s

AGM 2019 Coxmoor, in Nottinghamshire, was the venue for the GCMA’s annual general meeting on April 15

A

round 80 members, from all over the 16 GCMA regions, attended Coxmoor GC, in Nottinghamshire, for the association’s annual general meeting. After the formal reports, JR Jones was once more elected as national president, while Ian Symington was confirmed as national captain. Yorkshire’s David Carlisle was elected as national captain elect. Outgoing captain Cameron Dawson, who has stepped down from his position as Yorkshire regional manager, became a GCMA life member.

There followed an election, as eight candidates stepped forward to fill six spots on the GCMA board after Gary Steele and Eddie Bullock stepped down following the completion of their terms.

Each candidate gave a brief speech outlining their skills and suitability and Judy Barker, Stuart Leech, Brad McLean, Andrew Minty, Andrew Rankin and Amy Yeates were the sextet that were triumphant after a collation of the proxy and ballot votes.

In the afternoon’s golf, East Midlands region retained the Captain’s Cup as David Waite, of Wellingborough and Andrew Grimmitt, of Rushden, combined for a fabulous score of 44.

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

Chief executive’s report Bob Williams reflected on how far the association had come in the last 12 months and that new staff at HQ have offered a greater understanding of the culture and operation of the game of golf, and where the GCMA need to strive for as an industry leading organisation. He stressed the association needed to make sure members were receiving the right benefits and added the GCMA considered new ways of doing that all the time - including looking at other associations, some with no connection

to golf, to find out how they delivered and what could be learned from them.

Williams confirmed the magazine would have 10 issues this year but spoke of the investment in different media – such as videos and podcasting – that would widen the GCMA’s reach.

He said the helpdesk had fielded 864 enquiries since its launch a couple of years ago and added the weekly newsletter had maintained an open rate approaching 50%. Williams reiterated the success of the GCMA’s education provision - noting they

will host the 100th Principles training course this year and said it continues to go from strength to strength.

He also paid tribute to professional development manager Niki Hunter, who had decided to leave the GCMA after conference. The revamped board, he said, would deliver new skills and ideas to move the association forward and he noted the review of the regional structure being undertaken by 2018 national captain Cameron Dawson, the findings of which would be considered by the board.

Grice said it was vital the GCMA see a key growth stream in the affiliate membership, as well as the ability to upskill staff, and it was envisaged if membership grew over the next three years then there would be a fantastic opportunity to do so. He stressed head office and regional managers could not bear the whole burden for attracting new members and it was something everyone should share if the GCMA wanted to see its community grow.

Grice talked of meetings held with regional managers and the frank

discussions that had taken place on both sides. He said it was a pleasure to see the camaraderie and strength of purpose that was growing. Everyone acknowledged that, on its own, a top down management style – or a bottom up style - wasn’t right. He added the board recognised that without the skills held by regional managers, and their influence, nothing would come to pass. Grice finished by thanking Cameron Dawson for his year as national captain and welcomed Ian Symington.

focus on expanding the membership base, especially with the introduction of the new affiliate membership. The Principles of Golf Club Management course remained popular and a feature of education provision that made a £3,000 profit. That was down on £12,000 from last year, mainly because of the need to cancel the September course and additional accommodation costs. GCMA Communications, taking out Conference income from 2017, rose considerably. The Golf Club Manager attracted income of £193,000, up

from £150,000 in 2017. All areas were increased, other than email marketing, and a sponsorship payment of £14,200 was also received towards the cost of the Manager of the Year awards.

Steele said it was important to keep an eye on both the Conference and Communications income during 2019 as it would be a very busy year to deliver both at a profit. While he said the magazine and Communications company were not out of the woods, they were certainly heading in the right direction.

Chairman’s report Phil Grice paid tribute to former chairman Mike Hoare and said taking over the role, with its responsibilities and magnitude, was not lost on him.

Grice said there were new opportunities to deliver greater communication of information, learning applications and the sharing of good practice. He expressed confidence that the GCMA would use new systems and methods to deliver learning and information that would help everyone manage their businesses and upskill their teams.

Finance director’s report Presenting his final report as a board member, Gary Steele explained the GCMA Parent Company showed a reduction of £31,000 in income due to revising the treatment of regional subscriptions in 2017. Previously shown as income, with payment to regions shown as expenditure, it tended to skew the figures so, this year, they were netted out on a like for like basis and income was increased by £9,000. Subscription income was marginally up on last year and Steele stressed the need to continue the

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

GCMA.ORG.UK | 13

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

The GCMA Club Management

AWARDS

Get your nominations in to recognise the achievements of the most deserving GCMA members this year

I

t’s that time of year again when the GCMA invites the leading golf club managers to showcase their business achievements.

The GCMA Club Management Awards is the programme that recognises and rewards excellence across golf club management, the management team and spotlights newcomers from across the UK and beyond.

This year will be the 11th awards, open to any GCMA member, whether working at a public, private members’ or proprietary club. Regardless of size, the awards categories are suited for any successful manager to tell their story, and that of their club.

The awards categories are as follows: Golf Club Manager of the Year, Team of the Year (consisting of the manager, and at least two of the professional, course manager and food and beverage manager) and Newcomer of the Year.

There is no fee to enter and nominations open on 1st June and closes for nominations on 31st July.

Whilst all nominees must have a supporting nominee, there is no harm is approaching someone to put you forward, if you think you or your team are worthy of consideration. Previous entrants have been nominated by

14 | GCMA.ORG.UK

committee members, colleagues, peers and even members of their own golf club.

The nomination process is very straightforward and simply requires an awards entry describing a rationale for why you should be considered by the judges to make the shortlist.

All shortlisted entrants then move onto the second stage of judging. Here they will present their club and initiatives to the judging panel, through interviews and site visits, and a final interview will then be held. All finalists are invited to a judging day. After a lunch and 18 holes, each finalist participates in a panel interview from which judges will determine the winner of each award.

There are a number of reasons why people decide to enter the awards, apart from the prestigious awards ceremony on the Monday night of the GCMA Conference – held this year in November at De Vere Cotswold Water Park.

Independent recognition of your achievements Our impartial and expert industry judges go through multiple rounds of deliberating, and they are the ones who will have declared your success worthy of recognition.

Wider PR and marketing

exposure Industry awards will see you mentioned in industry publications, but we also go a bit further. We have relationships with and are covered by a wide network of relevant sector publications and influential individuals in the sport.

Reward Staff Putting together an entry brings together teams, and lets you analyse the steps you took in meeting your challenges. Raise the profile of your team members, and invite them to join you at the awards night in style with top speakers and entertainment.

A perfect opportunity for the success story you want to tell Within the three different awards categories, you can align your message and objectives with the award title of your choice; from Sustainability or Growth, to Innovation, Governance or Marketing, or maybe something that you’ve had to deal with that has required you to act ‘above and beyond’ the call of duty.

If you have achievements worthy of recognition from the last two years, make sure your success doesn’t go unnoticed and visit the GCMA website once nominations open.

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

My next quest is to find a recyclable

GOLF BALL

Aldeburgh’s Melissa Baker is leading a mission to make her club more environmentally friendly. Top of the list is reducing plastics in golf. She tells Steve Carroll why the industry must become more sustainable

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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B

eaches strewn with waste, animals desperately tangled – the problem of plastic pollution haunted viewers of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II. The TV programme revealed the true scale of devastation that disposable plastics were having on our oceans and, if new surveys are any guide, it may at last be starting to change behaviours.

And yet golf must be considered a significant offender when it comes to the proliferation of plastics.

Whether it is the shrink-wrap that protects new equipment as it is transported around the country, the take-away cups that house our on-course tea and coffee, or the straws and spatulas that mix drinks, the industry relies on single-use plastics as a convenience.

It goes wider. It could also be the tees that are strewn across courses, or even the most fundamental piece of equipment – the balls that litter lakes and never biodegrade

– but the impact of plastics on our wider environment is reaching a tipping point.

A message of crisis seems to be finally hitting home. Around 42% of those asked by GlobalWebIndex recently said products that use sustainable materials are an important consideration when thinking about making a purchase.

As PA to the secretary at Aldeburgh for the last six years, Melissa Baker has led a campaign to make the East Anglia club more environmentally friendly – part of a trend that saw the club named course of the year at the Golf Environment Awards at Harrogate in January.

“I asked the then secretary, Bill Beckett, if we could look into other ways to deal with our waste and save energy,” she said of how it all began.“He was very supportive and agreed it was a good idea.

“I asked our local council to assess our waste needs. We have weekly recycling collections for our glass, plastic and cardboard

recycling and have a bin specifically for our food waste.

This is turned into compost and is no longer being thrown into landfill with the general waste. I also found a company that would come and collect old fluorescent bulbs and light bulbs.

“In 2014 I discovered that the environmental charity, Groundwork Suffolk, had received funding to carry out carbon footprint audits for businesses and they came and assessed our energy usage.

“To start with we were given a Bronze Suffolk Carbon Charter Award and I am pleased to say that in 2018 we graduated to the Silver award. So we are improving and luckily we will continue to do so as our current secretary, David Wybar, is keen for the golf club to do the right thing.”

But it is plastics that Melissa sees as the ultimate evil and, whether it is asking organisations to consider switching from a plastic magazine wrapper to one made

The firms who are bucking the trend Manufacturer Lynx announced last August they would be the first global golf brand to remove all single use plastic from packaging in their clubs, bags and accessories.

They estimated the move would cost them £30,000 in 2018 with money spent finding alternatives and increasing plastic recycling.

While the use of plastic bags for shopping are now routinely charged, a year ago more than 40 major businesses – including Sainsbury’s, Nestle and CocaCola – signed up to a Plastics Pact pledging to eradicate single-use plastics from packaging.

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

of biodegradable potato starch or trying to accentuate the recycling message to members at her home club, she is determined to plug away to change opinions and habits.

“We all know that plastic is forever – it will never biodegrade, and just breaks down into infinitesimally small pieces - and that it is causing so much pollution on the planet. It is in our oceans and rivers, our food, our drinking water. It is everywhere.

“People need to realise that we can’t just carry on using plastic in the way we have grown accustomed to.

For example, why do supermarkets feel the need to wrap a swede in plastic? It’s just crazy!

“It takes time to change behaviour - it took a while for my co-workers to get into the recycling and environmental awareness frame of mind but now they are all doing it, from our sandwich maker Shirley to our cleaner Marie and all the other house and bar staff.

“Our bar manager Simon, and house manager Tony, have sourced all kinds of environmentally friendly items from chemical free – not tested on animals – cleaning supplies to biodegradable take-away coffee cups, stainless steel cocktail stirrers and paper straws. Even the paper in our PDQ machines is now recyclable.”

Using alternatives to plastic, such as compostable water cooler cups made from bamboo, biodegradable sandwich packs, switching to recycled paper and card in the office, and replacing ordinary light bulbs with LED ones, are just some of the things Melissa said we can all do to help the environment in our own small way at our clubs.

She continued:“Most of the public are aware that plastic is bad

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

but there’s a difference between knowing something is bad and doing something about it.

“And until you can give people an alternative and say ‘instead of using plastic, use this’ they will find it harder to change.

“Also plastic is often cheaper than the non-plastic, environmentally friendly alternative.

“Some of the organisations I have asked to ditch the plastic tell me that they won’t because it is too expensive to do so. For example the potato starch wrappers for magazines are more expensive.

“I know that individuals can make a big difference but the government must get to work on reducing our use of plastic, especially singleuse plastic, and make non-plastic alternatives affordable. “(At Aldeburgh) We are trying to make the members and visitors aware of the environmental issues.

“We have rubbish and recycling bins. These bins are side by side and it surprises me but I often see that people still put plastic drinks bottles, or cardboard cups, in the rubbish side.

“I have put an extra label on the recycling side saying: ‘Please put cardboard and plastic in here’.

“It takes time and perseverance but I know that if you can show people the way, and get them interested, they will change.”

“My next quest is to try and find a recyclable golf ball.

“I am hoping there is someone out there who is trying to invent one.

“I’m doing this because I love the natural world. I hope that by reducing our waste, pollution and use of energy, both the natural world and future generations will have a better life.

“It is up to all of us to do our bit.

As my Auntie B used to say: ‘Do what you can where you can’.”

The scandal of single-use plastics Earth Day say half of all plastics production -335 million metric tonnes in 2016 - is destined for single-use

1 million plastic bottles are bought every minute globally.

500 billion disposable cups are used every year.

Around 32% of the 78 million tonnes of plastic packaging produced annually flows into the oceans.

By 2050, it’s believed there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans.

GCMA.ORG.UK | 25

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

How to... make your club environmentally

FRIENDLY

W

hen you study the list – and it is a long one – of ways Hendon have tried to soften the impact of the club around their surroundings, what surprises you most is that they are not nearly satisfied.

“We are not as environmentally friendly as I would like but we are moving in the right direction,” said general manager Peter Dickson.

And yet you may be hard pressed to find a facility that has tried harder to change how they work in their climate.

“What we are trying to do here is reduce our impact on the environment, and to promote Royal Dornoch

24 | GCMA.ORG.UK

wildlife,” he added.

“We have a glass recycling contract, where all the glass bottles that we sell in the bar are put through a glass crusher.The glass is then collected and taken for recycling.

“We have a cardboard compactor so that all of the cardboard that is used for packaging is collected up and placed in the compactor and compressed into bales. These bales are then collected for recycling.

“And we have changed the takeaway cups for teas and coffees in the bar, so these are now are completely recyclable and biodegradable. We will be doing the same at our water fountains soon.”

That’s not all. The club replaced their old oil fired boiler with a much more efficient gas system

– something that has helped produce significant cost savings for the club.

When they renovated the clubhouse’s flat roof, they leaped at the chance to put in insulation to help prevent heat loss.

And when they changed the taps in their toilets – putting in units that are easier to turn off – they also installed sensor taps in the men’s changing rooms to reduce the club’s water usage.

LED lighting is now almost universally installed throughout the building after a review of Hendon’s electricity usage.

They even removed two old cellar coolers and replaced the ageing pair with a single, more efficient, version.

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No stone has been unturned at Hendon as they try to reduce their impact on the environment. General manager Peter Dickson reveals what the London club have been doing Dickson added:“We have looked at recycling all of the plastic bottles that are deposited on the course.

However, as yet, we have been unable to find a company that will recycle these.

“On the course we have planted wildflower seeds, which have not only produced an array of colour around the putting green but are there to promote the bees.

“As part of our course development we are looking at places that will provide us an

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opportunity to plant more flowers.

“We have planted over 2,000 bulbs over the past two years, but want to do more in selecting plants to encourage bees. We have left chopped trees in piles in the undergrowth to promote insect life.”

Ten bat boxes, and bird boxes on suitable trees throughout the golf course, are only assisting that aim.

Yet Hendon, as Dickson has intimated, are by no means finished their quest to get better.

Future steps include replacing

plastic straws with paper, and doing the same for the cups in the locker room.

They are also investigating the cost benefits of installing waterless urinals, or even harvesting rainwater to use to flush the toilets, and will look again at solar panels and alternative ground source heat pumps.

Hendon describe themselves as the “friendliest club in North London”.

It’s a fair bet they could style themselves as one of Britain’s most environmentally friendly as well.

GCMA.ORG.UK | 25

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INDUSTRY The latest news, insightful opinions and in-depth features from the golf industry

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

This GCMA club is famous for…

SAUNTON

This North Devon course, run by general manager John Sutherland, was a vital training ground for the largest invasion in history...

L

inks golf doesn’t come much finer than at Saunton with its two championship courses, the East and West, set on the sumptuous Devon coastline. But the American visitors who came to use that stretch of sand during the Second World War weren’t interested in the dunes for their perfect golfing terrain.

The topography was eerily similar to what would become Omaha beach in Normandy and it would play an important role in preparations for D-Day. The Assault Training Centre was established in 1943, principally because the Americans had wrongly assumed that troops sent to Britain for the upcoming invasion of France would be battleready. Many of them had never fired a rifle in combat and needed to get some training quickly ahead of the landings.

With the British having already bagged the best coastal locations, only the area around Woolacombe remained. So the Assault Training Centre was divided into lettered areas along the beach from A until M. Saunton was D. The sand type, dunes and terrain was almost exactly like Omaha – where many of the Americans were heading. So Saunton

30 | GCMA.ORG.UK

was taken over as obstacles, fortifications and tanks moved in. When the engineers arrived in September 1943, they built fullscale replicas of everything they would face on the French seafront, as well as tank sides, a flame rower range and radio towers. On the 14th hole of the West course, you can still see the remnants of a rifle range.

It proved a valuable training ground. But the ATC’s involvement didn’t finish there. It would house and feed replacement troops on their way to France and parts of the course would be ‘occupied’

until 1951. A significant proportion of the East and West courses were destroyed. The greens staff, along with some German prisoners of war, had the East up and running again by 1952 and the West was re-designed by Frank Pennink and opened in 1974. Even so, the legacy remains. A few pill boxes and mine traps remain even now and, when Saunton renovated their West course in 2016, bomb disposal units had to be called in to diffuse a weapon that was still live. But as the two courses now thrive, the club can be proud of their history.

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(L-R) Steve Robinson & Howard Williams

rijo42 – New Business Partnership with GCMA after signing a two year deal The rapid growth of rijo42, who now supply over 800 UK Golf Clubs, is a worthy endorsement of our firstclass product and excellent customer service.

Steve Robinson - rijo42 National Accounts and Sponsorship Director - is delighted to announce the new 2019 offer open to all GCMA members, this includes an enhanced rijo42 package with additional free stock, crockery and supporting point of sale items – wrapped up in a unique free of charge customer after-care program.

Alongside Howard Williams - recently appointed rijo42 Brand Ambassador, and previous GCMA North West Regional Manager and past GCMA National Captain - Steve will be travelling to as many GCMA regions as possible during 2019, to raise awareness of this superb value for money offer. They will demonstrate the use of the top of the range equipment and invite GCMA members to sample the amazing quality, and wide range of drinks on offer.

Howard explains: “rijo42 are securing accounts where other companies are failing to hit a good market standard. A huge factor in their success is the superior product on offer, and the second to none standard of customer service. This is what convinced me to accept the role as Brand Ambassador.”

“Today’s golf clubs rightly expect a ‘high street’ coffee experience, which caters for every taste, together with reliable and easy to use equipment. The brand is synonymous with the sport and clubs are gaining additional sales from visiting golfers who are happy to purchase a brand of coffee which fully meets their expectations.”

If you would like to know more about how rijo42 can increase your coffee sales and totally transform your customers’ experience please contact your GCMA Regional Manager.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

In the

LOOP 1. Stressed? Switch off by playing a round...

What’s happened: England Golf marked Stress Awareness Month by launching its #SwitchOffWithGolf campaign, which encourages people to reduce their screen time by playing golf and improving their mental well-being.

What does it mean? The aim is to encourage lapsed golfers to park their busy schedules and rediscover their drives - a message that could be very pertinent to golf club managers, many of whom don’t get out to play as much as they once did.

85% of adults say they experience stress regularly, while 67% of men admit to having been so stressed at some point over the last year that they have felt unable to cope. Technology has been identified as one of the key aspects of that, with many feeling overwhelmed by the always on culture of being connected by email, text and social media.

The #SwitchOffWithGolf campaign aims to stimulate conversation around the importance of positive mental

The news you need to know from the last month in the golf industry…

health and to educate potential golfers about the physical and psychological benefits of exercising outdoors as a coping strategy for dealing with every day stresses.

Dan Walker, BBC Breakfast presenter and keen golfer, along with Professor Greg Whyte, have signed up as ambassadors for the programme and the latter reiterated the physical and psychological benefits of playing golf, which were outlined by the Golf and Health project in London

last year.

Prof Whyte said:“Physical activity and outdoor activity are incredibly potent stimuli for positive lifestyle changes because it impacts all areas of health simultaneously by improving physical, mental and social health.We don’t need to overthink this, golf is a fantastic stress reliever in whatever way you chose to play it. You can really tailor the game to suit your needs so on a day where you want to play all day go and play 18 holes but if you’ve got 15 minutes and want

@GCMAUK Pleased to see that the @GCMAUK National Conference for November this year is ready to accept bookings.

Looking forward for news of

32 | GCMA.ORG.UK

speakers and sessions being released in the coming weeks! #SeeYouThere @golfmanagergm Honoured to have been elected

to the @GCMAUK Board of Directors yesterday and looking forward to working closely with my fellow colleagues in what is exciting times for the golf

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

We want to hear from you!

Send your correspondence, on any subject, to letters@gcma.org.uk

to de-stress, you can head to the range.”

2.The R&A and USGA introduce Local Rule on replacement of broken clubs What happened: The game’s governing bodies have released a clarification to Rule 4.1b - a new Local Rule that allows players to replace a broken or significantly damaged club, expect in cases of abuse.

What does it mean? Under the Local Rule, a club is ‘broken or significantly damaged’ if it meets the following conditions: * the shaft breaks into pieces, splinters or is bent (but not when the shaft is only dented); * the club face impact area is visibly deformed (but not when the club face is only scratched); * the clubhead is visibly and significantly deformed; * the clubhead is detached or loose from the shaft or the grip is loose.

A player is not allowed to replace his or her club solely because there is a crack in the club face or clubhead.

Committees can use this Local Rule immediately and it has

industry @gcma_eastanglia #golfmanagement #TigerEffect @bradkdmclean Delighted to welcome the

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emerged as clarifications are usually updated every three months from the beginning of the year. The next quarterly update will be in July.

3. Investment boost for new look Bruntsfield Links What’s happened: A £1.2 million makeover at Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, one of the world’s oldest golf clubs, has been completed.

What does it mean? Mackenzie and Ebert carried out the project, which sanctioned work on eight holes and saw more than 80 bunkers redesigned and repositioned. The 12th and 13th were combined to create a new par 5 and a signature 16th was built over a pond. The club have signed a £250,000 deal with Reesink Turfcare for a Toro fleet.

Welcome to our newest GCMA members Anthony Leather, at Whitburn, in Northern region Max Alexander, at Dinsdale Spa, in Northern region Rachel Clubb, at Swaffham, in Norfolk Simon Iliffe, at West Kent, in South East region Michael Wells, at Carnoustie Golf Links, in Scotland region Steve Dunlop, at Alsager G&CC, in Midland region Ron Heydon, at Leasowe, in North West region David Cummings, at Royal Musselburgh, in Scotland region Adam Stordy, at Bridport & West Dorset, in Wessex region Lisa Jones, at Parkstone, in Wessex region Charles Molony, at Royal Cinque Ports, in South West region Dewi Merckx, at Hulencourt, in Belguim Andrew Smedley, at Nevill, in South East region Sarah Moore, at Ipswich (Purdis Heath), in East Anglia region

@GCMAUK to Coxmoor’s new clubhouse for their 2019 AGM. We hope you are all impressed by our new facilities and enjoy the course later on as well... @CoxmoorGC

Welcome to our associate members: Paul Whitcombe, Sarah Sanderson, Michael Bruce, Gavin Robinson, Peter Mason, Stephen Cross, Ian Bruce, Marjon Bakker and David Wright.

GCMA.ORG.UK | 33

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COMING BACK

B

ack in 2015, Jim took a chance on Tagmarshal, the leading pace-ofplay and golf course optimisation platform that provides rich and engaging data to club managers to optimise operations and increase their revenue. He now can’t live without it.

Clubs need to do a better job of retaining customers, according to Hunki Yun, the USGA Director of Partnerships, Outreach and Education. In a recent survey conducted by the USGA, overall player satisfaction is at only 69%.

According to Yun, the relationship between participation and satisfaction is key. When golfers have a positive experience, their satisfaction levels are high and they’re likely to return.

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Here, Jim shares some practical tips on optimising the allimportant player experience and the importance of data to a successful golf course operation.

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34 | GCMA.ORG.UK

satisfaction and memorable experiences.

“We take the entire experience and analyse it,” says Jim.“From the time people pick up the phone to make a reservation to the time they arrive, right through to the time they reach the first tee and throughout the time on the course, we define and analyse every touchpoint where there is an experience and make it as best as we can.

“The most important thing at

Erin Hills is the experience and by aligning our staff to say the right things and handle situations correctly helps us achieve an exceptional customer experience.

We hire people who believe what we believe and our belief is experience driven, ensuring that we focus on all touchpoints, from start to finish.”

Think like a king customer We’ve all heard the saying that the customer is king and thinking like

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Jim Lombardo, Head Professional at 2017 US Open course Erin Hills, tells us why the club can’t live without Tagmarshal’s course management software player satisfaction, but many clubs lack the resources to address the issue. By introducing innovative golf management software like Tagmarshal, which tracks players and caddies on the course and provides real-time data, clubs can improve efficiency and on-course field flow, reallocate resources and manpower where and when needed, and streamline and monitor the overall pace of play, even during peak periods.

Jim maintains that focusing on course conditioning, tee availability and flow of play to deliver a topnotch player experience can go a long way in retaining valuable customers. He says:“Part of our success is our well-conditioned course. But what would ruin a player’s day is standing around on the course all day, so flow and pace are extremely important to us and Tagmarshal helps us create an exceptional on-course experience.” one can help club managers keep their eye on the ball. Club managers know their courses intimately, but understanding how a first-time visitor experiences it is key.

Many might think that once the golfer is out on the course, the quality of their experience is up to them. Instead, they should be thinking of ways to optimise the experience at every touchpoint.

Field flow and pace-of-play management can be a major contributing factor to overall

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

The importance of data to a successful golf course operation At clubs utilising Tagmarshal, marshals can log into the platform to see what they need to do, or where they need to go with groups of players who may be out of position and holding up play.

Having on-the-go data provides real time, pre-emptive course management.

Consistent field flow also allows golf clubs to add further tee times which, throughout the month, can

result in a substantial increase in revenue.

By managing the customers’ expectations from start to finish through exceptional hospitality, communication, and consistently impressive service, operators can redirect their efforts to other areas that need attention.

About Tagmarshal Tagmarshal is a golf course intelligence and pace-of-play management solution that turns pace into an asset.

The system uses small tags clipped onto golf bags or installed on carts which transmit geolocation data.

Industry-leading algorithms identify risk groups with accurate, objective support to alleviate pace challenges before they arise.

Public, private and resort courses using Tagmarshal realise substantial returns on investments through improved on-course experiences achieved with less staff as well as increases in daily rounds.

Impactful and easy-to-use data analytics, weather data integration and geo-fencing complete the offering.

For more information about Tagmarshal, visit www.tagmarshal. com or contact Stephen Knoop, Managing Director, Tagmarshal UK & Ireland, stephen.knoop@ tagmarshal.com

GCMA.ORG.UK | 35

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The interview...

FAME TATE Former Ladies European Tour and Asian Tour player Fame Tate has bought her local 9-hole course at Stanedge, on the edge of the Derbyshire Peak District. The new GCMA member tells Steve Carroll how she’s adapting very quickly to golf club management

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GCMA.ORG.UK | 37

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

S

o how does a professional golfer buy a golf club?

It was circumstance – nothing that was really planned. The opportunity came around and it was quite timely. A couple of years ago, I probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable taking the plunge but having completed the PGA Foundation degree a year ago, it was timely. Opportunities like this don’t come around too often.

Stanedge is five minutes from home and I’ve always wanted to put my stamp on something like this.

We’re always being told that golf club membership is declining – and we’re seeing clubs close all over the country now. So you’ve not done this without risk?

I’m doing this on my own – there are no other partners. You read all the articles that say golf club membership is on the decline but my vision here – and the message we are trying to get across – is to make the game affordable, accessible for anyone, fun, friendly and welcoming.

Stanedge is not your typical golf club. We want it to be a warm and welcoming environment where you can walk in and there’s no stuffy dress code.

I feel we’re pitching this at a slightly different market. We are for the members here, but we’re also for the visitors and everyone else. We will do everything we can for the members and make it a members’ club but without it having the stereotypical private members’ club ethos.

As you say, you’ve made it pretty clear in your early marketing that Stanedge is designed to be a very open golf club?

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

We’re not an 18-hole facility. We’ve got 10 holes but people are time constrained nowadays and, whether you’ve got a family or not, I do think 9-hole golf has got its benefits as well.

I appreciate you can go to an 18-hole facility and still play nine but we are trying to promote something different. The beauty here is you can do two loops of three holes or you can do five or six.

There are quite a lot of options at Stanedge due to the course layout.

We’ve also rejigged the membership packages. We have full adult membership and we’ve put a family package together – two adults and all the kids go free. We’ve really tried to focus on the 18 to 35-year-old market and, if you read all the reports from England Golf, that is a difficult market to target.

Is it financially viable for them to be paying a full membership? I don’t think so. So we’ve put a good deal in place there. Lastly, we’ve got

40 | GCMA.ORG.UK

junior membership, which we’ve pitched at £50, less than £1 a week.

We’ve tried to put a membership package together that’s financially viable for everyone and will hopefully attract all the different segments of society.

With those four packages I think we’ve targeted the market quite well. I appreciate that membership has been on the decline but, on a positive, in the last few weeks we’ve attracted 50 new members. So with what we are trying to do here, people want to join.

It’s good to have that immediate success as well, as it lets you breathe out a little bit?

It does. I had to be conservative and you don’t know how it is going to go. I had to plan for that financially. But, so far, so good.

We’ve refurbished the clubhouse and we’ve tried to put a touch on every single room. Yes, we’re a 9-hole facility in the Peak District

Who is Fame Tate?

An exceptional amateur golfer who represented Great Britain & Ireland on two Curtis Cup teams, Fame played professionally on the Ladies European Tour and Asian Tour.

Forced to retire because of a shoulder injury that required a succession of surgeries – she has had her shoulder replaced three times – she worked for Faldo Events before setting up the Fame Academy and working at both Tapton Park and Barlborough Links, in Derbyshire.

The current PGA Female Assistant of the Year, the GCMA member was presented with the Beverly Lewis Trophy during her graduation ceremony and she bought Stanedge Golf Club only months after completing the course.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

and this clubhouse serves a purpose for that.

But we do want it to have a warm, friendly feel and, in comparison to where we were a few weeks ago, it is like a new place.

I was mindful when I came in that people would want to see a change. Everywhere just needed some TLC. How is the transition from PGA professional to golf club manager going?

They are two very different roles.

I’m still hugely passionate about coaching. I thoroughly enjoy it, I enjoyed going through the PGA programme and the skills that it gave me.

“They didn’t know me. I didn’t know them and they wanted to see what my vision was going forward.”

Obviously the business element of that has helped me immensely.

The only thing that would have stopped me buying Stanedge was myself and the fear of the unknown. I’ve adapted quite well, I think.

I’m still wearing my coaching hat and still enjoy teaching the kids and giving individual and group lessons.

That’s something I am really passionate about it.

I’ve worked for Derbyshire Golf and we got a grant from Sport England for Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire where people can come and learn golf for free.

I’m really enthusiastic about initiatives like that. But in terms of the transition between me sitting in the office, and going out there

42 | GCMA.ORG.UK

playing, the main thing is that we are a team here – although not a massive one.

It’s really strong and PGA Master Professional Pete Ball (who coached Danny Willett as a junior) is doing some work with me and he’s a good friend.

I go in and do the admin, and what needs to be done, but still have time for the coaching.

That feels like it could be all encompassing. It’s an awful lot of work to try and wear those

multiple hats…

The last few weeks have been manic but that has been through getting everything sorted in the clubhouse and it hits you all at once.

I was prepared for that. I was under no illusion that we were going to waltz in and it would be an easy ride.

There has been an awful lot to do but, between us all, we’ve managed and we are managing. We’ve had lots of early mornings and late nights but that will change.

It’s just getting the balance right,

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isn’t it?

You need some things in perspective because it could completely take over your life.

The biggest thing I have found is that we need some time for ourselves. I’ve been getting home at night and I’m exhausted and I’m exhausted in the morning but it is what it is for now.

Tell me about some of your plans going forward…

In the short to medium term, we’re targeting everyone in terms of

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membership – as daft as that sounds.

From a coaching perspective, we’re delivering adult ladies sessions, mixed sessions and also sessions for men and children.

We’ve got some events coming up. We’ve just had our first junior Masters event and we have several junior holiday camps planned.

We had an Easter fun day. It was a bit of an open day and we wanted to give people the opportunity to come along and showcase what we are all about, what facilities we’ve got and what

we’re planning going forward. One lucky individual won a year’s free membership.

We’re putting a fixture list together for the members because they, obviously, want some competitive golf.

So you’ve really had to start from scratch then?

Absolutely.

The committee had disbanded and all the club fixtures, as they are at most clubs, were run by a committee.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

We’ve got a handicap secretary but we’re putting the competitions together ourselves.

The club had, to all intents and purposes, stopped then before you arrived?

It’s been quite a learning experience. There were still the members who were voluntarily running the club themselves. It wasn’t professionally staffed and they came and went as they wanted to.

We have had to start from scratch with everything.

The club has got a long history – 1934 – but could the situation you found when you arrived have continued if you had not got involved?

No. It would have been a terrible shame.

I can’t remember the exact date but when we held our first members’ meeting there were probably 25 people who turned up.

I felt quite nervous and a bit apprehensive – something of a lamb to the slaughter.

They didn’t know me.

I didn’t know them and they wanted to see what my vision was going forward.

As you could imagine, the rumour mill was rife when they heard I had purchased the business.

There was talk that it could be a ladies’ only club, that it was just going to be an academy for kids and juniors.

It was really important for me to get the message across from day one that I wanted it to be a club for everyone – members and visitors.

I see the course from a playing point of view so I know what people want and expect from a golf course.

I’m not saying I’m an expert but I have a good perspective on what

44 | GCMA.ORG.UK

a golf course should look like and the quality it needs to be.

I want everything here to be as best as it can be.

It’ll be a bit of a change for the members too, as it’s been members’ owned all that time…

It was almost run as a satellite club in conjunction with Rufford Park and South Chesterfield but the members themselves were very much in charge.

I think they were very intrigued and interested as to what I was going to do.

My biggest thing was raising awareness and the profile of the club.

That’s ongoing and it always

“It’s funny the perception that people thought I might just be sat in the office. This is my business and I want to be out there and I want to get stuck in”. will be but, from the outset, it was raising awareness that we are open for business, that the changes we have made have all been positive, and about promoting the Stanedge brand, vision and ethos.

It only takes a few people to say ‘it’s shut and don’t go to Stanedge’.

The last few weeks we have really focused on marketing and that’s important going forward.

I just want it to be in the best condition possible for all the members and visitors.

We’re not a typical 18-hole facility but we are trying to use our unique selling point.

That’s all we can do.

We can’t compete with the 18-hole private members’ clubs that are in the locality – I completely get that – but it’s horses for courses.

We are all offering a different service and it’s utilising what we’ve got.

We want Stanedge to be a place where everyone feels that they are welcome.

I understand you’re so involved at Stanedge you even help cut the greens…

I’ve been risk assessed and trained on all the ride-on machines and I’m a big believer that, if I’ve got the time, I want to be out there.

One of the members, bless him, came up to me the other day and said: ‘I didn’t know you were so versatile.’

It’s funny the perception that people thought I might just be sat in the office shuffling papers and doing a bit of coaching and drinking coffee.

This is my business and I want to be out there and I want to get stuck in.

I’ve been digging bunkers, and re-sanding some of them, and I’m trying to allocate a full day, or two days a week, where I can be out there with the team and seeing what’s going on. I think that’s really important.

You’ll be the only golf club owner and manager that cuts the greens surely?

I’ve got no idea but I really enjoy it. It’s time for me that I can go out there and almost switch off.

I get a sense of satisfaction from it. I love seeing the stripes on the tees, fairways and greens. I want everything just right.

I’m not the greenkeeper but if I’ve got the time and can take some of the workload off them I will do it.

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BURTON-ON-TRENT ::: CLUB SECRETARY

Burton-On-Trent Golf Club is a forward-thinking members’ golf club on the edge of Burton-OnTrent. Designed by Harry Colt, the 18-hole parkland course has held England Golf, Midlands Regional and regular county competitions. This year the club is celebrating its 125th anniversary so it is an exciting time to join the club.

The Club Secretary is the Senior Executive Officer of the club. They are the official channel of communication for the club on several matters, including insurance, law, health and safety, complaints and staff matters.

To apply, please send a CV with a covering letter to the Club Chairman, Ron Davis, at clubsecretary@botgc.co.uk. He can also be contacted by telephone on 01283 544551.

Region: Midlands | Apply by: 17 May 2019 | Salary: Competitive

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CAREERS Advice and news for golf club managers. Plus, the latest jobs from clubs across the UK

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

On the move RICHARD

PENLEY-MARTIN

D

enham was founded in 1910 when Harry Colt designed the parkland course as one of his first commissions, and the origins of the clubhouse date to the 16th century. We caught up with Richard to get his thoughts on his new role and his ambitions…

How did you come to take the

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position?

The previous secretary had retired and they were looking to recruit somebody who was going to provide a business focus behind the scenes, while continuing to be a traditional club in the eyes of the members. The job title will change from the traditional Secretary, but it’s whether it is general manager or CEO hasn’t been resolved yet.

The Board want to step back and

take the long view of strategy and financing, with industry input from me. Their view is that I am the only executive member on the board and they are all non-execs. They will give me the strategy and the resources and then it will up to me and my team to deliver their vision.

What kind of club is Denham?

It’s very traditional and has only just relaxed the rules on jacket and

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After six years as Secretary at Ganton, Richard Penley-Martin upped sticks from North Yorkshire to Buckinghamshire to take on a new role at Denham... tie in the dining room, although the dress code does say that a tie is preferred. They like their formality.

Lunch here is very popular and they do it very much in the traditional way i.e. three course carvery with lots of choice. To some of the societies that visit, the lunch is probably more important than the course! However, we are aware that this isn’t the case for all groups so are looking to widen the selection as well as getting the course to the standard that is as well recognised as the lunch.

You were Secretary at Ganton – another traditional club. Is there continuity in the new role?

No. Denham want a chief executive that’s going to help guide them forward to ensure the sustainability of the Club as it moves in to its second century.

They are looking to lean on my experiences and knowledge from over 20 years in the industry to help shape that future. They have realised that, as a traditional club with 50 golf clubs within 25 miles of us, the competition is significant for members and casual/society golfers. They need to keep reviewing how they recruit members and ensure that they keep young members coming into the funnel as there are lot of members who have been here for 30 to 50 years.

Do you feel you will have bit more freedom at Denham to show some of your expertise in

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golf club management?

Yes. When I came into golf more than 20 years ago, I was a young guy who had considerable management experience from 20 years in the RAF where the ethos was ‘here’s your objective and the resources, now deliver it for us’.

I was lucky that my first job was at a brand new proprietary golf club and so there were no precedents to live up to. If a member asked me a question about the club, and I didn’t have an answer, then we hadn’t done anything about it and the task was added to the jobs to do list, so it was great from that perspective. But you had to deliver the experience the membership wanted, while providing the financial performance the owners expected.

I then went into a very traditional members’ club, but the members didn’t want any input or independent thought from their secretary. That frustrated me as I could see things that need to be changed to move the club forward, so I didn’t stay very long and went to Stoneham where I did the CEO role for 10-and-a-half years.

That was what I was recruited to do at Ganton, but the club culture meant that they were reluctant to change the model that they had had for the previous 100 years. That’s fine as that’s the way they wanted to run the club but it wasn’t me as I could see the long-term plans we needed to put in place. Denham have carried out a strategic review and have put together a strategic plan that

currently has 104 items on it, some of which are simple and other bits are major capital projects that are five or more years down the road.

My job is to pull that plan together, while the Board provide the strategy and generate the finance, and get the team here working together to deliver the customer service that the members in a club like this and visiting golfers expect.

Is that a big opportunity for you? To be involved in a longterm project like that?

Definitely. They are looking to make a transition - still having a members’ ethos outwardly, but the business supporting it from behind.

All golf clubs are going to have to go that way, if they haven’t already, but some haven’t realised it yet.

So if we could ask you what a successful tenure at Denham would be, how would you respond?

I’d want to leave Denham as a happy and sustainable club going forward. It’s one of the things I try to get the committees to understand at all the golf clubs where I have been. It doesn’t matter if you are a committee member or a general manager, your job is to make sure that when your time is finished at that club – or you’ve come off the committee – you’ve left it in a better place than when you came to it. We’re only holding on to the reins for a short period.

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GCMA RECRUITMENT

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE VACANCIES BELOW, VISIT GCMA.ORG.UK/JOBS

SUNNINGDALE ::: GENERAL MANAGER

Sunningdale Golf Club, one of the world’s most prestigious golf clubs, is recruiting a General Manager. With two world renowned courses, Sunningdale is consistently ranked in the world’s top 20 golf clubs. The Club plays host to the Senior Open Championship in 2020. Reporting to the Secretary, and part of the Senior Management Team, the General Manager will ensure the efficient daily running of the club. The successful individual will continue to drive initiatives to improve the club’s overall offering to its members and guests.

To apply, please send a CV with a covering letter to enquiries@coltmm.com.

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Richard Wood on 01344 636411.

Region: Berkshire | Apply by: 24 May 2019 | Salary: Competitive

ROWLANDS CASTLE ::: GENERAL MANAGER

Rowlands Castle is a private members’ club established in 1902 with a vibrant membership of over 750. It is situated in the delightful village on the borders of Hampshire and Sussex.

After 26 years, our Secretary Manager has decided to retire. We now seek a General Manager with an engaging personality with a hands-on and strategic approach to leadership and entrepreneurial flair.

To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter marked ‘Confidential’ to The Club Captain, Rowlands Castle Golf Club, 31 Links Lane, Rowlands Castle, Hants, PO9 6AE Region: Hants | Apply by: 13 May 2019 | Salary: Competitive

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Good

PRACTICE Advice on golf club management issues – from finance to clubhouse rules and employment law

Partner Network The GCMA’s Partner Network supports the association’s work to professionalise the industry and promote a culture of excellence in golf club management.

Thank you to all our partners who continue to support the association.

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From the

HELPDESK This month: Is corporate membership liable for VAT and... what to do in frozen conditions Is free membership to a golf club taxable under a P11D? Unless it can be argued it is necessary as part of the requirements of the job then it is regarded as a benefit in kind and taxable. Managers and green staff have successfully argued it is necessary to carry out the job correctly, which it is, and thus not a benefit in kind, but other posts in the club may struggle to do that.

Is corporate membership liable for VAT? Corporate Membership is liable as all corporate dealings are subject to VAT, even green fees and sponsorship as this HMRC extract explains: At paragraph 3.4.1 of VAT Notice 701/45: Sport an ‘individual’ is defined as a person who actually takes part in the sporting activity but this can include corporate persons and unincorporated associations, provided that … ‘the true beneficiaries (of the services) are individuals taking part in sport’.

HMRC considers that where a corporate body purchases a golf day or similar (i.e. membership) for its own purposes such as to entertain its staff or guests, this is a not a supply made to individuals but a supply to the corporate body for its own benefit and that the corporate body is the true beneficiary of the sporting services.

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Such supplies by non-profit making members’ golf clubs or members’ sports clubs do not qualify for the exemption and are therefore standard-rated for VAT purposes.

Do you have any information or procedure recommendations for frozen conditions? We have some bridges with steep entry and exit points which we are concerned might lead to a slip or fall...

As you have identified that there may be an issue with these bridges then you must do a risk assessment on their use and take all ‘reasonable’ steps to reduce or remove that risk. Presumably, you cannot ‘reasonably’ adjust the entry and exit points to make them less steep, so I suggest you have them salted and gritted to reduce the slip hazard. You should also introduce signage warning the members along the lines of: Warning. The entry and exit points of this bridge may be a slip hazard, particularly during winter weather, and you are advised to take care when crossing. Remember, you have a duty of care to behave in a way that does not injure yourself or others at all times.

If you feel that these or other actions you might identify following the risk assessment are not robust then it may be that

your only other course of action would be to close the bridges and re-route as necessary if possible.

Do you have a sample transgender policy?

England Golf has this on their website: englandgolf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/10/ England-Golf-Equality-GuidanceJune-2018.pdf, page 12 and Annex 1. Also the NGCAA have some documents under Equality Act and then Gender Reassignment.

The club has previously taken students on in the past for work experience, but I am not sure what the legal and safety requirements are required.

Could you please advise?

Usually, the school supplying the student will have policies in place to ensure you are suitable for the placement. As I remember, there were quite a few forms to fill in. As far as the club are concerned, you should carry out a risk assessment for the activities the student will carry out.

You also need to confirm with the club’s insurers that cover is available. Other than that, as long as you induct the student as you would a new staff member, and treat the student as such, following the school’s guidelines there shouldn’t be a problem.

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

Charting the way forward for women and girls

IN GOLF

G

olf “has to change” declared The R&A’s chief executive Martin Slumbers just under a year ago when the game’s governing body launched the Women in Golf Charter.

It was designed to bring about a “fundamental shift” in the sport’s culture – to tackle gender imbalance and encourage more women and girls to take up the game.

The Ladies European Tour, the PGA, and the GCMA were among the early signatories and made commitments to play their part in developing a culture that “values women’s involvement in every aspect of the sport, from participating to pursuing a career”.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” stressed Slumbers as the Charter was unveiled at the Shard in London.

Jackie Davidson, assistant director – golf development at The R&A, is in charge of implementing the pioneering document and, as the Charter prepares to celebrate its first birthday, we caught up with her to measure its impact.

It’s nearly a year since the launch of the Charter. This was a very ambitious project, wasn’t it?

It was. Trying to get a whole industry to unite and get behind one key initiative is always going to be a challenge. The response has been hugely positive and I think everybody understands that there is a tremendous opportunity for golf if it can attract more women and girls and families into playing.

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There’s also a recognition that the industry could benefit from having a more diverse workforce and so we have been pleasantly surprised, and delighted, by the response we have received so far.

How has the first year gone then and what sort of impact has the Charter had?

The focus in the first year has really been to secure the support from national associations and key organisations around the world.

So far, we are fast approaching 180 of them who have committed to supporting the Charter and that is really positive.

The next stage is for us to work with them to encourage their network, their regional bodies or their associated bodies, as well as golf clubs, to commit to the Charter and commit to the actions they can take.

We have seen some clubs coming forward and that shows that it has resonated within the industry. There are different sectors where we have had more success than others and we know that we need to concentrate on some sectors a little bit more.

But, on the whole, we do think it is a positive start. We have to continue the journey and encourage more commitment on that global scale.

That initial support you got must have been particularly encouraging because, with respect to the golf industry, it

is not always regarded as the most dynamic of institutions…

Everyone understands the challenge that exists but everyone also understands the opportunity.

What we have helped to do is raise the consciousness – that’s one of the really big impacts the Charter has had. It has raised the consciousness within all the different elements of the industry.

It has also made people think ‘can we accelerate what we are doing already?’ or ‘can we increase the work we are doing in any way?’

For those who maybe haven’t done a great deal, it can be ‘now is our opportunity to really think about how we can contribute’.

Having those conversations and discussions with people shows them that there is a role for them to play. That’s really important – that everybody is prepared to have a good look at themselves and think ‘actually, we can do something here’.

It might not always be on the participation side. It could be supporting more women and young women into the industry or, indeed, supporting those women already in the industry into progressing their careers, or having more opportunity and influence within their organisations.

It is really positive.

Georgia Hall has recently been unveiled as an ambassador for the Women in Golf Charter.

That’s a big boost to have the reigning Women’s British Open

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With the Women in Golf Charter about to mark its first year, Steve Carroll talks to Jackie Davidson, The R&A’s assistant director – golf development, to discover its initial impact

ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS champion on board…

We’re honoured that Georgia has agreed to work with us and support those initiatives to encourage more women, girls and families into playing golf, as well as the work around the Charter.

She’s a great role model for golf. She has come through the pathway, has shown that hard work, talent and determination can take you to the top and that you can realise your goals and become a major champion.

The age that she is and the person that she is will hopefully inspire many women and girls and encourage them to take up the sport.

It is important to have a relevant role model. We know there are many out there and it would be great to hear their stories and to make some of those role models a little bit more visible.

Whether that’s in greenkeeping, club management, finance and directors within an organisation, or in marketing roles, quite often people don’t realise the opportunities that exist within golf. They merely see it as playing, whereas there are many volunteering opportunities and many career opportunities.

People like Georgia can be role models in different ways across the sport. It is exciting to have her on board.

You talked earlier about the clubs that have signed up to the Charter, as well as the big golfing organisations. What can clubs do every day to help push the Charter’s message?

The participation initiatives that the bigger national bodies offer can help clubs in how they can go about bringing in new audiences.

One of the key things is really around the whole culture and environment within the clubhouse

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and looking at how that can be more friendly and welcoming.

That can start even before they come to the club. What does the website look like? What does it tell them about the club and makes them the type of club that is instantly attractive for someone to explore?

The home nations are doing a lot of good work in and around that and how clubs can embrace new members and better deliver a good customer experience.

There’s definitely a challenge for golf clubs around membership and how they can shape a more flexible membership, or a family offering. Many of the clubs that are signing up to the Charter are really starting to look at that and putting it down as some of the actions they want to deliver over a period of time.

People say ‘how much impact have you had?’ Well, some things are going to take time. We know that. Other things are definitely quick wins.

The most important thing with the Charter, in the way that we have encouraged people to become signatories, is that for every club, every organisation, every federation, their individual actions could be something different that’s realistic for them to achieve.

It could be in the context of their geography, region, catchment or the culture within a country. One club’s USP is very different from another’s.

One of the key things for clubs is they have to be reflective and relevant to their existing membership as well.

By encouraging more women within an existing membership to step forward and be part of committees, working groups or just to get on board with trying to make that whole customer experience for a new member a

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GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

better one, it’s something they can get the whole community within the club involved in.

What will the next 12 months hold for the Charter?

We will have to measure the impact and that won’t just be in terms of numbers.

We obviously want to see an increase in participation, particularly in Great Britain and Ireland, but what we hope we will start to see is a shift in the consciousness and culture within the sport.

We know there are some great campaigns out there where organisations are tapping into what other sports are doing. They are linking those into their strategies

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and I hope we will see some shifts in the profile being more reflective of an inclusive sport.

Much of what we have to

achieve is around myth busting.

Golf gets a raw deal at times and I hope some of that perception of the sport will start to shift.

What is the Women in Golf Charter?

bodies, to build on and develop initiatives which will focus on encouraging more women and girls to play the sport and stay within it as members of clubs, while also empowering women to enjoy successful careers in the industry.

Signatories are called upon to take positive action to recruit, retain and progress women working at all levels of the sport and set individual targets to associations for participation and membership. Overall, it aims to develop an inclusive environment for women and girls within golf.

For more information, visit randa.org

The Women in Golf Charter was unveiled nearly a year ago by The R&A as part of the organisation’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf – as well as encouraging more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry. It aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture around the sport to enable more women and girls to flourish and maximise their potential at all levels. The Charter requires national associations, and other

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ED U C AT E | I N FO RM | I N S P I RE

Grass

ROOTS All the latest news, views and interviews from across the GCMA’s various regions in the UK

GCMA | NEED TO KNOW | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | GOOD PRACTICE | GRASS ROOTS

My success story...

DAVID MABBOTT Golf clubs have been urged to diversify, to find new income streams away from the fairways. Langley Park general manager David Mabbott tells Steve Carroll how the Kent club have done just that...

J

oggers on treadmills and weights lifted in every corner is not quite what you’d expect to see at your traditional private members’ golf club.

But what they are doing at Langley Park is exactly what the game’s governing body suggests is the way forward if clubs are to continue to thrive.

Speaking at the first International Congress on Golf and Health in London, The R&A’s chief executive Martin Slumbers advocated clubs change the product they offered to their customers in a bid to grow their membership.

He believed using some of their space as a fitness centre, or a gym, was crucial in getting a new audience through the doors of the club.

“Our clubs generally offer a onedimensional product,” he said.“If we want to grow the game and bring in new people, we have to change that product offer.

“There are some great clubs out there that are absolutely doing that and are providing more variability than just playing golf.

They are providing more fitness areas and I’ll hazard a guess that their membership is going up.”

Langley Park, based in leafy

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Beckenham in Kent, were ahead of the curve. As Slumbers was delivering his call to diversify, the club were already going through the planning stages of installing a gym in the head professional’s former residence.

The project was the brainchild of Peter Kilford, a past captain and current chairman, who is a qualified physical training instructor and believed in the idea of a small members’ only gym.

“Our head pro used to live on site in a building attached to the pro shop,” explained club general manager David Mabbott.“He bought a house locally and we thought ‘what do we do with the space?’ We’re tenants of the council so there would have been issues with us renting it to an outside resident, which is not ideal as it is next to our first tee.

So we looked at some other ways

“When I’m interviewing new members and I mention we’ve got a gym, they don’t expect it and say they are interested”

of turning it into something that could actually generate some income.

“We sent a little campaign out to the members to see what they would like to see in it, and we floated the idea of the gym to see what the feeling was like.

“We received various suggestions.

Beckenham is quite an affluent area, and private rents are quite high, so quite a lot of people thought it would rent for £1,500 a month – without realising that it was attached to a golf shop and that it’s right next to the first tee.

So it wouldn’t be ideal as a private dwelling. We looked at a halfway house. We’ve got an internal swing studio in the shop and thought about creating an indoor practice area but that wasn’t anything that

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Sponsors of My Success Story

Club chairman Peter Kilford tests out the new equipment

would really provide a different sort of revenue for the club and would be something that a lot of other clubs haven’t got.”

And so the gym became a reality and the former house was filled with treadmills, bench presses, kettle weights and a treatment room was installed. The club presented it as an add-on, at £20 a month to membership, and hoped 100 of the near 900 subs payers would sign up. They had 50 in the first two weeks.

David added:“I’m aware we don’t always want to go back to the members to help fund things

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and it is nice that – even though it’s indirectly coming from them – we can use that money on the course. We’ve rented out the treatment room two days a month, for three months, to a therapist.

That’s providing us with another welcome income stream.

“We are majoring on fitness for golf, stretching and we’ve got guys that just come up for an hour and stretch, before they go out to play.

One of our first members was in his 80s.“ The gym’s initial success has left David and Langley Park already looking to expand their new suite.

“We’ve got plans for developing the outside space, if it works, as there is a garden attached to the bungalow we could convert into an outside training area.

“When I’m interviewing new members, and I mention we’ve got a gym, they don’t expect it and say they are interested. I don’t think they were expecting it to be offered.”

We want to hear all about the success stories at your club.

Get in touch by emailing s.carroll@sportspub.co.uk

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March 2019

STATISTICS UK&I 11,000

Hole-in-ones made during March competitions

Total competitions recorded

GENTS:

77

LADIES:

6,890

4,110

342,446

total rounds of golf recorded

LOWEST EXACT HANDICAP

Gents

Ladies

-5.1 -5.1 200,662 Downloads of HowDidiDo app

2,209

eagles or better

66 | GCMA.ORG.UK

118,581 birdies

1,102,759

Stats provided by HowdidIdo.com

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