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THE GOLF CLUB

MANAGER ISSUE 31 | NOVEMBER 2019

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

CIAL: AWARDS SPLEIS TS THE FINA CMA FOR THE G CLUB 2019 GOLFMENT MANAGE S AWARD

INDUSTRY

BON APPETIT!

R E I G AT E H E AT H’ S R E C I P E F O R C AT E R I N G S U CC E S S INDUSTRY

‘CLUBS NEED TO EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY’ TOPTRACER’S BEN SHARPE ON G O L F I N T H E D I G I TA L AG E

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E ‘

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CONTENTS ISSUE 31 | NOVEMBER 2019

GCMA

CAREERS

64 The latest jobs for GCMA members

Your finalists for the Club Management Awards

NEED TO KNOW

GOOD PRACTICE

60 From the helpdesk

Mental health:The do’s and don’ts in the work place

INDUSTRY

GRASS ROOTS

Interview: Toptracer’s Ben Sharpe

62 All the news and views from around the regions

How a celebrity chef is transforming Reigate Heath

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 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 Emmi Parry - e.parry@sportspub.co.uk Becky Clark - b.clark@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 ISSUE 31 | NOVEMBER 2019

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION

AL: AWARDS SPECI THE FINALISTSA FOR THE GCM 2019 GOLF CLUB MANAGEMENT AWARDS

INDUSTRY

BON APPETIT!

R E I G AT E H E AT H’ S R E C I P E F O R C AT E R I N G S U CC E S S INDUSTRY

‘CLUBS NEED TO EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY’ TOPTRACER’S BEN SHARPE ON G O L F I N T H E D I G I TA L AG E

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

001 GCMA November 19 Cover.indd 3

29/10/2019 10:55

ON THE COVER: Toptracer’s Ben Sharpe

WELCOME

ISSUE 31 | NOVEMBER 2019

S you are flicking through this magazine many of you will be preparing to make your way to Conference, or maybe you have even arrived and started to meet up with friends and colleagues. This event provides probably the best opportunity for GCMA members to meet with peers from all different parts of the UK – and whilst our regional communities are of massive importance, this occasion is an opportunity to meet and discuss the world of golf club management with members from all parts of the country. Only recently I was talking to a long-standing member who confessed that she had never been to a Conference. On enquiring why, she told me that she felt she would be out of her depth. In one way I can understand but in another way I think there is a duty for many of us to encourage our fellow members to attend our events – we are all part of the same community. For those of you that are attending the Conference, I hope that you get everything out of it that you were expecting. Over the last couple of weeks we have hosted another training course, this time at Puckrup Hall in Tewkesbury which, while not having a full complement of delegates, did provide a platform to present our departing Education Coordinator Niki Hunter with a gift from the students of the 99th GCMA Training Course. Finally, we hosted the National

Committee in October, which is where the Regional Managers come together to discuss the way forward and compare notes from around the various regions. On this occasion we were hosted by Jamie Abbot at the headquarters of Intelligent Golf. We were also joined by Gemma Hunter, of England Golf, who provided an insight into the World Handicapping System and the situation regarding the ‘independent golfer handicap’. I know there are many of you who have some very strong views on this subject, hence if you would like to contact your Regional Manager then they will be able to provide you with an update. Bob Williams – chief executive

“For those of you that are attending the Conference, I hope that you get everything out of it that you were expecting.”

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For further information about Fairway Credit and how it can benefit both you and your members, simply call, email or visit our website: 01372 746073 | www.premiumcredit.co.uk | leisure@pcl.co.uk Fairway Credit is a trading name of Premium Credit Limited. Registered office: Ermyn House, Ermyn Way, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8UX. Registered in England and Wales under company number 2015200. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. *Facility is subject to approval, terms and conditions apply. †Credit is subject to status, terms and conditions apply, 18+

The GCMA 2019 Golf

The 2019 aw ards cere will be staged mony at the biennial GCM A Conference , held from 10 -12 N 2019 at De Ve ovember re Cotswold Water Park.

CLUB MANAGEMENT

AWARDS We unveil the finalists for Manager of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Team of the Year

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

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GCMA | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | EDUCATION | REGIONAL

Manager of the Year

FINALISTS

Sponsor of the 2019 GCMA Manager of the Year award

eather Mulley, general manager at Enville, in the West Midlands, has worked hard to grow the women’s game – having staged the British Girls’ Championship and signing up to The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter How did you feel when you learned of your nomination? I was completely surprised by the nomination but I am absolutely delighted. It really made me focus on what I’ve achieved over the last five years. It gives you really strong self-belief and I was humbled, and honoured, that a member of our board had taken steps to nominate me. I am going to do my absolute best to bring it back for Enville. As you say, you’ve achieved a lot – of what are you most proud? Hosting the 2017 British Girls’ was a massive achievement for the club and it really helped my confidence that we’d pulled it off. We had fantastic recognition from The R&A and everyone involved and Ardglass, the 2018 hosts, travelled over from Northern Ireland to meet me prior to them hosting it to ask for tips and any ideas I had. Leading from that, we hosted the English Senior Women’ s in May and I was able to take things from the 2017 championship and make that a real success. But I think the biggest success

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Heather Mulley

is our ladies’ academy. Recently, I learned that four of our academy ladies, who started in March 2018 having never picked up a club, had made the move and joined the club. With a considerable joining fee and subscription, for four ladies to make that choice was a real bonus for our club and the ladies’ section. It shows the ladies’ academy works and if it can work for us, it can work for anyone. Are you looking forward to the

event at conference? I’m not able to attend. Before I knew anything about the nomination, I had pre-booked a holiday. On our marketing committee, we’re lucky to have a guy that runs a media company and I’ve mentioned to him that I could send a video to the GCMA. If I don’t win, they can destroy it – don’t let anyone see it! But if I were lucky enough to win, hopefully, they would be able to play that. I hope I’m not sealing my fate!

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

Adam Grint, general manager at Gerrards Cross Golf Club, has spent five years at the Buckinghamshire club and enjoyed great success with course and membership initiatives Why do you think you’ve been named as one of the finalists? When I came the club was in pretty good shape. It had a few issues that needed to be resolved and they were looking to enhance the club’s reputation. Over the five years, the board, the team and myself have worked hard to elevate the course standard. It was struggling and we put in place management plans to really enhance the aesthetics, playability and overall condition. That has been extremely well received by members and visitors. Over the last year, I know green fee (income) has increased by about 55% over the previous year. Membership numbers are up across pretty much all categories, in particular intermediates. When I started there were roughly 20 intermediates in the club and now we’ve well over 100. How have you done that? It is easy to want younger people but harder to get them away from other leisure activities… The key was to spend time with our existing younger members and to get them, in a sense, to be our ambassadors, to get them to bring their friends down to the club, invite them in, take them for a game and show them what we had here. That had a snowball effect. They joined and then we would encourage them to get their friends down here. Over time, it helped to build up the numbers. We also looked at the cost base and recognised young people don’t have a huge amount of

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

disposal income and their time pressures are high. We tried to reflect that in the membership cost to the age categories. So for a 23-year-old, fresh out of university and with no job but loves golf, if you tell that person they have to pay £1,600 to be a member of a club and pay an entrance fee, they can’t afford it.

We dropped the price and made it financially attractive for them to come and join the club, while giving them full playing rights. We also act relaxed. Golf clubs have been renowned as stuffy places over the years and I’ve tried to remove that. About 18 months ago, we really relaxed the dress code.

Adam Grint

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GCMA | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | EDUCATION | REGIONAL

Stephen Nicholson

Stephen Nicholson, business manager at Haydock Park, in Merseyside, had huge success transforming membership at Oxford, before moving north at the start of the year, and has continued in the same vein Can you detail some of your successes at Haydock Park? In the first week, I identified an opportunity to save the club about £25,000 a year and that was regarding CASC legislation. We were close to going over the £100,000 threshold for visitor income and I’ve got minutes from the board, in the summer of last year, saying they would look to opt out of that. But by doing that (CASC), one of the beauties is we get 80% rate relief on business rates. So rather than spending about £30,000 a year on business rates we only spend about £5,000.

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By losing that, trying to find another £25,000 a year is quite a sum of money. There’s a way, recommended in guidelines by HMRC, where you can set up a subsidiary company and have an element of the business – in our case predominantly bar sales – routed through the subsidiary company. We had to carry out a process to set up another company, asking a couple of members who had been on the main board to run as nonexecutive directors on the board of what is Haydock Park Visitors Golf Club. There’s a bit more admin involved, and a little bit of time, but the £1,000 it cost to do it for the £25,000 we save is quite a big sum. So on day dot, we were able to go in and come up with something that was quite a big benefit to the business. At Oxford, they were quite tight

on financial control procedures and, at Haydock, they didn’t have any so we brought that to the attention of the directors and put them in place. We’ve also rewritten all of the governance and the policies and procedures of the business. What are your thoughts on being a Manager of the Year Award finalist? I’m ecstatic. I’ve been here for such a short period of time that I wasn’t even going to try and canvass any support. But I spoke to my GCMA regional manager, Neil Annandale, and asked whether I could receive nominations from my previous club. He said ‘yes’ and it was about 10 days away from the deadline. I canvassed a little bit of support and people were willing to put in nominations for me, which was fantastic. It’s great for me, great for the club and great for the team.

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

Karl Adams

Karl Adams, general manager at Radcliffe-on-Trent, has been described as a ‘visionary’ after transforming the Nottingham club into an England Golf Championship Course with a membership of more than 1,000 Describe your thoughts at being one of the Manager of the Year finalists? I’m really pleased about it. If anything comes from your peers then it has to be good stuff, especially when people recognise the efforts of smaller clubs like ourselves that have no budget. It’s always more than one person. It is a team that makes it happen. What have you been doing at the club that has caught the eye of those who nominated you? It’s retention; along with the number of members we have

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

brought into the golf club, as well the changes I’ve made to the course itself and the improvements I have made. Our membership numbers have gone through the roof but we’ve also created that feel-good factor. On top of that, we are looking after the ecological side. Getting involved with the parish and borough council, and making Radcliffe more open and accessible, has been one of the keys. The rest of it has been the trust of the membership to let a general manager do what he does and get on with it. What sort of membership uplift have you seen? We have improved by over 230 in all categories in adults and there’s a junior membership that has grown from 12, when I first got here, to 130 plus now.

I think the climate is good. There is too much negativity that goes around and not enough cooperation that goes on between golf clubs. The key thing to all of this is that the golf course is what it is all about. The three principles I work by are that the golf course comes first, then the full membership and then everything else. With that, if we have a track that’s worth visiting you will attract them. But with that there has to be the service, the sharing of machinery with the clubs that I work with, and cutting costs down that way. It is the cooperative of the clubs working together, which happens in Europe. The more that happens for our middle size clubs, or our good traditional old-fashioned membership clubs, the more that will benefit all of them.

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GCMA | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | EDUCATION | REGIONAL

Team of the Year

FINALISTS

Sponsor of the 2019 GCMA Team of the Year award

The Team of the Year comprises the club manager and at least two from the course manager, club professional, bar steward or food and beverage manager positive about the golf club. What I found was a traditional club, really friendly, but it wasn’t up to speed on marketing, the website, and all these important things. We put those in place to make the club profitable and that enabled us to bring in the right individuals. We look for quality in those positions. Get the appointments right and you can build a team around them. What has happened since is that everyone is pushing in the same direction, which makes my job as general manager a lot easier. Mark Wilshire, Martin Stevens and Adrian Jones

lanishen GC, in South Glamorgan, is led by general manager Martin Stevens. The team also includes head greenkeeper Mark Wilshire, who has been with the club for 15, and professional Adrian Jones, who has served more than 30 years. Only two teams can be finalists, so you must be thrilled to be one of the duo? There are so many golf clubs and teams around the UK that do a great job. I was lucky enough to be at Conference two years ago when Pyle & Kenfig won and made it

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a private goal that, hopefully, we could be in that position in two years’ time. There have been a few changes along the way, and a lot of hard work, but we are privileged and honoured. What do you think brought the recognition? We’re all aligned. We all work very hard and none of us count our hours here. We work hard to make sure we get the job done. It was a club that was at a real crossroads (when I arrived) and probably only had about 70% of the membership spaces filled. There were some heads of department who weren’t that

That’s been converted into membership, green fees and more customer satisfaction? We have a waiting list and our membership books are full. We really targeted two key groups – the under 35s and ladies. We have probably trebled the U35s membership over the past three years and we’ve doubled the ladies in the last two years. We’ve recently been awarded the Women in Golf Charter, by Wales Golf, for our work. We have doubled the number of visitors. We originally targeted numbers but have changed the dynamic slightly and are charging a higher fee but are getting the same revenue in. That’s down to the course, which is looking as good as it has for many years.

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

Jeff Foulger, Ben Driver and Kathleen Welham

The team at Chigwell consists of experienced general manager Ben Driver, course manager Jeff Foulger, who has been in post for more than three years, and food and beverage manager Kathleen Welham What have your team been up to? Jeff is extremely passionate and dedicated and, when he got here, he rebuilt the team to make it his own. The membership voted on a five-year course plan in March 2018. I think my first week was the club EGM where it was voted on. That spans a bunker refurbishment, new ditches and clearing old ditches to improve drainage. There will be all new greens drainage and eight holes have been completed. New tees are being installed, a pond on the 3rd hole, a new path network and most of the work is geared towards drainage and keeping the course open for longer

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in the winter. That’s made Jeff and the team a lot busier, but happier with lots of project work to do, and there’s always something going on. That’s taken an incredible amount of liaising with myself, and the office, in terms of temporary greens and the huge amount of information to be passed onto the golfers. Kathleen is in the office with me. She mainly manages the food and beverage, all the staff and does some office work. We’re quite a small team and she has been completely influential in transforming the bar and the front of house and catering teams. We’ve changed beer and coffee suppliers, we’ve installed a pizza oven, and had a new bar installed which has enhanced the look and feel of the place. It has hugely improved our beverage experience and taken it to the next level. Front of house can be one of

the most challenging teams you can try and manage. We go from very busy to very quiet, and we’re weather affected as well, and Kathleen has been essential in the smooth running of the front of house department. Sum up what it means to your team to be a finalist? It’s huge. We’re all really excited and it means a lot. The staff are particularly proud of the club. There’s a great atmosphere at the moment. It’s modern. It’s forward thinking and it’s very sociable. Everyone is very proud of the club, but Kathleen and Jeff, in particular, go the absolute extra mile to make the members happy. I’m sure every general manager would say that but it’s the most I’ve witnessed in my career – in terms of managers being dedicated to their jobs and to the club. They are extremely proud to be nominated and excited at the thought of winning.

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GCMA | INDUSTRY | CAREERS | EDUCATION | REGIONAL

Newcomer of the Year

FINALISTS

Sponsor of the 2019 GCMA Newcomer of the Year award

The Newcomer of the Year Award is open to those in their first golf club management job and who have been in post for fewer than two years

erry Alligan-Smith is general manager at Redditch. She has strived to help her team manage their time more effectively, encouraged growth in the junior section and driven initiatives that will see income top £1 million for the first time Tell us about your background in golf club management? I’d never worked for a golf club in any role previously. My background was in banking. I went into media sales and then managed shopping centres and major events in London at the Olympic Park after the games. How are you finding the job? It was very different for me, coming from a very commercial and corporate background into an environment that was more community led and run by the members. It was finding that balance between maintaining it as a business and bringing it forward so it operates as a business, but having that connection where it is actually the members’ passion – being at the golf club. You’re clearly doing great work, as you’re a finalist, so what have been the highlights?

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One of the biggest changes is we are now a fully integrated model, so everything is in house – the catering, the bar, greens staff and the professional. The pro is a full-time employee and the club is responsible for stock and allocating lessons out. We all work to the same agenda. The membership then supports the club a lot more. Over the last few years, there has been a steady decline in golfers. It’s very time

critical and they would come in, play and wouldn’t have a drink or anything to eat afterwards. We do communicate with the members very clearly and say ‘if you don’t use the facilities you will lose them’. Part of that was bringing the pro shop into it (the building). This year we were budgeting £120,000 income on the pro shop and we’re expecting to go up to £230,000 – just on pro shop sales – in our first year.

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

Former Ladies European Tour star Fame Tate bought, and manages, her local club – Stanedge, in Derbyshire – earlier this year. Her stripping away of the veneers of a traditional club have resulted in a large increase in membership to match her heavy investment in the clubhouse and course It’s your first year in golf club management and you’re a finalist for one of the principal GCMA awards… To be nominated in the first place, and then to be shortlisted, and then named as a finalist, I’m absolutely delighted and just really proud of what has been achieved at the golf club. We’re a few months in and it is down to everyone’s monumental hard work and unsociable hours that we are where we are.

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

How has the project been going? We’re progressing every week. Membership is continuing to grow on a weekly basis. We’ve made more changes internally and externally – both to the clubhouse and really getting the course into better shape. Everyone that comes to the club is very complimentary. We are receiving some really positive feedback. The team is expanding all the time and it is all extremely positive. You opened with a hybrid membership option – the aim was families rather than a traditional members’ club. How has that been supported by the community? Everyone has really embraced it. I came in with a vision to steer away from a stereotypical golf club. There is no committee. There is

myself, and the team, and I think there is an awful lot to be said for that. If we want to make a decision, we can just run with it. I’m not saying we get everything right all the time but what we don’t get right we strive to improve. In terms of the membership structure, we’ve really tried to price it right. We don’t have many offerings because we’re not in a position to do that. We’ve really captured the 18-35 market and our average age at the club is quite low. We are not in the 60-plus bracket. We are doing lots of things that are really positive. My mantra from day one is that it is more than just golf here. We want people to come and have a nice, friendly, sociable experience. We’ve come an awful long way and it’s exciting because I hope we will continue to grow.

GCMA.ORG.UK | 17

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Need to

KNOW All the relevant news, opinion, and expert insight from around the industry

Mental health for

CLUB MANAGERS Golf HR’s Carolyne Wahlen outlines what you should do, what you must do, and what you can’t do…

20 | GCMA.ORG.UK

E D U C AT E | I N F O R M | I N S P I R E

or good reason, mental health is a hot topic right now, especially in the work place, and if you employ people, it’s vital that you understand exactly what mental health is, how you can promote positive mental health for your employees and exactly what the law requires of you. What do we mean by “mental health”? Mental health is your state of emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how you think, feel and act. It will fluctuate through your life, and define how you handle stress, relate to others and make choices. But in a work context, we really only talk about mental ill health. If everyone is coping well and positive, then they are generally left to get on with things. Herein lies the first issue with mental health – it’s not always visible, and with one in four people experiencing mental ill health issues every year, the chances are that there is a mental health issue closer than you think. And there are solid reasons for dealing with mental ill health rather than putting your head in the sand and hoping that the employee “gets better”without any input from you. Let’s start with the legal side of things… Under employment law, mental ill health can very easily qualify as a disability. A disability is defined, in the Equality Act 2010, as a condition which affects your day-to-day life on a long-term basis, usually 12 months or more. Once a mental ill health condition is defined as a disability,

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you will need to make sure you are making reasonable adjustments to enable staff to be at work. And not just because you need them to be at work – it’s important to encourage staff back to work for their mental health: 86% of employees say being at work is very important in protecting and maintaining their mental health (Added Asset, Mental Health Foundation, 2016). With your business hat on, there is an even more important reason: disability is one of the nine protected characteristics and

are depression, stress, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, eating disorders, self-harming and suicide. Depression, which can lead to suicide, is particularly relevant to the gender bias in the golf industry, because 75% of the suicides in 2017 in the UK were males, and suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20 – 49 in the UK. A lot of the staff and a significant number of members are in that group. Particularly at risk are greenkeepers, who are 95% male in the UK.

a claim at tribunal for disability discrimination can result in an unlimited award against you for damages. In fact, you're on the hook for unlimited damages right from the moment you place the job ad. So, it is important to make sure you are doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.

They often work alone for a large part of their day, which leaves them prey to their thoughts. Greenkeepers are more at risk than males in bar and catering. One reason for that could be that there is always someone to talk to, even on an informal “I have a moan” basis in the bar and catering areas. There are voluntary support groups out there that specifically support greenkeepers – “Greenkeepers mental health support group”on Facebook is one of them.

Mental Health Conditions There is no definitive list, but some of the more common ones that you may come into contact with

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Spot the signs of mental ill health The earlier you become aware that a team member is experiencing mental ill health, the sooner steps can be taken to prevent it becoming more serious and provide support to help them during this period. You should never make assumptions, but signs of mental ill health often come back to changes to their normal/previous behaviour. They can include: Changes in usual behaviour, mood or how they interact with colleagues Changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks Appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn and reduced interest in tasks they previously enjoyed Changes in appetite and/or increase in smoking and drinking Increase in sickness absence and/or turning up late to work. Working long hours, longer than they should need to get the job done (e.g. emails at 2am) – this is not just a disability discrimination case, working time infringements are a risk as well Coming to you in tears saying that they feel overwhelmed – this one is a bit of a giveaway, but some people feel that they can’t cope with anyone in tears, and aren’t able to say anything more than telling them to “pull themselves together”,which does not have the desired effect. If an employee comes to you, how should you handle it? Firstly, don’t make any comparisons, either to yourself or others, e.g.“I’ve had that and I could cope at work”or “My sister was diagnosed with that and it was awful”.The better, and more

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helpful, question is “How are you feeling right now?” Next, don’t make jokes about the employee’s condition, try to laugh it off or lighten the situation e.g.“so you’re a bit wibble at the moment then?”or “you can be our resident nutter”. Apart from being disrespectful, it could invite a disability discrimination claim. The better approach is to listen without interrupting and then ask:“What do you need from me/us right now”and “Is there anything else I/ we can do to support you?” Ignorance is no excuse Once you’ve been told about a mental ill health condition, don’t ignore it. Ask the employee for more information, i.e. have they been to their GP, are they on medication, how long is the condition likely to last and are they seeing a counsellor? Also, check in with the employee on a routine basis. I would suggest weekly but agree things with the employee – they may prefer daily or less frequently. Tip 1. If the employee hasn’t seen a medical professional and you’re worried about them, you can say “I can’t force you to go to your GP – it’s your choice – but I would urge you to do so”. Tip 2. Where the employee’s mental health condition is, or could potentially be, long term, you must consider whether any adjustments are necessary and make all those that are reasonable, e.g. time off to see a counsellor. Don’t make assumptions here – always discuss the employee’s needs with them and keep this under review. How to deal with long-term sickness absence on the grounds of mental ill health

There are several things to make sure happen: 1. All employees are required to provide a Fit Note (sick note) for any sickness absence, so that the absence is authorised and is paid accordingly. They can self-certify for the first seven calendar days, but after that they do need a GP’s note. No Fit Note, no pay until

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provided. Do not pay because they said they were sending it – those sick notes generally never materialise. No Fit Note is also a potential disciplinary as the absence is not authorised. 2. If the GP says they are not fit for work and suffering from depression, legally you are not allowed to question that diagnosis.

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We are not medical professionals and the courts have ruled that even barristers are not allowed to question a GP’s diagnosis. However, you can ask officially for more information about the illness from the GP. This is a GP report (not a Fit Note). You will need to get the employee’s written consent to approach their GP. Contact us for the official form you have to use to

do this. An email is not enough. If the GP’s report is not conclusive, then you can pay Occupational Health (OH) to have a telephone or face-to-face consultation with the employee. This can cost several hundred pounds for the meeting. OH are medical professionals but paid by you and briefed by you. They won’t lie, but they will focus their attentions on the areas you tell

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them to. 3. Any continuous sickness absence over four weeks would be considered long term. Donâ€™t wait till the employee has been off for six months before you do anything. Start the wheels in motion from four weeks onwards. 4. Once the employee feels that they may be able to come back, but not full time, offer a phased return. You can do two hours a day for the first week, three hours next

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week, four hours next week, and so on, until they are back at work full time. Alternatively, they could work two full days a week and then work up to full time that way. This has not been as effective as the few hours a day approach. You only legally need to pay them for the time they actually work, but you can chose to pay them their normal pay during the phased return. If there is no chance of them coming back to work, according to the GP and/or OH, then there is a

chance to part company without ending up in a tribunal. We are happy to advise on the steps you need to follow. Remember â€“ mental ill health is not contagious! If you would like a step by step guide to having a sensitive conversation regarding mental ill health with a staff member, please send an email to me on cw@GolfHR.co.uk or give me a call to discuss your staff situation on 01491 598 700.

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

In the

LOOP

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

Have you signed up to the Women in Golf Charter? Walton Heath have become the latest club, and the first in Surrey, to commit to the Women in Golf Charter unveiled last year by The R&A. In doing so, the former Ryder Cup venue, which hosted the British Masters in 2018, have committed to being part of the drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf. Walton Heath have implemented a three-year strategy that aims to increase membership, develop golf for girls, women and families, while also encouraging more women members to get involved

“In July 2016, we began a ladies academy to introduce new players to golf with the hope that they might join the club in future. “We started with a maximum of 20 golfers on a three-year programme, which involved mentoring the new players, providing individual and group coaching as well as on-course lessons.” Walton Heath chairman, Dr Alastair Wells, endorsed the club’s decision and added:“Golf is a sport to be played and enjoyed by everyone, male and female, young and old. We believe that by signing

Welcome to our newest GCMA members Tom Bridger, at Betchworth Park, in London & Home Counties region Scott Connor, at Wilpshire, in North West region David Cook, at Hinksey Heights, in Southern region Geraint Evans, at Pontardawe, in Wales region James Hart, at St Ives (Hunts), in East Anglia region James Jewell, at Leadbetter Golf Academy, in Southern region Dean Montgomery, at Mottram Hall H&GC, in North West region Ian Mowbray, at Liphook, in Southern reigon Joe Pepperell, at Oxford, in Southern region Nick Rodgers, at Came Down, in Wessex region Daniel Skriabin,Thorpeness Hotel &GC, in East Anglia region

in the administrative elements of the club. Alison Taylor, Walton Heath Lady Captain, said:“We would love to inspire a new generation of women and girl golfers to enjoy the benefits of golf as a wonderful leisure activity for all the family. “To this end, the R&A Charter will help women and girls to prosper and maximise their potential at all levels of the sport.

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up to the ‘Women in Golf Charter’, our ladies and girls’ sections will continue to grow and flourish.” For more information on the Charter, visit randa.org/ TheRandA/Initiatives/ WomenAndGolfCharter

Martyn Wilson, at Ellesmere, in North West region

We want to hear from you! We want to hear from you! Send your correspondence, on any subject, to letters@gcma.org.uk

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From the

ARCHIVES We scour the GCMA magazine archives to find out what managers were saying in years gone by Ten years ago Our very own chief executive, Bob Williams, was the subject of a profile by Stuart Phipps. Described as GCMA and EGU activist, fundraiser and judge, it revealed how he’d undertaken a 300-mile charity cycle ride from London to Paris in aid of Action Medical Research. “It was extremely tough,” he admitted in the wake of a trek that raised £1,650. “But we had a few laughs on the way and a huge sense of achievement at the end.” The piece chronologically went through Williams’ career and, of particular note now given their current prevalence in the market place, was the nugget that while at Chipping Sodbury he had driven forward a flexible membership scheme. 25 years ago Look back far enough and you’ll see nearly everything current has, at some point, been said before. So to the current controversies of dress codes, which were the feature of Dan Davies’ column back in November 1994. Davies poked his head above the parapet, starting by saying:

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“Restrictions on the type of clothes allowed on the course or in the clubhouse are part and parcel of golfing tradition.” Davies’ beef, though, was not necessarily with the rules, but the prevalence of some modern styles on display. “Understated, practical and presentable clothing has been

to look smart and respectable is part of the preparation that makes a day’s golf special. There would be little sense of occasion if members demonstrated respect for their club’s home by lounging around the clubhouse in jeans and T-shirts.” How would he cope with today’s debate?

replaced by expensive ranges garish enough to be banned from the streets as well as the clubhouse. ‘Smart’ seemed to slide out of the British golfing psyche when colour television revealed the true vibrancy of the American pro’s wardrobe”. He added:“Taking the trouble

50 years ago Cecil Morton took issue with an article published by Peter Dobereiner, who had alleged that “in the past the post of secretary has been largely the preserve of the retired Service Officer”. It’s an argument that has persisted until very recently but, even in 1969, Morton was prepared to take issue with the statement. “This is now a thing of the dim past,”he replied. “Service officers now form a mere 7% of some 1,660 golf club secretaries. 60% are civilians (ex-businessmen) and the remaining 33% are Hon. Secretaries of all types including many ladies. He of course emphasises that he has nothing against ex-service secretaries as such and says that some of the best secretaries he knew were former brass-hats.”

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The interview...

BEN SHARPE

The president of Toptracer tells Steve Carroll how golf is embracing technology and how it can help enhance your club

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hat are your thoughts about the role of technology in golf? There’s a debate in the industry at the moment with the issue of equipment on one hand and then products like Toptracer on the other.Where do you see it? I think the industry is starting to embrace it and I think it needs to go all in for understanding the benefits of technology. Technology is in all parts of the industry. It could be in agronomy for golf course maintenance, or it could be online and digital communications for memberships. When you look from the TV perspective, technology is everywhere in trying to engage viewers in a bigger and better way. We led the charge with that back in 2006 when Daniel Forsgren invented Protracer and showed where shots were being hit. If you fast-track that to today,the world is going faster and,as an industry,we need to understand that and keep up with that. What Toptracer does, as we’ve seen in the 200-plus ranges we’ve installed around the world, is engage the golfer in a very different way and makes them want to enjoy hitting more golf balls. That can only be good for the industry. The final thing I’d say is it allows you to think golf is not just a sport you play on a course. It can be a sport you play on a practice facility or on a computer screen. If people are digesting golf in all of those different formats then we can talk about golf being a boom sport again and a growth sport. If people are enjoying that it can only be good for the whole eco-system and economy of our industry. Why do you think some people in the industry are wary of technology? You look

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Toptracer Toptracer is the most used balltracing technology in golf and should be instantly recognisable to anyone who has watched PGA Tour coverage on TV. The company was founded 13 years ago and, in 2012, Toptracer Range was launched – utilising that original technology to track and analyse golf shots on the driving range. Toptracer Range is now in place at hundreds of clubs and golf centres all over the world and the company a preparing to launch a mobile option, along with a further suite of products, towards the end of the year. For more, visit toptracer.com

at the success of Topgolf, and Toptracer, and the consumer wants to embrace it… I think clubs also want to make sure their product,or facility,is still relevant and in keeping with the membership they have and the membership they are trying to attract. We all know golf has had some challenging times in recent years and lots of that is down to time issues rather than economic issues.Young parents these days work harder, have less leisure time in the week, and when it gets to the weekend they need to be with their families. What we’ve tried to do with Topgolf and Toptracer is find another way in which people can consume and enjoy golf but perhaps not have the time pressures of the full 18 holes. In terms of the industry moving towards technology, the great thing about golf is it still respects the values and integrities of years

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ago. There are lots of things we can learn from the game but technology is also change. Change is necessary but change is often frightening. By definition, it’s doing something we’ve not done before. Having seen a different way in which we can engage people, and the benefits that provides to the wider golf audience, is why I am super excited about being part of Toptracer. I think we offer a technology solution to help beginners come into the game and help category 1 and tour players improve their game as well. This isn’t just something that’s a fad and a toy and a bit gimmicky, this is a serious piece of technology that will help golfers of all standards. That’s really our mantra. We just want more people to come into our game and, if we do that, then we all win. It’s also fun, and golf isn’t

exactly renowned for that… It enables people to enjoy and have more fun around the game. We don’t apologise for using the word fun but it could be the club champion who is on the range with the new mobile system and looking at their yardages and gapping and finding different things through their swing to play a better game, or it could be the junior section hitting balls on a range and seeing the joy in their face around what they do. If you go on to some of the social media sites and put in Toptracer you will see video feeds of kids and families just enjoying the technology and having a smile on their face. Ultimately, golf is a sport and a leisure pursuit and if we can’t have fun doing our leisure pursuit we probably shouldn’t do it. We want to make sure we help people enjoy it.

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Toptracer Range Mobile is coming to market soon. How will that be different from Toptracer Range and how will it engage a lot more clubs? We believe in a technology solution to help grow the game and, in doing that, we want to bring people into a larger community so they can enjoy the game on their own and with others. The Toptracer Range system at clubs is something we’ve been rolling out aggressively for the past two years and is doing really well – with fixed screens in covered bays. But lots of golf balls are hit on practice ranges at golf courses which don’t have structures. We’ve been thinking around how we can help range owners of all types, no matter how they are set up, have

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more fun and more engagement. Toptracer Range Mobile gives these range owners access to balltracing technology, which doesn’t require a fixed structure. You can get the same Toptracer tracing technology on your mobile phone or on an iPad and enjoy it that way. That opens to us, as a company, a huge opportunity in terms of getting in front of more golfers but, for the golf club, it gives them something new and cutting edge in their facility. What we have learned from our Topgolf venues is to really get more people interested and more people coming you need to have multiple reasons to come to a facility – whether that’s food and beverage, the pro shop, the practice range or the course itself. Creating a vibe and something

around the practice range, which historically have been forgotten about areas of golf courses, gives more people more reasons to come to those courses. Those people will go and buy more golf balls in the shop, go and have a beer and a sandwich in the clubhouse and it helps drive a lot more engagement, fun and a lot more revenue for the golf clubs. This technology is changing the game, isn’t it? A lot of golfers are no longer prepared to go to a range, or practice ground, and just hit balls. They want to know their yardages, their dispersion, their carry and total distances. Their demands are different… If you single out what technology does around the world, it’s about providing information. One of the

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Who is Ben Sharpe? Ben Sharpe is the president of Toptracer. Educated at Sheffield HallamUniversity, where he gained a degree in international business, he has led some of golf’s iconic brands, including spending nearly three years as chief executive officer of Lyle & Scott and nine years at TaylorMade-adidas. Aformer vice president and managing director there, he was subsequently president and then CEOas he led a company with business operations of $1.3 billion. He joined Toptracer in June 2018.

barriers of people playing golf is it’s pretty hard to get going and get better.You can get better by practising more but also by understanding where your golf ball goes and what you can do to control it. That’s what we’ve found in the ranges where we have installed so far.The increase in footfall, and the increase in engagement, has led to more lessons on those ranges and people wanting to go and play more. No longer do we have to compete against the golf industry. Through this technology we can compete against other leisure activities and that’s the big thing I say to my team. Having come from golf companies that talk about market share – basically with the thought that golf is not a growth sport – we don’t believe in that. We believe

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golf is a growth sport. I think golf is in a position that is primed for a really good run and if we can help drive that, then it’s good for the whole industry. There is a potential for some in club world to see Topgolf, for example, as potentially taking their customers. Can the likes of Toptracer Range Mobile bridge that gap? It goes back to what I was saying earlier and the traditional thinking that it is a market share game and that for me, as a golf company or a golf course, to succeed I have to take it from somebody else. What we want to do is provide more people so, in many respects, your market share could go down but your business could go up because we want more people to

be engaged. We have seen, as we have developed our TV products, that more people are watching golf on TV over the past two years than the prior two years. We are seeing through technology in Topgolf facilities and Toptracer ranges that more people are playing golf – from good players to people who have never played before. Then it is on us as an industry to benefit from all of that and to convert those into customers for their own facilities. But we don’t want to take anything away from anybody. We want to be a technology enabler so everybody can achieve more. The Global Contest feature could become the embodiment of that aim…

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In December, we will run a fun global competition connecting all of our 200 plus ranges around the world to play together. It will be a simple, relatively short, but hopefully addictive game that people can go and play and you can see how you are doing against the guys at Yokohama Range, in Japan, or Moore Park, in Australia, or Del Mar Range in the USA. It’s a way of connecting all the people through our ranges to have a little bit of fun and see who can be top of the world leaderboard. As time goes by, we will evolve that into more meaningful competitions and bigger and better events. Being part of this movement of trying to grow the game and grow engagement, we don’t want these to be singular pursuits and venues. We think there is an opportunity for people to join this community and benefit from that. We all have mobile phones in our pockets and things we are involved in online and digitally. It’s just another way of keeping golf front and centre in people’s minds when they are away from the facility. If we can do that, the analysis shows you have got a better chance of them coming back more often. So you’re optimistic about the future of golf? I’ve been in the golf industry now for nearly 20 years and I think for all that time I’ve heard about ‘how do we grow this game?’ and ‘rounds played are down and the demographic is ageing’,‘we can’t get young people in’ and ‘woe is us’. Maybe in the past I have been one of those people that has been concerned but, as I speak to you, I couldn’t be more optimistic. If you look at the top of the game, there has never been a better group of professional

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players on the tour – with a resurgent Tiger and Rory doing well, Brooks Koepka and all of these great players who are playing the game. Recently, you look at how the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup both finished, which were just great big grandstand theatre in sport. We’re now an Olympic sport and while maybe it wasn’t supported by the players as much as it should have been in Rio, I think you’ll find it will be in Tokyo, and that starts to get the global reach around our sport to the highest it has ever been – reaching more households than it ever has before. Then you look at our organisation in terms of how fast we are growing but also in the number of new people we are introducing to the sport. I think over 65 per cent of people who go to Topgolf have never played golf before. Of that, a good percentage of those go and play at golf courses. There is a movement there, through technology. We are bringing in new people into the game and Toptracer Range will be the largest audience we, as a company, will create. Through our model and the cost of entry to having a Toptracer range, we can go wide with this and we believe the rising tide lifts all boats. It is the reason I came here. I did my time and I worked for a pretty decent company and thought ‘I’ve got the T-shirt in the golf industry I will do something else’. But in speaking with the guys at the Topgolf Entertainment Group, and especially around Toptracer, I really do believe the movement we are in is the most exciting and, in many respects, important thing for the health of our game. As a golfer, and a golf industry guy, that’s exciting to me and I want to be part of it.

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ADVERTORIAL

How to make your website stand out

FROM THE CROWD

olfWorking collaborate with some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the UK, including Royal Porthcawl, Burnham & Berrow, Notts and Queenwood, as well as the GCMA. Using a tailored approach, GolfWorking can help make your golf club more successful. This could be by attracting new members, driving more green fees or increasing enquiries for venue hire bookings. A working website Below is a genuine message received by a GolfWorking client,

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which emphasises the importance of an effective website. “Dear Sirs/Madams, I have just spent the evening scouring the internet looking for courses to visit. Yours is one of the finest websites I have come across. “Uncluttered clean visuals, easy to navigate, wonderful photos conveying a real sense of the course, informally presented and interestingly stated information and an aesthetically pleasing modern feel. “Congratulations to your website designers. I look forward to visiting what looks to be a fine links course, in the near future.” Note the word ‘scouring’. People

are researching online where next to play, join or host their event. Therefore, the website needs to rank high on a Google search. Once they find your site, you have to immediately grab their attention – a badly designed website reflects badly on the golf club. GolfWorking’s approach is to create an instant WOW factor, using stunning course imagery, slick graphics and video. This grabs attention, drawing them into the site. With easy-touse navigation and clearly laid out pages, people can quickly and easily find the information they are looking for.

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GolfWorking are the UK specialists in designing and creating outstanding bespoke websites for golf clubs Course photography and video Great course photography is absolutely key in marketing a golf club. It’s the role of the imagery to paint the picture that makes people want to get out there and play the course. The pictures need to scream “look at that…we must play there!" GolfWorking are specialists in golf photography and their photographs are often featured in national golf magazines. Following an on-site photoshoot, GolfWorking can supply all the high-resolution images for clubs to use across any other marketing activities they may have, such as social media. GolfWorking also offer drone and video services to take the website experience to the next level. Keeping the website up-todate (CMS) Behind the site is a sophisticated and secure CMS that makes updating the site quick and easy, allowing clubs to keep visitors and members informed of the latest news, events and offers. Support and seamless integration If you ever get stuck, GolfWorking are on hand to help. All training is included and GolfWorking take care of backups and hosting requirements. They can also integrate all major club database providers and BRS.

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Get in touch If you want your club’s website to have vastly higher visitor traffic, engaging member and visitor communication and to increase the number of website enquiries, please call Geoff Ellis on 0117 3255 755 to discuss your exact needs.

Please check out some of GolfWorking’s recent websites: kingtongolf.co.uk nottsgolfclub.co.uk royalporthcawl.com hallamshiregolfclub.co.uk burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk

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ICING ON THE CAKE! Steve Robinson (rijo42 National Accountants & Sponsorship Director) visits Burnham & Berrow Golf Club and speaks with Managing Secretary / GCMA South West Regional Manager, Karen Drake.

e took time out to visit Karen Drake the Managing Secretary of Burnham & Berrow GC, who also holds down the position of South West GCMA Regional Manager. Karen has been a customer of rijo42 for over 9 years, dating back to her time at Westonsuper-Mare. I asked Karen was it an easy decision to make when deciding which coffee company to use when taking on her new role at Burnham & Berrow GC “I had no hesitation in making that choice, rijo42 had consistently provided quality machines, service and above all a quality product, trust plays an important part in any supplier customer relationship and I’ve been hugely impressed with the level of commitment to service Steve Robinson and his team at rijo42 have supplied. On the rare occasion I’ve encountered a problem it has been dealt with promptly and efficiently,

KAREN DRAKE, OVER THE MOON WITH THE BRASIL AND OVERALL RIJO42 PRODUCT PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE.

they appreciate we have members who expect a level of service and quality that mirrors our clubs long standing reputation.” What are your thoughts on the equipment we have provided over the years? “The Brasil machine we have just replaced had dispensed over 100,000 drinks in the past five year period, which demonstrates the true value in investing in quality Swiss made equipment. We have recently agreed to upgrade to the new RSD Touch which comes with an enhanced GCMA pack, price card and initial free drinks package. After having the new machine on site for almost a month now its apparent that the new features have been a real winner, not only have our members noticed an improved taste they have really welcomed the addition of the flat white, double shot and decaf options. I personally am a big fan of the

RSD screen which now allows the display of any important information we feel would benefit our members. We currently have our club’s flyover video playing, which is great for visitors and members alike.” How have you achieved such great sales from your coffee offering? “The introduction of coffee and a cake has been a real winner, we either make cakes in house or buy cakes from a quality local bakery and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a great cup of coffee, we generate around £3,500 per year in cake sales and this obviously works both ways.”

CONTACT STEVE ROBINSON FOR MORE INFO: 07977 244621 / STEVEROBINSON@RIJO42.CO.UK

Ready, steady,

COOK! Clubs are looking at much more than what happens out on the course to increase revenue streams. At Reigate Heath, diversifying came with a celebrity endorsement

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eigate Heath’s first floor is fast becoming one of Surrey’s hottest tickets. If you’d desired to spend a couple of hours enjoying a fine dining experience upstairs in the 9-hole course’s clubhouse over the last couple of months then the chances are you would have been out of luck. The club teamed up with celebrity chef Tony Tobin, of Ready Steady Cook fame, earlier this year and, since he transformed the upper level of the clubhouse into a restaurant three evenings a week, the phone has been ringing off the hook. Tobin has signed a partnership agreement with the club that sees him provide catering to the members, while also having the opportunity to open an eatery in a space that has fabulous views of Leith Hill, Box Hill and Ranmore Common. The Ranmore at Reigate Heath is off to a fantastic start but, and this is the key for club manager Amanda Godwin, the whole enterprise came out of a desire to provide a better service for members. “While our overall membership numbers remain steady, this is being achieved with a combination of different categories that meets the needs of different members, but which generate less revenue for the club,”she said. “We had to start generating more revenue from the clubhouse to avoid the necessity of further increasing membership fees. “The members had expressed for some time the wish for the clubhouse to be open for longer hours and to also extend the catering options that were available. “It was clear to us that we weren’t meeting the needs of

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the members and we felt if we addressed this it would encourage the members to use the clubhouse more.” Tobin had recently closed a longrunning restaurant in Reigate and was looking for another venture. Accepting the premise of working within a private members’ club, he and his team run Ranmore at Reigate Heath on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Sunday lunch. Day-to-day food for members and visitors has been provided since March, with the restaurant becoming fully open to the public in July. That has not only extended the catering options but lengthened the time the clubhouse is open overall. Previously, it would have closed early during the summer. The club is not only generating income from the partnership, but also extra revenue from bar and food sales in the clubhouse. “We have a beautiful clubhouse

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with stunning views and this was the best way of using that to move forward. What we couldn’t and didn’t want to do was start reducing green fees,”Amanda added.“Tony runs a bar service, a breakfast and lunch service to members and visitors. “He runs the kitchen and maintains all the equipment. He staffs it and produces the food. “The big pull for him was that he would be able to open a restaurant upstairs. It has the most amazing views and he has invested a lot of money in turning it into a fine dining restaurant. “For the first three months, he was in the club every single day, working every single shift and making sure he learned what the members wanted, became known to them, and became part of the special feel we have here at Reigate Heath. His team run it when he’s not here. “When we announced (the partnership to the members)

there was the initial fear but when we explained the reasons why were doing it, that we could have longevity for the club going forward, it was well received. “What it has done, on the positive side, is mean that because the restaurant is open upstairs the bar is open downstairs. “Before, when you came up here on a summer’s evening at 7pm on a Friday, the clubhouse was closed. So we are offering an additional facility to members.” Reigate Heath, even in the early stages, have also seen an influx of non-members arriving as patrons of the restaurant. That has resulted in more enquiries for recreational membership. With 42 covers, and relying on Tobin’s social media outlets along with word of mouth, the restaurant was fully booked in August. “It’s been fantastic. It’s a partnership,”concluded Amanda. “He understands it’s a members’golf club and he gets that.”

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‘The difference is

NIGHT AND DAY’ The unprecedented heatwave that struck last summer left Auchterarder on the brink. But fate led the Scottish club to decisions that have transformed the course

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othing transforms a golf course like water. Too much or too little, its visible effects are clear for all to see. And like many clubs, water has played a big part in a transformative year for Auchterarder Golf Club in Perth and Kinross. For the past 40 years, the private members’ club’s greenkeeping team has maintained its parkland course with a rudimentary system installed by a plumber. There were no irrigation heads; just one hydrant at each green. Everything was manually-operated and fed from a one-inch mains supply. It had been possible to operate up to six sprinklers with hoses, but deterioration of the pipework had reduced capacity to a single sprinkler. With almost

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complete reliance on the weather, trying to maintain a good golf course was virtually impossible, but relentless hand-watering had allowed them to get by. Last year’s unprecedented heatwave proved to be the tipping point. Following the ‘Beast from the East’, temperatures rose to the mid-20s and, by May, members were voicing discontent. In August, the course was tinder dry with soil moisture readings on greens and tee surfaces at 0%. In peak season, and despite the desperate efforts of Course Manager Archie Dunn and his team who hand-watered around the clock, the golf course became almost unplayable with every surface suffering severe drought stress. During his 26-year tenure, Archie had presented proposals for an

irrigation system on numerous occasions, so when the club agreed to the investment, he was able to move quickly. Irrigation consultants 2ic were appointed in September 2018 to secure a sustainable water supply and design a new system to irrigate the greens, tees and approaches. Following a competitive tender, Archie and the club selected a Rain Bird® IC System™ with Stratus LT™ Central Control and secured the services of contractor MJ Abbott to break ground in the New Year. “Our priority was to install a system that delivers everything we need now and in the future in order to minimise cost and disruption,” Archie confirmed. Client-centric solutions MJ Abbott committed to having

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the system fully operational by the end of March, which required careful coordination by 2ic to bring each element of the project together. A potential borehole location was identified years ago by the late Mike Cranfield. Using divining rods, 2ic director Phil Langdon was able to hone in, resulting in the availability of 32mᵌ per hour of water. While no additional mains water is needed, the consultants added the pipe and cable for mains water backup into the same trench in case of borehole pump failure. That was one of many clientcentric solutions delivered by the project team of consultants, contractor and irrigation system manufacturer. Power and water were re-routed around the course, and the same trenches used to extend WiFi from the clubhouse

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to the greenkeepers’ compound. A new pump station and water tanks were located to the south side of the course with Rain Bird’s IC CONNECT™ sensor input devices installed, enabling pump performance and water levels to be monitored from the central control. The IC System minimises cable joints reducing possible faults, and Rain Bird suggested conducting sprinkler trials on individual tees, while nozzles were selected for certain areas of the course to ensure optimal uniformity of coverage. Phil Langdon said:“This was a textbook example of industry experts working together to deliver the very best solutions for the client. From water and electrical engineering to sprinkler selection, system set-up and operator training, the whole team added value to

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the project and were completely committed to minimising disruption and ensuring the system was ready to hand over on schedule and within budget.” “The difference is night and day,” Archie confirms.“Finally we’re able to get the full benefit of the products and sand we apply and getting much quicker results. We began our autumn renovations the first week in August this year when previously we’d have waited until late September or October. The Stratus LT central control allows us to monitor and manage the entire system in real-time from anywhere, and my deputy and I are looking forward to further fine-tuning over the winter.” Auchterarder’s Managing Secretary, David Smith, says the project was more a fait accompli than a business

decision.“We had an extremely dry summer about five years ago when we lost our tees, but last summer’s heatwave had very serious implications for our club. It is paramount that our core product – the golf course – is every bit as good as all the other elements of our offering. With climate change and the unpredictability of the weather having a greater impact, our new water resource and irrigation system were a huge outlay, but valuable additions to the club’s wellbeing in terms of self-sufficiency and our greenkeeping staff’s ability to manage the quality and consistency of the course. We are very pleased to have it at our disposal. From my perspective it is an investment in member and visitor business and essential for long-term sustainability.”

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ADVERTORIAL

Preparing for

THE 100-YEAR LIFE

he German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, introduced the world’s first state pension in the 1880s. You had to be 70 years old – and the expectation was that you would only live a few years after that to collect it. Bismarck designed the system in a very different world. Today, many of us can expect to live well beyond 70. A recent study by UBS found that around a third of wealthy individuals in the UK are confident about living to 1001. Yet many are anxious about the financial implications of extended old age. Retirement is fast becoming about not living too long rather than dying too soon; about not outliving our financial security. In response, people are already considering working past the traditional retirement ages. For the first time in UK history, there are more than 10 million people aged over 50 in employment2. And with the State Pension age rising, the number of older workers is expected to keep growing. Rising life expectancy is also making us reconsider the right time to access pension savings. In the past, middle age was deemed to start in one’s 30s. Nowadays, middle age doesn’t start until 45 or 50. If this is the case, then the traditional retirement ages of the past are outdated. Hidden within the life expectancy puzzle is the fact that our longer lives won’t necessarily

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“One in three of today’s babies will live to see their 100th birthday.“ – Office for National Statistics, Jan 2016

be all in good health. This needs to be taken into account when preparing for the 100-year life. “If we could be retired for upwards of 30 years, then it is reasonable to assume our circumstances could change,”says Tony Clark, Head of Retirement Marketing at St. James’s Place.“You could find your spending increases as you transition into retirement, then decreases as you become less active, and then eventually

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Rising longevity is a big challenge facing our society, but one that can be managed with foresight and planning

increases again with a potential need for care provision in later life.” If life expectancy is something of an educated guess, then planning for retirement income should probably contain a mix of guarantees and flexibility. Although the much-maligned annuity has fallen out of favour, it is still the only way to guarantee income for life with no investment risk. For this reason, an annuity shouldn’t be discounted.

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Of course, you can keep your options open through retirement and leave your money invested. The compounding effects of equity market growth and reinvested dividend income will help to increase the likelihood of generating a rising level of income. But staying plugged into markets comes with its own responsibilities. Given the requirement for a predictable income over an uncertain timespan, it may be tempting to invest in a low-risk portfolio. But if you’re taking out 4% to 5% of your investment portfolio annually, it’s questionable whether you would generate enough returns to maintain your living standards for 30 years or more. “You will likely need a portfolio that is designed to both grow and preserve your capital for the longer term, as well as utilising funds that specifically cater for income purposes,”says Clark.“Finding the right mix that is specific to your views on risk is where a financial adviser comes in.” Retirement has the advantage of being one of the few times when we can freely rearrange our lifestyle and its priorities. Spending more time with family, learning a new skill or travelling extensively can define an entirely new way of life. But it requires careful planning in order to balance the financial and the non-financial, the economic and the emotional. While money isn’t everything, knowing you’ll be able to meet your basic needs – with enough left over to realise

your retirement ambitions – is something well worth planning for. The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested. The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances. 1 UBS Investor Watch, 2018 2 Office for National Statistics, UK labour market: January 2019 • Fortress Wealth Partnership LLP is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. For more information, contact Henry Irwin, Principal Partner of Fortress Wealth Partnership, on 07866 590993, email henry.irwin@sjpp.co.uk, or visit fortresswealthpartnership.com

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PRACTICE Advice on golf club management issues â€“ from finance to clubhouse rules and employment law

From the

HELPDESK This month: Bar staff rotas and...do we need to be licensed as waste generators? The club are considering incorporating and although I have downloaded some of the literature available, I would be grateful if you could point me in the direction of any other materials or companies that may be able to advise us The Governance Guide ,which can be found here: gcma.org.uk/news/ gcma-launches-club-governanceguide/ may also be useful. Version 2 will be available soon and we will include a link to it in the weekly email once it is published. There are companies who will help you with this but in the first instance I would contact the NGCAA: ngcaa.co.uk/, who are experts in this. I’m trying to put together a guide for our house manager for his rotas and wonder if you have any guidelines for the numbers of bar staff required per numbers of guests drinking. This can differ depending on event type but just a rough guide would be very helpful. Our bar is stand-alone and does not involve any catering functionality. I’m not sure there is any correct answer to this as there are so many variables. I have seen a suggestion that one bar person per 50 customers

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is workable but it all depends on: How long are the members willing to wait? What drinks are they having – bottles of wine are easy, pints of Guinness less so. How fast are they drinking? How many staff can you fit behind the bar? How many tills do you have? How fast can you get clean glasses turned round? Basically, at a lot of clubs, it’s how few staff you can get away with before the complaints get too onerous. I wondered if you can direct me to an environmental report template that we could adopt at our club? BIGGA have an environmental section in their Course Policy Document, see: bigga.org.uk/ resource/course-policy-documentpdf.html, which your Course Manager should be able to access. Also England Golf have one here: englandgolf.org/club-support/ business-support/greener-golf/ and there are further resources at: golfenvironment.org. We generate a mixed load of waste materials mostly from greens activities. This is confined in a skip which is then collected by a registered waste

disposal company. Do we have to be licensed as the generator of the waste? Yes, you should be licensed as the generator, however the disposal company usually supplies the Waste Transfer Note for you to fill in and will also file it for you. See: assets.publishing.service.gov. uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/ file/296502/LIT_7584_697773.pdf. Could you please inform me if there is a Personal Bar Licence course available through GCMA? Unfortunately, we are unable to provide this service. As we understand it, you need to go to a government accredited personal licence qualification provider. See: gov.uk/government/ publications/accredited-personallicence-qualification-providers/ accredited-personal-licencequalification-providers for a list.

An online helpdesk offers an advisory service to members. Visit gcma.org.uk/members to find out more.

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From the

REGIONS INTERNATIONAL MATCH Sweden GAF vs. GCMA, September 2-6, 2019 Bastad and Vasatorp Golfklubb, Helsingborg, Sweden The annual match against GCMA and GAF took place in Helsingborg, Sweden â€“ a delightful city on the west coast of the country. The trip began with a gathering at Lydinge Golf Resort for a lunch and talk from the manager revealing the story of the course. The teams were drawn for a small competition with both countries mixed up. Prizes went to the ladiesâ€™ combined team. Wednesday was the first of a two day competition, the venue being Bastad Golfclubb up in the hills. The results were as follows: GCMA first: John Barnard and Mo Brooker lost 6&5 to Lars Ostman and Lars Andersson; Jim Cunning and Karen Drake lost 2&1 to Hakan Johansson and Jasmine Rawstone; Brian Bamford and Richard Healey halved with Mats Candinger and Christer Stolpen; Dougie Neave and Ali Gilhome lost 4&3 to Thomas Ahlberg and Mikael Rydell; Will Sjoberg and Peter Sjoberg lost 6&5 to Christian Tiden and Eva Tigerman; John Edgington and Mike Wake beat Magnus Jiven and Anna Tiden 5&4. End of first day: GCMA 1.5-GAF 4.5 Hoping for a comeback, the second day was staged at Vasatorp Golfklubb and the GCMA contingent was welcomed by golf

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club manager Pelle Sattare. Eyes were on the sky and the first two pairings got out before the rain started to fall. It stopped for the rest of the front nine before a very large shower descended for 15 minutes. Amazingly, the greens had dried out within half an hour of the downpour. Day two results, GCMA first: Ian Symington and John Barnard lost 1 up to Thomas Ahlberg and Anna Tiden; Brian Bamford and Mo Brooker lost 1 up to Christer Stolpen and Mikael Rydell; Jim Cunning and Mike Wake beat Lars Ostman and Christian Tiden 3&1; Will Sjoberg and Richard Healey lost 4&3 to Jasmine Rawsthorne and Mats Candinger; Ali Gilhome and Karen Drake beat Eva Tigerman and Lars Andersson 2&1; Dougie Neave and Peter Sjoberg lost to Hakan Johansson and Magnus Given. Day two scores: GCMA 2-GAF 4; Final scores: GCMA 3.5-GAF 8.5 Congratulations to Sweden on an excellent win and for their excellent hospitality. Thanks also go to the clubs that hosted the matches. All eyes will be on next year when the GCMA attempt to take back the Knalle Trophy.

Regional Managers Full details at gcma.org.uk/ regions Chiltern & Home Counties

David Cook East Anglia

Gary Smith East Midlands

Rod Savage London & Home Counties

Maureen Brooker Midland

Rob Wormstone Norfolk

John Barnard North West

Neil Annandale Northern

Peter Jobe Northern Ireland

Jim Cullen Scotland

Bernard Flockhart South East

John Edgington South West

Karen Drake Southern

Paul Gaylor Wales

Mike Rees Wessex

Alex Taylor Yorkshire

Steve Boustead

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GCMA RECRUITMENT

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

PORTSTEWART ::: ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL

Portstewart Golf Club are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated qualified Assistant Professional. This is a superb opportunity to work at a highly acclaimed private members’ club and DDF Irish Open venue. The successful applicant will have a passion for retail, be enthusiastic, flexible, a good communicator and team player with excellent organisational skills. The individual should be competent in operating computer systems, be able to build relationships with customers, members and visitors alike. For a job description and to apply, send your CV and cover letter to judy@portstewartgc.co.uk Region: Northern Ireland | Salary: Competitive | Closing Date: November 29, 2019

WALLASEY ::: GENERAL MANAGER

Wallasey Golf Club is a private members’ club founded in 1891. Situated on the coast of the Wirral Peninsular, it provides an outstanding test of links golf. The club is now looking to recruit a strong, strategic leader who is commercially astute with key strengths in effective communication, management of staff at all levels and the ability to maximise the resources of the club. You will be expected to continue the development and improvement of the club in all areas, whilst respecting its long-standing traditions. To apply, send a covering letter, full CV and details of your existing remuneration to Mr M. G. O’Callaghan, Chairman, Wallasey Golf Club, Bayswater Road, Wallasey, Wirral, CH45 8LA, or by email to office@wallaseygolfclub.com Region: North West | Salary: Negotiable | Closing Date: November 22, 2019

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Partner Network The GCMAâ€™s Partner Network supports the associationâ€™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.

strategic partners

business partners

official suppliers

gcma.org.uk/partners

September 2019

STATISTICS UK&I 23,640

Holes-in-one made during September competitions

Total competitions recorded

279 698,367

total rounds of golf recorded

Total holes-in-one (all time)

15,446 242,747 Downloads of HowDidiDo app

4,176

eagles or better

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244,145 birdies

2,285,887

Stats provided by HowdidIdo.com

pars

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Join over 150,000 club golfers in downloading the HowDidiDo app for FREE

The largest, most engaging online golf community in Europe

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