ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB
Two years in the life of a CCM General Manager John Lawler CCM was delighted and proud to be appointed General Manager of Royal Portrush Golf Club in October 2019. Now, two years in the role, he shares his experiences with Clubhouse Europe.
I
have enjoyed the challenges presented by managing a Club of the scale and stature of Royal Portrush immensely. And like every other Club Manager, the effects of the pandemic over the last 18 months have required us all to think on our feet and find creative ways to deal with the restrictions imposed on our Clubs. As a Certified Club Manager, I have found the support of my colleagues in the Irish Golf Club and Managers’ Association [IGCMA] and the Club Managers’ Association of Europe [CMAE] invaluable. I speak frequently with some of my colleagues in Ireland and further afield and, as the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. There is a fantastic support network with trust at its core that allows me to pick up a phone, and equally allows others to contact me to share ideas and challenges. We all face common issues and the proactive efforts of the CMAE and IGCMA in keeping us all talking and sharing, albeit remotely, during the last 16 months have been greatly appreciated. I was appointed as General Manager during the
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week of the Open Championship in 2019 and was not part of the build up to or hosting of the 148th Open. I had the incredible experience of getting a course tour on the morning before my final interview a month before the Open and the sight of enormous grandstands and massive infrastructure served to remind me of the scale of this job and the excitement of having an opportunity to take on the role. My predecessor, Wilma Erskine, has done an excellent job in putting Royal Portrush on the global map for golf and I am excited to take on the challenge of continuing her hard work. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a dedicated team of hard working and enthusiastic people. I see one of my key roles as creating an environment for everyone at the Club to do their best work and we all work hard to support each other working towards our collective goal of ensuring Royal Portrush is one of the world’s leading golf clubs. I can genuinely say it felt thrilling when we were first approached about hosting the 153rd Open in 2025. It is one of the world’s great sporting events
and for it to return to this small corner of Northern Ireland is a remarkable tribute to the hard work put in by everyone in the lead up to the 148th Open. Starting with the Members, the team here and to the wider community – everyone embraced the Open, and the recurring comment I hear is that it felt like a festival of golf. Everyone bought in to this positive shared experience and were proud to show the world everything that Royal Portrush, the Causeway Coast and Glens area and Northern Ireland has to offer. We have barely caught breath and it is coming back in 2025. I am excited by the journey that the next three and a half years will bring me and the Club as we prepare to host this storied event again. We are fortunate that no major course changes are required as significant work was carried out in advance of 2019, and any work in the lead up to 2025 will have less impact on day to day golf for our members and visitors. Part of the enjoyment of working in golf club management is the wide range of areas that you are involved in. This is a topic that I have discussed with
