MDPs 2025 schedule announced – page 8
Movers and shakers – CMAE welcomes new President
Conference – restarted successfully in London
Wellbeing – mental-health and the club manager
Food & Beverage – key traits of a successful programme
At September’s invigorating European Conference on Club Management in London, the CMAE was delighted to welcome our new President Alberto Iglesias CCM, Director of Golf at Spain’s Font del Llop Golf Resort.
Since that time, we are collectively devastated to witness the floods in Spain’s Valencia Region, with over 200 people confirmed dead as we go to press, a death toll that is expected to rise.
In what is described by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as Spain's largest deployment in peacetime, over 10,000 troops, police officers and civil guards are responding to one of the worst floods in Europe this century.
Our heartfelt thoughts go out to all of our colleagues, friends, families and communities who are touched by this tragic event.
Our President has devoted time and effort and whatever support he can, and – as always – we will all stand by his side to do whatever we can to help.
CMAE Board of Directors
Alberto Iglesias CCM aiglesias@cmaeurope.org
Michael Newland CCM michael@theberkshire.co.uk
Debbie Pern CCM admin@deesidegolfclub.com
Chris May CCM cmay@dubaigolf.com
Cristian Fiora CCM fiora@tee-time.it
Nathanael Pietrzak-Swirc CCM nps@ugolf.eu
Pat Barrett CCM pat@adlibprint.ie
Ann Robbie annr@garrickclub.co.uk
CMAE Staff
Torbjörn Johansson torbjorn.johansson@cmaeurope.org
Debbie Goddard debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org
Michael McCormack CMDip michael.mccormack@cmaeurope.org
Craig Cotterill craig.cotterill@cmaeurope.org
Gavin Robinson CMDip gavin.robinson@cmaeurope.org
Editor Caroline Scoular caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk
Design David Foster
Editorial Nick Sellens
Advertising: Sean Ferris sean@alchemymedia.co.uk
Circulation Jonathan Hardy
Association Manager Debbie Goddard Debbie.Goddard@cmaeurope.org
Publisher
Clubhouse Europe is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing
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The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers or the CMAE. ClubhouseEurope does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.
5 News round-up
CMAE’s European Conference declared a triumph and new partner for CMAE. Plus: Clubs face growing challenges in safety and compliance.
8 Management Development Programmes
Plan ahead for 2025 with CMAE’s latest venues and dates for MDPs.
9 Movers and shakers
CMAE welcomes new appointments to the Board.
10 Meet the team
The CMAE Head Office team welcome you to their world.
12 A new chapter begins Expanding horizons: transitioning from Club Management to Golf Travel.
13 Managing large teams
MDP delegate Andrew Laird on leadership principles.
14 European Conference on Club Management
September saw club management professionals, industry experts and thought leaders come together at the CMAE European Conference on Club Management. Couldn’t join us? Then enjoy this rewind.
27 Mental-health and the Club Manager
Dr Ian Peek shares his vision and values for mental well-being - today and in the future.
28 Key Traits of a Successful F&B Programme
A successful food and beverage programme is one of the hallmarks of an exceptional club experience, transcending cultural boundaries and setting the standard for member satisfaction worldwide. The team from KK&W share their best advice.
32 Club Benchmarking on the London Conference
The 2024 European Conference in London was an exciting first for Club Benchmarking since launching in Europe in late 2022, reflects James Burns CCM.
35 How does technology empower golf course maintenance?
Frederic Paczkowski shares thoughts on how datacollection, satellite imagery and AI can combine to precisely manage clubs’ most valuable asset – the golf course.
For more information on any of these articles or to contribute to our next issue, contact Editor Caroline Scoular. e. caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk
t. +44 (0)1753 272022
For more information on the CMAE, its events and/or courses contact Debbie Goddard. e. debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359
The CMAE European Conference on Club Management took place in London from the 22 – 24, September 2024, drawing together club management professionals, industry experts, and thought leaders from across Europe for an inspiring and insightful threeday event.
• Full report on pages 14–16
The CMAE Human Resources Summit brought together a strong line up of presenters which provided the 23 attendees three distinct perspectives on the HR function within Club Management.
The attendees received the customary warm welcome from CMAE CEO Toby Johansson and CMAE Director of Education Michael McCormack who then set the scene for the day, outlining the individual sessions and the overall learning outcomes to be achieved.
Carolyn Wahlen delivered a thought provoking session on current employment law and it’s correct application in the workplace. The session was punctuated with dynamic discussion around some real world examples best (and worst!) practice.
James Burns CCM led the attendees through the financial metrics most commonly associated with your people and how an educated manager can highlight operational problems from the numbers. Using the latest data from the Club Benchmarking survey, delegates benefited
from James’s knowledge, insight and experience as a former Club Manager.
Finally, the delegates were presented with a comprehensive tour around the world of recruitment and retention from Michael Herd of KK&W which proved to be a hugely beneficial topic with almost all delegates
confirming issues on finding and keeping good staff.
With the benefit of different perspectives, the learning outcomes were achieved and the summit proved to be a great success. Keep your eye out on our various communication channels for the next “deep dive” Summit.
CMAE Official Supplier Leeds Golf Design recently undertook an exacting exercise to answer some of the toughest questions posed to golf clubs. These are:
1. Golf courses use a lot of land
2. Golf courses use precious resources (water, sand, fuel, fertilizer)
3. Golf courses use a lot of water
4. Golf is an exclusionary game
5. Golf course maintenance pollutes ground and surface water
6. Golf courses necessitate deforestation
• www.leedsgolfdesign.com/
The Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE) is proud to announce an exciting partnership with adidas, the world-renowned leader in sportswear and innovation. This partnership aims to enrich the experience of CMAE members by providing access to industry-leading insights, best practices, and exclusive content across a variety of platforms.
The partnership will see adidas supporting CMAE’s mission to elevate club management standards by contributing to educational events, including live events, Friday Forums,
and written content on the CMAE’s online platforms. The collaboration will provide CMAE members with exclusive access to adidas’ vast expertise in developing high-performing team cultures, leadership insights, and innovative business strategies.
One of the key components of this partnership will be adidas’ involvement in CMAE’s educational delivery. CMAE members will benefit from adidas’ cutting-edge approach to business, team culture development, and leadership. These insights will be shared
through global industry insight and online content designed to provide practical takeaways that can be applied directly within members’ clubs.
In addition to select live events, adidas’ golf team will contribute to CMAE’s future online educational resources, including the popular Friday Forums and various other written and multimedia content. Members can look forward to hearing from adidas experts on a range of topics, from performance culture to sustainability in business. This content will
further support CMAE’s commitment to providing high-quality, relevant, and actionable information to its members.
Both CMAE and adidas share a commitment to driving innovation, fostering leadership, and promoting excellence within the industry. This partnership is a natural alignment of these two great brand’s purposes and values, offering CMAE members unparalleled access to thought leadership from one of the most respected brands in the world of sports and business.
The CMAE has awarded Jason Koenigsfeld, Chief Learning Officer of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA), with Honorary Life Membership.
This prestigious recognition is bestowed on individuals considered to have made significant contributions to the CMAE and the advancement of club management.
Torbjörn Johansson, CEO of CMAE, said: “Jason’s dedication to education development within the club industry has profoundly impacted countless professionals across Europe and beyond.
“His commitment to fostering international collaboration and knowledge-sharing has been instrumental in building strong ties between the CMAA and CMAE, enriching the experience of the Management Development Programme (MDP) and club managers and their teams.”
Jason said: “I want to thank the entire team, Board, and membership at CMAE for this incredible honour… I feel incredibly honoured and blessed to have received Honorary Life Membership. Joe Perdue was a great mentor and taught me a great deal about the club industry and education. I hope I make him proud.”
Jason went on to thank all of those who have helped him to deliver, facilitate and coordinate programmes within
European Tour Destinations venues dominate the top four places in Golf World’s latest Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe ranking.
Eleven of European Tour Destinations venues feature in Golf World’s influential list, with five claiming spots in the top 10. The company has a global network of world-class golf venues across 21 countries on three continents.
Costa Navarino in Greece solidifies its place at no.1 for the second time running, with Sicily’s Verdura Resort moving up to no.2. Terre Blanche Hôtel Golf Spa Resort in France secures third, while Camiral Golf & Wellness (formerly PGA Catalunya) in Spain maintains its position at no.4 and Portugal’s Quinta do Lago features at no.7. France’s Le Touquet Golf Resort, host venue to the 2024 Legends Tour Open de France, is at no.18, while Arabella Golf in Spain retains its spot at no.32.
Bulgarian duo Lighthouse Golf and Spa and Pirin Golf and Country Club are placed no.57 and no.80 respectively, with Finland’s Linna Golf placing 59th and Diamond Country Club in Austria 75th, completing the European Tour Destinations featured in the latest listing.
•More details at this link
Europe, and assured the CMAE membership of his continued commitment.
“I thank all of you for allowing me to grow and learn as an educator and promise to work with Michael McCormack, Toby and the EPC to further progress our educational footprint in Europe and all over the world,” he said, also thanking the
entire CMAE membership for bestowing the honour.
“I will never forget it or take it lightly as we continue to strive for more education to help club managers learn and grow. Thank you truly and I look forward to many more years working alongside all of you, with tremendous respect and admiration.”
Obbi, in collaboration with key industry partners such as the CMAE, Gallagher Insurance, GCMA, SGCMA, CMAI and the UK Golf Federation, has released its annual Club Safety and Compliance Report for 2024/25, revealing the persistent and evolving challenges clubs face in managing safety, compliance and training.
The findings highlight significant constraints in time and budget, hindering the effective implementation of essential health and safety (H&S) measures across the industry.
• 72% of participants believe that at least some of their checks, audits, mandatory certificates, and training are not always fully up to date.
• 70% of participants state that their evidence of checks, audits, mandatory certifications, and training (for staff, auditors, etc.) isn’t easily accessible.
• 77% of clubs agree that implementing Health and Safety (H&S) requirements will help save money in the long run.
• 95% of participants believe that everyone should have a role in the
safety and compliance of their clubs.
• Over a third of clubs still use pen and paper for safety compliance and training processes.
Gareth Macklin, CEO of Obbi, said: “The results of this year’s survey highlight the growing pressure on clubs to maintain high standards of safety and compliance in the face of ever-increasing operational challenges. It’s clear that without the right resources, training, and support, many clubs are struggling to keep up with the demands
of health and safety regulations. This not only puts their operations at risk but also the safety of their members and staff. At Obbi, we are committed to providing the tools clubs need to navigate these complexities and ensure a safer environment for all.”
Obbi and Gallaghers Insurance will be hosting educational webinars to address the pain points of club managers and answer safety and compliance questions on 12 November, 2024 at 2pm.
• Click here for the full report
The CMAE’s Management Development Programme (MDP) is the leading education programme for club industry professionals and provides the pathway to the european Club Management Diploma (CMDip) and the global Certified Club Manager (CCM) certifications.
The CMAE MDP is a series of courses focused on the core competencies of club management designed not only for those working as club general managers, club secretaries and in other senior positions at sports, city and business clubs today, but also for those who aspire to these roles in the future.
Watch out for new MDPs coming up. (Information correct at time of going to press) Full details available on CMAE’s website. (See ‘Get Involved’ for links and contact details.)
MDP 1 – Club Operations
January 27-31, Edinburgh
Part 1 is a week-long course particularly targeted towards those managers who are either new to a post, recently appointed or simply want to enhance their knowledge so that they may better serve their club committee, owners and members. At the end of the week, those taking the course will have an excellent grasp of the basics in every area of club business, and will have established a valuable network of support for their career in this industry.
CMAA 2025 World Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo
February 5-9
Registration for this opens in November 2024 for CMAE Members (and MDP delegates specifically). All MDP delegates will have already received an email with details on registration.
• Any questions? Contact office@cmaeurope.org
• To read more about the conference or register as a non-MDP delegate, click here
MDP 1 – Club Operations
February 24-28, Lisbon, Portugal
Details as per 27-31 January, Edinburgh.
MDP 2 – Building & Managing the Club Team
March 3-7, Dublin
The Part 2 course builds on the foundations of Part 1 to focus on strategic and business planning, performance and service standards, and the professional and communicative skills to develop every aspect of both the individual’s performance and that of their club. At the end of Part 2 there is an optional examination to attain the CMAE Diploma in Club Management.
MDP F&B
April 14-18, Montreux
Designed to develop Food & Beverage knowledge. The tools will be provided to manage and raise standards in front of house operations, controlling costs, driving sales and to be able to work closer to their team to achieve better results. This programme is applicable to clubs with all levels of turnover and those working with contract caterers. Highly relevant to all club managers, it provides an insight into the delivery of food and beverage services within successful clubhouse operations. Delegates will study trends in menu and service delivery, as well as evolving legal requirements. Particular attention will be paid to the creation of successful, unique or themed events and how best to plan their marketing. The course will also enable managers to create and deliver appropriate training sessions for clubhouse staff, to ensure that service excellence is the norm at their club.
MDP 1 – Club Operations
May 19-23, Dubai
Details as per 27-31 January, Edinburgh.
MDP 2 – Building & Managing the Club Team
May 19-23, Dubai
Details as per March 3-7, Dublin.
MDP 3 – Strategy & Leadership
May 19-23, Dubai
MPD 3 Strategy and Leadership is aimed at those managers who wish to learn how to enhance their management style and tap into their leadership potential in order to operate the club as a business.
AUGUST
MDP Sport & Recreation Management
August 11-15, London
This course is aimed at Managers who want to have a wider view of sports, fitness, recreation and wellness operations. By attending this course, delegates will experience all parts of the club world when it comes to these elements. The course will cover a lot of areas within racket sports, aquatics and junior programming as well as recreational sports but also listen to the trends within wellness and fitness. Delegates will have a thorough understanding of the history, evolution and future trends of the wellness in clubs, to make better decision for the future for their clubs and committees.
MDP 2 – Building & Managing the Club Team
August 18-22, London
Details as per March 3-7, Dublin.
SEPTEMBER
MDP/BMI International 2025 15-19 September, New York, USA
MDP/BMI International offers a unique educational and cultural experience tailored for club management professionals. Participants have the opportunity to travel to various parts of the world, immerse themselves in the local club culture, and gain insights from leading industry experts. In 2025 CMAE will head to the vibrant city of New York, USA. More details coming soon!
To register your interest or for any queries, contact Debbie Goddard on debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org. Full details are available at cmaeurope.org/ mdp-courses/or use this QR Code.
The Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE) is proud to announce that Alberto Iglesias CCM, Director of Golf at Font del Llop Golf Resort, has been elected as the new President of CMAE. Alberto’s appointment was confirmed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 23 September, 2024 in London.
With an impressive career spanning over two decades in the golf and club management industry, Alberto brings extensive experience, vision, and dedication to his new role.
Alberto Iglesias said: “Reaching this presidency has been a long road, in which I was involved, thanks to my good friend and mentor Daniel Asis and my family who encouraged me to embark on the MDP path towards achieving the CCM and the importance of what training means for the growth of our industry.”
Alberto succeeds David Balden CCM, who has served as CMAE President for the past two years and who now joins the European Club Education Foundation (ECEF) as its new President.
Other key appointments include:
Debbie Pern CCM, General Manager at Deeside Golf Club, becomes CMAE’s new Treasurer, succeeding Michael Newland CCM, Managing Director at the Berkshire Golf Club. Michael becomes CMAE VicePresident.
Pat Barrett CCM, General Manager at Limerick Golf Club and Ann Robbie, Secretary at the Garrick Club join the Board.
The Club Management Association of America (CMAA) successfully hosted its highly anticipated BMI International 2024 from October 14-19, 2024, in Switzerland. Supported by the Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE), this event brought together CMAA members from around the USA to experience a week of immersive education, cultural exploration, and exclusive networking.
CMAA’s Jason Koenigsfeld said: “Switzerland is such an amazingly beautiful country with some excellent hospitality experience. Managers got to
experience some of the best clubs, the best hospitality program in EHL and experience three different locations (Lausanne, Gstaad and Zurich). This experience gave the attendees a feel for the unique cultures that make up the country.
“The group was amazing, and we all loved learn-
ing the Swiss way of life. A huge thank you to our organizers Cindy Schonrich, Mary Lou Watkins, and Kim McCormack. A special thank you to Toby Johannsson and Michael McCormack for representing CMAE and thank you to the 80 plus attendees for their support and trust.”
With an
action-packed calendar
of activities, programmes and events, the CMAE Head Office has been busy building
the perfect team to help
us continue on this exciting path. But what makes them tick? A behindthe-scenes look at the dream team!
Debbie Goddard, Association Manager
Q. Your partner David has a special job that always gets people’s attention. Tell us about it and what you think about his job.
A. He has been a falconer at Warwick Castle for 15 years, working with a wide range of birds—from smaller falcons and owls to much larger eagles and vultures. It’s certainly an interesting job, though it can be quite danger ous, given the size and power of these predatory birds. Over the past few years, they’ve been running the “Falconer’s Quest” show, which is the largest bird of prey display in the UK. In his spare time, he also flies his own falcon, Gordon. Since my work keeps me indoors most of the time, it’s a nice to be able to join him at weekends when he takes Gordon out, allowing us to enjoy the great outdoors in the countryside.
Q. You have been at CMAE for a long time now, what has been your favourite event so far and why? And what is your biggest challenge you face as Association Manager?
A. I officially joined CMAE full-time in 2018, though I had been involved on a part-time basis for many years while working at FSPA. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the association’s growth and evolution over the years, and I’m proud of the contributions I’ve made along the way. Choosing a favourite event is difficult, as there have been so many over the years! Our most recent European Conference in London stands out as one of the best we’ve ever hosted. It was a huge success, and probably the best conference we’ve done. The online conference we organized in 2020 also left a lasting impression. Before the pandemic hosting a virtual conference felt almost unthinkable. But using the technology available to us such as Gatherley and Zoom we managed to pull it off, and it turned out to be a major success and felt special being able to bring everyone together during difficult times when people
were craving connection. I think it really paved the way for more online content, making education more accessible to people regardless of their location. As for challenges, my role spans several areas of the organisation—from partnerships, MDP programs and conferences to other events and also marketing. This variety keeps things exciting, but it can also be demanding when everything is happening at once!
Gavin Robinson CMDIP, Operations Manager
Q. You’ve spent a large part of your life in Mexico. Was that a plan from a young age to travel and live abroad? How did that happen?
A. It most certainly wasn’t part of a plan and it happened very quickly! A brief discussion between friends in November 2002 and I was on a plane to
Mexico by February 2003. You could call it impulsive, but I knew the job I was in, my first as a qualified PGA Professional, had no long term future. I had no family commitments so I took the opportunity to see some of the world with guaranteed work. It’s a decision I have never regretted and it has enriched my life and career in so many ways.
Q. You are the Operations Manager of CMAE, finding your way in the Team – What are the biggest differences to your earlier jobs inside and outside the Club Industry and what is your biggest challenge right now?
In all of my previous roles I have either been the No.1 or No.2 member of staff, with direct responsibility for the professional wellbeing of a team as well as the success of the business. This role is different in that I play a supporting role to my fellow team members and find ways to make their day-to-day tasks easier. As a small team, it has naturally been very much front facing. Part of my role is to review some of the processes and platforms that we are using and assess their effectiveness and efficiency and make improvements where needed. This will strengthen the foundations upon which the future growth of the Association will be built.
My biggest challenge right now, as you might expect, is my relative lack of knowledge of the Association compared to the rest of the team. I am working on it!
Michael McCormack CMDIP, Director of Education
Q. You have two boys who both are football crazy. You are an Arsenal fan, and your wife Kim is a Leeds fan. How much football actually happens on a daily basis in and around your home?
A. I have two boys who are football crazy and have dreams of both becoming professional players. Matthew is coming up on 16 years of age and Dylan is just about to turn 14. They have both played at the highest levels in their age groups for many years and their commitment to their dream is wonderful to watch. Going to watch them train and play games is the very best way for me to completely switch off from the world and forget about any stresses or strains going on in my life.
We are a footballing family, and we love to sit together to watch games when we can. My wife, Kim, is a Leeds Utd fan while the boys and I are all Arsenal fans. Hopefully Leeds can get back into the Premier League soon so that we can enjoy the games they play against each other.
Q. Being the Director of Education forces you to travel a lot. What are your top tips on how to have a better travel experience? And what is the biggest challenge you face in your role?
A. My role as Director of Education is one that I truly
love. I enjoy all aspects of the job, but my favourite part is definitely attending the MDP Programs and meeting with so many incredible people. I get a huge buzz from spending time in an educational setting and the networking we all do during the day and into the evenings is always special.
Obviously attending MDPs means being away from my family, and over the years I have missed some important events, but being surrounded by great people in the delegates and the presenters makes it a lot easier.
I don’t really have many tips for travelling but I personally like to arrive in plenty of time for a flight and ensure that I am in a relaxed mood. Airports can be stressful places, particularly with delays, undelivered baggage amongst other things, so I always try to take things in my stride and adapt to each situation as it occurs.
The biggest challenge I have in my role is consistently trying to ensure that we deliver the highest level of content and quality in the education we deliver. We work in a wonderful industry with some of the best people in the world. I do not take my responsibility lightly and will always try to push boundaries to ensure that MDP is an exceptional experience for all. As we move into 2025 and beyond, we will develop other educational programs and strive to provide many more opportunities to support and empower our CMAE community, fostering continuous personal development and lifelong learning.
Craig Cotterill, Commercial Director
Q. You have driven a lot of interesting cars in your lifetime. Give us two examples – and also let us know why you have been had them?
A. I have worked with sponsorship and part nerships for over 10 years and during that time I have been fortunate enough to work within professional motorsport and football. During my time in motor sport I was invited to become an ambassador for McClaren and was fortunate enough to drive a number of their cars. The first model I brought home was a 720s in bright orange, much to the disgust of my wife who was hoping for a subtle grey or black.
opinion, it’s about identifying partners who share the same purpose and values as your club in our case the association. Once you have those aligned the opportunity for long term partnerships that bring value on both sides increases dramatically. A successful partnership cannot be achieved based purely on a single financial transaction. A long-term commercial relationship is based on a deep understanding of your partners purpose, vision and values and vice-versa. Then by aligning your clubs’ assets to reflect the commercial partnership will bring success on both sides. I also think many people can find it a challenge to define the difference between sponsorship and partnership. Sponsorship is far more transactional and requires less time and resource on both sides to support adding value, whereas partnership creates much more opportunity for engagement but on the flip side requires far more work from the rights holder.
Torbjorn Johansson, Chief Executive Officer
Q. You have owned a hotel in a snowy part of Sweden as well as exported cider from Sweden to Western Africa –why?
A. When you had a crazy (fun) but entrepreneurial Father who wanted to take chances, you are in on the ride. He got this crazy idea about running a hotel up north in Sweden with his wife. They moved up there and I became the owner of the hotel and we ran it like a family business, taking the big decisions together. I was up there from time to time and worked at the hotel. Fun times, even though it is now a long time ago.
After that, the possibility to export cider to Western Africa came up – since my father was married to Josephine from Ghana. They met with a person who had 63 brothers and sisters with connections everywhere. We did have some success but did not manage it long term, since they certainly do business differently in that part of the world compared to here. We learned a lot…
Whilst working in football I was lucky to drive a Bentley Bentayga as part of a partnership agreement with a club I was working for at the time. Another great brand and a joy to drive and experience, especially for my son who was 13 years old at the time. The amount of school runs I did it that car was ridiculous, as my son and all his friends wanted dropping off and picking up on a daily basis.
Q. With regards to being the Commercial Director, selling assets and rights – what is the biggest challenge in finding the right Partners and what advice would you give Clubs/GMs about selling rights?
A. I think there are a number of challenges but in my
Q. After 7 years at CMAE, you have become CEO and now have a full team with you. Where do you see this going and what is your biggest challenge at this moment?
One of the best things with my job at the moment is the possibility to work with a team. People loving what we do and what we aim to do. I would not say that the team is yet full, but right now we are happy before taking any more steps. The biggest challenge is the fact that we all work from home and only meet frequently online, plus a few times per year in person. This requires a lot of communication and it is not easy to make sure everyone knows everything they need to know – plus of course having a Board to work with where everyone is in a different country. But we all come together under the same premise – we all love education and we are in it for the long run. <
After a distinguished 20-year career in golf management across various countries, a successful Club Manager has decided to shift his focus to a different yet equally important sector of the industry: golf travel. Andrea Faldella CCM, shares his insights and vision regarding the current global situation and his transition from club management to golf travel.
Following six years at one of Italy’s premier clubs and managing properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for eight years, I have embarked on an exciting new chapter. My passion for hospitality remains undiminished, and I now channel my expertise into crafting exceptional experiences for golf travelers in the Middle East and Indian Ocean.
Throughout my career, I have always sought to learn new skills and gain experiences that would complete me as an industry professional. In 2022, I had the opportunity to move to the USA, but a lengthy visa process forced me to pass. However, as we say in Italy, when one door closes, another, often larger, door opens. During my search for new and challenging opportunities, I was approached by a leading Middle Eastern tourism company to strengthen and expand their golf department. After careful consideration, I seized this opportunity, knowing this would have anyway further completed my Club Manager profile.
Leveraging club management experience
My experience as a CCM and Club Manager has been invaluable in my current role. The ability to keep the bigger picture in mind, along with expertise in service, financials, and managing people, has been crucial. Success is often built on attitude, and staying hungry for new challenges pushes one beyond their limits. Vision and action, simple yet vital principles from club management, continue to drive my success. Additionally, working with club members for over 20 years has given me a deep understanding of golfers’ travel habits, which has proven beneficial.
Golf travel significantly supports local clubs, in many cases by contributing up to a nice percentage of their annual green fee revenues. Moreover, golf travelers spend on ancillary services such as golf shops and restaurants, adding further value. Clubs with attached hotels or accommodations benefit even more from room night revenues. My background as a Club Manager helps me collaborate effectively with clubs, adjusting strategies to support slower days, increasing service costs based on peak and non-peak times, and managing tee sheets. I advocate for higher prices if they are matched by high standards, as
this ultimately benefits all parties involved.
Trends in golf travel and how clubs should cope with it
We are currently experiencing a robust period for golf travel, with many golf destinations in Europe and the Middle East reaching full capacity. The main limitation for further growth is tee time inventory. Successful golf destinations can optimize and increase their tee time inventory by reviewing agronomy practices, reducing starting intervals, managing pace of play with technology, and investing in night lighting to extend playing hours. For growing destinations, creating an exceptional guest experience and building connections with local entities, tourism boards, and inbound tour operators are crucial steps. Participating in key golf exhibitions, such as IAGTO and IGTM, can also enhance their presence among industry professionals.
Keys to success
One of the most exciting aspects of my current role is expanding our product portfolio by opening new golf destinations and identifying new source markets. After successfully launching and growing business in the UAE, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we have expanded to Oman, Qatar, and more recently,
Mauritius. My goal is to make Desert Gate Tourism the leading Golf DMC in the Middle East and Indian Ocean, providing consistent and excellent service across all destinations. Building a relationship of trust and delivering outstanding service are fundamental to achieving this vision.
How will this experience complete your professional profile and where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Initially, I was hesitant about this role as it seemed outside my direct expertise. However, the golf industry offers diverse opportunities. My experience as a Club Manager allows me to understand and engage with suppliers and partners effectively, ensuring reliable and knowledgeable service. Whether I return to club management with an added experience in international sales, or remain in golf tourism, my love for golf remains steadfast. The evolving travel industry excites me, and I am passionate about contributing to its dynamic growth.
In conclusion, based on my experience, I can say the transition from club management to golf travel illustrates how expertise in one sector can significantly benefit another, ultimately driving success and growth in the global golf industry.
In the end, I love golf, whichever side I am or will be.
MDP delegate Andrew Laird has always been in small teams within larger organisations and never really gave a big thought to how he would manage large teams. Here he explains how this thought process has changed.
Your typical clubs/golf club’s may have anything from 10-30 staff depending on the venue so when I landed in Asia, and was given the brief of managing a department with 180 it was quite the eye opener let me tell you!
Luckily I’d had experience with large companies in my previous posts and did see different management styles/theories in action. So if you’re ever lumped in this situation here’s my take on what I did, especially as you may not see many of the staff day to day. How do you manage something almost unmanageable? I researched and networked and read and cajoled and found the best course of action was following Value Based Leadership principles. There are thousands of research papers and articles on this from prominent academics and your usual HBR clickbait but let me distill it for you here.
The Vision (what’s the reason, why bother?)
So the classic motivation theory says once all basic needs have been met, people need something else to keep them motivated and engaged in what they’re doing. The need to find the often spoken about Why? Why do we come into work every day, why don’t we just do the bare minimum and why bother? Well this is actually happening far and wide, not just in the club management industry but pretty much every job/career, but that would be a whole other article. In this instance (myself) and my golf ops managers came up with our department’s “Why” we needed something that everybody could get behind and critically understand. Everything was tested and tried, from the ridiculous to the downright pretentious so we put it to the staff, in the end who better to come up with the why than the people who are actually customer facing. They came up with: 让会 员的日子比他们到达时更好 , which translated means “Make the members day better than when
they arrived”. And this is the mantra, when all else fails and we’re struggling to go the extra mile this is what our staff refer to. This obviously can change to where you are, what type of facility you’re at and what you want to see in your staff.
The Values (perceptions of values and what they might mean, get this nailed down in on boarding)
The next step was to instill and encourage the use of values while the colleagues are working, either out on their own in the agronomy department to the caddies to the range assistants and everyone else in the golf ops department. Again after much debate and deliberation we blended the staff’s ideas with managements and came up with the following values for us to follow:
Some of these values are borrowed and some are relevant to our organization. But one of the keys we wanted was people to be themselves, not robots reading off a script so “Be Yourself” was big along with “do the right thing” basically, be a champion when nobody is watching (i.e. management).
The main issue I found when starting this strategy was to really get to understand what these values and phrases meant to our staff. It’s all well and good to plaster these things all over back of house but if
they don’t resonate nobody will follow them. This was then a key factor when we on boarded new recruits, we got them to write down what these things would mean to them and discussed them. Making sure everybody completely understood what they mean to them and us as a club.
Addressing Everyone (town hall meetings, and quarterly recognition days)
As mentioned in the beginning, it’s almost impossible to manage and spend time with so many people every day. So how do we make sure our staff are being recognized for committing to our values and executing them on a day to day basis? We have our quarterly meeting in the banquet hall where staff are recognized and rewarded for their execution of the values. Even though the club might be busy, and the members are out in force it is of the utmost importance the staff get recognition for following the value based leadership or it falls apart. Every quarter it takes 30 minutes to do, not much when all things are considered.
Really make sure to make the reward and nudge a priority.
Of course not all strategies come out as well as one had hoped and it’s a constant mantra we keep having to base our management around however it has bore fruit. Our staff now feed the values down to our new recruits with some colleagues living by it when it comes to work. Our members also know about the way we manage the staff using these theories and gladly feed back when a colleague hits one of the benchmarks. It has helped manage the day to day with so many staff and it’s also sent a true cause to our members and staff as to their “Why”? Which was the intention.
September saw club management professionals, industry experts and thought leaders from across Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America come together at the CMAE European Conference on Club Management. Couldn’t join us? Here we rewind to September 22, 23 and 24 in a whirlwind tour of this inspirational three-day event.
It’s Sunday, 22 September, Day 1 of the CMAE European Conference on Club Management, and guests are greeted in style at London’s impressive Caledonian Club, with dynamic facilitator Nick Taylor setting the tone for the days ahead.
First up is Ciara Aspinall, who kicks off proceedings with a presentation on Unlocking the Power of Employee Engagement, exploring the importance of staff motivation and engagement in successful club management.
Next, and delegates are captivated by Gustav Putter’s Touching Points between Surviving a Massive Stroke and 30 Years as a CM, where he shares his remarkable journey, offering up both personal and professional insights.
Capital Planning is also on the agenda, with a lively discussion led by Club Benchmarking’s James Burns CCM (and CMAE former President) and John McCormack CCM FCCA, as well as a forward-looking session on The Future of Events by 54’s Ed Edwards CCM and Francisco de Lancastre David CCM.
Day 1 is rounded off with an evening of networking – including a not-to-be-missed Thames Boat Trip with a backdrop of London’s iconic landmarks.
Continued on page 16.
Day 2 of the Conference takes place at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club, where sessions include Maggie Alphonsi’s inspiring talk on Challenging perceptions & The psychology of winning, followed by an enlightening discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, led by Darshan Singh and Jules Murray.
David Lyon and Ciar Porciani present an insightful case study on the transformation of the Buckinghamshire Club into a private members club, and Dr. Jon Finn offers practical advice for club leaders, engaging delegates with his session on How Leaders can Eliminate Destructive Habits & Build New Super Habits in 4 Science-Based Steps. The day concludes with an update from the R&A’s Jackie
Davidson, the CMAE AGM and a vibrant networking drinks reception at the iconic Travellers Club. What’s not to love?
The final day is held at the Lansdowne Club, and begins with a session on Forging a WorldClass Employee Culture by Damon DiOrio, CCM CCE.
Throughout the day, participants go on to explore a breadth of themes including leadership, resilience, Artificial Intelligence and its role in clubs, and effective team communication, with expert presentations from Helen Monument, Eddie West Burnham, George Stavros and Mark Beaumont.
The Conference concludes in style with a celebratory Gala Dinner at the world-renowned Royal Automobile Club.
And to keep the celebrations going, CMAE also salutes recent recipients of the CMDip and CCM with certificate presentations in front of their applauding peers, all marking a fitting close to an inspiring and educational three days.
And finally, Torbjörn Johansson, CEO of CMAE, has this to say on the 2024 Conference:
“This year’s European Conference on Club Management stands out as an exceptional three days. Using multiple venues together with our best presenter lineup yet, ensured that delegates came from all corners of the globe joined us at this impressive, dynamic Conference.
“We see the Conference as a platform for club management professionals to share knowledge, gain insights and build connections that will strengthen the industry across Europe and the Middle East. The feedback to date had confirmed that the diverse range of topics and speakers has provided invaluable takeaways for all of our esteemed delegates.
“We thank our speakers, attendees and partners for making the European Conference on Club Management 2024 a resounding success. We look forward to continuing the conversations and advancing the club management profession in the years to come.”
Registration is now open for the CMAA 2025 World Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo which takes place on February 5-9, 2025.
CMAE Members (and MDP delegates specifically) will have received an email with details on registration.
• For full details, click here, or contact office@cmaeurope.org
TSteve Jobs once said, “The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation to come”. I hope this story can support you, the CMAE member, with some vision and values for your mental well-being today and in the future. Dr Ian Peek.
hroughout my career as a coach, I have felt our performance is a holistic effort. Simply put, whether you are a tennis player or business-manager, our performance results from the meeting of our physical (e.g. fitness), mental (e.g. ambition) and social (e.g. family) worlds. For example, our work colleagues’ actions and words (i.e. our social world) can strongly impact how we view ourselves and our ability (our psychology).
In recent years, my study into the mental health of world-class-performers has convinced me how valuable it is for high-perfomers, like club managers, to have regular access to psychological and social support. This type of support helps them produce work of high-value while staying in a mentally‚ safe-space. This belief stems from my practical and research experiences. My 2022 PhD research looked at the careers of 16 successful PGA European Tour golfers.
My interview findings with the 16 men would stun me. I would learn how eight of them experienced prolonged mental health challenges. That is, 50% of successful professional golfers suffered from prolonged anxiety or depression during or after their career. Two of them briefly considered suicide, while four of them continue to struggle with their mental health today. These were men who had performed to the very highest levels around the globe. These were men I had admired on TV. My findings forced me to reconsider my work as a performance coach. It has shifted my client-support from “how will you reach your goals?” to “how can we achieve high-performance and be mentally-safe?”. Because without mental ‘safety’ long-term success cannot happen. Delivering high-performance, as managers do, comes with a price. That price can be physical (e.g., poor health), social (e.g. family issues) or psychological (e.g. anxiety or depression).
So what story do I want to tell you? Having observed and worked alongside club managers for over 30 years, I consider them high-performers. Like tour players, they complete complicated blocks of work within a certain time schedule and in doing so, must satisfy not only themselves but the influencers around them (e.g., club directors and club members). Their success depends on good team work but the ‘hard yards’ are often very lonely. There is pressure to perform and meet the expectations of demanding others. With tour players, these ‚demanding others‘ are often family members, who
have come to expect a certain lifestyle, which can only be financed by dad /husband’s continued highperformance. The high-performer can feel they must perform to maintain their status in the family. The eight sufferers in my PhD study became anxious or depresssed as their careers progressed; they did not bring these conditions with them into their careers.
One player became overwhelmed with life while at the top of his career, while the seven other sufferers became anxious and depressed after career setbacks. Injury or poor choices were often the starting point for their downward career and mental spiral. Their loss of form impacted their finances and with their lack of success, previous ‚friends‘ suddenly went missing. Home life became a challenge as they felt they were of less value. They lost their identity. And worst of all seven of the eight suffered in silence during their careers. Because they felt shame, most carried their mental demons alone for a number of years. They did not seek help because they feared they would be seen as weak. As one of the players ‘Lawrence’ said of his dark times:
“The situation I was in mentally, you didn’t want to reach out to anybody like that, because you were nearly telling them, nearly saying to them that you feel like a failure.”
And with that silence, the seven could find no strategies to get back on-track. Only after they had left their workplace (the DP World Tour) did they seek out support. Interestingly, the one player who did seek out professional support during his career was able to resurrect his mental-health and previous successes.
And the summary of this story? Having researched but also personally recovered from high-
performance mental-health challenges, I am now sure of the following:
• Mental health-challenges can appear through the demands of ‘high-performance’.
• Mental health-challenges are not a weakness of character. They can happen to anyone. I was 53 when I first encountered anxiety. In hindsight, I am pleased to have gone through that experience because it has helped me better understand mental health.
• Keeping mental-challenges a secret will probably make them worse for the sufferer.
• Before mental-health challenges occur, regular support with the right listener can empower and keep the high-performer on-track.
• Talking to a ‘good listener’ about our fears is a good way to improve mood. A good listener will listen, they do not strive to offer solutions.
As maybe the greatest storyteller of them all (Steve Jobs) once said: “I’ve never found anybody that didn’t want to help me if I asked them for help”.
If you are struggling, please do reach out to a trusted other. It might just be the start of better days.
About the author:
Ian Peek coaches high-performance and mental well-being. His clients include business managers, professional soccer players and busy, caring parents.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tel: +49 171 2863042
Mail: mail@nms-golf.com
LkdIn: Dr Ian Peek Coaching
A
successful food and beverage programme is one of the hallmarks of an exceptional club experience, transcending cultural boundaries and setting the standard for member satisfaction worldwide. The team from KK&W share their best advice.
The key traits of a top-tier food and beverage operation go beyond cuisine, encompassing quality of service, operational efficiency, and an atmosphere that fosters a welcoming environment. For members and guests, an outstanding food and beverage offering respects local tastes while incorporating trends, creating a dynamic blend that appeals to diverse palates. Furthermore, it thrives under attentive leadership that values consistency and is agile in responding to feedback.
Here are five tried-and-true traits that will serve every club well if they are properly embedded in their food-and-beverage programmes, to consistently meet and satisfy the range of preferences and expectations that exists within their memberships:
It’s no longer good enough to just have a “global” dish on the menu. Clubs need to describe and present that dish or service through authentic ingredients and service touches in a theater-like structure. You must make the member feel as though they are actually visiting the location and sharing its culture.
Even classic items like curry have taken on new meaning. That yellow spice sitting in the back of the spice rack can now be green, red, blue or have other regional-specific characteristics. Using the proper mixtures also defines what protein might be used, which vegetables have global origins and even from where the dish originates. This same sort of lineage has moved to every ingredient, from cheese to chocolate.
This is the most humbling and challenging trait to achieve. While it’s not the leading factor in defining what makes a great meal or dining experience, consistency, which frequently emerges in surveys as the top source of member dissatisfaction with F&B, is key to developing trust and moving a dining program’s acceptance to greater heights.
Consistency applies to more than having the temperature and taste of soups or steaks satisfy the right sensory expectations. Every diner also has an expectation of the right portion for the price. While clubs will never move to including pictures with their menus, a reason behind the sustained success of chain restaurants is the expectation their picture menus create, as well as the guidance those photos
“Regardless of what dietary mood a member may be in, keeping a few club classics that are readily available and consistent in their appeal will always present a strong backup plan. And if they’re twists on old favorites for which a club has developed a unique presentation or flavor, that can only add to their value as a storytelling opportunity and special source of pride for members.
”provide for the staff that must prepare and serve those items.
Clubs need to find ways to satisfy what a member will expect to be served without regressing to pictures. Precise menu descriptions and very knowledgeable servers will help meet members’ expectations for whatever dish they choose.
3. Repeatable Learnings
Everyone enjoys being exposed to new things and getting educated on their own terms. When dining at a club, members love coming away from something new they learned about the source of ingredients or the origin of a dish that they can then share with friends. The F&B world is filled with such learnings, and it’s the responsibility of club professionals to uncover those unique stories and keep them front and center as part of a club’s dining agenda.
For example, while some may know how grapes are grown, do they know the story of the farmer who buries quartz into the ground around the vines of his bio-dynamic offerings? Learning more about the process of how something is made, how it has evolved and how it has become part of a specific culture can help give ownership to how food feels, tastes, smells and is experienced. Many of these
learnings can also become the basis for launching do-it-yourself or children’s programs that further engage members.
4. Simplicity
One of the most unique aspects of a club membership is that it spans such a wide range of age groups and generations, but that same characteristic poses special challenges for the F&B program. When the range of ages stretches from four to 94, simple norms like house salads, club sandwiches and regional soups take on added importance.
Regardless of what dietary mood a member may be in, keeping a few club classics that are readily available and consistent in their appeal will always present a strong backup plan. And if they’re twists on old favorites for which a club has developed a unique presentation or flavor, that can only add to their value as a storytelling opportunity and special source of pride for members.
Another key aspect of simplicity is making sure classic dishes arrive at members’ tables in familiar, recognizable forms that don’t jar expectations, unless new descriptions or titles have been assigned to them to describe how they’ve been changed. That’s why burgers now merit their own category on menus, stretching from all-beef to vegetarian with various sides. But one should never serve the hamburger bun on the side or with baked fries instead of fried, unless those distinctions have been made clear.
Thanks to wireless connections, speed is valued currency in many lives. Especially as their membership ranks have swelled in recent years, clubs must figure out ways to feed large amounts of people quickly, in great style and with extreme quality.
This has ramped up interest in how to integrate more grab-and-go and self-service options into club dining without compromising member satisfaction. To accomplish this, clubs must be uber-organized to properly cook, package and deliver items in this fashion without disappointing expectations for
proper variety, quality and speed.
With its individualized packaging, beautiful display counters and efficient touches such as condiment sourcing, Starbucks has created and sustained a great example of self-service options that meet performance expectations. Clubs have the opportunity to build on the concept by also turning yesterday’s tired buffets into action cooking spaces that are set up across dining venues to offer individualized culinary portions. In this way, grab-and-go doesn’t really have to be viewed as a new trend, but as an upscaled extension of the type of self-service that has been around since we first ate at our own dining room table or moved through a school lunch line.
Beyond these five traits, staying at the forefront of member expectations also calls for clubs to remain ready to respond to other trending fads, as well as new dietary or even social movements. The foundation for members’ dining satisfaction, however, will always be formed by accurately delivering F&B products as promised, with quality ingredients at an expected price or portion, and through service that affords proper respect to diners and their time. Clubs that can build and maintain this foundation will gain the trust and loyalty from members that will be reflected by the proper measure of satisfaction with their F&B operations.
Lawrence T. McFadden CMC ECM is a Global Hospitality Professional, Certified Master Chef and Search & Consulting Executive for KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE. lawrence@kkandw.com
Annette Whittley, is a World Traveler, Food & Beverage Training Consultant, and Search Executive with KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE. annette@kkandw.com
• www.kkandw.com/international
Considered a respected golf venue world-wide and consistently ranked among the best links golf courses in the British Isles, Portmarnock Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland, welcomes Kyle Cannon as General Manager. With a rich history closely aligned to the progression of golf in Ireland, Portmarnock has hosted many major professional and amateur events, including multiple Irish Open Championships, the Walker Cup, and multiple Amateur Championships. Cannon was most recently General Manager at Woodbrook Golf Club in Wicklow, Ireland.
The home of amateur golf in England and providing a first-class coaching environment for the National Squads as well as excellent golfing facilities that are available to all players, whatever their handicap, The National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa welcomes Bradley Gould as Managing Director. The operation encompass two 18-hole golf courses, The Hotchkin and The Bracken, in addition to practice facilities that represent some of the finest in Europe. Gould was most recently Director of Golf at The Grove in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
England Golf, the governing body for amateur golf in England and non-profit organisation dedicated to growing the game of golf, welcomes Peter Horsted as Head of Digital Headquartered at The National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa, in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, England Golf works at the heart of supporting and empowering a thriving community of players, counties, and clubs to get the most out of the game of golf. Horsted was most recently Transformation & PMO Director at Algeco in Peterborough, United Kingdom.
Recognized within Australia and New Zealand as one of the premier private member clubs, Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club in Auckland New Zealand welcomes Sam Lee as Director of Membership & People. In recent years, the club has undertaken strategic initiatives such as subair systems, cart path improvements, and a world-class clubhouse to further enhance the golfing experience. Lee was most recently Membership Manager at Wainui Golf and Function Centre in Auckland, New Zealand.
Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE), a non-profit professional association with members involved in the management of clubs located throughout Europe, the Middle East & Northern Africa, welcomes Gavin Robinson as Operations Manager. Multinational and multicultural members represent management positions within the club industry which includes Golf, Tennis, Sailing, Rowing, Rugby, Leisure & Fitness, City and Dining Clubs. Robinson was most recently General Manager at Purley Downs Golf Club in Surrey, England.
Boyce Hill Golf Club, a cornerstone of the golfing community in Essex, England, welcomes Jonathan Tarling as General Manager. Designed by golf course architect, James Braid, the 18hole course offers a challenging yet enjoyable experience for golfers of all levels. The club has continuously reinvested in its infrastructure earning an esteemed reputation through exceptional facilities and a commitment to excellence. Tarling was most recently Club Operations Manager at Bishops Stortford Golf Club, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
Offering a premier golf and leisure experience, The Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, welcomes Colin White as General Manager. The club combines professional-grade facilities including an expertly designed 18-hole course and state-of-the-art driving range with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. With stunning course views, the premium restaurant and bar “Script” provides an elegant setting, catering to a diverse audience of golfers, special events, and elevated casual diners. White was most recently General Manager at Enville Golf Club in Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
“We all know that recruiting can be stressful, especially for key positions, and this wasn’t the case for our Director of Golf search. I would use KK&W again and wouldn’t hesitate recommending them to you for your next search.”
ED CHAPMAN | CHIEF EXECUTIVE
ROYAL AUCKLAND AND GRANGE GOLF CLUB
Specialising in Private Club GM/COO, CEO, AGM, Clubhouse Management, F&B, Financial, Golf, Culinary, Agronomy, Racquets, HR, Fitness & Wellness, Membership and Marketing Professional Searches.
We design programs to equip club leaders with knowledge and tools to successfully navigate their jobs. Our interactive sessions involve storytelling, sharing experiences, role playing & situational awareness.
Our Board Dynamics/Model has been presented to over 1000 private clubs and communities. Our best practices are respected and regularly highlighted by the leading industry publications and associations.
“The 2024 European Conference in London was an exciting first for Club Benchmarking since launching in Europe in late 2022,” says James Burns CCM, as he shares his reflections on the remarkable event.
Having delivered insights and education at various MDPs, regional sessions, and online seminars, John [McCormack CCM] and I were excited to connect with industry leaders on this larger stage to share our key messages and vision.
Transitioning from working “in” the club business to working “on” the club business has been a rewarding journey for both of us. We’re proud to be part of a larger organisation that not only brings a wealth of experience but also the analytical processes necessary to understand what truly drives success in our industry. The culture of continuous learning, where we can separate “what we know” from “what we think,” has invigorated our approach to the work we do.
Moving the conference back to London was the right decision. The increased number and range of registrations reflected this. City clubs in London have long been celebrated for their exceptional experiences, and this conference upheld that reputation. There was plenty on offer in regard to speakers and their presentation learning outcomes across the
entire Conference.
Three full days of education is quite intense and it is a challenge trying to deliver something for everyone and the team did a great job in getting the right balance.
We recently received feedback from the conference, and as a data-driven business, we truly value the insights shared by delegates. We were thrilled to achieve a gold medal for “relevancy to the operation,” which validates our hard work since launching in Europe. Below, we’ve outlined some key points from our presentation.
In conversations with over 250 managers, we’ve uncovered a common theme: the term “firefighting” aptly captures the challenges many General Managers face today. A quick show of hands during our presentation revealed that more than half of the delegates believe their roles have become significant-
ly tougher since the pandemic. With inflation on the rise, resources in short supply, labour pressures mounting, and member expectations soaring, it’s clear that senior management teams are feeling the heat – especially as Boards narrow their focus on what’s deemed important.
In our observations, many clubs are primarily focused on day-to-day operations. While this is crucial, we believe it’s equally vital for managers to embrace a broader understanding of their club’s financial landscape and business model. Our research, in partnership with CMAE and other associations, shows that finance is the area where managers seek the most development. We’re here to support you in enhancing your skills in this area, reducing reliance on volunteers along the way.
“Members who think like Owners, not Customers” is a phrase we use in every presentation, and it’s a key message for us as a company. You’ll hear it often in the years to come. Now, take a
moment to honestly assess your club’s culture – does it focus on:
1. Minimising subscription increases by cutting all income and expenditure lines, improving efficiency, and deferring critical capital replacements?
Or
2. Determining the necessary subscription or levy increases to ensure the club is fully resourced, allowing you to deliver the best possible membership experience?
From our extensive experience, we’ve learned that “Clubs compete on the experience they offer, not the price they charge.” Keeping this in mind can help alleviate some of the fears that often accompany fee increases.
More clubs are beginning to realise that merely trimming costs isn’t the path to long-term success. Managers are actively shifting the focus from Operational Governance to Strategic Governance. Figure 1 shows that most clubs currently operate within an Operational Governance model. While this approach may feel safe for Boards and Committees, we encourage a shift toward Strategic Governance – ask yourself, where does your club lie on this self assessment?
Let’s talk about something many of us can relate to: the frustration of constantly prioritising capital investments. Are you tired of outdated furniture, potholes in the car park, or wondering how to fund replacements like irrigation systems and kitchen equipment?
At a high level we want to emphasise the importance that the income and expenditure account is used purely to keep the grass cut, beer cold and the food warm.
We believe the true financial driver of the club is the balance sheet / capital ledger and ensuring that you are generating enough capital income to ensure you can meet your Obligatory Capital Needs and have scope for Aspirational Capital. These are phrases you should be become familiar with and are becoming part of the modern day club vernacular –detailed in Figure 2.
Many of the clubs we have met have some sort of version of a 5 year course machinery plan which at times is defined as their overall capital plan and in some cases their strategic plan. Outside of the course machinery how many of you generally operate on the wider basis of – when it can be no longer be fixed, is beyond repair and on its last legs, will it even be considered to be replaced?
Remember, you’re also in the capital planning business! A lack of an accurate fixed asset register can lead to an incomplete understanding of your assets and their conditions across your property. By analysing your balance sheet from your annual accounts, we can quickly determine whether your club has been deferring its Obligatory Capital Needs or reinvesting. Our analysis reveals that 75% of clubs are not generating sufficient capital to meet their future requirements, often due to inadequate capital
planning processes.
Conducting an Asset Reserve Study for your club, detailing all assets valued over €/£2,500 – including their condition, year of replacement, and replacement costs – will provide a clearer picture of your future. This information allows you to project what needs to be replaced and when, while also planning for any aspirational additions to create a robust and sustainable financial model. Check out Figure 3 for best practices in capital processes.
As clubs evolve, prioritising strategic investment
and member focused experiences is essential. Let’s talk about how to best support these goals and create a sustainable future for your club.
James Burns CCM is a director of Club Benchmarking EMEA.
To contact James email: jburns@clubbenchmarking.eu or visit www.clubbenchmarking.eu
Club Benchmarking delivers fact-based, actionable insight through a suite of business intelligence tools and services built specifically for private clubs. We believe that when club leaders elevate fact over opinion, the result is healthier clubs, more empowered general managers and boards that are properly equipped to focus on strategic issues. Everything we do is grounded in data and research and we serve the full spectrum of club industry stakeholders; club staff, general managers, boards, committees, members, owners and industry constituents including associations.
Financial & Operational Benchmarking
COMPASS Comprehensive Asset Management
Member Motivation, Attachment & Loyalty Benchmarking
Employee Engagement Benchmarking
Compensation & Benefits Benchmarking
Strategic Governance Advisory Services
All industries take advantage of innovation and golf makes no exception. Frederic Paczkowski, General Manager at SKIM Turf Management, shares on how continuous data-collection, satellite imagery and AI can be combined to precisely manage clubs’ most valuable asset – the golf course.
The data-collection change coming at the golf industry is not always easy to grasp. As a software provider since 2002, that feeling is nothing new to us. Adapting and embracing novelties was the pavement for our development. While I meet with many courses that have not yet taken the data plunge, the most advanced ones take advantage from it in their maintenance programs. Front runners have data-driven strategies as the slightest insights can make a big difference.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
This quote attributed to Peter Drucker definitely applies to the business of offering the best playing conditions to golfers.
How is it possible to improve without data? Golf course and maintenance teams now can observe trends and highlight patterns without worrying about the data-collection process. By comparing data to inputs and the situation on the course, it is possible to refine maintenance activities and input applications. Building such a database and monitoring the evolution of the golf course is critical to keeping the playing conditions within established parameters and providing the best playing experience as possible. Our vision to build SKIM has been ignited by our passion for the game of golf and the goal to make precision maintenance possible. The result is an intuitive remote sensing tool, empowered with AI, that provides continuous diagnostics of the entire golf course with weekly measurements of vegetation indices, nutrients, and soil moisture. AI now enhances data collection, visualization, and interpretation. After our start at the 2024 PGA Show, winning the Best New Product award, we are very proud to recently partner with
another CMAE member, UGOLF International. Analytics based on manual data-collection and limited sampling areas, can be challenging. Some patterns are not even visible to the naked eye and hard to catch onsite. That’s why, it’s critical to have access to continuous data on the entire course, which is filling the blanks and allowing to detect dynamics of the turf condition. That helps mitigating issues before they escalate. Even if you didn’t document your course turf condition in the past, you won’t start from scratch as we provide a minimum of one year of historical data from archive satellite imagery.
Measurements in SKIM are remotely sensed from the reflectance of turf in multispectral satellite imagery. To avoid randomness and potential lack of sensitivity, we have carried more than 50,000 measurements on 9 courses in the USA and Europe which served the training purposes of our in-house machine learning models. We have
also embedded generative AI into our “Ask SKIM” module, for example to obtain best practices or gain information about specific issues.
For club managers that creates the opportunity to provide staff with tools that enhance their productivity, knowledge and job satisfaction. Modern superintendents will work with consistently evolving technology and increasing amount of insights. As a friend and superintendent once said, “you don’t know what you don’t know”. It’s always easier to be set in our ways but if you dare challenging the status quo, it’s definitely worth it.
Frederic Paczkowski is the General Manager for SKIM Turf Management
To contact Frederic email: frederic@skimturf.com or visit www.skimturf.com
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A great Christmas trading period would be a suitably positive end to another challenging but encouraging year for clubs. Brewer Greene King shares its offering for UK clubs.
There’s nothing quite like the festive season to get people off their sofas at home and out to the club for a few drinks with friends and family.
We know that many people are choosing to venture out less often than they once did but we also know that when they do make a trip to the
club they want to really enjoy the experience.
What that means is that Christmas represents a huge opportunity for venues in terms of growing footfall and driving sales and profits.
It’s a once-in-a-year unique opportunity that will hopefully see many people loosen the purse strings and spend some much-needed time
relaxing and enjoying a few drinks.
One of the biggest opportunities of all lies in cask ale – a drink that is literally like no other.
Beer has a proud place at the heart of the great British bar and when it comes to finding the freshest beer or ale, you can’t do better than fresh cask ale.
Crafted with traditional and artisanal techniques, cask ales needs to be served fresh to get the best of its uniquely complex and intricate flavour.
It’s an experience that simply cannot be enjoyed at home so cask offers a brilliant opportunity like no other to drive footfall in venues.
As many venue operators will know cask ale drinkers are a loyal bunch.
Some 70% of them say they know they’ll choose cask even before they leave the house.
Not only that – 60% of them say they will try at least two different cast products per visit.
To meet that demand, Greene King has the finest selection of cask beers available spanning both our permanent range of classics and favourites and our seasonal stars that form part of our annual Fresh Cask Releases programme.
this festive period.
It really is a must-stock this Christmas and not only will it deliver for you, Greene King will give 5p (plus VAT) from every pint sold to Macmillan Cancer Support – doing the right thing never tasted so good.
But it’s not just Rocking Rudolph that will be driving the cask category over the next couple of months.
Back by popular demand once again, Abbot Reserve has become a staple in the seasonal calendar and has done a remarkable job over the years of driving footfall, sales and profits for venues stocking it every December.
At 6.5% ABV, it’s a full flavoured, dark-copper premium ale that is considered by many drinkers to be a natural festive trade-upon the much loved Abbot Ale.
Utterly distinctive, smooth and mature, it’s bursting with fruitcake and toffee flavours – the perfect pint for a winter’s evening.
Abbott Reserve is available in smaller 4.5 gallon pins format, making it easier than ever to cash in on the popularity of the Abbott brand and offer your members a true Christmas treat. In other words, you can trade up with minimum risk.
Fireside favourite
Also returning this year is the limited edition Fireside Winter Ale, another winter classic.
A full-bodied ruby winter ale with a mellow fruity finish, it features zingy grapefruit and lemon notes while black malt adds a nice level of refreshment.
At 4.5% ABV it’s an easy-to-drink ale and is another fantastic option to offer on those cold, dark winter nights.
Available through November and December this year Fireside features a new pump clip to help catch the member’s eye.
Premium push
With more of your members looking to make more of their nights out, Christmas is the ideal time to shift your focus slightly towards premium products.
This means products like the cask beers highlighted above, but it also means taking a fresh look at your range of wines and spirits.
These categories tend to see major growth in the festive period and it’s the premium end that grows quickest.
Premium lines mean premium profits – and it also tends to make happier members, the perfect win-win.
Greene King offers a vast range of premium options – from the luxury classic Champagne to a huge range of premium and super premium spirits.
Remember, however, that encouraging your members to trade up doesn’t necessarily mean trading up all the way to the top.
Yes, some of your members will want the best of the best but for many, trading up can simply mean buying a more premium alternative to the drink or brand they usually buy.
Focus on key categories like gin, vodka, whisky and rum and add a more premium option or two and you won’t go far wrong.
Similarly, cocktails tend to be popular at Christmas whether you painstakingly make them from scratch or whether you offer ready to drink premix options in cans (see the last issue for more details).
Either way your customers will pay a premium for cocktails and the benefit can be seen in your bottom line.
•To discuss supply with Greene King & Belhaven, call 0345 8504545 and quote “CLUB23”.
• Already trade with Greene King? Contact your SDM for more information.
The undoubted star of that seasonal show is Rocking Rudolph, the best-selling festive cask ale for eight consecutive years and looking set to make that a ninth chart-topping performance <
This December marks the first time that
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