KNOW YOUR PGA PRO Barry Broadbent - GM, White River CC

1. When did you qualify as a PGA Professional?

I am originally from Zimbabwe and left in January 2005 to study the diploma in “golf directorship & club management” through Damelin in Durban. During the course I took a year off and worked at Boca West Country Club in Florida as part of their summer program. After returning and completing the final year I managed to finish 4th in my year and qualified in 2008.

2. What made you choose this career?

Whilst on holiday in Durban I came accross an advert in a magazine for the course. At that stage I was playing off a +2 handicap, so it was fate. A passion for the game, and not wanting to be a “desk-jockey” ensured my signing up for the course whilst still on holiday. The rest is history as they say!

3. Did you ever play or did you ever want to play on tour?

Growing up in a small town in Zim had its challenges and Junior events were limited to the bigger cities and my parents had to do bit of mileage to get us to and from tournaments.

My old man was essentially my coach, and in his own words: “I will stop coaching you when you get better than me”. At that stage in my life I just wanted to play golf, but thoughts of Tour did not cross my mind.

4. Who has been you mentor in the golfing industry?

Whilst doing my apprenticeship in Cape Town, I worked under Jonathan Jacobsen (Milnerton GC), James Loughnane (King David GC), Cassie Viljoen & Tony Louw (Royal Cape GC). Also associated to Royal Cape was coach Wayne Bradley. So to pick one mentor would not do the others justice.

Your apprenticeship is not about what they teach you, but more about you seizing the opportunities of learning from those that have walked the same path as you in the past.

5. You have recently taken over at White River CC, what were your biggest challenges at such a big residential golf estate?

Without going too in-depth, one needs to understand the history of the club, the demographics as well as what the successes have been in the past.

The biggest challenge, and we see this at many estates throughout South Africa, is that the home owners and residents on the estate are not obliged to have a membership at the golf club. There are 322 houses on the estate and from those 322 houses, there are only 78 Members of the golf club that live on the estate.

This comes with huge opportunities to engage and include the “non-members” with the club. Liaising with the HOA is a key aspect in the process. We were on a good footing early in the year, and then came Covid-19 and threw a huge spanner in the works!

6. White River CC is managed by Mark Wilshire Golf, can you tell us briefly more about MWG?

MWG is owned by Mark Wiltshire and Francois du Plessis. Working for Mark and Francois is a pleasure, the back and forth constant communication, almost daily, eliminates the possibility of any grey area when it comes to expectations.

In this industry and what MWG do in getting involved to assist golf courses, open channels of communication is key. The knowledge base MWG has throughout its staff compliment ensure that there is always someone that is a phone call away to ask advice or draw on expertise.

ERPM, Bloemfontein GC and Oubaai are some of the clubs that MWG manages, so there is a platform to share experiences and ideas within the team.

7. The members of a golf club always come first. Do you agree with the phrase “The member is always right?"

This is always a good question! As a manager, one needs to realize and understand that we are here to serve the members and to form part of a member pleasing team. Understanding the explicit as well as the implicit needs of a member are a key component in this regard.

I am of the opinion that the member is not always right, BUT, you better have a very good explanation when you disagree. Again, how do you take criticism? You can sit back and think bad of the particular member, or you can see it as an OPPORTUNITY to change perceptions. Glass half-empty or half-full!

8. Does your position require you to be available on weekends, evenings, and holidays, and if so, does this place demands on your personal life?

The simple answer… If you get into this industry expecting weekends and public holidays off, then this industry is not for you, as simple as that. Since I have left Zim, I have lived in Durban, Cape Town George and now White River.

Setting down roots is not easy, but waking up in the morning relishing the challenges the day may bring is vital to my career in the industry. If you start waking up in the morning not looking forward to going to work, it’s probably a good time to start looking at a different career path.

9. What are your short & long term goals?

Ahhh, where would I like to be in 5 years… I take each day as it comes and working for MWG has given me the opportunity to develop myself through the MWG family.

Opportunities are endless, so ensuring that my focus is on the betterment of WRCC is paramount at the moment. One thing is for certain, when I retire, I will be retiring from the golf industry.

10. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time is a luxury in this industry so just catching up with myself is a good start. I live a stones-throw away from the Kruger and love nature, so naturally into the park it is, although I am guilty of not doing it often enough!

Getting out and exploring my surroundings is also great, from restaurants to small towns, sometimes just taking a random drive to see what the country-side has to offer.

11. Do you still get time to play?

Not as much as I would like (I am sure all working in the industry will give you the same answer), but still manage to maintain a reasonable handicap. A majority of my golf is played with members and again, this is so valuable when working at a golf club.