GCMA Team of the Year prize fitting recognition for Walton Heath, says CEO Woodward

23 November 2023

Walton Heath Golf Club landed the Team of the Year prize at the GCMA Member Awards, much to the delight of CEO Alex Woodward

Winning the Team of the Year prize at the GCMA Member Awards was fitting recognition at the end of an excellent year for Walton Heath Golf Club, according to CEO Alex Woodward.

The Surrey club, which boasts two outstanding heathland courses, played host to the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, attracting glowing praise for its presentation and organisation.

Woodward was among a healthy contingent of attendees from Walton Heath at the GCMA 2023 Conference, where he and his team scooped the Team of the Year honour.

Reflecting on the achievement, he said: “To win an award that recognises the work of the whole team – and we have over 70 employees at Walton Heath – is just fantastic.

“To be judged by your peers as Team of the Year in a year where the GCMA Conference theme was team culture is pretty special.”

It was a busy year for the team, with a range of high-profile events and plenty happening off the course too, but Woodward cited the AIG Women’s Open as a clear highlight.

“We had a full clubhouse refurbishment, we hosted U.S. Open qualifying for the USGA, and we hosted the 100th anniversary Surrey Men’s Amateur for Surrey Golf.

“But the AIG Women’s Open was the pinnacle of the year and everything built up to that. To welcome the very best women golfers in the world to come and play your course is a huge thrill.

“For them to be looked after and given a true Walton Heath experience, while recognising the huge contributions from The R&A, was fantastic.”

Woodward and his team will certainly not be resting on their laurels as they look ahead to 2024.

“We mentioned team culture and when you have that, there is no finish line – you’re always striving for more. We’ve not reached a finish line, we’ve just moved to a new chapter and we’ll head into the new year with an invigorated team and a culture that has been fittingly recognised by this award.”

By GCMA Content Team

More from Your Community

GCMA Teams Up with 59Club as an Official Education Partner

5 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

Press Release The Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) is delighted…

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Women in Golf Awards

4 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

The Women in Golf Awards announced its 2025 winners at…

‘Governance is key’ — David Holmes

3 Dec 2025By GCMA Content Team

Drawing on over two decades of experience, David Holmes shares…

John Steele

John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

This will close in 0 seconds

Dr Jo Salter MBE

Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.