Prepped and ready for the new season? Don’t forget these key things

02 April 2024

Tips from Welsh Club Manager of the Year and 2023 GCMA Conference Presenter, Andrew Minty, and General Manager at top 100 course Sheringham Golf Club, Paul Adams.

The weather may have done its best to delay the start of the new season, but there are always things to be done to make sure your golf club is primed and ready.

Here, two experts offer their top five tips on ensuring your facility is prepared to welcome in the new season and ready to hit the ground running.

Andrew Minty

Andrew Minty is the Director of Golf at Langland Bay Golf Club.

He won the Welsh Club Manager of the Year in 2023 and is a previous winner of the GCMA Manager of the Year prize.

1) Walk the customers’ journey

Walk the journey that customers will undertake around your facility, to ensure that all signage, cleanliness etc is exactly what you would want to see when arriving at a golf club. Do this numerous times to make sure everything is as it should be.

2) Brief the staff

Ensure all staff are briefed and fully up to speed with all sales techniques, the highest level of customer service possible, and are singing off the same hymn sheet as the rest of your staff.

3) Servicing and records

Check all machinery is serviced and ready, all maintenance logs and training records are completed and systems and standard operating procedures are in place to ensure that all the kit is cleaned, greased etc every time it’s used.

4) Communicate

It’s important to ensure maintenance weeks and anything that can be pre-booked on the tee booking system in advance is communicated to all members and guests.

5) Other checks…

Check all flags, cups, tee markers, course furniture etc is cleaned or replenished and ready for the new season ahead.

Paul Adams

Paul Adams is the General Manager at Sheringham Golf Club.

He has significant management experience and a proven track record of success in the golf, hotel and hospitality industry.

1) All-team meetings

Get all the staff together including the concessions and get them to know each other! This is vital to ensure you have the right team spirit for success.

2) Fire drill

Do a full fire drill for the whole team — safety has to be a top priority.

3) Risk assessments

In keeping with the above regarding the importance of safety, make sure all risk assessments are up to date.

4) Communication

Ensure all communication boards and the website are up to date with the latest information so members and guests are kept fully up to speed.

5) The mission

Remind the whole team of the mission — your standards, objectives etc — and make sure they understand their part in delivering that vision.

By GCMA Content Team

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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.

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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.