Having started out at The Addington as a buggy cleaner, Rowan Doughty is now Memberships & Golf Operations Manager.
Not everyone treads the same path in their career, but only a select few are likely to follow in the footsteps of Rowan Doughty.
He has certainly done the hard yards in the golf industry, having started as a buggy assistant at The Addington before ascending to his current role as Memberships & Golf Operations manager via stints in the greenkeeping team and working front of house, including a spell at Farleigh Golf Club.
It is little surprise that someone so open to such a wide range of experiences sees variety as being the main draw of his current role.
After Rowan after recently achieved GCMA Aspiring Manager Accredited status, we took the opportunity to catch up with him to find out about his professional journey and what else he has planned.
You’ve taken an interesting career path — can you summarise it for us?
Unlike most of us who work in golf, my first golf experience of any kind was not until I was 16 when looking for local weekend work. Starting as buggy cleaner at The Addington, I then had stints greenkeeping and covering the kitchen before getting more involved in the F&B operation. Within a couple of years I found myself promoted to Bar Manager. After a couple more years I took on an F&B Management role at Farleigh Golf Club for further experience including weddings, restaurant and other functions for a larger team. An opportunity later opened back at The Addington following a change in General Manager. I found myself back where it began in a very different capacity and have been here since.
When and why did you decide to transition towards a management position?
Looking back, mine was not so much a switch to management as a gradual increase in responsibility. With each passing month I am spread across a wider variety of roles and more areas of the golf club, encompassing almost everything now. I have been very accepting of as much responsibility as can come my way as it plays to my strengths and feels a very engaging and rewarding career path.
What are your main responsibilities and goals within your current role?
As well as all golf and membership activity including enquiries, renewal, waiting list management, day to day and year on year, I assist in overseeing all finances, all of the staffing teams across the club, various administrative and tracking tasks, health & safety and compliance, and various improvements and innovations which we are always looking to introduce. I have become the customer face of the golf club and am typically the destination for any issue resolution our customers might have! The office door here is right by the clubhouse entrance and the door is always open.
What do you enjoy most about it?
The variety is what makes the role most engaging. You can be discussing plans in years to come, overseeing projects, assisting and training the team, engaging in sales activity, or with your arm down a drain! You have to get stuck in and have a strong social battery, as well as having endless patience.
Does your eclectic experience within the golf industry give you an advantage?
Yes, not only in understanding first hand how each department functions and being able to step in to assist at a moment’s notice in any emergency situations or shortfalls, but also with the management of the teams. Having previous on-hand experience is certainly a shortcut to being well respected by your teams and being looked up to as a leader.
Why did you decide to embark on the Accreditation process?
After being made aware of this Accreditation scheme I looked into exactly what it means, and see the levelling structure as a great measure of a manager’s progress. It is often difficult to benchmark your own career within golf given that you are likely to be the only person in your position within an organisation, unlike many other leisure businesses.
How important is your own professional development?
This should be very important to anyone, even when it can be tricky to find and make the time in a busy environment. It is all about setting out a plan and sticking to it. It has been rewarding to have seen through a number of projects in the past couple of years that will ultimately set me in better stead for taking on future challenges. Having more recently delved into the GCMA’s offering it is clear that there are is a well-rounded variety of education you can engage with, to fit all situations and points in managers careers. With a number of both in person and remote learning options available there is much to take on board!
What other qualifications are you working towards or looking to pursue?
I am two thirds of the way through the GCMA Level 5 Diploma in Golf Club Management, with the final third due to be tackled next winter. Following completion of this, I am keen to explore a couple of the Advanced Management certificates to fill in some knowledge gaps before looking at the next stage of my career.
What is your ultimate career ambition?
In the future I would love to be a long-standing General Manager at a club in which I can make a difference, particularly to the member community within it. I look forward to building up a key team around me and progressing through the challenges presented at any club to future proof the club for all that may come, with many key topics still to be addressed at most clubs including sustainability. As someone with a very keen eye for detail and a calm common sense approach, I feel I have the qualities to really elevate a venue.
