02
December
2025
Louis Booth outlines the five priorities every General Manager should focus on, from governance and people to data-driven decision making.
As demands on clubs continue to evolve, the pressures on General Managers have never been more complex.
Balancing governance, member expectations, commercial performance and long-term planning requires a blend of structure, curiosity and the ability to bring people with you.
Few understand this better than Louis Booth, General Manager at Lincoln Golf Club and former winner of the GCMA Newcomer of the Year Award.
Louis has gone to great lengths to strengthen the club’s operational foundations while nurturing a team culture that supports high standards and encourages new ideas.
Here, Booth shares five principles that continue to guide his work and help shape Lincoln Golf Club’s progress.
- Ensuring that the club has a good governance structure – I know that Jerry Kilby had a breakout session at the Conference on governance. This impacts day-to-day operations heavily and in a changing environment, you need to be able to make decisions quickly and ensure the club is operating effectively with a long-term strategy in mind. This is always an ongoing process but having a defined structure, with an aligned board and clear responsibilities for all, can have a positive impact on club operations.
- The team at the club – Building a strong team and learning how they work best has never been more important with expectations of golfers increasing. They are the experts within their areas and knowing how to support them within their roles and how to overcome problems can make a difference to members and visitors experience at the club. Often, it’s the relationships you build that golfers remember. Debbie Kleiner’s breakout session during the Conference on managing the next generation of talent was really helpful for this.
- Challenging and asking questions – ‘We’ve always done it this way’ is a common phrase but being able to understand why this may work and looking at ways to improve this for the future can be important. Asking the question of, ‘How can we make this better?’. This can include trying new events and revamping others.
- Networking – Picking the phone up to colleagues and networking where possible. We all have similar challenges as Club Managers and the industry is fantastic for being open and sharing best working practices. There’s no better place to learn than from colleagues that have already overcome and succeeded challenges that you may be having. Having a mentor can also be beneficial with this and I’ve been fortunate to have several who have really helped me to date.
- Using data as a benchmark for making decisions – This can be through member surveys and knowing exactly where the club is and the future direction that members wish to take this. Data from the tee sheet, from epos in terms of F&B sales, what’s working and what isn’t. With the technological advancements now in the industry and the finer margins, it’s making sure you’re making the correct decisions with the data behind you.
