GCMA Looks Ahead to Bright Future at Biennial Conference & Awards

21 November 2025

Safe proofing the golf industry for a successful and prosperous future provided the key focus for more than 250 delegates as the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA) hosted its biennial conference and awards ceremony at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park this week.

This year’s event was centred around the headline subject of ‘Future Ready’, and the core themes of ‘sustainability, strategy and success’ provided the background for three days of keynote speeches, seminars, break-out sessions and networking when the conference took place in Gloucestershire from November 16-18.

Organised by the GCMA, the event is a key fixture in the golf industry calendar and provides club leaders, decision-makers, and industry professionals with world-class education, networking and the latest insights to help shape the future of golf club management.

In addition to the inspiring keynote sessions delivered by Allister Frost, John Steele OBE, Jo Salter MBE and Colin Maclachlan, the programme featured a wide variety of break-out sessions, giving delegates the chance to participate in relationship-building discussions, question-and-answer forums and interactive workshops. Topics included water management, club communication, AI, leadership, team building and recruitment.

Tom Brooke, CEO of the GCMA, said: “The conference is our chance to look at the wider landscape and see how certain things are impacting golf club management, not just in the golf industry but in society as a whole. We really support our members, not just with what they need today but with what they might need in the future, so that they have a better understanding of golf club management and how to be a great leader.”

This year’s conference saw nearly 300 delegates gather on the second evening for a glittering gala dinner which included celebrating the achievements of the ‘best of the best’ at the 2025 GCMA Awards.

Awards were handed out in four different categories – Manager of the Year, Team of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Support Manager of the Year – while the GCMA also awarded two additional honours to members for Outstanding Achievement and Lifetime Achievement.

The 2025 GCMA Awards winners were:

Manager of the Year: Chloe Boissel-Marshall, Tidworth Garrison Golf Club (Wiltshire)

Boissel-Marshall said: “I think I won because I wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and embrace change. Innovation in the industry is overdue, and delivering real change at Tidworth has made a difference.”

Team of the Year: Marton Meadows Golf Club (Cheshire) – Lisa Harrop and Chad Parker

Harrop said: “This recognition is huge for such a small club. We were up against some amazing venues, and coming out on top is phenomenal.”

Newcomer of the Year: Heather Moran, La Moye Golf Club (Jersey)

Moran said: “I’m incredibly proud—and really surprised—to receive the Newcomer of the Year Award. To be one of three women recognised feels like a sign of things to come. I nearly quit after six months, but my peers and colleagues encouraged me to keep going, and I’m so glad I did.”

Support Manager of the Year: Claire Bainbridge, Fulford Golf Club (North Yorkshire)

Bainbridge said: “I think we’re a really strong team, and this award belongs to all of us and to Fulford. My advice to anyone is just go for it. Enjoy it and take every opportunity.”

Outstanding Achievement: Cameron Dawson, given in recognition of his service to Keighley Golf Club and Yorkshire Golf

Dawson said: “To say I was shocked when I received the wonderful news about this award would be an understatement. The only previous recipient (JR Jones, president of the GCMA) is someone I am very proud to call my friend and someone I look up to. This is a big deal for me and a big deal for Yorkshire, and I feel very honoured.”

Lifetime Achievement Award: John Douglass, retired, given in recognition of his service to Liphook Golf Club (Surrey)

Douglass said: “It’s a great privilege and I’m full of pride. I’ve been a golf club secretary for 32 years, and I was quite happy to quietly slip away, but the dinner and awards ceremony has been overwhelming. It’s been a great journey and a wonderful industry to work in.”

www.gcma.org.uk

ENDS

Information for journalists

Press release written and distributed for the GCMA by Azalea.

For further information, please contact Chris Beeson on +44 1730 711920 or email

[email protected]

By GCMA

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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.

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.

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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.