Gerrards Cross is in the running for Tournament Venue of the Year at the England Golf Awards. We spoke to General Manager Adam Grint about the roots of the club’s success.
When Gerrards Cross Golf Club was named as a finalist for Tournament Venue of the Year at the England Golf Awards, it prompted a moment of reflection for a club that prides itself on delivering consistently rather than just for the big occasions.
The nomination followed the successful hosting of the English Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship, an event praised by England Golf for its organisation, hospitality and attention to detail.
For General Manager Adam Grint, the recognition landed several months after the final putt dropped, but it carried real weight.
“It was fantastic. It was awesome to get the email,” he said. “You look at it and sort of do a double take at first, because you know what you’ve done and what you’ve hosted, but to get that recognition was absolutely an honour. It really reflects the amazing team we’ve got here, their hard work, their passion, and the club’s investment in continuing to enhance the place.”
Central to the nomination was a “nothing is too much trouble” ethos that shaped the championship experience. For Adam, that mindset is not something that just gets switched on for tournament week.
“It doesn’t just happen at the tournament,” he explained. “That’s our day-to-day ethos. So when it comes to a tournament, we’re not really doing anything differently. From an operations perspective, it’s almost no different to how we run the club anyway.”
That consistency is underpinned by a culture built deliberately over time. Adam is clear that it starts with leadership and trust.
“I don’t expect anybody to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself,” he said. “That filters through the team. The green staff help the bar staff, the bar staff help the green staff, the pro shop helps the kitchen. Everyone pulls together, and that’s why you get a can-do attitude.”
The approach extends to volunteers, a critical element in any championship delivery. Gerrards Cross benefited from a highly engaged membership and experienced coordination, with former ladies’ captain Debbie Veys leading the volunteer programme.
“There is an amazing membership at the club” Adam said. “People are keen to get involved. Debbie, the volunteer coordinator, did a fantastic job. She’s very good on detail, which gave us confidence that volunteers knew where they needed to be and what they needed to look out for. They hugely enjoyed it as well.”
Course presentation was another standout element of the championship, delivered in challenging hot and dry conditions. Adam is quick to credit Course Manager Adam McColl and his team.
“The greens team did an awesome job,” he said. “They were working in that heat, with early starts and late finishes, fitting work around play, and they just smashed it. They’re well managed, they know the course, and we’ve got great infrastructure, including full course irrigation, which allowed us to apply water scientifically.”
That preparation meant the team could respond calmly when the unexpected happened, including a fallen tree on the 18th that was cleared within an hour on the morning of play.
Behind the scenes, Adam’s role was about oversight rather than micromanagement, something he attributes to having the right people in place.
“The team has developed over the last five years,” he said. “The Deputy GM, Martin Hillary; Course Manager; Head Professional; Head Chef and their teams deliver on the detail. That allows me to set the strategy and direction, knowing that if they’ve got a question, they’ll come and ask.”
Food and beverage was equally integral to the overall experience, with the operation adapting menus and service to meet the demands of championship play.
“We did our research, spoke to other clubs, picked up learning points,” Adam explained. “We knew turnaround needed to be quick, food needed to be quality and healthy, and the team adapted to what was required. That adaptability is what they do day in, day out.”
Looking back, the nomination has reinforced Adam’s belief that people remain the defining factor in successful club management.
“It’s the team,” he concluded. “People here are genuinely happy to be part of the club. They want to come to work. They want to be part of a team. That makes me very proud as a GM.”
Key takeaways
- Consistency, not occasion, drives excellence. The club’s “nothing is too much trouble” ethos is embedded in daily operations, making tournament delivery a natural extension of how the club runs year-round.
- Strong culture and trust enable seamless delivery. Clear leadership, cross-department teamwork and empowered heads of department allowed staff and volunteers to operate cohesively without micromanagement.
- People and preparation make the difference. Investment in staff, volunteers, infrastructure and detailed planning ensured the club could deliver high standards and respond calmly under pressure.
