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Upcoming GCMA Education this Spring – Secure Your Place

19 February 2026

At the GCMA, we believe that professional education and lifelong learning are at the heart of raising standards in golf club management across the UK.

This spring, we have a strong programme of education available to support you and your development.

At the Golf Club Managers Association, our education framework is designed to support you at every stage of your career — from aspiring managers building core knowledge through to experienced leaders strengthening specialist expertise.

Read on to learn more about our National Education Programme this spring…

Principles of Golf Club Management – Your Foundation

For those at the beginning of their professional journey, the Principles of Golf Club Management certificate remains the best place to start. This course provides you with a broad understanding of the diverse functions that make golf clubs successful — from operations and finance to service delivery and governance. It sets the foundation for further learning and is ideally suited to delegates new to the industry or new to management.

This foundational certificate is ideal for:

  • New professionals entering the sector
  • Aspiring managers seeking a broad understanding of golf club operations

Delivered as a one-week course (online or residential), it covers essential areas of club management, laying the groundwork for further development.

Upcoming Dates:

19–22 March 2026 – Delivered Online
8–11 June 2026 – Delivered Online

LEARN MORE OR SECURE YOUR PLACE

Advanced Management Programme – Deep, Practical Learning

At the core of our educational offering in 2026 is the GCMA Advanced Management Programme (AMP) – our flagship professional development initiative. Now fully established and growing year on year, this programme gives members access to deep dive, practical, leadership-oriented learning experiences delivered in partnership with sector experts and hosted at golf clubs across the UK.

The programme consists of 11 individual Advanced Management Certificates, each focusing on a specific area of club leadership and operations. Certificates can be taken independently or combined towards wider awards, making the Advanced Management Programme extremely flexible and tailored to your development needs. Courses are delivered as residential 2–3 day workshops and are recognised for Accreditation CPD points.

These certificates enable you to build expertise in the areas most relevant to your role – whether that’s member experience, governance, financial leadership, or people management – and help you become a highly effective and confident leader.

View our Upcoming Certificates this Spring below:

Building Resilience & Managing Mental Health Advanced Certificate

24–26 March
Moor Park Golf Club, Rickmansworth

This programme focuses on looking after yourself as a leader, building resilience in demanding environments, and supporting the wellbeing of your team. It offers valuable time away from the club to reflect, reset and gain practical tools.

Secure your place

Golf Course Management for Golf Club Managers Advanced Certificate

21–23 April
Moortown Golf Club

Ideal for those wanting to strengthen their knowledge of agronomy, course strategy and how to work even more effectively with your Course Manager and greens team.

Secure your place

Marketing Strategy Advanced Certificate

12–13 May
Sherwood Forest Golf Club

A practical look at marketing strategy in a golf club setting — member engagement, positioning, communications and driving revenue in a competitive environment.

Secure your place

Employment Law Advanced Certificate

2–3 June
Beau Desert Golf Club

Employment law remains one of the biggest risk areas for clubs. This certificate provides clear, practical guidance to help you manage staff confidently and protect your club.

Secure your place

DISCOVER THE ADVANCED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME HERE

If you have been considering booking onto a course, now is a good time to commit. Investing a few days in your development can have a lasting impact on your confidence, effectiveness and career progression.

Need more information?

If you would like more information or help selecting the best course for you, book a Career Development 1-2-1 with our Professional Development Manager today. It is a valuable opportunity to discuss your goals and navigate the GCMA’s education programme with clarity and direction.

BOOK YOUR 1-2-1 HERE

By Natalie McColl

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Allister Frost

A former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader who now inspires audiences to discover the life-enhancing benefits of having a Future Ready Mindset. As a tech pioneer, Allister gained unique insights into how to transform uncertainty into opportunity, and now loves giving others the positive mindset and simple habits needed to:

  • Stay resilient in the face of uncertainty and change
  • Spot quick win opportunities for improvement
  • And *create* a brilliant future!

 

With AI and robots coming for our jobs (hint from Allister: they won’t, if we know how…), many people are anxious about the future. But Allister asserts that we’ve nothing to fear when we leverage our human superpowers and ingenuity to thrive alongside emerging technologies. That’s why having a Future Ready Mindset is now a must-have skill to remain competitive and relevant to the people we serve, our golf club members and the local community. And the best bit: everyone can do it!

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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.

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Colin MacLachlan

Colin Maclachlan, star of Channel Four's captivating reality TV drama SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s ‘Secrets of the SAS’, is an operator with over 25 years of security and risk related experience who is a popular and frequent fixture on the speaking circuit.

Colin Maclachlan, celebrated for his roles on Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS, brings over three decades of expertise in security and risk management. Colin's military career began in 1989, and after serving nine years with the Royal Scots, he joined the elite 22 SAS at just 23. His time in the SAS saw him participating in numerous high-stakes operations, including the notable rescue of hostages from the West Side Boys in Sierra Leone—a mission so perilous it was dubbed Operation Certain Death.

Colin was also pivotal during the longest hostage siege on UK soil, when a hijacked Afghan plane landed in London in 2000. The standoff lasted four days with Colin as the first sniper on the scene.

After leaving the SAS, Colin exchanged insights with international forces such as Delta Force and Seal Team 6 and provided security consultancy to the Saudi Royal Family and various celebrities. His academic pursuits led him to earn a First Class MA (Hons.) in History from Edinburgh University and an M.Litt in Terrorism from St. Andrews University.

Today, Colin extends his expertise through television, books, radio, and video games. He supports numerous charities and has founded Who Dares Cares, which assists veterans and those experiencing stress. As a speaker, Colin excels in discussing Resilience, Teamwork and Leadership.

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