Golf Club Talk UK

Andrew Reynolds, recently retired Head Professional at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, shares insights from his notable career in the golf industry. He discusses trends in golf course development, focusing on inclusivity and member experience. The conversation dives into the generational diversity challenge in clubs and the necessity for innovative income sources. Andrew also reflects on the evolving nature of golf and the role of mentorship, emphasizing community collaboration and personal growth within the sport.

On the latest Trending Topics we welcome Matt Draper and delve into two vital areas of Golf Clubs - Safeguarding and Legal Compliance. The common theme through the discussions centre on good governance practices and having the necessary policies and procedures in place. The safeguarding department at England Golf are there to educate and inform clubs around ways to keep their members safe, but also if an incident were to arise - they are there to help in a practical way. Petra Duvanna, Safeguarding Lead Officer, explains to listeners what safeguarding is and what clubs need to be aware of and look out for. She also talks through some examples of breeches and these quite often come down to bullying by others or harrassment by parents. There's also some great advice on how to report an incident. David Walters, Legal & Compliance Officer, then talks us through some other areas of legal compliance for clubs and how to stay on the right side of the law! This is largely from an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion point of view, but this could also mean member discipline, employment law, health and safety and GDPR. Your EDI policy and Disciplinary Policy will be the guiding documents here. A crucial listen for any Club Manager or someone who governs at a club. https://www.englandgolf.org/safeguarding https://www.englandgolf.org/legal Golf Club Talk UK Management Field Trip - Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March 2025.

Leighton is joined by Tom Brooke, Natalie McColl, Gareth Morgan and Darren Wood to take a look back at 2024. The review is carried out through the lens of the GCMA Strategic Plan and like all golf clubs should be doing - reviewing the objectives. After Tom gives an overview of the purpose, vision and values, we take a look at four key pillars of the plan: Membership and Membership Services Regional Development Professional Development Partnerships and Collaborations There's also a brief glimpse into 2025 and some of the opportunities and challenges. Save the date for your diary! November 16th - 18th 2025 - GCMA Conference. De Vere Cotswold Water Park. Golf Club Talk UK Management Field Trip - Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March 2025. GCMA members receive a £30 discount. Quote code "GCMAMEMBER" www.gcma.org.uk GCMA Strategic Plan

Nicole Wheatley shares insights from the Women in Golf Awards, celebrating women's achievements in the industry. Spey Bay Golf Club is highlighted for its innovative community-driven transformation, including plans for a reversible golf layout. The podcast emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and recognizing women's contributions to golf, as well as the growing support network empowering female golfers. Listeners are encouraged to feel inspired by the progressive changes at Spey Bay and the impact of the awards on fostering a united golfing community.

Leighton is joined by Gavin Dear from Shot Scope. Gavin, hailing from Scotland, is a former European Tour and Challenge Tour player and has been with Shot Scope for nearly 10 years. Shot Scope are an innovative, forward thinking company who assist Golfers with game improving shot tracking. Gavin talks through how the technology can help Golfers but also how it can help clubs make better decisions on their Golf Course. With years of data gathered from Golf Courses in the UK and internantionally, this data can help with decisions around design, playability and safety. Gavin also has some really insightful thoughts on the game of Golf and Golf Clubs in general having grown up with the game and now playing at Bathgate Golf Club on the outskirts of Edinburgh. This was a great discussion. Check out what Shot Scope have to offer - https://shotscope.com/uk/ Don't forget our Management Field Trip at Princes and Royal Cinque Ports Golf Clubs on 26th, 27th March. For more details or to book click here - Management Field Trip Thanks also to our show partner - Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace https://kkandw.com/international/

Leighton and Eddie catch up for their monthly chat and this includes some information on the upcoming "Management Field Trip" - March 26th, 27th at Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's Golf Clubs. See information below. Eddie is then joined by Jonathan Gaunt, Golf Course Architect. Jonathan has been plying his trade in the UK and internationally for many years now and has gained an excellent reputation in the design world through Gaunt Golf Design. This includes a huge variety of course styles and courses with a deep history of design through the likes of MacKenzie, Colt and Braid. Starting his career in landscape architecture, Jonathan moved into an area of passion in Golf and the design of courses. This is a good chat between two proud Yorkshiremen and Jonathan shares the story of his time in the industry. https://www.gaunt-golf-design.com/about-us/ Management Field Trip information and booking link www.golfclubtalk.uk golfclubtalkuk@gmail.com Thanks to our show partner - Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace https://kkandw.com/international/

On our latest Trending Topics with England Golf, we explore two key areas of its operations, Championships where we're joined by James Crampton and Rules, with Sam Barker-Sabido. England Golf run many Championships throughout the year at all levels. James talks about what's involved in applying for an event, hosting an event and the benefits and positive side-effects that can come with hosting one of these tournaments. Not all championships are at elite level and EG also host many handicap events. Towards the end of the episode, we're joined by Simon Williams, GM of Sherwood Forest GC, to tell us what it's like to host an EG Championship. Sherwood Forest have hosted many and Simon gives the inside view, from a club that has done so. Sam Barker-Sabido also talks to us about the importance of his role within England Golf and stresses why clubs need to continually educate their members on the rules of Golf and what to know when holding competitions. There are many initiatives to assist with Rules education both for Golfers and also those who want to take on a "Rules" role within their club. https://www.englandgolf.org/rules-of-golf https://www.englandgolf.org/2024-england-golf-events https://www.sherwoodforestgolfclub.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescrampton122/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-barker-sabido-a39510153/

Episode 104 is a spotlight on a club that is doing things very well. Stoneham Golf Club, near Southampton in Hampshire is an excellent club with a Willie Park Jnr designed course. It's seen some rapid evolution over the last 5-10 years with a state-of-the-art practice facility designed and built, much work completed on the course and now a water storage reservoir being constructed. Othe plans may follow including clubhouse renovations. More than jyst the physical work being carried out, much of the success of the club is down to good governance, but also the creativity and diligence of Matt Plested, Course Manager and Shah Bani-Sadr, General Manager. We talk to them both, on site and hear the story and thought processes that have led to the evolution of the club. Well worth a listen for anyone looking for inspiration on what is possible. https://www.stonehamgolfclub.org.uk/ Thanks to our show partner - Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace https://kkandw.com/international/

Episode 103 is the second part of our "state of the industry" round table chat with 6 industry experts from different fields. It was an extensive discussion and covered a wide range of crucial and relevant topics. This is part 2 and features discussion on; communication to your members, financial planning and sustainability, investment in your facilities, industry challenges, collaboration in our industry, future innovations and sharing data across the industry. Thanks to Alastair Sinclair of Play More Golf for coming up with the concept and setting up the session. The panellists are: Alastair Sinclair - Play More Golf Matt Roberts - 59 Club James Wilkinson - Albatross Stuart Gillett - Legacy Golf Advisors Rob Corcoran - Revenue Club Darren Redwood - Your Golf Marketing Please feel free to give us your thoughts or open up some debate on what was discussed. golfclubtalkuk@gmail.com www.golfclubtalk.uk Thanks to our show partner - Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace Contact Michael Herd for any of your recruitment needs - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-herd-2686598b/

It's the last of a series of four episodes on the recently launched - Advanced Management Programme, an exciting new education programme from the GCMA. Leighton is joined by Tom Brooke for a quick introduction before we hear about the two certificate modules in this Award, and why people working in the Golf industry need to get involved. The AMP can be complimentary to other forms of education and takes a deep dive into the key areas of managing a Golf Club or operation. The interviews and guests are: Building Resilience & Managing Mental Health - Charlotte Wiseman (Charlotte Wiseman Leadership & Wellbeing) Advanced Leadership and Emotional Intelligence - Biddy Lloyd-Jones & Keith Maynard (Progrezo) Everything you need to know, including how to register, is right here: https://www.gcma.org.uk/gcma-amp-certificates/ https://www.charlottewiseman.com/ https://www.progrezo.com/