Golf Club Talk UK

A thought provoking, inspiring and relevant discussion this week where Leighton is joined by 5 women from different sectors of the Golf Industry: Natalie McColl - Membership Services Manager - GCMA Nicole Wheatley - Owner Medi8 Candi Watkins - General Manager - Sharpley Golf Club Karen Drake - General Manager - Clevedon Golf Club Claire Docker - Ganerel Manager - Robin Hood Golf Club The discussion delves into what it's like to be a woman in the Golf industry. We operate in what is still a very male-dominated industry and there are many challenges to being a woman in this industry. Self-confidence and imposter syndrome can be issues, but sometimes it's the language and disrespect that can be damaging. Throw in physiological and life issues and it can often leave women feeling like they are on the back foot. As well as looking at the challenges, we explore some of the great things that women bring to the industry such as empathy, calmness and lack of ego, and celebrate some good examples of overcoming adversity. This was a fascinating conversation and we urge all listeners, particularly men to listen, be open, aware and take on board some of the points. Nicole Wheatley also talks at the end of the show about the upcoming Women in Golf Awards on November 28th. https://womeningolfawards.co.uk/ www.gcma.org.uk https://medi8ltd.co.uk/ https://www.sharpleygolf.co.uk/ https://www.clevedongolfclub.co.uk/ https://www.robinhoodgolfclub.co.uk/

Two interviews on episode 98 with Eddie talking to Matt Nicholson, owner and author at Golf News. Golf News is a dedicated Golf Newspaper in the UK and was started in 1994 by Matt. The publication continues to bring an unrivalled mix of club news, course reviews, exclusive player interviews, equipment reviews, travel features and competitions that has proved such a hit with golfers for the last 30 years. Matt talks through his time at Golf News and the game in general. Leighton and Eddie are then joined by Alan Plumb, consultant in the valuation team at Savills, Leisure & Trading. Alan brings a wealth of experience to valuations of Golf properties, having worked with some of the best clubs in the country. The discussion looks at why Golf properties need to be valued, how they are valued, but also the motivations behind why someone might want to own a Golf property. An interesting chat and one we've not had before on GCTUK. A big thank you to our show partner - Toptracer https://toptracer.com/ https://golfnews.co.uk/author/matt-nicholson/ https://www.savills.co.uk/people/savills-oxford/alan-plumb.aspx

A recent workforce survey was carried out by Sporting Insights on the state of the Golf industry workforce. The survey, commissioned and supported by GCMA, R&A, BIGGA, England Golf, Wales Golf, Golf Ireland and Scottish Golf - provides a valuable insight and measure into the health of the workforce across multiple areas. This information is key to employers, Golfing bodies and employees alike and John Bushell and Erica Healy talk us through the key findings from the report, with the assistance of Kevin Barker - R&A, Tom Brooke - GCMA and Jim Croxton - BIGGA. A general discussion follows on some of the successes, challenges and opportunities around recruitment and people engagement. Listeners will benefit from viewing the report that accompanies and it can be viewed here Thanks to all particpants for an informative and thought provoking discussion. www.gcma.org.uk www.bigga.org.uk www.randa.org https://www.sportinginsights.com/ WORKFORCE & FACILITIES RESEARCH PROJECT OVERVIEW APRIL 2024

Leighton is joined by Emma Ballard for a catch up on what's happening at Women & Golf and her take on Golf generally. Emma always has some insightful thoughts on the game and industry and she will also be up at the AIG Women's Open in late August for the last major of the year! Rob Saunders then joins from our new show partner - Toptracer! Toptracer is revolutionising practice and game play on Driving Ranges and Rob discusses with Leighton the topic that Top Tracer can be for all facilities and clubs. There's conversation around how it can improve engagement, time spent on property, revenue and importantly - membership recruitment and retention. Toptracer also had a strong presence at Royal Troon recently and Rob gives us the lowdown on the scale of this. Toptracer will become the standard in years to come, so is it a case of when as opposed to if your facility should be looking at it??? https://toptracer.com/ https://womenandgolf.com/

Matt Draper and Gavin Anderson, key contributors to the England Golf DNA report, share their expertise in golf club operations and data analysis. They delve into the evolving trends in golf club membership, emphasizing inclusivity and shifting dynamics. The conversation highlights the financial importance of visitor revenue and the role of data-driven strategies for clubs. They also discuss sustainability initiatives and the collective power of data sharing among clubs, paving the way for informed decision-making and improved governance in the sport.

We're joined by the Director of Sustainable Golf from the R&A, Daniel Lightfoot. Daniel who has an impressive resume from the Golf industry and greenkeeping, is currently at the forefront of promoting the R&A's vision for sustainable Golf. Working his way through the five pillars of sustainability for the R&A, Daniel breaks down the aims into simple terms. On the eve of the Open Championship at Troon (where Daniel happens to be spending the week), the chat is timely and presents a great insight into his role and the subject of sustainability within Golf. Are you a member of the GCMA? If not, join now: www.gcma.org.uk R&A Sustainable Golf Golf Course 2030

In this episode we explore and celebrate the R&A Women in Golf Leadership programme. Leighton and Eddie are joined by four women from the industry who are either driving, mentoring or participating in the programme. Jackie Davidson – Director of Golf Development at R&A Vicky Cuming – Mentor/Coach Bee Craft – Golfbreaks.com and delegate from previous cohort Giulia Ferroni – Leeds Golf Design and delegate from current cohort The conversation explores the motivations for setting up the programme, what's involved, how it works and how women can get involved. The delegates tell their stories of success, discovery and how it's being applied in their careers. It's quite an inspirational conversation and one that shines a light on a vital part of our industry. https://www.randa.org/ www.golfbreaks.com www.leedsgolfdesign.com A big thank you to our partner – Top Tracer! www.toptracer.com Visit our new website!: www.golfclubtalk.uk

Anna McLean from Crieff GC and David Gemmell from Brora GC discuss the benefits and challenges of being near prestigious golf venues like Gleneagles and Royal Dornoch. They explore how it can grow revenue but also impact culture and member experience. David MacFarlane highlights the importance of positive promotion for clubs. The conversation touches on effective marketing strategies and adapting to changing markets in the golf industry.

In our first episode of Trending Topics, we welcome Matt Draper - Club, County, and Membership Director, Gavin Anderson - Club, County and Membership Operations Manager and Jeremy Tomlinson - CEO Jeremy gives us his view on where England Golf sees itself currently as well as his thoughts on where the Golf industry sits. He also talks about the "Respect in Golf" campaign. The team then introduce some of the key areas and people that will be built on and covered in future episodes, such as sustainability, respect in Golf, the independent Golfer and your club's governance to name a few. If you know people that are governing at your club that would gain some benefit by listening, ask them to tune into future episodes, or to find out more visit the website. https://www.englandgolf.org/ Matt Draper - Linkedin Gavin Anderson - Linkedin

Olympic athlete Kriss Akabusi discusses how golf helps his mental health and competitiveness, shares leadership advice. Jim Croxton gives insights on challenges faced by Greenkeeping industry post winter, workforce development, and importance of communication for success in golf.