‘Golf club managers led us through the pandemic – now give them the credit they deserve’
Committees need to trust managers to get on with the business of running the golf club, the leader of an influential association has declared.
Tom Brooke, chief executive of the Golf Club Managers’ Association, says the future success of the sport as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic is reliant on his members.
He urged home unions and governing bodies to engage with managers and asked committees and golf club boards to “give them the credit and the support they deserve”.
Speaking at the virtual GolfBIC conference, Brooke – in a presentation titled ‘The Growing Value of the Golf Club Manager’ – said: “Allow them to lead your business – that’s what they’re there for. That’s how you will achieve success”.
He spoke of the “true leadership credentials” golf club managers had shown through the last year of lockdowns and restrictions.
“That should really be recognised,” Brooke said. “We think about all of the added pressures of staff welfare, of customer welfare – because of the ongoing coronavirus risks – at the same time as that huge increase in demand and footfall we were seeing coming through the doors every day for days and days on end, for the entire summer, and early autumn last year.
“That took courage. It took determination. It took an incredible amount of commitment and hard work.
“And now I think we can really grow from that. I think we really can support and utilise those individuals, and their skills, for the betterment of the game. We really need to turn what we achieved last year into long-term vision and sustainable success.
“So much of what we achieved, and what we need to achieve, will be reliant on delivery of golf clubs and leadership from golf club general managers. We’ve really got to focus on supporting and developing the workforce at a club level.”
Brooke said golf clubs needed to focus on the kind of facility they wanted to be – whether that was traditional private members, modern family club, or pay and play, and then trust the golf club manager to plot the way forward.
“I’ve urged committees and golf club boards in the private membership sector to really think about that, and to give your golf club general manager the credit and the support they deserve,” he said.
“Equally, give them the leadership role and trust them to lead your club, and take that responsibility on.”
Does your golf club manager get the credit they deserve? Tell me their stories in the comments, or tweet me.
NOW READ: ‘It’s important to manage expectations’: Governing bodies warn golfers as clubs prepare to reopen
Subscribe to NCG
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
