Callum Nicoll;
Fairmont St Andrews
“Obviously everyone that comes to St Andrews wants to play the Old Course, but we have a unique offering in that we can offer a great golf experience coupled with a relaxed experience in the evening, all on one site. Being part of a resort, guests staying at Fairmont St Andrews can play early in town and then come back to the hotel, have a spot of lunch or a swim, and then nip out again for nine, or 18 holes in the afternoon in a buggy.”
Mark Addison;
JCB Golf & Country Club
“The guest journey is everything and because of who we are and the reputation we have, everything we do has to stand out. And we have to deliver that consistently. If we can’t deliver it consistently, it’s not worth doing. I have a team of about 70 staff split across the greenkeeping team, golf operations, housekeeping, food and beverage etc. When it comes to my team, I’m here to help them do their jobs. I’m not a micromanager but if I can assist them, I will.”
Radomír Holečka;
Penati Golf Resort
“I love the landscape of a golf course, especially some of the courses in New Zealand which look like botanical gardens. Plus, as I have a keen interest in hospitality management — particularly contemporary clubhouses with modern eateries — coupled with more than a passing interest in golf technology and travel, a career working in golf seemed to be a perfect fit. It appeared that the whole ambience surrounding a golf course tended to be relaxed and stress-free.”
Molly Pavey;
Bramsham Golf Club
“I started at Dudsbury Golf Club as golf operations assistant. It was quite heavy front-facing, and then obviously a bit of admin, which always comes with golf clubs. It was a real eye opener as to how a golf club runs and what goes on behind the scenes. Having been a member of a golf club for years, you see it as a customer, but you don’t necessarily see it as an operator, so it was really interesting to see and understand how golf clubs work.”
Bengt Rittri;
Bluewater Group
“We were contacted by The Open because they’d wanted to go plastic-free there and they’d looked around for all kinds of solutions around the world, and they said we were the only ones who could do it. They thought because we had the greatest purification system, and we had water bottles, we could put those stations up at their golf course. In just a few months we organised it. We put up 18 huge stations around the golf course and then we made 100,000 bottles for them.”
Al Zorah;
United Arab Emirates
Currently under construction, and scheduled to open this autumn, the rooftop bar of the impressive state-of-the-art new clubhouse at Al Zorah Golf Club, in the northern region of the United Arab Emirates will offer some of the best views in the region and form a focal point for the surrounding community. Featuring three restaurants, a fitness centre and two outdoor swimming pools, the three-storey clubhouse will only serve to enhance the club’s growing reputation.