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Resorts and Clubs from across the UK & Ireland came together at The Double Tree by Hilton at Stadium MK on the 13th of March 2025, as 59club UK and Ireland recognised the outstanding Venues, Teams and Individuals in the Golf, Leisure and Spa industry.
59club’s prestigious accolades are awarded based on scores from their impartial mystery shopping audits, evaluating the guest, club member, and prospective member experience according to 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria.
With awards spanning 13 categories recognising service excellence – in management, sales, service, operations, retail, spa, golf course management, and food & beverage – 59club continues to honour the best performances across venue of all sizes and profiles, segmenting their main individual award titles into three tiers based on a properties average green fee rate.
Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK, commented:
“It is essential to celebrate those who go above and beyond to provide outstanding experiences for their members and guests. With over 250 venues now working with 59club in this region, those nominated for an award really are some of the very best in our business and we are delighted to recognise their performance on this special night.”
The evening honoured some incredible achievements with Ballybunion retaining their title of Ultimate Members Club for the second consecutive year.
The Grove claimed Ultimate Resort, and also saw Joel Westwell named Golf Manager of the year, alongside his team who collected Golf Operations Team of the year.
A number of Irish venues were honoured with Eddie Devane and Martin Lehane from Mount Juliet winning F&B Manager of the Year and Greenkeeper of the year in their respective categories, together with John Dwyer of Royal Dublin who was named Retail Manager of the Year.
Wales and the South West were also well represented with Paul Thomas from Newport GC and Giuseppe Licata from Filton GC claiming retail awards and Mike Bush from St Mellion celebrating retaining the greenkeeping team of the year award for the resort.
The two outstanding individual performers which nobody seems able to surpass remain Glen McNaughton from Long Ashton GC, who retained the title of Food and Beverage Manager of the Year for a sixth consecutive year and Matt Aplin from Goring and Streatley GC who was named Greenkeeper of the Year for a seventh consecutive year, both quite remarkable.
The celebrations concluded with the prestigious 59club Flag Designations, recognising clubs and resorts that strive for excellence, in both customer experience and the facilities they afford their members and guests.
Beyond the UK & Ireland, 59club has already celebrated service excellence in the USA, Canada & the Middle East & Africa, with Europe, Asia and Australia set to crown their award winners in the coming months, further reinforcing 59club’s global commitment to elevating customer service standards across the golf, leisure & hospitality industry.
The pinnacle of these awards will see a number of regional winners invited to represent their club and Country at 59club’s first ever Global Awards, taking place later this summer at World renowned The Belfry Hotel & Resort, in the UK.
With another successful year in the books, the 59club UK and Ireland Service Excellence Awards once again showcased the very best in the industry, setting a high standard for the future.
A full list of award winners from the 2025 Service Excellence Awards are featured below:
Leading Spa Experience: Eden Hall
Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance: Luke Speed (The Belfry Resort)
Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance: Helen Roseberry (Ramside Hall)
Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year: Forest of Arden
Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance: Gareth Evans (Macdonald Hotels)
Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance: Connah Beesla-McGarry (Branston G&CC)
Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year: The Belfry Resort
Food & Beverage Manager of the Year:
Green Fee Over £160: Eddie Devane (Mount Juliet)
Green Fee £159 – £75: Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC)
Green Fee £74 & Under: F&B Team (Knebworth GC)
Golf Retail Manager of the Year:
Green Fee Over £160: John Dwyer (Royal Dublin GC)
Green Fee £159 – £75: Paul Thomas (Newport GC)
Green Fee £74 & Under: Giuseppe Licata (Filton GC)
Greenkeeper of the Year:
Green Fee Over £160: Martin Lehane (Mount Juliet)
Green Fee £159 – £75: Mike Bush (St Mellion Estate)
Green Fee £74 & Under: Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC)
Golf Operations Team of the Year:
Green Fee Over £160: The Grove
Green Fee £159 – £75: Rockliffe Hall
Green Fee £74 & Under: The Heron CC
Golf Manager of the Year:
Green Fee Over £160: Joel Westwell (The Grove)
Green Fee £159 – £75: Tom West (Rockliffe Hall)
Green Fee £74 & Under: Sean O’Regan (The Heron CC)
My59 Service Excellence Award
Clandon Regis Golf Club, Farleigh Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Prestbury Golf Club, The Belfry Resort
Ultimate Resort 2025
The Grove
Ultimate Members Club 2025
Ballybunion Golf Club
Gold Flag Resort 2025
Carton House, Fairmont St Andrews, Forest of Arden, Foxhills Club & Resort, Gleneagles, Mount Juliet Estate, Rockliffe Hall, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, The Grove, The K Club, The Mere Resort
Gold Flag Members Club 2025
Ballybunion Golf Club, Brocket Hall, Conwy Golf Club, Crail Golfing Society, Dunbar Golf Club, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Gailes Links, Golf at Goodwood, Gullane Golf Club, Hanbury Manor, Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Harpenden Golf Club, Hickleton Golf Club, Hollinwell Golf Club, JCB Golf & Country Club, Knebworth Golf Club, Ladybank Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Moor Park Golf Club, Newport Golf Club, Panmure Golf Club, Portstewart Golf Club, Redditch Golf Club, Richmond Golf Club, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Royal Dornoch Golf Club; Royal Dublin Golf Club, The London Golf Club, The Royal Automobile Club
Silver Flag Resort 2025
Barnham Broom, Belton Woods Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Cameron House, Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, St Mellion Estate, Wychwood Park
Silver Flag Members Club 2025
Branston Golf & Country Club, Castle Royle, China Fleet Country Club, Clevedon Golf Club, Copt Heath Golf Club, East Herts Golf Club, Enville Golf Club, Essendon Country Club, Filton Golf Club, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Goswick Golf Club, Hesketh Golf Club, Heswall Golf Club, Hindhead Golf Club, La Moye Golf Club, Rotherham Golf Club, Royal Ascot Golf Club, Seapoint Golf Links, Stanton on the Wolds Golf Club, Stirling Golf Club, Stoneham Golf Club, Sundridge Park Golf Club, Teignmouth Golf Club, The Astbury Golf Lodge Lodge and Resort, The Nottinghamshire Golf Country Club, The Warwickshire, Woodsome Hall Golf Club
Bronze Flag Resort 2025
Forest Pines Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa, Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, The Telford Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, The Vale Resort
Bronze Flag Members Club 2025
Benton Hall Golf & Country Club, Bulbury Woods Golf Club, Castleknock Golf Club, Clandon Regis Golf Club, Coventry Golf Club, Crane Valley Golf Club, Essendon Golf Club, Farleigh Golf Club, Hurtmore Golf Club, Lichfield Golf & Country Club, Nizels Golf & Country Club, North Foreland Golf Club; Redditch Golf Club, Stockport Golf Club, Teignmouth Golf Club, The Club at Cams Hall, The Essex Golf & Country Club, The Heron Country Club, Vale Royal Abbey, Windlesham Golf Club, Witney Lakes Resort