The Finest Properties & Leaders Iconised with Eminent Status in 2024.

The latest properties and leaders from the world of golf & hospitality have been welcomed into 59club’s ‘Eminent Collection’ at two exclusive events, hosted at Park Hyatt, Dubai Creek; and at The Belfry Hotel & Resort on the 19th and 21st of November 2024, respectively.

The intimate ceremonies brought existing members, 59club’s regional teams and industry partners in Club Car,  Reesink Toro & Turtleson together to welcome the newcomers into the prestigious Collection.

Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton Golf Club), Jack Heginbotham (Long Ashton Golf Club), Kristoff Both (Club de Golf Alcanada) and Matt Sandercock (Mount Juliet Estate)were amongst the Leaders who were awarded the enviable title, with the newcomers joining thirty-one existing individuals who were honored with Eminent Status in previous years since its formation in 2022.

With Club de Golf Alcanada; The Els Club, Dubai; Frilford Heath; Jumeirah Golf Estates; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa and Mount Juliet Estate the latest Properties recognised for having met the demands synonymous with the Eminent benchmark of excellence.

With the newcomers officially welcomed, the elite collection of Properties iconised for their commitment to customer service excellence spanning 59club’s international network in 2024 now includes The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Celtic Manor Resort; Spa; Club de Golf Alcanada; Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Forest of Arden; Foxhills Club & Resort; Frilford Heath; Gleneagles; Golf Son Muntaner; Jumeirah Golf Estates; The Els Club, Dubai; The Grove; The Mere Golf Resort & Mount Juliet Estate; Rockliffe Hall; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas links, Abu Dhabi.

“Together we’ve pushed the boundaries and set the ceiling for what excellence is all about. It’s a privilege to come together once again with the people we are proud to call the best of the best. I sincerely look forward to supporting other managers and venues to excel in the Business of Golf, ultimately by exceeding customer expectations and reaping the rewards. The sky’s the limit for everyone within 59club’s network, and when we start to reach the limit, we’ll all continue to push a whole lot more”

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO

The ‘Eminent Collection’ was established in 2022 to honor long-serving standards of customer service excellence delivered over a minimum of 5 years; with 59club Flag Designations, along with individual and team accolades, all contributing towards the global Eminent benchmark of excellence.

Recognition is unbiased, independent, and non-subjective, the only industry award of its kind, symbolizing a true badge of honor for those venues and people consistently delivering the finest levels of customer service, during 59club’s vigorous mystery shopper program.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort
Club de Golf Alcanada
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
The Els Club, Dubai
Emirates Golf Club
Foxhills Club & Resort
Frilford Heath
Gleneagles
Golf Son Muntaner
The Grove
Jumeirah Golf Estates
The Mere Golf Resort & Spa
Mount Juliet Estate
Rockliffe Hall
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Trump International Golf Club, Dubai
Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Andrew Whitelaw
Angus Macleod
Anna Darnell
Barney Coleman
Bernat Llobera
Brad Gould
Casper Schonfeldt
Chris Eiglaar
Chris Fitt
Chris May
Chris Reeve
Clinton Southorn
Craig Haldane
Francisco de Lancastre David
Fraser Liston
Gary Silcock
Glen McNaughton
Houssem Belabed
Jack Heginbotham
Jacques Hobson
Jason Adams
Jim McKenzie MBE
Jonathan Wyer
Kristoff Both Club
Matt Aplin
Matt Sandercock
Phillip Chiverton
Rob Rowson
Scott Fenwick
Sean Graham
Simon Howell
Stephen Hindle
Stephen Hubner
Stuart Collier
Tom Hughes

Andy Siddall is the Director and Co-Founder of Robincroft Consulting. For 20 years he held leadership roles within both educational environments and professional sport as an elite cricket coach and he has worked as a personal performance coach since 2015.

Personal performance coach Andy Siddall explains his theory behind Deliberate Leadership and how it can help you to achieve your business goals

If you are anything like me that question will annoy you! This is because leadership is so complex and dynamic we shouldn’t be looking to categorise people into boxes and one particular style, but instead recognise that the leaders who possess the most skills and flexibility of styles will be the most effective.

The style of leadership adopted by leaders can significantly impact their team’s motivation and performance, and we will all have natural tendencies for one style over another, a default as it were. But when it comes to the styles that leaders adopt a lot goes into the mix.

Naturally there is their personality, the impact of their cultural background and their experience to consider. Add to this their mindset and the time and space they are in, who they are leading, what needs to be achieved and in what timeframe, and of course, what is at stake.

Plenty has been written on leadership styles and a quick internet search will present you with various links and infographics on the subject. So, for this article, we won’t be duplicating a version of these or muddying the water with lots of approaches, but will list Daniel Goleman’s Six Styles of Leadership as a consideration point:

At Robincroft, we believe in leadership effectiveness and being able to make a positive impact is what it’s all about. With this in mind you may want to consider doing these three things:

1: Reflect on the culture, behaviours and outputs of those you lead. What’s good? What’s not? What needs to be different?

2: Reflect on your own leadership behaviours. What style do you spend most of your time in? Consider how those you lead would describe it, and answer the question of ‘what is it like to be led by you?’

3: Consider what the benefits could be if you adopted different approaches. What skills may you need to develop in order to be more effective?

It’s remarkable how many successful professional sports teams across the globe have had a similar mantra plastered across the walls of their changing room:

‘What does the team need from me now?’ The aim? To impact the decision making and behaviour.

As leaders we urge you to embrace a style of what we call Deliberate Leadership and to adopt a similar mantra by constantly asking yourself: What does my business/team need from me now? Or what does this person need from me now?

Deliberate Leadership is a style that requires both conscious thought and conscious action. It requires you to have a quality assessment of those you lead, which allows you to make quality decisions of what they need.

Deliberate Leadership is both purposeful and flexible, transitioning between styles and approaches depending on what’s required.

Deliberate Leadership is having both a clear intention in our approach and being clear where our attention needs to be to achieve the desired results while helping us grow and develop our employees. Leadership is complex, so don’t just do it – do it deliberately!

Vic Aliprando is the Senior Vice President of TPC Network Operations. Owned, operated, and licensed by the PGA TOUR, the TPC Network comprises 29 premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties designed by elite architects.

Vic Aliprando, Senior Vice President, TPC Network Operation

What is the best advice you have ever had?

I grew up in Pennsylvania, wanted to work away and ended up in Mississippi on an internship for 20 months for Arnold Palmer Golf Management company. Met some great people, one General Manager there really was my first mentor, and he wrapped his arms around me and took me under his wing. I always remember this one comment: ‘Never forget to take out the trash.’ At the time I didn’t understand what he meant. It means to never think that you above doing any of the jobs. Hospitality is why we’re so successful and I want to help our staff and I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and work on any project.

PGA Tour/TPC Network is a global brand associated with excellence. How are you trying to transfer that down through the operations?

Our first club opened in 1980 so we have a long history of standards and deliverables. Back at the beginning the leadership really set the standard for excellence in the golf business and we’ve continued to try and elevate and improve things as we’ve gone by.

We’re now in the midst of creating a new mission statement and tweaking some of the experiences that we’re trying to deliver at some of the clubs. It’s all focused on delivering a PGA Tour player’s lifestyle to our members and guests.

“We have a sales process in all areas of our business and that has always been very relationship driven and requires asking a lot of questions and 59club’s process is a perfect match for that”

Vic Aliprando

What is happening in the private member clubs’ marketplace place for you?

Half of our clubs are private and half of them are daily fee clubs. The private club business is still really good and we’re starting to see some attrition return back to pre-pandemic levels, we’re still not there, and membership sales have slowed down – but frankly we have slowed it down.

We’ve been reaching some capacity levels at some of our clubs, so we’ve had to work to sell only enough to fulfil the attrition that is actually left. The golf business is in a very good place, and we continue to hear that industry wide. I continue to speak to our clubs about the need to wrap our arms around these people who are playing golf, we need to keep them playing the game.

What are you trying to achieve in ‘sharing your brand’ with non-owned but carefully chosen properties?

We really have three different structures within our clubs. We own and operate 11 of the 29, we license and operate five more for other owners and the remaining 13 are purely licence-only clubs. The benefit is getting the credibility that the brand brings to their property.

I was talking to the owner of TPC Danzante Bay, he’s not a golfer and he owns a number of timeshare resorts throughout Mexico but only one with golf. He was talking to a friend who was a big golfer and he asked whether he would travel to a golf resort in Mexico and he said maybe. Then he asked what if it was a TPC and then it was an absolute yes as he knew that it would be great. That flipped a switch, there is credibility and an awareness of very high standards.

What does the TPC Network gain from 59club’s mystery shopping products?

We have a sales process in all areas of our business and that has always been very relationship driven and requires asking a lot of questions and 59club’s process is a perfect match for that. What we weren’t doing is measuring how our salespeople were delivering this and that’s what 59club can do for us with the mystery shoppers.

They will visit as a prospective member or guest and give us a clear scorecard on what we are doing and not doing, and we’ll get the results within weeks.

They will give us a comprehensive review, including images of the property, and test various standards from the initial phone call through to playing the course and analysing the conditioning, all the way to measuring the lunch experience at the end of the round.

How do you calculate the ROI on 59club’s services?

We have had a recent instance where we had a new salesperson and we found that there weren’t a lot of relationship-style questions being asked. So, we utilised 59club to go through a full training of the sales process, that person quickly got the hang of it, and they became one of our top salespeople. And a similar thing happened with a second member of staff.

I’m not going to let them go for as long as I’m in the chair, we’re so confident in their processes, it’s invaluable.

Chris Eigelaar is Resort Director at The Belfry Hotel & Resort. He has been in the role since 2020, having previously been General Manager. Home of the world famous Brabazon course, the Warwickshire property is going through a significant upgrade.

What is happening at The Belfry?

The leisure club has just over 3,000 members. There are extensive events and conference facilities and three amazing golf courses, one being the iconic Brabazon. We employ about 800 people. Part of my overall responsibility is overseeing the current development. We’re investing £80 million into building an additional 149 bedrooms, 600-seater conference space and, on a separate site, a leisure club.

It’s about managing the projects plus ensuring the business keeps ticking over and we continue to hit our targets from a guest satisfaction, revenue and, ultimately, client perspective.

What are the challenges of running a largescale business with such work going on?

We started our bedroom refurbishment programme in October last year. We refurbed our main hotel, the bedrooms, our Brabazon Bar corridors in the resort and that was fairly challenging because it was affecting our main hub.

It was all about communication – understanding guest flow and really managing the volume of guests coming in. The project ran from October until March and we’ve got the larger scale project happening – the £80 million investment.

It’s managed by two different contractors, both accessing the resort from two different areas. There is no movement and no crossover in the resort. One thing we said from Day Dot was we want no high-vis jackets walking around the car park for our guests to see. It’s fine if they see on arrival, or departure, but as soon as you’re in the main resort you don’t want to see any high-vis jackets. We’ve been very fortunate that, to date, we’ve had minimal impact from a normal delivery perspective. But it’s entirely up to my management team, and the great communication we have with our clients and with our internal team, to ensure we mitigate as much disruption as we possibly can. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort, but the real challenge is you need to be consistent in your expectations.

There was that first month of myself, my team, walking around ensuring the contractors understand what we expect and making sure we lay that down as quickly as possible and be consistent in asking the same questions and ensuring they deliver.

How do you embrace the change?

We were very focused on the innovation piece. We were very open to people offering change and accepting change and that’s the journey we took our team on three to six months before this development happened. Throughout, we’ve kept all 800 staff members involved in what is happening, what is coming, having town hall, having briefings, to ensure it’s not just what we do as a leadership group.

It affects everybody in the business and it’s ensuring we listen to them if there are any challenges. You’ll be 30% bigger with the development.

Will that change your position in the market?

Our number one priority is retaining our current clients. We retain 70 per cent of our conference and event business. Before we start understanding our new customer base, it’s about retaining the current and taking them on a journey with us.

We will be able to host larger events – our current large capacity is 280 – so we will be fishing in a different pond because of size and scale. Some of our current corporate partners who have outgrown us, and potentially utilise bigger event spaces, we need to have conversations with them to say, ‘come back to The Belfry’. We are building this for you because you said, ‘we need something bigger’.

The crucial thing for us, from a location perspective, is we know there are opportunities to attract key events in London or Manchester.

It’s not about taking anything away from current venues in the Birmingham and the Midlands area – we are very keen to go and find new business and new events that are not currently visiting the Midlands.

What lessons can you share from the planning process?

We know there are going to be some curveballs, and nothing will go entirely smoothly. It’s an 18-month development programme, which includes six months of refurb as well. It’s two years of a lot of changes happening around the resort. It was all about myself, my management team, being agile and adapting as quickly as we can to any challenges given to us or set by construction or third parties and facing it head on. And then it’s talking about it, sharing frustrations, sharing any challenges with one another, coming together and ensuring we deliver it and improve as a team.

The Viya app allows consumers to book golf and leisure activities across hundreds of venues in Dubai. We asked Julian Danby, Viya’s Director – International Business, to explain how it is driving global business.

What is Viya and its role within your organization?

Viya is our dynamic golf lifestyle loyalty and rewards app, launched in Dubai in 2020 under the umbrella of Dubai Golf. Viya was initially designed to enhance the experience for our golfing community and has since evolved into a powerhouse platform spanning nearly 200 venues. Beyond golf clubs, it now includes leading restaurants, beach clubs, gyms, and a variety of activities like fitness classes, personal training, marinas, and spas. Customers can seamlessly book and pay for services through Viya while earning and redeeming points.

Think of it as your all-access pass to living the good life while earning and splurging points between rounds. I am responsible for redefining Viya to suit international markets and roll out the product globally.

This exciting venture involves adapting Viya’s versatile platform to resonate with diverse cultures and preferences worldwide.

We’re not just aiming to expand geographically; we’re crafting tailored experiences that cater to the unique tastes and expectations of global users. It’s about enhancing accessibility and ensuring that, whether you’re in Dubai or London, Viya remains your ultimate golfing companion.

Who owns Viya and how has it impacted your business?

Viya is proudly owned by Dubai Golf, a leading entity under the Dubai government managing iconic properties such as Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The impact of Viya on our business has been transformative, especially evident in our recent expansion into Abu Dhabi. Taking charge of venues like Yas Links and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Viya quickly became instrumental in driving revenue.

A standout example is Yas Acres, where Viya facilitated a remarkable 70% of our monthly green fee revenue within just four months of operation.

How do you measure Viya’s success, and what metrics are crucial?

Success for Viya hinges on customer loyalty and engagement metrics. We gauge this through repeat visits, customer referrals and of customer spend habits.

“The impact of Viya on our business has been transformative, especially evident in our recent expansion into Abu Dhabi”

Was it challenging to onboard partners to Viya’s concept?

Fortunately, our established golf facilities in UAE provided a strong foundation and a compelling case for potential partners. As Viya expanded to encompass leisure and lifestyle options, it quickly gained traction in the market.

Clubs and vendors recognized that being part of Viya meant offering excellent value and attracting a dedicated customer base. Viya became the word on the lips of every golfer and their close network of friends, and as such we had vendors knocking on our door wanting to be a part of it.

How do you evaluate the return on investment from your collaboration with 59club?

The return on our investment with 59club is evident in improved staff retention, enhanced service delivery, and the consistent delivery of exceptional experiences. While it’s challenging to quantify in purely financial terms, the value lies in our ability to maintain high standards and implement innovative ideas.

What’s the best advice you’ve received and how does it resonate in your work?

The best advice I received from my dad was: “If a job is not worth doing properly, it is not worth doing at all.” This mantra drives our commitment to excellence in planning, execution, and ensuring we have the right resources and team in place to deliver exceptional results.

It’s the same ethos that lights up our game with 59club, pushing us to wow our customers by reinforcing our dedication to exceed customer expectations and achieve operational excellence.

You’ve collaborated with 59club extensively. Why is this partnership crucial?

Our partnership with 59club, spanning more than a decade, has been pivotal. 59club provides invaluable training and customer feedback that enhances our operational standards. By benchmarking against other clubs internationally, 59club helps us continually raise the bar that keeps our F&B and Golf operations running smoother than a ball on a glassy green

Andrew Whitelaw led operations at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai – the first property in the region to work with 59club. He is now General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the 2026 PGA Championship venue Aronimink.

Andrew Whitelaw, Aronimink General Manager and Chief Operating Officer

Tell us about the set-up and model at Aronimink?

It is a traditional American country club and golf is the primary function of the club. The governance structure is fairly typical, with a board of governors – including a President, Secretary, Vice President and Treasurer. We have 14 committees and they are involved in the running of the club. It is a modern governance model and is progressive. We have a forward looking board and we are in the middle of a $30m renovation of the whole property with clubhouse renovations and an upgrade of some of the golf facilities as well as our sport and leisure areas.

We have a new golf learning centre which is now finished. The membership are fantastic, they really love this club and they are very involved and passionate about everything Aronimink. The course is incredible, which is important, and is the basis of everything we do – we are a walking-only course and everybody who plays it will say that the conditioning is as good as you are going to see anywhere. Visually it is stunning and it is most definitely one of Donald Ross’s finest creations.

What is happening now in the planning stages for the 2026 PGA Championship?

The PGA of America have a future sites programme, so for the last three years we have been going to events and meeting the committees who are running all these tournaments from their clubs’ perspectives and learning from their experiences.

The PGA will come on site in the next month and hospitality sales have already started. Our main priority at the moment is working with the local townships or various permits that we need to host such a large event. It is a big year for Philadelphia; it is the 250th anniversary of the United States, the FIFA World Cup is in town that year and the PGA Championship will kick it all off.

How do you calculate a return on investment when working with 59club?

Nearly 15 years ago we started working with 59club at the Emirates GC in Dubai and it was an important piece of how we improved our service at the property. In those days we were focused on customer satisfaction and understanding how we could improve the service side at every touchpoint. We weren’t using 59club to deliver a return of investment or upselling, our main use was to identify gaps

in our service and drive engagement and satisfaction among members and guests. When I moved to Trump Dubai in 2016 we introduced mystery shopping and training and achieved Gold Flag status in the first year. We did the same thing at Portmarnock in 2019.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve had?

Listen carefully and understand what is being said to you before you reply. A lot of people jump in with a response before they completely understand what they are being asked a lot of the time. You don’t always have to be the first person to speak. I have found that invaluable. Also, when you are starting out, always try and do more than you have been asked and take on things that maybe you weren’t asked to do.

Out of everything that 59club do, what do you like the most?

You can’t be everywhere all the time and, when you work in operations, you don’t always experience what the member or guest experiences. I like the view you get of the personal experience of individuals who understand golf who are then able to give you an unbiased view of every aspect of the service journey. If you get the service at a level where it needs to be people are going to return, they are going to come more often and enjoy their experience more. For me this is the key part of the 59club product although there is so much more to what they offer which is of value.

59club’s commitment to elevate Sales & Customer Service across the entire golf & leisure industry, has seen the Customer Experience Management Specialist launch the industry’s first independent B2B magazine, concentrated solely on excelling standards, service optimization and elevating club profitability.

With operations spanning the UK & Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia, the USA, Canada, Australia & New Zealand and Korea, 59club are perfectly positioned to become the authentic voice of the global golf business, something their clients, associates and those on the inside have been championing for decades. 

Thousands of affiliate properties have benefited from the customer service insights and data collected through 59club’s extensive mystery shopping program and real-time customer satisfaction surveys. And now, the eagerly anticipated Insights Magazine will act as a platform to share that wisdom and education with a wider audience, as the new publication fills the void and counteracts any misinformation that the industry has suffered. 

Simon Wordsworth, 59club founder & CEO, said; “With opening rates of digital magazines falling, engagement in that digital space can be very difficult and in general any interaction is short lived. We don’t want to be ‘read today, forgot tomorrow’, we’ve just got too much to share for that.

“I wanted us to produce a high quality and informative piece of work that simply ‘lingers longer’in a venue, to remain open at point of interest with the reader, affording them the time and perspective to make positive changes within their business based on fact and understanding. In addition, there are more people within the club/organisation to educate and stimulate discussion. For that reason, digital alone just wouldn’t do for us. 

“We can see from our Club Study results what is on our managers minds and the Insights Magazine will allow us to discuss these topics with the trade and other influencing factors.”

The global edition of the aptly named ‘Insights’ magazine will be hard mailed four times per year to club’s within 59club’s immediate and growing network, a digital counterpart is also available to download on mass. 

The first edition celebrates the best operators in the world having achieved 59club flag status for excelling Customer Service standards and also features the elite Leaders and Properties within 59club’s Eminent Collection – the list to end all debates, as those included truly are the industries finest service providers.  

Subsequent issues are driven by live industry data, as 59club’s universal intel uncovers the truth behind visitor perception, member satisfaction, onboarding processes, attrition behaviours, and event management, right the way through to the Club Study survey results that are posted every two weeks. 

The magazine will also delve into the success and life-lessons shared by some of the greatest operators and most celebrated properties in the world of golf & hospitality. The final publication of the year, will always review the annual customer experience wins & losses, seeking predictions and forecasting for the future. 

Each edition will be informative, educational and focus on insights that you can’t find anywhere else, it’s a guard-down approach to excel.  

Read the Insights Magazine now, and for more information about 59club and the lasting change they can bring to the overall success and profitability of your club, simply visit 59club.com and reach out to your regional 59club Manager.

Read the full course prospectus here!

Designed alongside our partners Andy & Paul of Robincroft Consulting Ltd, our exclusive Leadership Fundamentals Programme has been crafted from the ground up specifically for team leaders, management roles, or future leaders within the golf industry.

For detailed information, download the full prospectus using the form below.

Tagmarshal, the market leader in golf course optimization technology, is delighted to announce its partnership with 59club UK. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for Tagmarshal to engage with and elevate the experiences of Golf professionals across the region.

Tagmarshal’s state-of-the-art technology provides golf courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. Through an innovative combination of advanced GPS technology and powerful algorithms driven by data from over 50 million rounds, managers can optimize on-course operations, with tools to effectively manage pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience, increasing efficiency through automation, and generating additional revenue.

The partnership with 59club UK includes  educational roadshows, participation in awards  and club studies, as well as the sharing of educational opportunities such as online webinars and expert sessions.

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“Affiliation with 59club UK is of significant importance to us, showcasing our dedication to elevating the golfing experience. We’re excited about the chance to offer members of 59club UK insightful, analytics-driven guidance to assist them in achieving their goals,” says Stephen Knoop, Managing Director, Tagmarshal International

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”59club UK welcomes the opportunity to partner with organizations who share the goal of delivering exceptional Member and Guest experiences. Our aim is to provide high quality data to Owners and Managers to support their decision making, and we know from the mutual clients which we currently share, that Tagmarshal is an outstanding product which supports golf operations and enhances player experience,” says Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK

The partnership with 59club UK builds on Tagmarshal’s existing partner network, which includes several partners, such as the GCAE (Europe), PGA of Alberta, PGA of British Columbia, NGCOA Canada, Metropolitan PGA, Southern California PGA, Pacific Northwest PGA, South Florida PGA, as well as the National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA Magazine and the CMAA Carolinas Chapter.

Tagmarshal partners with private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses and more than 500 courses globally, as well as several golf management groups. Partners include UK courses like The Grove, Hanbury Manor, Carnoustie, Ballybunion, Hogshead, Lahinch, Old Head, Turnberry, Foxhills  and many £30 to £50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results. Tagmarshal offers a range of golf cart tracking devices, as well as solutions for walking groups.

To learn more about the impact optimization will have at your course, please contact Stephen Knoop, Managing Director, by mailing stephen.knoop@tagmarshal.com or calling +353 86 052 5077. Alternatively, watch our short demo at tagmarshal.com/demo.

More than two hundred of the finest Venues, Teams and Individuals from many of the leading Resorts and Clubs across the UK and Ireland came together, as 59club UK recognised their very best customer service providers of 2023. As the 14th annual celebration of service excellence, descended on the iconic Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on February 29th, 2024.

59club’s prestigious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluates the experience afforded to Guests, Club Members and Prospective Members all in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria.

With awards spanning 18 categories, that recognise service excellence across all areas of the hospitality business – including management, sales, service, operations, retail, spa, golf course, plus food and beverage – 59club continue to honour the very best performances regardless of venue size, scale and profile, by segmenting the main individual accolades into 3 categories based on a venues average green fee rate.

Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK, commented; “There are many factors which impact the ability to deliver great service consistently, and it is therefore essential that we celebrate those who go above and beyond to look after their Members and Guests. It is hugely satisfying to see a number of first-time award winners and nominees, but I also have deep admiration for the venues and individuals whose names are up in lights year after year, clearly illustrating their passion and commitment for what they do.”

The flag was flying high for Ireland after both Ballybunion and Mount Juliet collected the coveted and highest prized title of the evening; namely the “Ultimate Member Club” and “Ultimate Resort” of the year respectively, with Eddie Devane adding to Mount Juliet’s success after being named one of the Food and Beverage Managers of the Year.

Multiple winner: The Belfry, saw Chris Reeve named Golf Manager of the Year, Angus Macleod, Greenkeeper of the Year, and Chris Rippon made it a hattrick for the resort when he collected the Leading Golf Sales Experience award.

Branston Golf and Country Club enjoyed a double-dose of celebrations after both their Leisure Membership Team & Golf Membership of the Year claimed the Team of the year crystalware.

Jack Heginbotham and Glenn McNaughton both of Long Ashton Golf Club claimed the Golf Retail Manager and Food and Beverage Manager of the Year award respectively – Glenn retaining his crown for an incredible 5th consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Ian Orrell and his team at Wychwood Park were also celebrating after winning Golf Manager and Golf Operations Team of the Year.

Special mention must be reserved for Matt Aplin, Golf Course Manager at Goring and Streatley, who fought off incredibly fierce competition to be named a Greenkeeper of the year for an astounding 6th consecutive year.

The ceremony culminated with the presentation of 59club’s Gold, Silver & Bronze Flag Designations – The ultimate recognition for clubs & resorts who strive to deliver the best facilities and service offering to their Members and Guests.

In addition to 59club’s UK & IRE Awards Event, the global Customer Service Management Specialists, will host six additional ceremonies during 2024 – which started in the UK, before heading off to Europe, MEA, Asia, USA and Canada, before finally finishing their annual celebrations in Australia – as 59club continue uniting the world of golf & hospitality around their commitment to deliver customer service excellence.

A full list of award winners from the 2024 Service Excellence Awards are featured below:

Leading Spa Experience: Eden Hall

59club will bring together their network of partner venues from across the UK and Ireland as their 14^th Annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony comes to Titanic Hotel Liverpool on the 29^th February 2024.  

The nominees for the prestigious accolades, which recognise those outstanding Venues, Teams and Individuals within the industry who consistently deliver outstanding experiences to their members and guests are determined by scores achieved through a detailed and objective mystery shopping programme, measuring the experience afforded to Members, Visitors and Prospective Members across Golf, Leisure and Spa. 

With a diverse range of Operators, which now expands beyond 220 venues across the UK and Ireland, 59club continue to reflect the very best performances regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile, with five of the main titles further segmented into three categories based on the average guest fee charged. 

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A number of the UK’s finest Golf Resorts receive multiple nominations this year with Foxhills Club and Resort, Mount Juliet, Rockliffe Hall, The Belfry and The Grove having teams and individuals competing for honours.

Member orientated clubs are also well represented with Ballybunion, Clevedon, East Herts, Filton, Hollinwell, Long Ashton, Newport, Panmure, The Leicestershire, The London Club and Woodsome Hall receiving nominations across a number of categories. 

The 2024 nominations contain a number of individuals and venues who are relatively new to 59club and achieve recognition for the first time such as John Eggleston, General Manager at Ballybunion, Jade Cotton & Jemma Brown at Stanton on the Wolds who feature in the F&B category and Giuseppe Lacata from Filton who is nominated as Retail Manager of the Year. However, kudos must be given to the likes of Glenn McNaughton of Long Ashton, who is looking to be named F&B Manager of the Year for the fifth consecutive year and Matt Aplin from Goring and Streatley who is hoping to retain his crown as Greenkeeper of the Year for an incredible sixth year in a row.

Looking ahead to the Awards, Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK said: 

“We are delighted to announce the Venues, Teams and Individuals who have demonstrated an ability to deliver consistently outstanding experiences to their Members and Guests over the past 12 months. Regardless of the amount being charged for the experience, there are numerous examples of people going above and beyond to deliver service excellence and it is right that this should be recognised and celebrated.   

It is encouraging that the objective measurement through our comprehensive mystery shopping programme has highlighted a 4% year on year improvement, and this together with an increased number of venues being measured makes a Nomination very well deserved.

Having the opportunity to have so many high performers in one room, catching up with friends, sharing ideas and celebrating achievement always makes for a great event.”

The glittering award ceremony, which is supported by 59club’s Industry Partners – Albatross, Asbri Golf, Clubcar, Eagle / Tacit, Gaunt Golf Design,Golfbreaks.com, Golf Genius, Golf HR, J Lindeberg, Neutral Carbon Zone, Reesink Turfcare and 3d ifs will conclude with the presentation of the 59club Bronze, Silver and Gold Flag awards to the Resorts and Members’ Clubs which have demonstrated distinction against criteria for both customer service delivery and the quality of their facilities. 

In addition to 59club’s UK Awards Event, the global Customer Service Management Specialists, will host six additional ceremonies during 2024 – starting in Europe before heading off the MEA, Asia, USA, Canada and finally finishing in Australia – as 59club continue uniting the world of golf & hospitality around their commitment to deliver customer service excellence.  

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*Full list of nominations below: 

Award for Service Excellence

Leading Spa Experience:

Eden Hall, Hanbury Manor, Hoarcross Hall, Rockliffe Hall, The Vale Resort

Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance:

Alice Kozlowski (The Grove), Chris Rippon (The Belfry Resort), Fraser Hurndall (Fairmont St Andrews), Jonny Sharp (Cameron House), Nicola Taylor and Ben Tomlinson (The Belfry Resort)

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance:

George Reid (Wyke Green GC), Lee Roberts (Branston G&CC), Pamela O’Keeffe (Mount Juliet), Pamela Neeson & Hamish Mills (Cameron House), Sophie Lee (The Mere Resort & Spa)

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year:

Branston G&CC, Hanbury Manor, Rockliffe Hall, The Mere Resort & Spa, Wyke Green GC

Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance:

Ben Stockman (The Grove), Brad Cannings (Macdonald Hotels), Gareth Evans (Macdonald Hotels), Katie Atkinson (Rockliffe Hall), Tom Gregory (The Grove)

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance:

Abigail Johns (The Vale Resort), Becky Chard (The Vale Resort), Connah Beesla-McGarry (Branston G&CC), Lauren Bentley (Rockliffe Hall), Marcus Weatherburn (Foxhills Club & Resort)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year:

Branston G&CC, Hanbury Manor, Instinct Gym & Wellbeing, Rockliffe Hall, The Vale Resort

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year:  

Green Fee Over £131: Eddie Devane (Mount Juliet), F&B Team (Royal Dornoch GC), Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles), Olivia Downey (JCB Golf & Country Club), Tracey Henderson (Hollinwell GC)

Green Fee £130 – £61: Caroline Taylor (Pennard GC), Craig McKinlay (Panmure GC), Danielle Jones (Newport GC), Jade Cotton & Jemma Brown (Stanton on the Wolds GC), Lewis Norman (Rockliffe Hall)

Green Fee £60 & Under: Chris Lee (East Herts GC), F&B Team (Bulbury Woods GC), F&B Team (Teignmouth GC), Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC), Sarah Arnel (Clevedon GC)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year: 

Green Fee Over £131: Elliott Laville (Foxhills Club & Resort), Mike Bradley (Hollinwell GC), Russell McIntyre (Gullane GC), Simon Hilliard (The London Club), Tom Hughes (The Belfry Resort)

Green Fee £130 – £61: Andrew Crerar (Panmure GC), Paul Thomas (Newport GC), Sandy Smith (Ladybank GC), Sean Pearson (Pennard GC), Tim Martin (Golf at Goodwood),

Green Fee £60 & Under: Giuseppe Licata (Filton GC), Ian Orrell (Wychwood Park), Jack Heginbotham (Long Ashton GC), John Eyre (Woodsome Hall GC), Pete Livie (The Leicestershire GC)

Greenkeeper of the Year: 

Green Fee Over £131: Angus Macleod (Belfry – Brabazon course), Eoin Riddell (Royal Dornoch GC), Lee Sayers (The London Club), Martin Lehane (Mount Juliet), Will Evans (The Grove)

Green Fee £130 – £61: Gary Nicoll (Panmure GC), Jamie Wade (Belfry – PGA National course), Jon Wyer (Rockliffe Hall), Mike Bush (St Mellion Estate), Neil Robson (Harpenden GC)

Green Fee £60 & Under: James Braithwaite (Long Ashton GC), Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC), Richard Ponsford (Clevedon GC), Steven Pickering (Hickleton GC), Wayne Bown (The Leicestershire GC)

Golf Operations Team of the Year:  

Green Fee Over £131: Ballybunion GC, Foxhills Club & Resort, JCB G&CC, The Belfry Resort (Brabazon), The Grove,

Green Fee £130 – £61: Golf at Goodwood, Hanbury Manor, Panmure GC, Rockliffe Hall, The Belfry Resort (PGA National),

Green Fee £60 & Under: Clevedon GC, Filton GC, Long Ashton GC, Woodsome Hall GC, Wychwood Park

Golf Manager of the Year:  

Green Fee Over £131: Brad Gould (The Grove), Chris Reeve (The Belfry Resort – Brabazon), John Eggleston (Ballybunion GC), Matt Sandercock (Mount Juliet), Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort),

Green Fee £130 – £61: Chris Reeve (The Belfry Resort – PGA National), Dan Blesovsky (Frilford Heath GC), Matt Parsley (Conwy GC), Stan Power (Hanbury Manor), Tom West (Rockliffe Hall)

Green Fee £60 & Under: Ian Orrell (Wychwood Park), Karen Drake (Clevedon GC), Pat Murphy (The Kendleshire), Reece Miller (Long Ashton GC), Tim Hudson (East Herts GC),

Event Partners

59club’s 14^th Annual Service Excellence Awards Event comes to Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on 29/02/24.

Widely regarded as the industry ‘Oscars’ amongst the golf & hospitality community, the 59club UK Service Excellence Awards will see business leaders and their teams come together from across England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.  

The event, now into its fourteenth year, begins with a networking lunch and a series of inspirational education seminars, and as night falls, the prestigious awards ceremony recognises the leading individuals, teams, and properties within 59club UK’s network for their outstanding achievements across 2023.  

59club’s renowned industry benchmark – the bronze, silver and gold flag designations – will also be presented on the night to venues that not only achieve the required standard of service as part of 59club’s mystery shopping program, but also provide excellent facilities for customers to enjoy.

Tickets

To secure your tickets & discuss preferential accommodation rates, please contact naime@theaspirationgroup.com  

• Networking Lunch & Education Seminar – £75
• Awards Dinner – £120

Event Partners

59club’s spotlight shines as the 2023 Eminent Collection is announced.

The latest properties and leaders from the world of golf & hospitality have been welcomed into 59club’s ‘Eminent Collection’ at two exclusive events, hosted at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and at Wentworth Club, England on the 21st and 23rd of November 2023, respectively.

The ‘Eminent Collection’ was established in 2022 to honor long-serving standards of customer service excellence delivered over a minimum of 5 years; with 59club Flag Designations, along with individual and team accolades, all contributing towards the global Eminent benchmark of excellence.

Recognition by 59club is unbiased, independent, and non-subjective, the only industry award of its kind, symbolizing a true badge of honor for those venues and people consistently delivering the finest levels of customer service,during 59club’s vigorous mystery shopper program.

The intimate ceremony, saw 59club welcome nine industry ‘leaders’ who join twenty-two individuals honored with Eminent Status in 2022. The newcomers receiving the enviable Eminent titles were; Casper Schonfeldt, Discovery Land Dubai; Chris Eigelaar, The Belfry; Chris Fitt, Moor Park; Clinton Southorn, Troon; Francisco de Lancastre David, Finca Cortesin; HoussemBelabed, Gleneagles; Jason Adams, Rockliffe Hall; Matt Aplin, Goring & Streatley; and, Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles. 

With only one new property having met the demands synonymous with the Eminent Collection in 2023; as Saadiyat Beach Golf Club join twelve existing ‘properties’ from within 59club’s international network. The elite Collection now represents The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Celtic Manor Resort; Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Forest of Arden; Foxhills Club & Resort; Gleneagles; Golf Son Muntaner; The Grove; Rockliffe Hall; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas links, Abu Dhabi.

Of the honors, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said; “What an incredible celebration of ‘excellence’! The Collection all came together to welcome our newcomers to this elite group of industry champions, whilst we honored our existing members for a second term. The Eminent Collection is the ultimate accolade we can bestow on any venue or individual, and it remains 59club’s honour and privilege to continue to shine a light on the people who are shaping the direction the industry continues to take, by maximising the experience that every single customer can enjoy.”

59club’s signature partner; Club Car once again extended their commitment to the Collection, in true reflection of their devotion to honor customer service excellence; with both Reesink Toro & Golf Genius also aligning their brands with this unique portfolio of industry professionals.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort
Delta by Marriott, Forest of Arden
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Emirates Golf Club
Foxhills Club & Resort
Gleneagles
Golf Son Muntaner
The Grove
Rockliffe Hall
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Trump International Golf Club Dubai
Yas Links Abu Dhabi

Andrew Whitelaw, Aronimink Golf Club
Angus Macleod, The Belfry
Anna Darnell, The Grove
Barney Coleman, Burnham & Berrow
Bernat Llobera, Arabella Golf Mallorca
Brad Gould, The Grove
Casper Schonfeldt, Discovery Land Dubai
Chris Eigelaar, The Belfry
Chris Fitt, Moor Park
Chris May, Dubai Golf
Chris Reeve, The Belfry
Clinton Southorn, Troon
Craig Haldane, Gleneagles
Francisco de Lancastre David, Finca Cortesin
Fraser Liston, Forest of Arden
Gary Silcock, Murrayshall
Houssem Belabed, Gleneagles
Jacques Hobson, The Belfry
Jason Adams, Rockliffe Hall
Jim Mckenzie MBE, Celtic Manor
Jonathan Wyer, Rockliffe Hall
Matt Aplin, Goring & Streatley
Phillip Chiverton, The Grove
Rob Rowson, Forest of Arden
Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles
Sean Graham, Foxhills
Simon Howell, Forest of Arden
Stephen Hindle, Worsley Park
Stephen Hubner, Jumeirah Golf Estates
Stuart Collier, Stoke Park
Tom Hughes, The Belfry

59club is all about detail & data, and our technology plays a vital part in all of that, providing you with the ability to collect survey data direct from 1-1 survey invitations, or the simplicity of a well-positioned QR code or shareable link. We’ve also made some loyal friends along the way via mutual clients, and working together we can generate even more intelligence, while eradicating human error – that’s right, today we’re opening your eyes to CRM & POS hook-ups!  

For the average golf & hospitality business, that simply means each time member and guest data is entered into your software, 59club’s survey platform will ‘auto-invite’ the customer to complete the venues bespoke satisfaction survey based on their recent encounter. For example; having joined the club, paid to play, visited the spa or F&B outlet, attended a golf club fitting appointment, made a retail purchase, or having relinquished their club membership.  

The functionality can even track a customer’s experience at significant landmarks during their journey, auto generating a ‘series’ of questionnaires, in sequence at set intervals, as programmed by the venue; measuring a new member’s experience over a set timeframe, or even a ‘get into golf program’ as a guide. 

Over the years we have managed integrations with a number of the leading CRM & POS providers globally on behalf of our mutual clients. 

Most recently we have been linked with Lightspeed; a global innovative ePOS system, and we have also delivered integrated surveys for many clients with the help of other leading providers such as Concept, EZLinks, imaster.golf and Premier Software, all with the ultimate goal of supporting our shared clients to maximise the intel they receive from their customers. 

With technology always at the ready, and a wealth of flexible survey templates that cover all areas of the hospitality industry, club staff can save valuable admin time, with elements of human error also eradicated, as the POS & CRM takes over. That means more time to spend on analysing the data, utilising the industry specific benchmarking comparisons, and ultimately; on the important parts of customer experience – spending time with the customer and subsequently around planning improvements! 

And while our survey platform is all algorithms, metrics and values, there’s no bots here! We are human, with expert servicing teams located in 9 international regions – from ideation and build support, to launch assistance, data analysis & next-level advice – when you need us, we are with you every step of the way.  

We’ll even support your CRM & POS provider with all the necessary’s tech-talk to maximise your data-capture. So, what are you waiting for? Talk to us about your provider, and let’s get you hooked-up and away to go.  

Never again will you make decisions blindly or be left wondering why… because you’ll have the hard and fast data at your fingertips, as we open your eyes to the wonderful world of wisdom…  

As always; reach out to your regional 59club Manager for more information and to get started…  

WARNING!!! Please be assured that 59club will guide you through the process of becoming a tech wizard – no former data-geek experience necessary – full 59club support provided, we have an open API, we’re friendly like that, and we’ll even manage the integration process with your CRM & POS provider as required.  

The greatest thing about golfers is that they like to play in groups. No one likes to play golf alone and that gives us a huge advantage, whether that’s a monthly seasoned away day, or an annual group of 40+ visiting golfers, we want them to choose to visit us, right?! But are we consistently hitting all the high notes during their enquiry? After all, they’re probably canvasing a few other venues for the best rates.

But does rate really matter?  

To some, absolutely! Rate may be everything – but when you consider;

Value = Experience less Cost, it’s the experience that we really need to pitch, and that’s where excellent customer service and call management will always win, but how do you know what to pitch?  

Well, I’ll let you in to a little secret – it all comes down to following a solid sales process – none of this wishy-washy stuff – and at 59club we’re experts at mapping out the perfect journey, so here’s some helpful hints & tips, just for 10.  

Phone rings – so where do you start? 

1. Has the group been before? 

2. What’s their previous experience, where did they visit; what did they enjoy; and what are the most important factors to ensure a successful event?   

3. Discuss their previous budget and typical spend. 

4. Sniff out the competition; who are we up against, have they made other enquiries, have they been given any package prices? 

5. Discuss the frequency of the event? 

6. Data collection – name, email, number, address, how did they hear of us, what prompted them to call – we want it all…  

7. Event data – date, times, number of golfers and their level of flexibility 

8. Establish the parameters of their budget? 

9. Understand the event specifics – and boy there’s a lot of technicalities to cover here, from F&B requirements, on-course services, and prize tables, to golf clinics and leaderboards. 

10. Demonstrate that you truly value their business.  

Promotion begins…  

Then it’s a simple case of delivering a ‘tailored’ promotion to exceed expectations; as you discuss the venue, your product and your USP’s – demonstrating added value along the way!!! And please ALWAYS give more…   

Sales close & Follow up…  

Finally, you start your ‘sales close’ and agree your follow-up protocol, because we’re going to be proactive with our next steps. Whether that’s still attempting to convert the business, offering to hold space, or issuing a personalized proposal; or simply providing pre-visit advice having secured the booking.  

Yes, the rate may be high on a specific day or time, but by simply understanding the flexibility of your group; you may well be able to come up with an alternative tee time to help shape a great package for them. That’s what group golf is all about, keeping the group happy, and if we can be seen to value their business, tailoring our offering to accommodate them, tweaking this and that to give them the very greatest experience for their buck, then we are hard to beat! 

Stop thinking of golf as a solid flat rate – how can it be, when there are so many SPECIFICS to navigate with the group organizer, and added extras that may well cost you nothing, but make the group feel like a million dollars.  

If you start out with a solid sales process, designed to glean the information necessary to over-pitch your offering, then you’re on to a winning formula.  

• Ask your regional 59club manager about our Group Golf Sales audits, education and survey tools. There really is a better way to do things, and we are here to help guide you through initiating that sales process…  

From the second an employee arrives for work, and even before they’ve slipped their coat off and settled into their daily duties, there are customers waiting to be supported & served, and we expect that interaction to be delivered with a smile and genuine interest to help. (As well as hitting all the high notes within our Mystery Shopper audit criteria)  

On the whole, performance is true to form, but from time-to-time standards slip – employees may feel the pressures of their role, they may feel undervalued, they may have unknowingly inherited bad traits from other team members – and slowly that smile becomes strained.  

The customer may not even notice the difference in behavior at first, but over time it starts to show, you may even hear customers speaking of the uncharacteristic behavior of their favorite employee. 

“Motivate them, train them, care about them, and make winners out of them… they’ll treat the customers right. And if customers are treated right, they’ll come back.” 

J. Willard Marriott, American entrepreneur, businessman and founder of the Marriott Corporation

To consistently deliver exceptional service, you must nurture your people, inspire their behavior, support them with the right tools and training to perform well within their role, predict their needs, and listen to their woes.  

With so many customers to serve and departments to oversee, time often slips away, and every good intention becomes lower down the priority order, but it doesn’t need to be that way. 

Just like your customers, there is also a ‘need’ to survey your employees, and for that matter we created a bundle of HR Survey Templates, to make analyzing employee wellbeing that much easier, whether they are an existing employee, new recruit or a leaver. 

There’s a whole load of pre-set questions for you to include – as always, we try and take the guess work away, but there’s also the freedom to add any custom questions to your surveys – you’re always able to do that within any of our golf & hospitality templates, you can even make a survey entirely of your own if you prefer.  

What always captivates me with the inclusion of a templated question, is the ability to compare your own outcomes with the global industry & podium set averages, that’s what fascinates me the most. How other employees’ experiences, preferences, willingness and loyalty compares to yours, and what you can take from the wisdom of stepping out of your own four walls.  

The venue will also be able to identify what motivates individuals, and how they can support continued growth within their employees existing role, also providing clarity and vision over personal career progression. 

There may be other survey providers out there – heck one google search and you can find a ton of them! But what you don’t get from any of them is the specialized industry expertise, the flexibility, and the miniscule analytical data that only 59club is synonymous for.  

We aren’t just here as a survey provider like some of our competitors are, or as a mystery shopping company either, we are here for the greater good. We don’t just help you to spot flaws or celebrate excellence with you, we give you the solutions to perfect experiences.  

Circling back to Mr. Marriott, our very own mantra is cut from the same cloth, we exist solely to help you to motivate your team, to care about them, to train them, and every year we make winners out of them. Your people are the foundation to achieving customer service excellence, that’s the business we are all in, and we’re all in it together!  

The Human Resource Survey Templates are free to use within your Survey Platform, they address all areas of the employment roster – from measuring the New Employee Experience, general Employee Satisfaction, plus an Employee Exit Survey.  

So, while we’ve got your attention, take some time out today, look into the HR Survey Suite. Give us a call if you prefer, and let’s set some time aside to prioritize employee wellbeing, as we look forward to enjoying the perks of increased customer service delivery.

59club’s ‘Eminent Collection’ celebration is set to return this fall, as we continue to recognize the finest properties & leaders across the world of golf & hospitality, for their unwavering dedication to Customer Service Excellence.  

With exclusive events taking place at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, and at Wentworth Club, England on the 21^st and 23^rd of November 2023 respectively; 59club are delighted to announce that their signature partner; Club Car has once again extended their commitment to the Collection; with both Reesink Toro & Golf Genius also aligning their brands with this unique portfolio of industry professionals, as the 2023 inductees are set to be announced. 

Eligibility into the ‘Eminent Collection’ is based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, with individual and team accolades, along with 59club Flag Designations, all contributing towards the Global Eminent Benchmark of Excellence; measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years.  

In 2022, just twelve ‘properties’ from within 59club’s international network had achieved the required benchmark synonymous with the Collection, with a further twenty-two ‘leaders’ honored with Eminent Status.  

Of the impending celebrations, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said;

“The ultimate accolade 59club can bestow on any venue or individual is to grant them entry into The Eminent Collection. The calculation is fair, transparent, objective, and open to all industry professionals, and by design showcases individuals and venues who not only invite independent scrutiny, but who then deliver outstanding and consistent performances across a minimum of five years.  

“It is my honour and privilege to continue to shine a light on the people who are ultimately shaping the direction the industry continues to take, by maximising the experience that every single customer can enjoy.” 

As the wider industry waits on bated breath for the 2023 announcement to be made later in November; 59club are preparing to host a full house, as the entire Collection reconvenes to officially welcome the newcomers as they join this elite group of industry champions.  

For more information about the Eminent Collection, or to learn about 59club and their plight towards elevating service standards and profitability across the golf & hospitality industry; please visit www.59club.com  

The UK’s largest golf & country club operator, The Club Company, has enlisted the services of leading customer service analyst and training provider, 59club UK, as they endeavour to further enhance the member and guest experience across their portfolio of 15 clubs. In addition to significant financial investment to both the on and off course facilities, The Club Company is keen to ensure that service levels are elevated to match.

The Club Company will benefit from 59club’s industry leading benchmarking and insights, allowing them to identify the strengths and opportunities across their operation. These insights will then be used to deliver a bespoke programme of training and support within each club encompassing Golf Operations; Food & Beverage; Hotel and Membership sales & retention.

Matt Rollinson, Regional Operations Director highlighted his reasons for engaging with 59club; “Product, Sales, Service and Retention are all pillars of our overall group strategy and are areas that our newest partnership with 59club will support us with as we continue to improve and develop.

“A programme of detailed mystery shopping across all clubs will provide invaluable data to help us better understand the experience we offer, but more importantly the subsequent follow up training will empower us to make meaningful changes to improve the service offered to members and guests”.

Will Hewitt, 59club UK General Manager commented; “We are delighted to be starting this journey with The Club Company and look forward to supporting the teams in aligning their customer service experience with some of the very best venues in the industry. The Account Management team at 59club UK are all excited to build relationships with the General Managers and Operational Teams within this fantastic group of clubs”.

In the competitive world of golf and country club management, staying ahead of the curve requires a combination of dedication, innovative strategies, and utilizing the right tools.

Today, we bring you insights from an industry leader who’s making headway in optimizing member experiences, Jason Hanna, COO of the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Canada. We talk about his vision, 59club’s transformative role in their operations, and the future of golf clubs in the region. 

The Visionary Path

Under Jason’s stewardship, Credit Valley aims to grow its member service standards by “creating means to measure our progress year over year and benchmarking with similar clubs in our market.” This ensures they’re either meeting or exceeding industry standards and expectations. 

Jason highlights the significance of 59club’s industry benchmarking services, calling them “an invaluable tool, not only for club managers but for committees and Boards to better understand industry standards.” 

Striking a Better Club Experience

Credit Valley is focusing on enhancing locker room and outside golf operations. They’ve found an ally in 59club, whose survey software and mystery shopping audits has resonated with the club’s team, mainly due to its granularity. This has facilitated more accurate evaluations, streamlined internal communications, and enriched staff training. 

“Benchmarking and surveys have been instrumental in setting targets. We have used the HR survey templates exclusively on staff to date in order have a sense of their comfort heading into a busy season, and a peer assessment method with our management team that folds into their appraisals. We will also be expanding to use surveys for Board and committee effectiveness,” Jason shares. This bespoke approach has been pivotal in understanding Credit Valley’s unique aspects, and driving continuous improvement. 

On Course for Continuous Improvement

When asked how they intend to capitalize on data, Jason expressed that the information gathered has already contributed to shaping their operational plans, especially around staff engagement. 

He also emphasizes the role of mystery shopping services in evaluating customer experiences, stating, “Receiving a timely, comprehensive report covering all areas of interaction at the club allows management to make real-time adjustments, or seek further inquiry into areas performing below standard.” 

Industry Influence and Future Forecasts

As a leader in the golf industry, Jason believes that 59club’s insights will contribute significantly to the growth of golf clubs in Canada, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, that holds about 20% of the nation’s population and many of the top-tier clubs. 

“Implementing new operations or software can be daunting at times, but working with 59club makes implementing new protocols and services fairly routine,”

He advises other golf clubs considering a partnership with 59club; “Due to the ability to build services around the specific needs and nuances, 59club will capture data and measure service standards at any club.” 

On the horizon for Credit Valley is further integration of these performance management services, especially in terms of member satisfaction surveys on targeted areas of the club’s amenities and additional mystery shopping across other areas of the business such as member onboarding. According to Jason, 59club’s regular training and support will make this a walk in the park.  

“Implementing new operations or software can be daunting at times, but working with 59club makes implementing new protocols and services fairly routine,” said Hanna. “59club is with us every step of the way, not only helping us read and interpret mystery shopping data, but also recommending and helping us with our employee education and training plans, as well as providing operations support, they are always focused on identifying opportunities for growth.” 

The partnership between Credit Valley Golf and Country Club and 59club paints a picture of progress and promise. With a vision to improve, the right tools in place, and a commitment to service excellence, the future seems bright for Credit Valley and the Canadian golf club industry as a whole. 

The world of golf and country club management, as observed through Jason’s lens, is one of relentless innovation, continuous improvement, and unwavering dedication to service excellence. As we navigate the future, these insights serve as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration, and the drive for progress that defines leaders like Jason Hanna and organizations like Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. 

In the world of club operations, having the right people, in the right places, behaving in the right way is paramount to success. A customer only has to receive one bad experience to disassociate themself with a brand or organisation, while spreading news of that poor experience far and wide. 

To some, the notion of reinvesting surplus back into operations specifically to educate and develop the team may seem groundbreaking, but could it potentially become the standard for future budgeting?  

Now, imagine we shift our perspective slightly and ask: what if a ‘specific portion’ of your overall revenue is dedicated to staff training and development in your budgeting process, just like McDonalds, Starbucks and other enormous global companies earmarks a particular amount for advertising each year? 

Although training and development have always found a place in your annual expense report, how can you be certain that your investment is enough, and how can you be sure that it’s paying dividends?  

Over the past three years, Club Study has conducted multiple surveys via its industry network to understand the investment trends in staff training and development. 

Interestingly, the Club Study industry peers report that their investment seems to have slightly dipped since 2021, as seen in the graphic below. 

Surprisingly, these numbers seem rather underwhelming for something so crucial to club operations. Observing the expenditure as an absolute dollar value, however, changes the narrative.  

A club with a $3 million turnover will spend less than $30k on average on training & development. Given the financial constraints that club budgets often have to grapple with, including break-even targets, slim profit margins, and increasing inflation, this amount suddenly seems justifiable, even generous to some. But can we really justify increasing this budget? 

In the wake of a recent increase in club activities and longer wait lists, many clubs may not see the immediate need for investing more in staff training. The decision-making process is typically reactive rather than proactive, and clubs often prioritize preventing losses over seeking gains. But wouldn’t you agree that the clubs investing more than 2% in staff training probably enjoy a more robust staff culture, leading to better relationships, longer staff tenures, and an overall happier environment? Ultimately, selling and servicing customers to better degrees. 

We are pleased to report that we have seen an increased appetite for staff training in recent times, with many 59club clients who receive ‘mystery shopping’ audits investing heavily in training, probably for the same reason they are challenging the golf industry by delivering some of the finest customer experiences in the world of golf.  

59club handles enormous quantities of live data and insights, so much so that we are the only authority in golf who can go out on a limb and make such bold accusations about global CX benchmarks and industry trends.  

Surprisingly, these numbers seem rather underwhelming for something so crucial to club operations.

Just as we support our clients to understand their customers, we know our clients and we know them very well, and we can whole-heartedly confirm that they take education extremely seriously – so much so that we have witnessed a 166% increase in the number of training sessions delivered by the 59club UK team between 2021 & 2022.  

Taking it back to the wider industry, the Club Study network reports that the largest proportion of development dollars is spent on middle management. So, where exactly do these training dollars go? The most logical answer seems to be conferences, organised by various associations and governing bodies at national and regional levels. Conferences can provide inspiration, reflection, and innovative ideas, not to mention the fantastic networking opportunities and the fun that they provide.  

Yet, it remains hard to precisely calculate the ROI from these events. 

The crux of the matter when justifying expenditure lies in quantifying the return on investment (ROI) from training and development, which is no easy task. If we don’t measure it, it’s likely to be overlooked. 

To quantify improvement in training and development, we need a benchmark. This is where “mystery shopping” comes in. As an unbiased, ground-level measure of your customer service, it provides the perfect service benchmark. After a period of conducting such audits, you’ll have a robust dataset highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, confirming (or disproving) your suspicions. 

So, what’s next? The answer is simple: Train! Use the data, celebrate the successes, and develop strategies to address the weaknesses. Department-specific training, consistent programming, and building an ongoing relationship geared to enhance club culture, audit after audit, will make a world of difference. 

Your focus should always be on measuring. Once you start doing that, you’ll start viewing training as an investment that yields a return. This brings us back to the heart of the industry: relationships. 

As the world continues to blaze the digital frontier, there are now more ways than ever to book a tee time or make a dinner reservation at your club. At face value, that’s a good thing. Additional ways to sell tee times and restaurant covers mean more ways to make your club more accessible and potentially profitable.  

But new digital pathways also create opportunities for digital missteps. Mainly, customers want to know their credit card information is secure and they want to know when you have reserved their spot – whether that be for a tee time booking, a dinner reservation or even a treatment at the health spa. And if you’re not providing a written record of their place on your tee sheet or a table at your restaurant, customers may start to feel uneasy about the entire process.  

More importantly, an inquisitive written confirmation – which we’ll discuss below – eliminates common customer service problems and opens additional upsell opportunities at your club and restaurant. 

Golf Visitor Experience Mystery Shopper Insights: 

The global golf industry failed to request an email address during 40% of all tee time reservations made during 2022.  

17% of all email confirmations went astray; either the incorrect email address was recorded, or possibly never sent.  

Only 56% of golfers ever received their booking confirmation…  

What’s the point? 

The initial purpose of a written confirmation is to acknowledge the correct date and time of the reservation. Simple. The bare minimum.  

If you ordered a widget from Amazon without a confirmation of the purchase, you would be left wondering if Amazon is, in fact, fulfilling the order. That kind of digital misstep creates enormous uncertainty and is unlikely to be the first impression you want to convey to your customer.  

With email fields being mandatory, most online tee-time and restaurant booking engines provide immediate and automated written confirmation, allowing customers sight of their booking details and the opportunity to spot any potential errors. When the reservation is booked over the phone the duty of collecting the email address sits with the reservations agent. According to Matt Roberts, 59club’s Director of Training & Education, the absence of a written confirmation can lead to uncertainty and potentially some level of confrontation, not to mention the potential loss of revenues.  

“If you’re taking the reservation by phone, it’s imperative to take the customer’s email address and ensure it is correct by repeating it back to your guest to avoid errors. From our experience, you would be amazed at how many people show up at the wrong time or even on the wrong day. This leads to an awkward conversation at the check-in counter trying to figure out how the error may have occurred.” 

Additional Components  

“My customer has booked, my software generated an immediate written confirmation, or my staff have access to send a ‘templated’ email. Done and done. Right?” Not exactly. For many places around the world, golf and secondary revenue channels like restaurants and bar are seasonal. Operating hours, menu items, club dress code and practice facility access and other large parts of the overall golf experience can change and be different from week to week. How often do you rehash the templated message? – and does it contain everything you’d expect?  

Small additions to a written confirmation with updated restaurant hours, dress code or practice facility access, for example, ensure customer expectations match your club’s operations. According to Roberts, clubs who don’t include this information in their written confirmation are leaving themselves open to poor customer experience.  

“Everything in the written confirmation has to match the customer expectations,” said Roberts. “The last thing you want to happen is someone arriving at your club expecting to eat breakfast and the restaurant is closed or wishing to hit some balls prior to play and it just happens to be that one day the range is closed for maintenance!  

Worse yet, and the one that can cause confrontation, is when a player arrives wearing an outfit outside of the club’s dress code policy. The staff are now faced with an undesirable dilemma: do I make a concession to this one visitor and risk others perceiving this as special treatment, or do I force this customer to purchase attire from the club shop to then adhere to the dress policy? A bad experience either way. Both are avoidable with an informative written confirmation.”  

Revenue generation  

Asking questions or providing additional information within the written confirmation also creates upselling and subsequent marketing opportunities. A common example is the promotion of a golf cart/buggy if one hasn’t been reserved at the call stage. Just by offering a link or a contact to the consumer for them to be able to reserve prior to arrival is imperative for increasing revenue. It also allows the club to prepare this hire item for the arrival of the guest.  

Any operator will tell you that the whole check in experience can be busy, but then throw in additional needs of the customer, such as buggy hire, club rental, use of a caddy, or even a personalized gift that the club wasn’t aware of, will lead to more time servicing the guest’s needs and a delay in an already busy operation.  

Multiple course operators can also promote the options of an upgrade or highlight other courses within a group. The booking confirmation can also promote elements such as accommodation either on-site, or at other local establishments that offer preferential rates when booked via the club. 

And, let’s face it, the opportunities to upsell are endless, when you consider other services and facilities such as high-ropes, custom-fitting, score card marking, leisure & spa usage, private dining etc that can be accessed either on the day, or that may tempt a future return to the club. 

Directions or a link to an interactive map, potential transfers and how to book them as well as any information about how to access the club are always useful for any visitors who may be unfamiliar with the area.  

Finally, and possibly the most important, are the Terms and Conditions of the club which are there to provide clarity on payment and cancelation, pairing up policy, bad weather and course closures must also be included within the confirmation. You will always be in a more comfortable position, when facing any confrontation, if your T’s and C’s are set in place.  

Of course, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to customer service at your club, and your fellow 59club manager can guide you through industry best practices.  

Last year, 59club announced its commitment to become carbon neutral across its global operations by 2030, and is unbelievably excited to have taken a huge step on that journey, with its UK & Ireland business now officially accredited with achieving neutrality in 2022. 

To help guide them through the transition to carbon neutral, 59club found solace in the services provided by “Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ)” – a leading consultancy, management and certification platform. 

“Strategically we decided to start with the UK business as it is our most mature business. If we can achieve carbon neutral here, we know we can share best practice and achieve it in our Asia, Australia, Canada, European, MEA, Nordic & USA businesses.” said Simon Wordsworth, Founder and CEO of 59club. 

Over the last 16 months, Alan Stenson & Krys Stanton from NCZ supported Will Hewitt, Andy Etherington and the 59club UK team to adopt NCZ’s three scope structure to tackle the key areas of emissions, by creating strategies for every emission line, either at the company’s cost or simply behavioural changes within the business.   

59club even went further than ‘required’ to help its team members tackle their own carbon emissions through their personal travel and home energy use. 

“We reviewed emissions directly generated by the company’s activities, emissions that are indirectly generated by energy purchased by the company, and lastly emissions that arise from organizational activities, but from sources owned or controlled by other organizations. 

“It’s taken time simply because of the complexity of our business, as it’s not just our office and our people, but all the emissions created by our mystery testers and auditors as they move around the UK & Ireland, the events that we host such as the annual awards ceremony, client golf days, the servers that our software runs on…the list could just go on.” continued Wordsworth. 

The business even went further than ‘required’ to help its team members tackle their own carbon emissions through their personal travel and home energy use. 

To date, 59club’s UK & Ireland division has completed the first phase of its pledge, having received the results of a recently commissioned carbon footprint assessment, which measures the carbon emissions generated by the organisation’s activities. The assessment is the critical first stage of a comprehensive and commercially focused carbon management plan. The measurement of 59club’s carbon emissions follows the internationally recognised standard ISO-14064-1:2006.  

Wordsworth added; “As we progress through this journey, will start to change company buying decisions to ‘fellow green businesses’ who are positively seeking neutrality – where we stay, where we eat, who we buy from etc.”  

Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2030 across 59club’s Global Operations

“For 59club, the pursuit of excellence extends beyond exceptional customer service; it encompasses a responsibility towards our planet. Today, we proudly reaffirm our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across our global operations by 2030. With this effort, 59club is dedicated to creating a brighter future, where exceptional experiences coexist with a greener world. 

“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in 59club’s journey towards global carbon neutrality. We firmly believe that every long journey begins with a first step, and this commitment to becoming carbon neutral across our entire global operations by 2030 is just the beginning.” 

Wordsworth concludes; “Some of our operations that cover huge geographical areas are going to find this really difficult whilst still trying to grow and be profitable, but we believe this is an absolute necessity for the preservation of our planet. Over the coming decades, we will continue to forge ahead, implementing innovative measures and collaborating with partners worldwide to ensure a sustainable future. We have always tried to be amongst the first/early movers, tried to be creative and innovative and this journey allows us to flourish, playing our part to inspire positive change for generations to come.” 

In the ever-evolving world of golf club and hospitality management, being a successful manager involves juggling multiple roles. In the whirlwind of these responsibilities, there isn’t enough time to play guessing games about your member or guests’ needs. The best way to learn what your customers want at your club?  Ask them !!! 

Over the years, we have witnessed a significant shift in customer behaviour within our Survey Software. What started out with aspirations of becoming the most comprehensive pick & mix survey tool in the golf & hospitality industry, has inspired a new-age of club managers who stretch beyond the realms of typical club surveys, to solicit feedback on a whole host of areas to help inform their decision making and the direction the club chooses to take.  

Some of those uses border on being radical – a phrase that doesn’t usually appear in the context of Customer Service Management or in Golf in general… but then again, we’ve always been a magnet for those in the industry who like to do things better, and in doing so we like to support them to behave a bit differently…  

So, what exactly are these new radicals up to?  

They’re putting the club’s destiny in the hands of their members, guests and employees, they’re not just seeking opinion, they’re making instant ‘data-driven’ decisions to help guide the most suitable offering for their customers without prejudice and based on science.  

A new age of club managers are delivering surveys for a whole multitude of reasons, some even to establish where their members would prefer grant monies to be spent – on the course, or in the clubhouse?  

We’ve seen a club make their entire stock selection based on responses to a simple ‘one question’ survey to establish which brands members would prefer to see in the pro shop – giving different supplier options to both male & female members. 

Many clubs are now turning to their members requesting feedback on the club’s competition calendar in an attempt to increase participation, with others collating data to help shape their social events calendar, based on likes and dislikes from previous years, whilst ascertaining interest on potential new themes. 

There are so many daily decisions that as managers we face, but the new-age of club managers are involving their members, guests and employees, after all it’s their club and we need them to enjoy it to the absolute maximum, if we want to secure their loyalty.  

We’ve always been a magnet for those in the industry who like to do things better, and in doing so we like to support them to behave a bit differently…  

We’ve witnessed members inspire seasonal menu changes, and on occasion beer and wine suppliers being switched to the delight of those thirsty members. And then there’s a whole bunch of clubs who made member driven changes to their tee-sheets.  

There’s so many survey templates to choose from, and so much data to gain and take inspiration from, but there’s one that remains a favorite, always topping the usage charts – and that’s the new member survey. Designed to ensure all newbies are integrated into the club community from day one. Some club managers go one step further using the intelligent software to send their new members a ‘series’ of surveys at specific landmarks during their first three months at the club – monitoring their journey into club life, and addressing any weaknesses along the way.  

But let’s not forget the most important people within your business – your employees!!! Forward thinking managers are gathering critical data from the HR survey template bundle, to analyse new and existing employee’s satisfaction levels, along with finding out why some chose to leave.  

We’ve noticed a huge shift from being reactive to pro-active, and that in itself is pure 100 percent karat gold, gone are the days of making assumptions of what will sell in the shop, or what events members may enjoy attending, or why suddenly a loyal group of members went AWOL.  

The best way to learn what your customers want at your club?

Ask them!!! 

Big shout out to all our radical customers – you know who you are!  

And if you’re just starting out on your journey with us – let us guide you to get the best out of your customers, and to give the best back.  

The game of golf has seen significant changes over the past few decades and so have the people who play it. Once stuck with the stigma of being stuffy and elitist, golf is now showing signs of getting younger, more inclusive and available to players of all abilities.

As a result, what was expected of a golf course in the past – in the way of customer service and player experience – is changing at the same rapid rate. In phrase: the days of focusing only on turf conditions are coming to an end.  

In this 59club Spotlight on Service, we head to Mallorca, Spain to catch up with Bernat Llobera, Area Golf  Director at Arabella Golf who echoes the importance of providing exceptional customer service across the board, and uses 59club’s industry leading services to objectively evaluate their customer experience, drive continuous improvement, and establish a club-wide culture of service across their three golf properties on Spain’s largest island.  

“We see nowadays that it is not only about having a course in great shape. It is about a journey, a full experience.” – Bernat Llobera.  

For Llobera, identifying growth opportunities – for revenue and service operations – begins with understanding the experience from the player’s perspective. Working with 59club has made that objective infinitely easier through regular mystery shopping services at Arabella Golf. 

“59club’s evaluations are incredibly valuable assets as they provide a client’s perspective which resembles a real guest experience,” said Llobera. “The objective insights provided by 59club are far more valuable than internal assessments. The ‘extra bonus’ is being able to compare ourselves, our three courses, and the ability to compare this to the wider industry benchmarks. And once we have identified areas for growth, 59club’s training and education services allow us to make improvements to our systems and protocols extremely quickly.”  

Llobera went on to say identifying and fixing problems as they arise is only half the battle. A commitment to continuous improvement must be the driving force behind changes to customer service protocols.  

“Once we receive our evaluation results, we immediately sit down to discuss them as a group,” said Llobera. “We look at everything from comments and images to objective ratings and begin to identify trends and long-term solutions, something that wouldn’t be possible if every team member wasn’t completely committed.”  

That commitment to improvement at Arabella Golf, and regular training through 59club has created a culture of customer service at the club. Employee training sessions are completed every year in many aspects of hospitality service, including phone skills, upselling options and retail protocols. 

“We see nowadays that it is not only about having a course in great shape. It is about a journey, a full experience.”

“Our team members love the training sessions,” said Llobera. “It’s clear to see that everyone takes them seriously and strives to improve. The common feedback from the team is that 59club knows and understands the intricacies of the business, and from what I know, there is nothing that can be compared to what 59club offers. Most recently 59club training sessions have been instrumental in improving our reservations department – often the first impression with your customer.”  

Another goal for Llobera this year? Pick up a few awards. 

“We were extremely proud of all three of our properties’ recognition at the most recent Service Excellence Awards, with Son Muntaner leading the way with a gold flag,” said Llobera. “It encourages you to keep working hard. Ultimately, our team members are the ones who create an incredible golf journey for our guests, so it’s especially gratifying to see the entire team recognized for their commitment and hard work.” 

The age old saying goes, ‘that great managers lead by example’; and 59club are quick to point out that Llobera was recently invited into 59club’s Eminent Collection, joining only twenty-two managers spanning 59clubs global territory – and the very first in Europe – having achieved this international benchmark of excellence, which recognises the finest individuals who are leading the industry in the customer experience realms. 

Eligibility into the Eminent Collection is based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, with individual and team accolades, along with property flag designations, all contributing towards the Eminent Benchmark of Excellence; measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years. 

Golf experience in Spain is being elevated by managers such as Llobera who seek analysis and feedback to support their team to strengthen their proposition in the marketplace. The advice that he would give to other club managers in Europe and across the wider golfing landscape is that “59club’s wide range of services and solutions improve the business, and therefore, the bottom line. Through personal experience they understand the golf operation and the hospitality industry better than anyone we have met before; they are a great support specialising in customer service; I highly recommend them and their services.”  

The very best performing properties and leaders, having achieved the highest long-serving standards of customer service excellence are invited into The Eminent Collection.

Eligibility is based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years, with individual and team accolades, along with property flag designations, all contributing towards the Eminent Benchmark of Excellence.

View 2024 Eminent Collection here

View 2023 Eminent Collection here

View 2022 Eminent Collection here

A case Study exploring global New Member Onboarding trends

In the modern landscape, data stands as the pivotal cornerstone guiding our actions and shaping our strategies. It offers insight, reveals patterns and uncovers hidden opportunities.

In short, data becomes our road map. Insights collected from our recent multi-national survey of new club members reinforces not only the importance of data collection in this industry, but also how action – or in this case, inaction – can create a mismatch between Member needs and Club operations.  

Out of more than a thousand global respondents to the member onboarding survey, a striking 80 percent cited “lose weight or get in shape” as the primary motive for joining the health club. This clearly signals a profound desire among members to prioritize their fitness journey and take proactive steps towards health and wellness.  

However, there exists a disconnection in the club’s member service ecosystem, indicated by other data points from the survey. A sizable 82 percent of the respondents disclosed that they had not received a new member welcome call within 5 days of joining the club, and only 47 percent received any type of health & fitness induction with the personal trainer, with 40 percent failing to even receive a fitness class schedule. 

This data demonstrates a significant gap in communication and service delivery that can hinder members from realizing their wellness goals. It paints a stark contrast between what members expect and what they experience. 

Data is a powerful tool, but it’s only as valuable as the action it inspires. What can we, as industry leaders and club managers, do with this data? How can we turn these insights into effective strategies? 

Firstly, this data suggests a crucial need to improve communication with new members, ensuring they are well informed about the fitness services available to them. This should involve a personalized welcome call, with an invitation to attend a face-to-face meeting with the personal trainer and / or operations manager, to provide all the necessary items and advice to help them integrate instantly into club life. This simple act of proactive engagement can not only facilitate their fitness journey but also build a stronger rapport, promoting a sense of belonging within the club community from day one. 

Secondly, the importance of implementing a comprehensive and structured onboarding program for new members. This should start with a new member initiation meeting, this could include guided tours, allowing the club to emphasize the various fitness services, the different fitness classes or group activity programs and to make introductions to other employees within the fitness team as well as like-minded members, those of a similar ability, or members with relatable fitness goals.  

Subsequent appointment scheduling – should not be overlooked, employees should as part of their regular service calls attempt to engage new members in health assessments, equipment inductions, fitness programs and future goal settings, with appointments set aside for regular reviews – and perhaps a complimentary session with a personal trainer.  The goal is to provide an enriched experience that encourages members to actively utilize the club’s fitness offerings, and engage with fellow club members and the wider fitness team, whilst serving them to meet their goals. 

Lastly, feedback mechanisms should be put in place to continuously gather member input. These might include regular surveys and service calls where members can share their experiences and ideas. This ongoing data collection not only helps to identify any areas needing improvement, but also to anticipate changing member needs, fostering a responsive and adaptable club environment. 

This example is a wake-up call for clubs to re-evaluate and reinforce their new member engagement strategies. It’s a clear testament to the importance of effective communication, a well-structured onboarding process, and ongoing feedback collection. By embracing data and taking the appropriate action, clubs can bridge the service gap, enhance member satisfaction, and ultimately, help members succeed in their fitness journey. After all, data is a tool, and its power is realized only when it’s put into action. 

If you are ready to measure your member experience and develop a structured onboarding process for your new golf and leisure club members, then help is at hand…  

• Our New Member Integration Survey, Member Retention Survey and Member Exit Survey Templates will deliver the data to support you to tailor your offering throughout your entire member life cycle.  
• And you can follow the education lessons within 59club’s Mentor platform, or request for one of the 59club training managers to guide you through the various training modules.  

Together we can build a successful member integration and retention strategy for your club, ensuring members feel welcome, connected, and valued, with the purpose of encouraging them to visit more often, enter into club life, refer friends and family and linger-longer whilst they are at the club.  

We are thrilled to share some great news about our founder, Simon Wordsworth, who was recently recognised as the latest PGA Member to achieve PGA Master Manager status. This announcement comes from the Professional Golfers’ Association itself, marking a new milestone in Simon’s illustrious career and adding another feather to his cap. 

The PGA Master Manager status is an accolade of the highest order, recognising Simon’s significant contribution to the golf industry and his immense expertise in club management. He is one of only sixty one PGA members to have been granted this honour. 

Our founder has always been a forward-thinker, a trailblazer who has ceaselessly worked towards promoting the golf industry’s best practices. He founded 59club back in 2008, with a vision to revolutionize golf management and service excellence. Under his leadership, we have grown from a handful of clubs in the UK, to a multi-national brand and industry leader with divisions and operations on five continents.  

Reflecting on his achievement, Simon shared, “It’s incredibly humbling to receive this recognition. I’m passionate about delivering excellence in golf management, and I believe this honor represents the collective efforts of our fantastic team at 59club. We’ve always strived to deliver the best, and we’ll continue to do so.” 

Over the years, Simon has always been a proponent of professional development within the industry. He believes that the key to success lies in continuous learning, evolving with changing times, and always striving to improve. This ethos has been ingrained in our organisational culture at 59club and continues to drive us towards excellence. 

Simon’s PGA Master Manager status comes as a result of his vast experience, his dedication to the industry, and his ability to lead, challenge and inspire. It not only recognizes his past achievements but also underscores his potential for future contributions to the golfing industry. We’re confident that under Simon’s stewardship, 59club will continue to reach new heights and redefine industry standards. 

We are absolutely delighted for Simon and immensely proud to be led by a PGA Master Manager. As we continue our journey, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence, championing the finest standards in golf and leisure management. 

Congratulations, Simon! This is a well-deserved recognition, and we are excited to see where your leadership takes us in the future. 

Golf clubs aren’t merely venues for a beautiful round of golf; they’re spaces where members bond over a meal or drink. As such, food and beverage operations play an essential role in shaping the member experience. However, balancing quality with profitability is a delicate dance that golf clubs across the world grapple with, especially during off-peak days. 

According to recent analysis by 59club Study; 1 in 4 golf clubs reduce or even eliminate their F&B operations during their slowest days of the year, 56% of clubs identified Monday as the slowest day of the week, with Tuesday trailing at 22%.  

In this case, the data – based on research from a global network of managers within the 59club Study community – affords managers industry insights around how other clubs are making changes to their F&B opening or closing times on specific “slower” days.  

Data collection and understanding are fundamental before making any decision at your golf club. Precise data collected from your own members and guests will enable you to objectively assess your club’s operations, track member & guest preferences, and identify trends. It takes the guesswork out of decision-making, giving you a solid foundation upon which to design effective strategies.  

These “slow” days offer an opportunity for creative solutions that can boost sales and enhance member satisfaction. If the data suggests that you should remain open, and lets face it, who wants to shut up shop when there’s potential revenue to gain, maybe it’s a case of kicking your restaurant into gear to boost sales on these slow days. 

Remember, the goal is not just to increase sales but also to enhance the customer experience. The strategies you adopt should reflect your club’s ethos and cater to the needs and preferences of your members & guests, here are some strategies to consider; 

Innovative Marketing and Communication 

Using email newsletters, social media, and even the club’s website to communicate special offers or themed nights can spark interest and increase attendance. Communicate consistently and ensure that your message reaches your customers effectively. 

Customer Engagement Activities 

Involve members & guests in activities such as cookery classes, wine tastings, or a ‘meet the chef’ evening. These initiatives can create a sense of community and encourage members to visit the club on slower days. 

Strategic Partnerships 

Consider partnering with local businesses to create attractive package deals that combine a round of golf with dining discounts. This can help attract new visitors to the club and possibly convert them into regular members. 

Streamline Operations 

Use data and analytics from platforms like 59club Study, alongside your own regular customer satisfaction surveys  to identify trends and monitor member preferences. You can use these insights to streamline your F&B operations, optimize menus, manage inventory, and reduce waste. 

Slow days need not be a drain on your club’s F&B operations. By adopting creative strategies and leveraging data, you can turn these off-peak periods into opportunities for growth and member engagement. Remember, every day at your golf club is a chance to make a lasting impression and deliver an exceptional experience.  

Don’t let the off-peak blues bring you down; instead, use them as a springboard to elevate your club’s F&B operations to new heights. 

In the world of retail, there is a common question that has plagued salespeople for years. It’s an easy question to ask, an easier question to answer and it does exactly nothing for your bottom line.  

The question in question? “Can I help you?”

It seems innocent enough, a well-meaning attempt to assist customers. However, according to 59club Global Trainer Matt Roberts, this question may be the absolute worst to ask in any retail setting, and what’s more staggering is that 59club’s industry leading data suggests that 75% of all mystery shoppers were either asked this very question, or simply ignored after showing interest in a product. 

The Ineffectiveness of “Can I Help You?”: 

According to Roberts, the question “Can I help you?” often falls flat, and worse, creates a negative feedback loop between you and your customer. The most common response? “I’m just looking, thanks.” This lackluster interaction fails to create a meaningful connection between the salesperson and the customer, leaving both parties unsatisfied.  

A fact supported by 59club’s mystery shopping data, which highlights, “of those that were asked this question; 58% identified that they would not wish to make a purchase”. Immediately, nearly 80% of customers who are asked “Can I help you?” aren’t buying. Now that’s a big-time problem. 

Missed Sales Opportunities: 

Asking the wrong question can trip up sales professionals and hinder their ability to create sales opportunities. Instead of resorting to the generic “Can I help you?” query, it is crucial to engage customers in a conversation that promotes active dialogue. By understanding their specific needs and preferences, salespeople can tailor their recommendations and provide a more personalised experience.  

Turning Conversation into Sales Opportunities: 

Having eliminated the “Can I help you?” scenario; 59club’s education stresses the importance of asking engaging questions that promote casual chat. For instance, sales staff asking customers a combination of open and closed questions about their golf game, their abilities, or their favourite part of their game can lead to fruitful conversations. These interactions can uncover areas where customers are struggling and allow sales professionals to offer relevant solutions or services. By actively listening and providing personalised recommendations, retailers can turn missed opportunities into successful sales. What do customers want in a personalised experience? Let’s find out through needs analysis. 

The Power of Needs Analysis: 

One key element of 59club’s education is the importance of conducting a needs analysis for customers seeking a particular product. Rather than immediately showcasing a range of options, salespeople should focus on understanding what the customer is looking for in that specific product. By asking a selection of well-constructed questions about their preferences, why they’re in the market for the product in the first place, current usage, and desired improvements, sales professionals can gain valuable insights to guide their recommendations. Failing to conduct a proper needs analysis can result in further missed sales opportunities. Alarmingly, only 50% of 59club mystery shoppers received a needs analysis during their encounter with the retail team, and to their detriment, 77% of those shoppers stating that they did not feel compelled to make a purchase based on their sales experience. 

What’s a better way?  

A crucial aspect of the retail sales process is the significance of linking product features to their benefits. Rather than overwhelming customers with a laundry list of specifications, salespeople should emphasize how a product can meet their specific needs and provide value. By identifying the benefits that resonate with the customer, sales professionals can create a compelling case for making a purchase. This approach not only enhances the customer’s understanding, but also increases the likelihood of closing a sale. 

In the realm of retail, the question “Can I help you?” may be the worst one to ask customers. It often leads to missed sales opportunities and fails to establish a meaningful connection. By embracing alternative approaches, conducting a needs analysis, linking features to benefits, and promoting engaging conversations, sales professionals can transform their interactions with customers.  

It is through these personalized and attentive strategies that retail businesses can foster stronger customer relationships, increase sales, and provide exceptional shopping experiences. So, the next time you step into a retail environment, remember that a genuine conversation can make all the difference.  

Have you been here before? It’s an innocuous and generally harmless question with enormous upside.

The restaurant industry have used this relatively innocent question for decades in order to prime the pump for an engaging customer experience. Asking someone if they have been to your golf course, restaurant, spa – or any other hospitality or leisure venue – opens the door for conversation and questions, builds rapport and emotional connection between the customer and your staff/brand, and provides an opportunity to share your club’s best stories or things a customer should know before heading out.  

59club has crunched the numbers and, once again, the top-performing clubs never miss an opportunity to ask this question during the tee time booking call. The rest of the pack, however, fails to ask this question 64% of the time.  

On arrival at the club during checking in for golf; even the best performers struggle when it comes to discussing a visitors  previous experiences as they attempt to build a personal rapport, only achieving 68%, with the 59club industry average sat at just 50%. 

Let’s dive in.  

The most effective way to open the door for an engaging conversation and information gathering is to ask personal questions but asking a customer where they see themselves in five years or what makes them the happiest isn’t really appropriate in this instance. Asking a visitor if they have played the course before, however, is a semi-opened-ended question with a clear goal and hundreds of different avenues for additional conversation. If the customer has played the course before, it begs the question “when?” Was it a long time ago or before a recent renovation? Have there been changes to improve the club since then? Why did they take so long in between rounds? Are they from out of town and should their name and email address go into a special “feeder market” list bucket in your CRM system? Enormous amounts of information all gained from starting with one simple question.  

These types of conversation starters not only gather important information for marketing and customer service operations, but also provide an opportunity to tell positive stories or provide important general information about your club to someone who may not know. If someone is playing for the first time, they might want to hear about a featured hole, strategy on how to play the course, where to find locker room, restaurant, practice area and 1^st tee, humorous anecdotes and other positive stories.  

The message is clear, the top performing clubs need to be more consistent from managing the tee time call to greeting a visitor on arrival, far too many other clubs – that feed into the 59club industry average – are leaving easily gatherable information on the table. The golf and leisure clubs who take charge of the first impression and subsequent conversations tend to score higher in other areas as well, creating a domino effect of individual, positive experiences which lead to a better experience overall.  

Working with the data 

Delve into your Mystery Shopping Audits, and analyze how many times the team has asked this question ‘month on month’ and ‘year on year’, paying close attention to the podium performance, industry and your own competitor set average to see how you compare.  

Celebrate those within the team who have witnessed successes, reminding others of the fundamental basics to perfect their engagement techniques.  

Encourage skill-share, role-play, and time away to study, reminding the team of the learning links within the mystery shopping results, and the resources within the Mentor education platform to develop their sales process & customer service experience. 

Review successes and set targets on a regular basis as Mystery Shopping results are released…  

In today’s competitive golf industry, it’s crucial for golf clubs to deliver exceptional customer experiences to attract and retain players. One golf club that has successfully navigated this challenge is We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, which – under the leadership of General Manager Matt Barr – has seen significant growth in retail and F&B sales over the past two years. Their secret? Unbiased, actionable data collected from regular mystery shopping audits. 

The Partnership Between We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and 59club 

Barr and his team at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club gained valuable insights into the areas where they could improve their customer service and drive sales growth. According to Barr, what started out as an opportunity to identify on-course condition and maintenance, like turf health and bunkering, turned into an extremely valuable tool for nearly every customer-facing operation at the club.  

“Managers can’t be everywhere at once, so we engaged with 59club in order to make sure our on-course product was up to our standards,” said Barr. “The data we received from our initial golf visitor experience audits opened our eyes to not only the on-course product, but also our retail and F&B operations. We quickly realised we could grow in many ways.”  

Implementing Effective Sales Techniques 

Armed with the insights, Barr and his team at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club implemented new sales techniques that focused on improving customer interactions. By training staff to engage with customers more effectively and to upsell and cross-sell products and services, the club was able to increase its retail sales by double digits in a little under two years.  

“We’ve seen a remarkable retail sales increase since starting with 59club,” said Barr. “This growth can be directly attributed to learning and implementing effective sales processes that focus on upselling and cross-selling. By equipping our team with the right tools and techniques, we’ve been able to enhance the customer experience and drive significant revenue growth for our club.” 

On the F&B front, mystery shopping data allowed Barr and his team to identify areas for growth and double down on quality customer service operations. According to Barr, simple questions asked by F&B staff have led to significant sales increases, and even improved employee satisfaction.  

“Asking simple questions like ‘have you dined with us before’ or ‘would you like another beer’ not only lead to increases in F&B revenue, but also staff wages,” said Barr. “As bills increase from another round of drinks or upselling a more expensive spirit, so do tips for our servers. It’s a win-win across the board and something we might never have seen without data from 59club.”  

Enhancing Customer Satisfaction 

By making improvements in their daily processes, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club was able to enhance the overall customer experience. Satisfied customers are more likely to return to the club and recommend it to others, which will have a positive impact on future sales. The increased focus on customer service, driven by the insights gained from regular mystery shopping audits, helped the club create a more enjoyable guest experience. 

The success of We-Ko-Pa Golf Club demonstrates the significant impact that mystery shopping and data analysis can bring to the golf, leisure & hospitality industry. As the industry becomes increasingly competitive, it’s essential for clubs to prioritize customer service and continually strive for improvement. By partnering with 59club, venues can gain valuable insights and support to help them boost sales and create exceptional experiences for their customers. 

Members are the life-blood of many clubs; failure to convert them can prove expensive in both the short and long-term. But maximizing the opportunities which present themselves often comes down to having the correct person adopting the correct policies.

Yet one of the most overlooked aspects of converting a prospect comes at that very first stage: the answering of the call. Firstly, it’s essential that the correct person is available to answer the call. Those who hesitate are lost, and so are those who are not there in the first place.

Ask yourself how many opportunities are lost if the phone goes unanswered? Or if the correct staff member is on holiday or sick? So, when you consider that on only 58% of occasions did our mystery testers get to speak to the correct person on the first attempt of calling – according to the 59club industry score – we begin to appreciate how many opportunities may be lost.

That’s effectively twice in every five calls a prospective member speaks to the wrong person, necessitating a call-back. Worse still, what if the prospect calls a competitor while waiting for your return call, and they went on to impress them so much that they signed up!?

One of the most important aspects of the initial enquiry call is the art of building a rapport with the caller. This comes naturally to an engaging staff member, but this technique is lost when the wrong person tries to deal with an enquiry.

An engaging staff member will attempt to build a rapport; asking the prospect about their golfing background, how often they play, where, and what is their handicap, all simple conversation pieces. Yet the industry are only getting 28% of the picture, while the best-performing clubs glean a much better understanding of their prospects, as they achieve 77%.

Asking what has prompted the enquiry is likely to provide you with further valuable information. They may, for example, be a member elsewhere and be unsatisfied with the condition of the course, or a lack of investment, allowing the staff member to respond with positives about the excellent course condition and raft of recent and future investments. This is designed to edge the caller towards a positive outcome, both now and then later in the sales process when they visit the club.

There are countless reasons why somebody will make the initial call; employees who fail to delve into them will find it harder to persuade the prospect to put pen to paper. The podium performers have realised this and without fail, they established what prompted the membership enquiry every single time; the industry asked the question 70% of the time.

Furthermore, establishing the caller’s primary requirements for a membership – competitive golf, the social aspect, entertaining clients, meet new people etc – leads to other opportunities that will relate to their needs, with the intention of exciting them at the thought of a membership later in the call. Again, the podium score reflects the success therein with 86%, while the industry average drops to 44%.

Effectively, taking the last three areas together, it’s clear that industry-wide we’re failing to establish the caller’s history and membership needs on every other occasion.

A further vital question is required to establish whether the caller is also contacting other clubs with the same enquiry. With relevant SWOT analysis of your competition, your staff are in an ideal position to stress your strengths over your rivals’ weaknesses, without the need to openly criticise them.

However, the importance of this approach seems to be lost on many clubs; with a podium score of just 50% and, even more disappointingly, an overall industry rating of just 14%.

Using all of the personal information gleaned, you are now in a position to make a ‘related’ promotion of the member services, club facilities and USPs, for how else is one to excite the caller? Yet, despite the obvious importance of this action, the industry comes in with a rating of just 55%, and the podium not much higher at 72% when analysing their promotion.

Now that the prospect is excited at the thought of membership, the emphasis is to encourage the individual to visit the club in order to view the facilities and discuss member benefits further.

In future issues, we will look at how the membership sales appointment should be structured.

If you would like to take a closer look at the membership sales process, visit the 59club Mentor education platform to fill any shortcomings in your member sales enquiry process.

For those of you who are new to 59Club Study; the platform connects curious Club Managers and industry personnel from around the globe, creating opportunities to explore operational decision making from a wide range of operators in different locales, under different cultural norms, as we learn from each other.

59Club Study’s goal is to build a professional network of hospitality managers, driven by data and club research, with a strict focus on collaboration and tackling tough topics together.

Each fortnightly report highlights technical, conceptual, and philosophical insights from inside Golf, Leisure & Hospitality businesses across the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia & New Zealand.

Managers are encouraged to submit questions they would like to appear in subsequent surveys, putting you in control of the direction the study takes, providing an industry perspective like no other.

The insight, collaboration, and community that 59Club Study creates, will inspire curiosity, and ultimately empower Club Managers to make informed data-driven decisions.

Sign up now, whilst it’s free to join

Click here to read three of 59Club Study’s most recent reports.

Which is more important for employee retention: higher wages or schedule flexibility? Employee turnover can be costly and time-consuming, and it’s essential to keep your top talent motivated and engaged. Any club manager will tell you it’s much harder to find and train a new employee, than it is to keep good staff members happy.

If you get word a few of your best employees are beginning to think about working elsewhere, what do you do?

You could pay them more, certainly, but that might not be the underlying issue for their unhappiness. Schedule flexibility could help, but you need them at the club as often as possible. After all, they’re your best staff members.

What is more important: higher wages or schedule flexibility? What would work the best? How could you possibly know? It might depend on individual needs.

Higher wages can be an attractive option for employees, as it can increase their sense of financial security and stability. Employees who feel that they are being paid fairly are more likely to be motivated and committed to their work. However, there is only so much you can offer in terms of a salary before it becomes unaffordable for your business. It’s essential to consider whether you can sustain paying higher wages in the long term, especially if it means compromising on other areas of your business, such as investment in training or new equipment.

On the other hand, schedule flexibility can be another key factor in employee retention. Many employees value having the ability to adjust their work schedule to accommodate personal or family commitments, such as attending a child’s school event or caring for a sick relative. Offering schedule flexibility can increase employee satisfaction, which can lead to increased productivity, engagement, and loyalty. However, it’s important to ensure that schedule flexibility doesn’t impact business operations or create any staffing gaps that can impact other employees’ workloads or morale. Can your club operate successfully with that amount of flexibility for just one or two employees? Does it have to be available to every employee?

So, what’s the answer? Which is more important: higher wages or schedule flexibility? It’s challenging to determine what’s more important without asking your employees directly.

By surveying your employees, you can gather unbiased feedback and gain valuable insights into their preferences and needs. You can ask staff about their thoughts on higher wages versus schedule flexibility and use this information to make more informed decisions about how to retain your top talent. All anonymously and without bias.

These are only two answers to a delicate problem faced in the club industry. Both options have their advantages, and the answer to what’s more important may vary depending on the individual needs and preferences of your employees. To make an informed decision, it’s essential to gather feedback from your employees and use this information to make adjustments to your retention strategies.

With 59club’s survey tools at your disposal – you really can ask whatever you like. Plus the HR survey templates make it easy to monitor employee wellbeing, engagement & satisfaction levels, ensuring that you are providing existing employees and new hires with the support they need to thrive in their roles – and there’s always something to learn from an employee exit survey.

If the reality is that ‘happy employees = happy customers,’ then it’s high time we prioritise employee well-being.

As J. Willard Marriott famously said; “Take good care of your employees, and they’ll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back”.

Running a golf club located in one of the most luxurious destinations in the world, Abu Dhabi, certainly puts a premium on excellent customer service. The city attracts a diverse range of visitors from all around the globe, from business executives to leisure travelers, all of whom expect a high level of service and experience and are accustomed to top-notch treatment wherever they go.

In a place like Abu Dhabi – and for general manager of Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Rhian Lobo – investing in customer service operations is crucial to meet the expectations of both local and international guests.

“As a premier golf destination in the region, we understand the importance of delivering a world-class experience for our members and guests,” said Lobo. “By investing in our customer service operations, we can ensure that we meet and exceed the expectations of our customers, and maintain our position as a leader in the industry.”

One of the key investments for Lobo and his team was partnering with 59club, to work on many aspects of their customer-facing operations.

“We strive to provide our members and guests with the best possible experience, and 59club has been instrumental in identifying not only areas of improvement, but also how to capitalize on things we already do well. They’ve been instrumental in helping us achieve our goals,” said Lobo.

Identifying needs and opportunities are one thing. Collecting and implementing actionable data is another. Using data collected through 59club’s survey tools, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club was not only able to identify that their customers wanted improvements to their driving range, but also used data to create a pitch to their governing board. With the help of such intel, they now have ball tracking technology on all 48 bays, something their members & guests greatly valued.

Lobo adds, “The reports from 59club has given us a fresh perspective on our operations, enabling us to focus on the areas we might have otherwise overlooked. We’re thrilled with the impact it’s had on our driving range, and we look forward to implementing further changes based on new reports down the line.”

In addition to their unbiased mystery shopping audits and survey data, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club has also benefited from on-site training sessions with 59club. These sessions bring the team together and provide them with the tools they need to excel in their roles.

Lobo explains, “Investing in our team is crucial to maintaining our high standards of customer service. The F&B, golf operations, membership sales and retention training sessions provided by 59club have helped us identify our team’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling us to provide targeted training that has ultimately improved the customer experience.”

The investment in 59club and commitment from Lobo’s team has already paid dividends. According to 59club’s data comparisons over the course of the last three years, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club’s customer service satisfaction scores have shown double digit increases in eight different categories, spanning; staff sales & upselling aptitude, customer engagement, facility management, on-course service standards, and the food and beverage operation to name a few.

“The ability to measure our investment and see our success through these reports has been absolutely incredible,” said Lobo. “It can be easy to implement a new program as a manager and simply forget about it. When you forget about it, so do your staff. With regular mystery shopper reports from 59club, we make sure we’re always focused on what matters to our customers, and we are able to reward our staff for achieving measurable success.”

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club has come a long way in their customer service journey. Starting from a Bronze Flag Designation, they have progressed to the 59club Gold Flag standard, a testament to their commitment to excellence.

Lobo concludes, “59club has been an integral part of our success, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without their support. We’re excited to continue working with them to provide the best possible experience for our members and guests.”

Making members and guests feel valued and welcome is an absolute no brainer for any hospitality venue, but for golf course F&B establishments which often operate with smaller margins and lower foot traffic than traditional restaurants, the line between success and failure is razor thin.

And with labour shortages and employee turnover at levels not seen in decades, the importance of increasing margins through upselling and keeping good employees has never been higher.

According to 59club’s global data; the F&B customer service tactic most in need of improvement is also the least costly, and happens to be a catalyst for increased margins. It also helps raise tips for servers and happens to be one of the key components of exceptional customer service – friendly conversation starters, A.K.A the upsell engine.

Customers are far more likely to purchase additional or premium items when they have a personal connection to their server.

Something as simple as a friendly introduction from the server, with the attempt to involve the table in engaging conversation can be the difference between your customers ordering the least profitable items on the menu, or on their recommendation, opting for the higher ticket, higher return options, or additional courses.  

Developing rapport through the ‘friendly conversation starter’ tactic is something every server in your organisation should strive for at the beginning of each individual interaction. And it works.  

This same tactic is also one of the driving forces of higher tips. Since most diners chose to tip a percentage of the bill; raising the final total through upselling – made easier through friendly communication – will increase gratuities and employee satisfaction, and assist in lowering employee turnover.

The Stats…

Clubs are simply not taking advantage of this tactic. When it comes to a server’s willingness and ability to initiate friendly conversation starters; the podium performers score just 58%, the 59club industry average drops to 40%, showing an industry wide opportunity for growth and higher F&B margins.

Despite all the positive scenarios related to upselling, staff are just not on board. We have to focus their attention and encourage them, and give them the confidence to give upselling a go. The opportunity to sell more and increase F&B profits is easy money, yet the industry only attempts to upsell additional items on 37% of occasions. The podium venues also need to re-focus their servers, as they only achieved 56%.

Let’s do the math based on a club that see an average of 140 players per day, of which 40 of them order a meal after their round.

If the servers use friendly conversation starters to prime the table for the upsell of an additional course priced at £5 (with a 60% margin), and managed to convert just half of the 40 diners; the result is a £21,900 uplift in profit over the course of one year, just by implementing a simple conversation piece in your customer service toolkit. Win win.

And let’s not forget the opportunities to upsell simple but highly profitable snack items & drinks to the 140 golfers before they even teed off ! And that’s something we can all get more bang from our buck; with the podium set performers only attempting to upsell 30% of the time, and the industry missing even more opportunities, as they only attempt to upsell to a fifth of all golfers !

Implement friendly conversation starters today, and watch your profits sore.

Many of the UK and Europe’s leading Venues, Teams and Individuals were in attendance as 59club recognised those who delivered the very best service to their Members and Guests during 2022 at their Annual celebration of Service Excellence, which this year took place at The Hilton, St George’s Park on Thursday 2^nd of March.

Delegates enjoyed educational seminars during the day, which included Olympic Gold Medal winner and now Head of Performance for the League Managers Association, Tim Foster MBE; Bestselling author of “The Habit Mechanic” and founder of Tougher Minds Consultancy, Dr Jon Finn; and former Manchester United Captain and Premier League winner, Steve Bruce.

As day moved to evening; host for the evening, seasoned presenter, Vernon Kay opened the glittering awards ceremony that has long been regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf & hospitality industry, since 59club’s honours list began some 13 years ago.

The event recognises the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence across 2022. 59club’s accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to guests, club members and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria.

On the night, 59club saw their UK & Southern European teams present 38 individual & team awards spanning 18 categories, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses; sales, service, operations, retail, spa, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile, by segmenting several individual accolades into 3 categories, based on a venue’s average green fee rate.

Of this year’s awards, Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK, commented; “With a growth of over 20% in the number of venues taking our services, an award nomination this year represented an outstanding achievement across a number of hugely competitive categories.

59club awards are based on an objective analysis of the service provided at a venue, therefore recognising the venues, teams and individuals who truly do deliver world class service on a consistent basis”.

The Grove and Belvoir Park Golf Club collected the highest prized awards of the evening – Ultimate Golf Resort and Ultimate Members’ Club respectively. Both venues also achieved multiple individual and team successes; with Brad Gould and his team at The Grove collecting the enviable Golf Manager and Golf Operations Team of the Year titles (>£130 green fee category); with Alice Kozlowski adding the Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance award to The Grove’s trophy cabinet.

Belvoir Park’s celebrations continued long into the night with both Aaron Small and Stuart McDonald having been crowned Greenkeeper and F&B Manager of the Year, before rounding off the evening with the forementioned Ultimate Members’ Club Designation.

Another club seeing multiple successes was Long Ashton, who scooped Golf Manager of the Year for departing GM, Gareth Morgan; F&B Manager of the Year for a 4^th consecutive year for Glenn McNaughton; Golf Operations Team of the Year; and also a coveted Gold Flag Designation. In addition to this they also claimed the Ultimate Service Excellence Award for their fantastic efforts in utilising survey data to enhance their service offering.

Both Finca Cortesin and Branston Golf Club received a double dose of crystalware after Rocio Sanchez was crowned 59club Europe South’s Golf Manager of the year; and their Golf Operations Department claimed the Team of the Year accolade. Meanwhile Branston celebrated with a my59 Service Excellence Award; and a second victory after claiming Leisure Membership Sales Team of the year. 

The Awards became a landmark moment for Matt Aplin, Golf Course Manager at Goring and Streatley, who has now retained the title of Greenkeeper of the Year for an incredible 5^th consecutive year – an outstanding achievement given the quality of those competing in this category.

Alcanada, Camiral Golf & Wellness and Golf Son Muntaner were flying the flag for Spain, having each secured Gold Flag Designations. Marta Castells (Camiral) claimed victory in the Food & Beverage Category, while Paco Gavira (Son Muntaner) was crowned the regions Greenkeeper of the Year.

In Portugal, Quinta do Lago continue to lead the way by also securing a coveted Gold Flag, and in Italy, Royal Park I Roveri celebrated with a Silver Flag, and again as Fabio Vido claimed Retail Manager of the Year.

Lee Mathew Waggott, General Manager59club Europe South said; “Celebrating success is a key pillar of what we believe in and promote within 59club. Our venues across Europe South not only continue to deliver memorable experiences but are always striving to continue to develop their journeys by searching for those extra 1%’s day in and day out.

“In an extremely competitive landscape to receive a nomination and claim an award is a wonderful achievement, and the ability to share this recognition with individuals and teams across the property is incredibly important. We are extremely excited about the season ahead and welcoming even more forward-thinking & progressive properties into our Awards next year.”

Celebrations continued into the night, as 59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, were announced. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2022.  

This year, 59club presented 28 ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Belvoir Park Golf Club; Camiral Golf & Wellness; Celtic Manor Resort; Club de Golf Alcanada; Delta Hotels by Marriott, Forest of Arden Country Club; Dunbar Golf Club; Edgbaston Golf Club; Finca Cortesin; Foxhills Club & Resort; Frilford Heath Golf Club; Gleneagles; Golf at Goodwood; Golf Son Muntaner; Gullane Golf Club; Hanbury Manor, Marriott Hotel & Country Club; Harpenden Golf Club; JCB Golf & Country Club; Long Ashton Golf Club; Mount Juliet Estate; Panmure Golf Club; Quinta do Lago; Rockliffe Hall; Royal Dublin Golf Club; Royal Dornoch Golf Club; The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Grove; The London Club and The Mere Golf Resort & Spa.

17 ‘Silver Flags’ went to; Barnham Broom; Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Branston Golf & Country Club; Carton House; Cameron House; Clevedon Golf Club; Infinitum; Ladybank Golf Club; La Moye Golf Club; North Foreland Golf Club; QHotels Collection, Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; QHotels Collection, Belton Woods Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Royal Park I Roveri; Slieve Russell; St Mellion; The Kendleshire and West Herts Golf Club.

And a further 15 “Bronze Flag” Awards were presented to; Conwy Golf Club; Delta Hotels by Marriott, Worsley Park Country Club; Golf Son Quint; Golf Son Vida; Goring & Streatley Golf Club; Hickleton Golf Club; Newport Golf Club; Pula Golf Resort; Teignmouth Golf Club; The Astbury; The Bristol Golf Club; The Vale Resort; Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club; Woodsome Hall Golf Club and Wychwood Park.

For more information about 59club, visit www.59club.com

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Full list of award winners can be seen in the table below.  

59club UK & Europe South ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2022/23:

Ultimate Golf Resort: The Grove

Ultimate Members’ Club: Belvoir Park Golf Club

Gold Flag Designations 2023: Belvoir Park Golf Club; Camiral Golf & Wellness; Celtic Manor Resort; Club de Golf Alcanada; Delta Hotels by Marriott, Forest of Arden Country Club; Dunbar Golf Club; Edgbaston Golf Club; Finca Cortesin; Foxhills Club & Resort; Frilford Heath Golf Club; Gleneagles; Golf at Goodwood; Golf Son Muntaner; Gullane Golf Club; Hanbury Manor, Marriott Hotel & Country Club; Harpenden Golf Club; JCB Golf & Country Club; Long Ashton Golf Club; Mount Juliet Estate; Panmure Golf Club; Quinta do Lago; Rockliffe Hall; Royal Dublin Golf Club; Royal Dornoch Golf Club; The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Grove; The London Club and The Mere Golf Resort & Spa.

Silver Flag Designations 2023: Barnham Broom; Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Branston Golf & Country Club; Carton House; Cameron House; Clevedon Golf Club; Infinitum; Ladybank Golf Club; La Moye Golf Club; North Foreland Golf Club; QHotels Collection, Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; QHotels Collection, Belton Woods Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort; Royal Park I Roveri; Slieve Russell; St Mellion; The Kendleshire and West Herts Golf Club.

Bronze Flag Designations 2023: Conwy Golf Club; Delta Hotels by Marriott, Worsley Park Country Club; Golf Son Quint; Golf Son Vida; Goring & Streatley Golf Club; Hickleton Golf Club; Newport Golf Club; Pula Golf Resort; Teignmouth Golf Club; The Astbury; The Bristol Golf Club; The Vale Resort; Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club; Woodsome Hall Golf Club and Wychwood Park.

Golf Manager of the Year (59club UK)

Brad Gould (The Grove) Over £131 Green-Fee

Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort) £61-£130 Green-Fee

Gareth Morgan (Long Ashton GC) Under £61 Green-Fee

Golf Manager of the Year (59club Europe South)

Rocio Sanchez (Finca Cortesin)

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year (59club UK)

Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort) Over £131 Green-Fee

Stuart McDonald (Belvoir Park GC) £61-£130 Green-Fee

Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC) Under £61 Green-Fee

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year (59club Europe South)

Marta Castells (Camiral Golf & Wellness)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year (59club UK)

Russell McIntyre (Gullane GC) Over £131 Green-Fee

Andrew Crerar (Panmure GC) £61-£130 Green-Fee

Ryan Crowley (Clevedon GC) Under £61 Green-Fee

Golf Retail Manager of the Year (59club Europe South)

Fabio Vido (Royal Park Roveri)

Greenkeeper of the Year (59club UK)

Scott Fenwick (Gleneagles) Over £131 Green-Fee

Aaron Small (Belvoir Park GC) £61-£130 Green-Fee

Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC) Under £61 Green-Fee

Greenkeeper of the Year (59club Europe South)

Paco Gavira (Son Muntaner)

Golf Operations Team of the Year (59club UK)

The Grove (Over £131 Green-Fee)

Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club (Arden Course) (£61-£130 Green-Fee)

Long Ashton GC (Under £61 Green-Fee)

Golf Operations Team of the Year (59club Europe South)

Finca Cortesin

my59 Service Excellence: Stoke by Nayland; Celtic Manor Resort; Branston Golf & Country Club; Edgbaston Golf Club; Radyr Golf Club; Farleigh Golf Club; The Vale Resort; Rockliffe Hall

my59 Ultimate Service Excellence

Long Ashton GC

Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance

Alice Kozlowski (The Grove)

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance

Philomena Wilkinson (Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club)

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year

The Mere Golf Resort & Spa

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance

James Flesher (Dunston Hall – Q Hotels Collection)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year

Branston Golf & Country Club

Leading Spa Experience Performance

Rockliffe Hall

Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance                                     

Cameron Dhir (The Astbury)

59club, the industry leading Customer Service Analysts and Training Provider has today announced its expansion into the Nordic regions of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden & Denmark, bringing their wealth of Mystery Shopper Audits, Satisfaction Surveys and Employee Training Programs – created specifically for the golf & hospitality industry – to the fore.  

Impressive expansion plans have already seen local 59club divisions established, currently supporting hundreds of golf clubs, resorts and management groups within the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and most recently Australia & New Zealand. It was only a matter of time before the global leaders firmed up their support in the Nordic regions, as they work tirelessly to help clubs shape and develop their sales & customer service cultures.

After a long-standing engagement between 59club HQ and The Scandinavian Golf Club, alongside additional partnerships with European Tour Destinations within the Nordic regions; 59club are delighted at the prospect of having feet on the ground to further support these venues, and attract many more just like them who share the same focus of elevating customer service levels, with the desired effect of driving retention, revenues, and profits.

The new opening welcomes Sebastian Czyz Bendsen, as 59club Nordic’s Sales Manager.

Having graduated from Kent State University, OH, USA with a BA in Finance and a MA in Sport and Recreational Management, and after a well-spent career in golf – most recently in his home Country working with the Danish Golf Union – Sebastian joins 59club with a wealth of attributes and a self-confessed love of educating and guiding leaders towards innovative ideas.

Many would say he’s the perfect fit, offering industry experience and driven by his passion and excitement for connecting Golf Club’s within the Nordic regions, with the resource and global formula to excel their customer experience, and to create an even better community for their members & guests.

Of the announcement, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said “Sebastian is a real go-getter, and well versed in the role that Customer Service plays in growing the game of golf and keeping players enthused and loyal to the sport. And now as he joins 59club, he’s ready to take the support and intel he can offer to clubs a leap further. Sebastian appreciates the complexities of club cultures and has worked with similar principals when supporting the US collaborations with the PGA of America, ClubCorp (now Invited), the TPC Network and Kemper Sports. All private golf corporations, and all searching for means to optimize their business, as well as recent initiatives delivered by the Golf Union.

“We are all excited about the impact that 59club will make in the region, our global benchmarking data is second to none, and as always, we are spurred on by the rewards our clients enjoy, as we deliver the roadmap to measure, train, support and reward the individuals, teams, managers and groups we work with to perfect the art of delivering Customer Service & Sales Excellence – we can’t wait to get started!”  

• Offers are now being promoted, all clubs interested in becoming the first to sample 59club’s industry leading Mystery Shopping Services, Satisfaction Surveys and Training Tools are invited to reach out to Sebastian@59club.com to sign up for a demo and to unlock their FREE trial.

59club will bring together their network of partner venues from across the UK, Ireland and Southern Europe as their 13^th Annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony comes to Hilton St. Georges Park on the 2nd of March 2023.

The nominees for the prestigious accolades, which recognise those outstanding Venues, Teams and Individuals within the industry who consistently deliver outstanding experiences to their members and guests are determined by scores achieved through a detailed and objective mystery shopping programme, measuring the experience afforded to Members, Visitors and Prospective Members across Golf, Leisure and Spa. 

With an ever expanding and diverse range of partner venues, 59club continue to reflect the very best performances regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile, with five of the main titles further segmented into three categories based on the average guest fee charged.

A number of the UK’s finest Golf Resorts receive multiple nominations this year, with 59club’s 2022 “Ultimate Resort” Gleneagles joined by The Grove, The Belfry, Celtic Manor Resort, Delta Hotels – Forest of Arden and the Vale Resort.

Member orientated clubs are also well represented with JCB, Panmure, Long Ashton, Gullane, Harpenden, Belvoir Park, Clevedon, Branston Golf and Country Club and The Bristol Golf Club receiving nominations across various categories.

The West of England features particularly strongly this year with Long Ashton Golf Club achieving four nominations, including Glenn McNaughton defending his crown of F&B manager of the year for the fourth consecutive year.  Elsewhere, both Ryan Crowley (Golf Retail) and Sarah Arnel (F&B) of Clevedon Golf Club appear in the nominations listing, with further contenders for the F&B Manager coming from The Bristol Golf Club and The Kendleshire. St Mellion, in their first year of working with 59club receive a nomination for Golf Course Manager Mike Bush in the highly contested Greenkeeper of the Year category. 

Staying with Greenkeeping, all eyes will be on serial winner, Matt Aplin of Goring and Streatley, who is looking to retain his Greenkeeper of the Year title, defending an incredible winning streak now into its 5^th consecutive year.  

As the 59club network continues to expand globally, the UK will once again look forward to welcoming many of Europe’s leading venues to the Annual Service Excellence Awards, with Finca Cortesin, Camiral Golf and Wellness, Quinta do Lago, Golf Son Muntaner, Club de Golf Alcanada and Royal Park I Roveri all hoping to take home awards. 

Looking ahead to the Awards, Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK said: 

“The 59club awards is always a fantastic opportunity to get together and celebrate some incredible achievements and recognise the significant effort which goes into delivering exceptional member and guest experiences each and every day. The list of nominations is a true testament to the talented teams and individuals within our partner venues. With a growth during 2022 of over 20% in the number of venues being measured, being nominated and winning awards this year is truly something to be proud of”. 

59CLUB UK ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order):

Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance
Alice Kozlowski (The Grove); Chloe Stewart (The Bristol GC); Leighton Williams (Formby Hall)
Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance
Michell Birchall (Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Philomena Wilkinson (Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club); Simon Joyce (Branston Golf & Country Club)
Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year
Branston Golf & Country Club; Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa
Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance
James Flesher (Dunston Hall – Q Hotels Collection); Neil Rees (Celtic Manor Resort); Rebecca Chard (The Vale Resort)
Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year
Branston Golf & Country Club; Celtic Manor Resort; The Vale Resort
Leading Spa Experience Performance
Eden Hall; Hoar Cross Hall; Rockliffe Hall
Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance
Ben Tomlinson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Cameron Dhir (The Astbury); Max Cornes (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa)
Food & Beverage Manager of the Year
F&B Team (Bristol GC); F&B Team (Harpenden GC); Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC); Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles); Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Phil Bragg (The Kendleshire); Sarah Arnel (Clevedon GC); Steven Marshall (Gullane GC); Stuart McDonald (Belvoir Park GC)
Golf Retail Manager of the Year
Andrew Crerar (Panmure GC); Anthony Moore (Oulton Hall – Q Hotels Collection); John Howells (JCB Golf & Country Club); Retail Team (Barnham Broom); Retail Team (Harpenden GC); Russell McIntyre (Gullane GC); Ryan Crowley (Clevedon GC); Simon Howell (Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club); Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort)
Greenkeeper of the Year
Aaron Small (Belvoir Park GC); Andrew Smith (West Herts GC); Angus MacLeod (The Belfry Hotel & Resort – Brabazon Course); Brendan Hegarty (Slieve Russell); Callum Wark (JCB Golf & Country Club); Chris Dyson (Woodsome Hall GC); Gary Nicoll (Panmure GC); Ian Brawn (Delta Hotels Worsley Park Country Club); James Braithwaite (Long Ashton GC); Jim McKenzie (Celtic Manor Resort – 2010 Course); John Plummer (Carton House); Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC); Mike Bush (St Mellion); Phil Chiverton (The Grove); Scott Fenwick (Gleneagles)
Golf Operations Team of the Year
Celtic Manor Resort (2010 Course); Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club (Arden Course); Foxhills Club & Resort; Long Ashton GC; North Foreland GC; The Belfry Hotel & Resort (Brabazon Course); The Belfry Hotel & Resort (PGA National Course); The Grove; The Vale Resort
Golf Manager of the Year
Brad Gould (The Grove); Brian Duncan (Celtic Manor Resort); Chris Reeve (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Fraser Liston (Delta Hotels Forest of Arden Country Club); Gareth Morgan (Long Ashton GC); Ian Orrell (Wychwood Park); Matt Sandercock (Mount Juliet Estate); Noel Werner (The Vale Resort); Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort)

On behalf of our Host Venue, Sponsors & Industry Partners, we look forward to welcoming you to our 2023 ‘Service Excellence Awards.’

59club’s 14^th Annual Service Excellence Awards Event comes to Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on 29/02/24.

Widely regarded as the industry ‘Oscars’ amongst the golf & hospitality community, the 59club UK Service Excellence Awards will see business leaders and their teams come together from across England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.  

The event, now into its fourteenth year, begins with a networking lunch and a series of inspirational education seminars, and as night falls, the prestigious awards ceremony recognises the leading individuals, teams, and properties within 59club UK’s network for their outstanding achievements across 2023.  

59club’s renowned industry benchmark – the bronze, silver and gold flag designations – will also be presented on the night to venues that not only achieve the required standard of service as part of 59club’s mystery shopping program, but also provide excellent facilities for customers to enjoy.

Tickets

To secure your tickets & discuss preferential accommodation rates, please contact naime@theaspirationgroup.com  

• Networking Lunch & Education Seminar – £75
• Awards Dinner – £120

Event Partners

An exclusive event hosted aboard the Sunborn London; a floating super-yacht hotel in Royal Victoria Dock, marked the special occasion for those having achieved the highest long-serving standards of customer service excellence. With a previous soiree delivered days before at one of Dubai’s leading restaurants; Carine at Emirates, as 59club’s first inductees were welcomed.

Simon Wordsworth CEO of 59club said; “having amassed over 12 years of non-subjective performance data spanning all aspects of customer service, 59club has an unparalleled vision over those within the Golf & Hospitality Business who have proven their excellence, time after time, year after year. In honour of those years of dedication, the Eminent Collection was born to represent an international benchmark of excellence, which recognises the finest individuals & properties who are leading the industry in the customer experience realms. It is the only badge of honour that is an unbiased testament to having created a customer-centric culture, that puts the customer and their needs first, whilst regularly seeking objective affirmation that those needs are exceeded”.

Eligibility into the Collectionis based solely on achievements across the 59club Service Excellence Awards, with individual and team accolades, along with property flag designations, all contributing towards the Eminent Benchmark of Excellence; measuring performances over a minimum of 5 years.

Simon added “There is no debate to be had, you are either in or not, if in it is crystal clear why, if out then likewise you know what you must do. There is no self-assessment, no bias, no cloudy subjective entries – if you are in the Eminent Collection, you are there because you put yourself, your team, your venue up for independent non-subjective scrutiny of your customer service performance. The venues and individuals are proven to be amongst the best operators in the business – that is what the Eminent Collection is there to show. That is exactly why a brand like Club Car, who are all about customer experience and vehicles of the highest quality has chosen to support us in highlighting these achievements.”

Twelve Properties from within 59club’s international network achieved the Benchmark of Excellence. Four were from the UAE, one from Europe and seven from the UK.

2022’s induction roll also included twenty-two individuals. Three are from the UAE, one from the USA, one from Europe, and seventeen from the UK.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Emirates Golf Club
Forest of Arden
Foxhills Club & Resort
Gleneagles
Golf Son Muntaner
The Grove
Rockliffe Hall
Trump International Golf Club Dubai
Yas Links Abu Dhabi

Andrew Whitelaw GM/COO, Aronimink Golf Club
Anna Darnell Resort Director, The Grove
Barney Coleman Club Manager, Emirates Golf Club
Bernat Llobera Area Golf Director, Arabella Golf Mallorca
Chris May CEO Dubai Golf
Gary Silcock General Manager, Murrayshall
Stuart Collier Director of Golf, Stoke Park

Brad Gould Director of Golf, The Grove
Chris Reeve Director of Golf, The Belfry
Fraser Liston Director of Golf, Forest of Arden
Sean Graham Head of Golf Operations, Foxhills
Stephen Hindle Golf Manager, Worsley Park
Stephen Hubner Club Manager, Jumeirah Golf Estates

Angus Macleod Director of Golf Courses & Estates, The Belfry
Craig Haldane Golf Courses Manager, Gleneagles
Jim Mckenzie MBE Director of Golf Courses & Estates, Celtic Manor
Jonathan Wyer Golf Course Manager, Rockliffe Hall
Phillip Chiverton Golf Course & Estates Manager, The Grove
Rob Rowson Golf Course Estate Manager, Forest of Arden

Jacques Hobson Food & Beverage Outlets Manager, The Belfry

Simon Howell Golf Operations Manager, Forest of Arden
Tom Hughes Head of Golf Retail & Operations, The Belfry

The CX Management Specialist has today announced its global operations have expanded into Australia & New Zealand. Bringing with them over 15 years of global customer service intel, plus a wealth of industry leading mystery shopping audits, satisfaction surveys, and employee education pathways.

Golf, Leisure & Hospitality Businesses within the region, can now look forward to enjoying the ‘richest’ rewards of their labor, as 59club’s proven formula of supporting club’s to elevate customer service standards and deliver improved profits is rolled out.

The latest opening serving Australia & New Zealand passes to Sam Hughes, the former Club Operations Manager at Glenelg Golf Club, Adelaide. Hughes’ experience at Glenelg Golf Club – widely regarded as one of the best Golf and FunctionVenues in all of Australia, boasting a string of awards to boot – coupled with his passion for delivering customer service excellence, will serve him well in his new role.

At the time of launch, Hughes was preparing to represent 59club at the Golf Business Forum / PGA Expo in Melbourne and went on to say; “It’s a privilege to be part of 59club’s global operations, and to be able to support neighboring club managers to integrate 59club’s proven formula to achieve the greatest service standards and financial successes.

“We’ve got off to a great start, planning and delivering a series of trial audits for club managers up and down the country, igniting their passion and desire for achieving service excellence, and I am excited to see our following grow after more trials and contracts are shared and exchanged in the months ahead.”

Hughes is not alone on this journey, and benefits from the support of 59club founder, Simon Wordsworth and his fellow Directors, along with the experience of seven other Regional Managing Partners spanning the UK & Ireland, USA, Canada, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia, with two others based in continental Europe.

The Customer Service Specialists are proud to work with hundreds of clubs world-wide, of all sizes and profiles, with customers who include the likes of TPC Network, Marriott Golf, Troon International, European Tour Destinations, Sawgrass, Emirates Golf Club, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Gleneagles, Le Golf National and Marco Simone to name just a few.

Many of the greatest names in the industry credit 59club for their properties success, having worked with them to measure, train, support & reward their workforce, as they achieve sales & customer service excellence, while elevating customer acquisition, satisfaction and profits. Head to 59clubau-nz.com for more information, or to sign up to receive a product demonstration; please contact sam@59clubau-nz.com

Stoke by Nayland is one of the busiest 36-hole venues in the UK with a significant membership who like to play a lot of golf.

Managing the differing needs of members, hotel residents and pay-and-play golfers represents a challenge, but also being just one moving part in a significant resort business means I have to coordinate the activities of the various elements of my own department – booking, retail, starters and marshals, greenkeeping and academy – as well as managing a relationship with key partners such as membership committees and other hotel departments, such as rooms and F&B.

I’ve worked with 59club for around 11 years – the last three here at Stoke by Nayland. Of all the many benefits we’ve enjoyed from working with 59club, I would say the most significant – and something that helps us grow as a golf club – is the ability to benchmark against other venues.

For example, how do you know that what you’re doing is any good, in comparison to other properties? The beauty of 59club is that it gives us the ability to choose a cluster of venues that are very similar to us and our operation and to see how they perform as a collective; and with that peripheral view ultimately, we’re able to benchmark ourselves in terms of where we lie in the market.

And that mystery shopper intel isn’t limited to those competitor properties either; we also benefit from insight into 59club’s industry benchmark defined by the 3 best performing venues, which is always slightly higher than the actual industry average data. So, we’re comparing ourselves constantly not only to our immediate competition but also with a range of properties, which really helps us.

I have an excellent relationship with 59club and we speak regularly, whether it is to discuss ideas related to the club, or to discuss challenges. We also use the data we receive as part of our internal induction process and ongoing staff training. We have monthly team debriefs where we use that data as the key training issue or the tool to highlight the training need.

If, let’s say, our mystery audit comes back and it appears that a retail member of staff wasn’t particularly clued up on an item of clothing they were trying to sell, that indicates, clearly, a requirement for further training for the team. Pretty much every month we’ll highlight the big downfall, for want of a better word, within any audit and we focus our training on that area over the next few weeks.

Again, the ability to benchmark our member and guest survey data against similar facilities, is absolutely vital for us. An example is where I ask the members to survey the bunkers – and we score six out of 10. To the untrained eye that score may look pretty poor, but what 59club can do for us, in terms of the survey platform, is telling us the average score that club members across the industry have rated their bunkers, and a lot of the time that industry data is not as high as you’d imagine.

In a perfect world you’re aiming for a 10 out of 10 but the ability to know that some of the better courses may only be scoring 8.8, for example, is a good tool for us to be able to manage what we’re trying to achieve. Six no longer looks as low as it might have done previously.

The benefits to staff training and planning are also manifold. It could be somebody in the halfway hut, who hasn’t greeted a guest in a particularly great manner, or the example of the retail staff. We go through a series of meet and greets and building relationships with people.

We sit down at the start of the year and one of the big things we do is we review the mission statement we have with the golf club. The mission statement doesn’t necessarily change much, year to year, but some of the measurements we use to ensure we’re on track do change.

In the last couple of years, we’ve set benchmarks in terms of the member satisfaction scores generated from our 59club surveys and a guest satisfaction score from our mystery shopper audits, and, additionally, one of the measurements we aim for has been the 59club silver flag award, which are presented to the venues that not only achieve the required standard of service as part of the mystery test audit criteria, but also provide excellent facilities for customers to enjoy… It plays quite a big role in the bigger picture.

We didn’t get to win the silver flag award we covet, so that’s something we’re aiming for this year, but we have seen multiple success at the awards based on our appetite for gathering feedback from members and guests and the effective management of the survey data we received. We won an ultimate service excellence award in 2019, being one of only two venues recognised at that standard, and again in 2020 we retained that premium title, and also in 2021, we were honoured with a service excellence award in the same category.

From a personal perspective the most important and valuable element 59club delivers for me, is the data; collecting data, helping make sense of the feedback and being able to action any kind of changes accordingly, because of what our actual customers and a panel of mystery shoppers are telling us. Ultimately, it’s a really objective measure of the performance of the golf business.

Furthermore, every year we run the members’ survey and, as a result of that, we identify the three or four lowest scoring areas, and we implement changes based on the feedback. The changes we’ve made in the past are ongoing, and we will address any further necessary changes when we complete this year’s member survey.

We deliver pretty much the same survey, annually – albeit we break it down into three different parts: you and your membership; the course and its facilities; and staff. So, we can track progress that way.

In 2020 we used the survey platform more frequently for really nuanced stuff. For example, when coronavirus hit, we surveyed the membership on its preferred choice of touch-free hole inserts and, from the golf-club perspective, it’s really factual. It’s not my decision to use option A, for example, it’s the decision of the membership, because they’ve voted on it. I’ve found it’s far easier to justify a decision with a set of data to support you.

Without doubt, if we weren’t working with 59club we’d have a really subjective view of the golf club’s performance. I would only have opinions to judge my business on, rather than truly objective measurements.

If you look at the real top-quality venues in the UK, there’s a very high possibility those venues are working with 59club and what that says to me is that 59club gives you a really good, stable platform upon which you can build your business, whether that be a service or a product.

There’s a very experienced team of people inside 59club, and, ultimately, if you follow the guidance of these guys you’re not going to go far wrong.

Knowing that, I don’t understand why clubs in our sector wouldn’t work with 59club, to be frank. It’s a tool that offers so much in terms of looking at the broader picture, as well as somebody who wants to look at minute details in terms of, for example, selling golf shirts.

It’s a no-brainer for me. I’ve worked with 59club for years and I will continue to work with them wherever I go in the future. It’s incredible value for money.

59club, the industry leading sales & customer service analysts has today announced its global operations are expanding into Canada.

The new opening signals great opportunities for the Canadian golf & hospitality market, as 59club’s signature performance management tools and global intel are now made available to businesses within the region.

59club has driven a data revolution within the industry, and are famed for their insightful customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping audits and employee education pathways. Their expertise and industry insight into global sales performance and customer service standards are well documented, and many of the greatest names in the club industry credit 59club for their properties success, working with them to measure, train, support and recognize their workforce as they achieve sales and customer service excellence, while elevating customer acquisition, satisfaction and profits.

Headquartered in the UK and firmly established in golf, hotels, leisure, spa and restaurants, 59club now has seven divisions across the USA, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia, two in Europe, with the latest opening in Canada.

With customers who include the likes of TPC Sawgrass, Bobby Jones Links, Emirates Golf Club – Dubai, Thai Country Club, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Gleneagles, Le Golf National and Marco Simone to name just a few, and hundreds of other properties. When it comes to driving sales and customer service excellence 59club are proud to work with venues of all size and profile, supporting club management to deliver unprecedented service experience whilst simultaneously driving revenues and profits.

And the front man behind 59club Canada is Club Study owner and PGA member Ryan Tracy. Commenting of the new opening, Simon Wordsworth Founder of 59club said; “Ryan will be a great ambassador for our brand, and we are all excited to begin working with him and his existing clients as we introduce our products and services to the wider hospitality business community across Canada. We champion ‘service excellence’, and with this new division, golf as a global entity only serves to become bigger, better and stronger, with enhanced services and greater experiences tailored to the discerning golf & hospitality enthusiast, engineered from real live intel and expertise”.

Tracy added; “I have been fortunate to serve the golf industry in Canada for the last 20 years, specifically with Club Study providing customized pools of operational data in club management over the last two years. When a mutual client made an introduction to Simon, conversations over our shared passions and subsequently the similarities between the two entities made the decision for us to work together a natural progression. I realized immediately that the insight that 59club creates will help operators in Canada, and I am excited to bring these resources to market”.

And now as Club Study falls within the 59club armory, the pair can deliver even more industry insight as the bi-weekly national surveys, which had previously been connecting Club Managers in Canada & US, are now made available to the entire 59club global network.

Head to 59clubcanada.com for more information.

Clubs in Canada can sign up now for a Demo and to unlock a Free Trial by contacting Ryan.tracy@59club.com

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that Michael Gove MP was wrong when he said: “the people of this country have had enough of experts”. If you require a medical diagnosis, consult a medical professional, don’t Google it; if you want accurate information about a pandemic, listen to a virologist, don’t believe social media; and, if you wish to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the global golf and hospitality industries, few organisations are as well placed to offer comment as 59club.

With unprecedented access to performance data from a wide variety of venues across the globe, 59club, with its seven divisions, is in the perfect position to assess the vagaries of the sector, as well as knowing who’s doing what well, and when. And, who isn’t …

Mark Reed, 59club Director, explained: “When comparing 2021 performance levels with pre-covid 2019, we have witnessed a minor decrease in measured service standards within our golf visitor experience mystery shopping programme.

“Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, golf clubs have experienced significant increased traffic, often alongside a depleted workforce and amid challenging operating conditions. It is, therefore, remarkable to think that fewer servicers have been servicing more people, but to almost the same levels of 2019, when it comes to ‘customer experience’.”

Available data shows that the global industry average for service standards across 59club clients had decreased by just 5 per cent in 2021, when compared with the pre-Covid 2019, and that visitor and member rounds increased dramatically, whilst staffing levels reduced.

It’s an anomaly, yet, perhaps, part of the reason for that lies in the fact those facilities are clients of 59club. That means, of course, each is routinely visited and rated. Those facilities where such measurement isn’t undertaken will not have access to such knowledge or data, though data suggests a 20 per cent lag across the industry for non-59club venues. (non-contracted venues receiving 59club trial audits).

Reed is prepared to go further, and posited: “Not only are we able to advise clients of performance stats, we are able to see when they invest a higher proportion of capital into 59club resources to develop and educate both new and existing staff and, ultimately, relate that to maintaining the experience afforded to members and guests.”

During the past couple of years, that investment has been made largely in onsite and/or remote training, in tandem with 59club’s virtual education platform; MyMentor, which affords data driven learning directly linking to an individual’s mystery shopper audit, and, as a consequence, filling any learning gaps for employees.

Indeed, a 34 per cent increase in the number of venues being trained – either in person or virtually – by 59club staff in 2021, compared with 2019, might be seen as a direct correlation with the service standards remaining almost the same. What’s more, across the ‘podium’ venues – the best-performing facilities – service standards have remained stable over the two-year period.

This is also reflected in 59club’s own performance in the years in question. It has seen a 200 per cent increase in contracted venues around the globe, in the two years since 2019 – and all this at a time when the globe – and golf in particular – spent large periods of time in both lockdown and shutdown.

A good example of how investment in staff training and data analysis can have a direct effect on satisfaction levels of members and visitors is Hoburne Golf, which operates three venues in the south of England: Crane Valley GC, in Verwood, Hampshire; Bulbury Woods GC, in Poole, Dorset; and Hurtmore GC, near Godalming, in Surrey.

Each has embraced the challenge of mystery shopping and has engaged in a tailored staff training programme that has delivered, not only, a 10 per cent growth in their 59club visitor experience measurement, but also a four per cent increase in membership satisfaction (measured using 59club’s Survey platform; My59, between 2019 and 2021).

That experience is not solely the preserve of Hoburne Golf, either. Harpenden GC, in Hertfordshire, joined the 59club community shortly after reopening following the first English lockdown in early 2020.

The club’s general manager, Tom Scott, explained: “Having worked with 59club in a previous role, I had a good understanding of what it delivers and felt it could support our aim of delivering a better level of service to our members and guests.

“We began a programme of mystery shopping in 2020 to gain a thorough understanding of our strengths and weaknesses and were thrilled to be awarded a Bronze Flag Designation in the 59club annual awards ceremony, based on our year one results, and a year later we increased to Silver; an incredible achievement in such a short time frame, which is testament to the commitment of our staff members.

“59club has supported the development of our team by delivering a number of engaging training sessions at the club, and we are delighted to report we increased our measured service across all operational departments in 2021, by 16 per cent.

“We plan to continue this training alongside the virtual mentor platform, which can be used on a day-to-day basis. The My59 Survey platform also allowed us to gather valuable feedback from our members on a number of important topics in a very user-friendly way, delivering an overall response rate of more than 75 per cent.

“This gave our data further credibility and allowed the club to make confident and informed decisions. The entire team at the club remains fully engaged in the process and we look forward to challenging ourselves further in 2022.”

Other clubs are following the lead of Hoburne Golf and Harpenden GC according to 59club’s own data. The total number of surveys undertaken by member clubs via the My59 Survey Platform showed a huge leap of 268 per cent in 2021 compared with those launched in 2019, across the globe. Positive engagement with members, guests and staff has never before been so prevalent.

Meanwhile, the MyMentor virtual learning experience now supports in excess of 2,250 employees to develop themselves and the team. And, with 59club clients reporting challenges in recruitment – especially with greenkeepers and catering staff – the on-line training platform is expected to further increase its reach in 2022, not least as recent independent data stated that one in eight roles in the hospitality industry remains vacant.

Ironically, the increase in 59club’s client portfolio may, initially, skew the average figures.

Reed added: “In addition to the challenges facing the industry it is important to note that an influx of new clients is likely to create an initial dip in the industry average as managers and their teams often spend time gathering performance data and generating a full understanding of strengths and weaknesses, before undertaking necessary training, reinforcing standards and developing a plan of improvement.

“However, with golf clubs becoming more accustomed to increased footfall, an increase in skills, and an increased sense of ‘business as usual’ – in tandem with a number of clubs moving in to a second year of measurement – we would expect to see a return to pre- pandemic levels or higher this year.

“Of course, clubs not utilising the 59club toolkit won’t be in a position to discover their strengths and weaknesses until much further down the line, by which time, they may have lost disgruntled staff or members, and be back to square one.”

He concluded: “One challenge that will remain this year is that of attracting and retaining great people. It is, however, very gratifying to hear more and more clubs recognising wellbeing, education and a need to invest in their people, and, to assist with this, 59club UK delivered more than 50 days of training and education within clubs between December and March alone.”

Ian Knox, head of European Tour Destinations – a network of world-class venues with a close association to the European Tour – has worked with 59club for over 10 years. Maybe the last word should sit with him – he is an expert, after all.

He said: “In 2020 and even the start of 2021, for a lot of venues it was a case of controlling costs, and there was almost a survival element. Now … they are realising their operational focus needs to be back on the levels it was, in fact, exceeding the levels it was. So now is the time we have been kicking in with mystery shopper visits and working with venues to look for areas where they can continue to improve.

“The biggest area people are now focussing on is human contact again. You’ve missed that through the problems you had with the pandemic, so that personal service, that personal touch is really going to be the key focus. That’s what we’re looking for our venues to be delivering.”

As the great Willie Nelson once sang, “Nobody said it was gonna’ be easy”, but, with experts available to guide one through the metaphorical minefield, it’s a journey that can be made with a lot more confidence.

A welcome return to a “Live Event”, saw the very best Venues, Teams and Individuals from across the UK, Ireland and Europe South assemble at The Belfry Hotel and Resort on March 3^rd 2022, ahead of 59club’s annual Service Excellence Awards.

The day began with a full day’s education provided by Gregg Patterson of Tribal Magic, and Lora Cavan, having flown in from the US and Canada respectively.  And as night fell, aspirations of being recognised with a 59club Service Excellence Award grew, as the curtains opened on the ceremony that has long been regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf & hospitality Industry, since the 59club’s honours list began some 12 years ago.

The 2-day event, a long-standing fixture within the golf business recognises the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence in 2021. 59club’s illustrious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria.

On the night, 59club presented awards across 29 categories, recognising ‘service excellence’ spanning all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, spa, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile, by segmenting several individual accolades in to 3 categories based on a venue’s average green fee rate.

Portmarnock Golf Club and Gleneagles collected the highly prized awards of Ultimate Golf Members’ Club and Ultimate Resort. Portmarnock achieving success in their first year of working with 59club, with Gleneagles recapturing the title they last won in 2018.

Andrew Whitelaw, General Manager of Portmarnock Golf Club, said; “I am absolutely delighted that the team have won the Ultimate Members Club Experience through their hard work and dedication to service excellence, truly one of the toughest awards to win it is recognition on how hard the team have worked. It really was a team effort in every department, which it has to be with 59club. To win an award that recognises our commitment to our members is extremely satisfying and motivating. After a couple of challenging years when the club operated in unusual circumstances the teams ability to change and deliver a world class experience was wonderful to be part of.”

Of their success Andrew Jowett, PGA Head of Golf of Gleneagles said; “This award underlines an incredible team effort, not just in golf, but across every facet of our 850-acre estate. It is an important accolade because it recognises world-class customer service and experience, something we strive for every day at Gleneagles.

“The fact this award comes as a direct result of authentic, independent and benchmarked visitor feedback, underlines its importance and value to us as a leading hospitality and leisure business.”

The Awards was a great showcase for The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, after they claimed 5 of the 6 available Sales Awards, their success included a magnificent performance from Alice Cox-Cooper, adding a further 2 individual titles to their awards cabinet as well as having led her Membership Team to success in both the Golf and Leisure categories. The Mere also celebrated Max Cornes, after he scooped one of the Golf Event Sales Awards, and the venue went on to secure their first ever Gold Flag Designation.

Of their achievements, Gary Johnson, General Manager of The Mere, commented; “These awards are paramount to the continuing success of our business!

“It has been our strategic plan to focus on all of our service standards and procedures to ensure we are always aiming for excellence!

“59club and Matt have proven that with a proven formula and competitor set analysis drilled down and determination the goals can be achieved and the team at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa make me a very happy and proud leader!

“Finally…That gold flag was always in our cross hairs and it is sat on full display on our trophy wall.”

For other venues there were double celebrations on the night, firstly The Grove saw Phil Chiverton and Brad Gould retain their Greenkeeper and Golf Manager of the Year titles. Next it was Foxhills Club and Resort, who were left reveling after Sean Graham and his Golf Operations Team picked up Awards, and finally, Worsley Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club enjoyed 2 victories with an individual win for Stephen Hindle and a team accolade for his Golf Operations team.

Special recognition must go to Glenn McNaughton of Long Ashton Golf Club after being named F&B Manager of the Year for the 3^rd consecutive year, while Matt Aplin of Goring and Streatley Golf Club fended off tough competition to be named Greenkeeper of the Year for an unbelievable 4^th year in a row, leaving everyone questioning – can he make it 5?!

Of this year’s awards, Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK, commented; “It was an honour to recognise and celebrate our leading service providers in person once again, and while the past year presented huge challenges for the golf industry, relating to both the operation and the people within those businesses, that only added to the splendour, it was incredible feeling seeing all those familiar faces and many newcomers united by their shared passion for delivering the very best customer experiences, the excitement in the room was electric!

“Golf has been incredibly fortunate to benefit from a significant surge in demand, and it is extremely encouraging that more venues than ever before are choosing to work with 59club to focus on their service offering and sales levels whilst working to engage and keep this new audience. 59club’s focus will remain the provision of objective and accurate performance data, providing greater market insights and a supportive network of likeminded professionals which will further aide performance enhancement.”

Celebrations continued into the night, as 59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, were announced. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2021.  

This year, 59club presented 18 ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Celtic Manor Resort, Foxhills, Gleneagles, Long Ashton, Portmarnock, JCB, Royal Dornoch, Hanbury Manor, Gullane, Panmure, Edgbaston, Belvoir Park, Frilford Heath, The Mere, Mount Juliet Estate, Rockliffe Hall, The Belfry Hotel & Resort and The Grove.  

8 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Forest of Arden, Harpenden, Burnham & Berrow, Branston Golf & Country Club, Whittington Heath, North Foreland, West Herts and Radyr Golf Club.

And a further 8 ‘Bronze Flag’ Awards were presented to Worsley Park, The Vale Resort, Ladybank, Dunbar, Royal Winchester, Conwy, Woodsome Hall and Farleigh Golf Clubs.

The following morning all attention turned to the 59club Golf Day which played out on the world famous Brabazon Course, the winning team made up of David Griffin (Celtic Manor Resort), Callum Nicoll (Rockliffe Hall), Jake Rhodes (Golf Genius) and David Kinsey (BRK) claimed the illustrious 59club Claret Jug, with James Sibbles from Golf Genius claiming the individual title which brought the 12^th annual Service Excellence Awards Event to a perfect end, leaving all attendees reinvigorated and focused for the year ahead, and many with heightened hopes of securing their own victories next year.

Full list of award winners can be seen in the table below.  

59club ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2021/22:

The Ultimate Members’ Club: Portmarnock Golf Club

The Ultimate Golf Resort: Gleneagles

Gold Flag Designations: Belvoir Park Golf Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Edgbaston Golf Club, Foxhills Club & Resort, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Gleneagles, Gullane Golf Club, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, JCB Golf & Country Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Mount Juliet Estate, Panmure Golf Club, Portmarnock Golf Club, Rockliffe Hall, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, The Grove and The Mere Golf Resort & Spa.  

Silver Flag Designations: Branston Golf & Country Club, Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Harpenden Golf Club, North Foreland Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club, West Herts Golf Club & Whittington Heath Golf Club.  

Bronze Flag Designations: Conwy Golf Club, Dunbar Golf Club, Farleigh Golf Club, Ladybank Golf Club, Royal Winchester Golf Club, The Vale Resort, Woodsome Hall Golf Club & Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club.  

My59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award: Long Ashton Golf Club & St Austell Golf Club. 

My59 Service Excellence Award: Ashford Manor Golf Club, Farleigh Golf Club, Foxhills Club & Resort, Henbury Golf Club, Langdon Hills Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club & Stoke by Nayland Golf Club.

Golf Manager of the Year: Brad Gould (The Grove), Sean Graham (Foxhills) & Stephen Hindle (Worsley Park)

Greenkeeper of the Year: Andrew Smith (West Herts), Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley) & Phil Chiverton (The Grove)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year: Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton), Greg Smith (Edgbaston) & Susan Robb (Royal Dornoch)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year: David Coles (Harpenden), Tom Hughes (The Belfry) & The Retail Team (Crane Valley)

Golf Operations Team of the Year: Foxhills Club & Resort, JCB Golf & Country Club & Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Leading Individual Group Golf Sales Performance: Joel Westwell (The Grove)

Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance: Max Cornes (The Mere)

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance: Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere) 

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year: The Mere Golf Resort & Spa

Leading Spa Experience Performance: Rockliffe Hall

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance: Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere)  

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year: The Mere Golf Resort & Spa

59club’s performance management tools have proved hugely beneficial for clubs across the globe – but now clubs can go one better in their efforts to streamline operations management and evaluate and advance member experience; by utilising the new mytell App.

This multi-functioning App captures live performance data submitted by the management team, employees and club members, supporting the venue to make informed decisions to elevate standards, satisfaction levels, retention, and profitability.

The management team through their use of the App can log observations during their daily departmental evaluations, both on and off the golf course.

With technology and convenience at the forefront of development, managers store data within measurable pre-set categories – spanning golf course & practice area presentation, maintenance & amenities, retail & front of house management and employee behaviour and well-being – meaning paperwork, email trails, group chats and the constant transferring of images becomes a thing of the past.

Complete with the ability to share live performance reviews with the team, set targets, track accountability, and monitor progress over time, the App fulfils every need.

A number of industry professionals supported the development of the new App, and they were all quick to praise 59club for the benefit the App would bring to the industry, as well as to them personally, one of those individuals was General Manager of Teignmouth Golf Club; Martin Hucklesby who said;

“Managing a golf club in my view is like any other service industry, it should be driven by its standards.  The vastly different areas of expertise required to be able to measure, manage & record ‘a score’ to these standards has always been something that as a General Manager I have done via a spreadsheet as I have walked through the club & course. Now with Mytell, and using technology I am able to do this via an App. It is brilliant, highly recommended and is on the front page of my phone!”

And it’s not just management who stand to benefit, the App also controls member feedback across golf, health & recreation when it comes to the club’s culture & community, the facilities & member services, its food and beverage outlets, and a huge part of ‘club life’; its people.

Whether a club chooses to invite all club members, or they prefer to limit its users exclusively to those within the management team/board/committee or perhaps they want to go one further and create an engineered focus group; this clever little App will store and channel feedback along with supplementary ratings, comments & images to the relevant department.

59club Director, and the technical brain child behind the Apps content and development; Mark Reed said;

“This is a step-change for club operations, anyone who is responsible for the daily delivery of club standards and ensuring member and guest satisfaction – from Golf Course & Estates Directors to Spa Managers – will tell you that paper trails and breaks in communication detracts from getting the job done, and serving customers well, but now with the launch of our new mytell App; we believe, we have the solution!

“But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution: each venue can create its own bespoke, white-labelled experience, ensuring it retains control over which elements of the business its users can submit data around. And the App also contains the facility to create and customise subsidiary outlets, if, for example, the property has more than one golf course, fitness studio, or restaurant.

“From a member’s perspective it gives them an unprecedented opportunity to give praise where it’s due and highlight where they feel they are not getting value for money. The mutual benefits are numerous”.

The easily navigable App – available on both Android and iOS platforms – tracks trends, monitors patterns of performance, whilst generating statistics for periodic reviews. With feedback received within a secure dashboard, away from the public eye and with total confidentiality.

For further information on the mytell App, or any area of 59club’s industry-leading service, please contact your regional 59club manager.

The very best individuals, teams and venues have been unveiled for 59club’s 12^th Annual Awards Ceremony, celebrating excellence across sales, service, operations, retail and management, with some of the highest-profile and best-loved venues in the running for a hospitality industry ‘Oscar’.

The glittering affair, hosted by BBC’s Dan Walker will be staged at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, 3^rd and 4th March 2022, and will once again provide an opportunity for the industry to come together to honor individuals, teams, and venues for their outstanding performance throughout 2021.

The accolades are determined by scores collected from 59clubs impartial mystery shopping team, who evaluate the experience afforded to visitors and prospective members in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. 

Each venue is judged on its performance in the following areas: sales, service, operations, retail, facilities, food & beverage and management. 59club continues to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile and as has been the case in recent years, five of the main titles will be further segmented in to 3 categories based on the average guest fee charged.

Leading the nominations this year is The Mere Golf Resort & Spa who are vying for awards across 8 categories. The Mere have displayed particular strength in the Sales arena with 6 of their nominations spanning the Golf & Leisure Membership Sales departments & Corporate Golf Sales categories. Following closely, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, The Grove and The Vale Resort, are all competing for titles across 7 awards.

It is not unusual for the Resort properties to be leading the nominations but reflecting the changing nature of the 59club UK family, the world of Member Clubs is well represented with Branston Golf & Country Club securing 5 nominations, closely followed by JCB Golf & Country Club and Long Ashton GC with 4 nominations each and 3 nominations for Royal Dornoch GC, Panmure GC and Harpenden GC.

A number of venues, teams and individuals are looking to defend the titles which they collected 12 months ago.

Special recognition must go to Glenn McNaughton of Long Ashton GC who aspires to be named Food and Beverage Manager of the Year for the third consecutive occasion, whilst Goring and Streatley GC are hoping to see Matt Aplin scoop the Golf Course Manager of the Year for a fourth consecutive year.

59club’s diversification into Spa Experience and Corporate Sales (Meeting & Events and Golf), sees the dawn of two new awards categories, with Eden Hall, Foxhills Club & Resort, Hoar Cross Hall, Rockliffe Hall, The Belfry, The Mere and The Vale in the running to be named “Leading Spa Experience”, while Bernadette Turner (Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club) Ella Faller & Marc Brooks (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club),  Elliott Brown (The Grove), Max Cornes (The Mere), and are competing to be crowned “Leading Individual Corporate Golf Sales Performance”.

Looking ahead to the Awards, Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK said: “We are delighted to be returning to a live event to celebrate the 12^th year of our awards, bringing the 59club family together to reward the outstanding venues, teams and individuals who have delivered excellence in spite of the well documented challenges faced during 2021. The Awards nominations illustrate some outstanding displays of consistency from many of our longest standing partner venues but also some incredible experiences delivered by many of those who have recently come on board. 59club Awards are always hard earned and we look forward to recognizing the highest standards in our industry with an event to remember”.

Other UK venues to receive multiple award nominations include Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Edgbaston GC, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Foxhills, Gleneagles, Portmarnock GC, Rockliffe Hall and Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club.

With Bulbury Woods GC, Burnham & Berrow GC, Crane Valley GC, Farleigh GC, Gullane GC, Mount Juliet Resort, Radyr GC, Stoke by Nayland GC, The Bristol GC and West Herts GC all nominated.

The night’s proceedings will also see 59club bestow accolades upon venues for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a broad range of survey tools across the my59 software platform. Nine venues will be recognised within this category, including: Ashford Manor GC, Farleigh GC, Foxhills, Henbury GC, Langdon Hills GC, Long Ashton GC, Radyr GC, St Austell GC and Stoke by Nayland GC. These venues will all compete to win an Ultimate Service Excellence accolade.

The award ceremony – sponsored by; 3d ifs, Albatross Digital, Asbri Golf, BRK, Club Car, Comesto, Dragon Golf, Golf Genius, Golfbreaks.com, Golf HR, Kennet Leasing and Toro – will also see 59club’s Industry Benchmark, its Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards presented to golf resorts and private member clubs which have demonstrated distinction against broad criteria for both customer service delivery and the quality of their facilities.

To watch the highlights of our previous ‘live’ awards ceremony click here

59CLUB UK ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order):
Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance

Andy Todd (Panmure GC); Chloe Stewart (The Bristol GC); Joel Westwell (The Grove); Tom Gregory (The Grove)

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance

Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa); Ashley Freeman (Rockliffe Hall); Becky Chard (The Vale Resort); Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club)

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year

Forest Of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club; Rockliffe Hall; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa; The Vale Resort

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance

Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa); Becky Chard (The Vale Resort); George Wainwright (Branston G&CC); Neil Rees (Celtic Manor Resort)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year

Branston G&CC; Celtic Manor Resort; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa; The Vale Resort

Leading Spa Experience Performance

Eden Hall; Foxhills Club & Resort; Hoar Cross Hall; Rockliffe Hall; The Belfry Hotel & Resort; The Vale Resort

Leading Individual Corporate Golf Day Sales Performance

Bernadette Turner (Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Ella Faller & Marc Brooks (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Elliot Brown (The Grove); Max Cornes (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa)

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year

Ali Zrayer (Portmarnock GC); Craig McKinlay (Panmure GC); Dan Orchard (Branston G&CC); Eddie Devane (Mount Juliet Estate); F&B Team (Bulbury Woods GC); F&B Team (Harpenden GC); Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC); Greg Smith (Edgbaston GC); Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles); Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Lianne Harrison (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Susan Robb (Royal Dornoch GC)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year

Andrew Crerar (Panmure GC); Brad Smith (Royal Dornoch GC); David Coles (Harpenden GC); David Haines & Graham Coombe (Burnham & Berrow GC); John Howells (JCB Golf & Country Club); Jack Heginbotham (Long Ashton GC); James Lambert (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club); John Eyre (Woodsome Hall GC); Retail Team (Crane Valley GC); Simon Swales (Radyr GC); Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort – Brabazon Course); Tom Minshull (The Grove)

Greenkeeper of the Year

Andrew Smith (West Herts GC); Angus MacLeod (The Belfry Hotel & Resort – Brabazon Course); Callum Wark (JCB Golf & Country Club); David Wyborn (Foxhills Club & Resort); Eoin Riddell (Royal Dornoch GC); Gary Johnstone (Portmarnock GC); Ian Brawn (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Jake Field (Edgbaston GC); James Braithwaite (Long Ashton GC); John Smith (Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Kenny MacPhail (Farleigh GC); Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC); Neil Robson (Harpenden GC); Phil Chiverton (The Grove); Stewart Duff (Gullane GC – #1 Course)

Golf Operations Team of the Year

Branston Golf & CC; Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club; Foxhills Club & Resort; Gleneagles; JCB Country Club; Long Ashton GC; The Belfry Hotel & Resort (Brabazon Course); The Belfry Hotel & Resort (PGA National Course); The Grove; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa; The Vale Resort; Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Golf Manager of the Year

Andrew Jowett (Gleneagles); Brad Gould (The Grove); Brian Duncan (Celtic Manor 2010); Callum Nicoll (Rockliffe Hall); Chris Reeve (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); James Clark (JCB Golf & Country Club); Karl Hepple (Stoke by Nayland GC); Noel Werner (The Vale Resort); Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort); Simon Joyce (Branston Golf & CC); Stephen Hindle (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club); Tom Lawton (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa)

Four-time Ryder Cup venue The Belfry Hotel & Resort will host the 12th annual 59club Service Excellence Awards ceremony, in March, as the leading performance management specialists return to a ‘physical’ event for its prestigious ‘golf industry Oscars’.

Popular BBC TV presenter Dan Walker, fresh from his starring role in 2021’s series of Strictly Come Dancing, will once again host the two-day UK&I event that has also become renowned for its educational and networking opportunities in addition to being a celebration of 59club’s clients’ achievements across the year.

For all enquiries and to secure your tickets today, please contact Naime Torgut at The Aspiration Group – naime@theaspirationgroup.com.

What a year it’s been for James Ibbetson, General Manager of Farleigh Golf Club, having been crowned Golf Manager of The Year in the prestigious 59club service excellence awards, whilst simultaneously leading his team to a second victory, earning the enviable ‘my59 Ultimate Service Excellence’ title, in recognition of the club’s commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their members and guest experience utilising the my59 survey tools. All while dealing with the pressures presented by the pandemic, and after only one year with the Surry club.

Glory aside; Ibbetson explains how satisfaction surveys have become fundamental at Farleigh, and how 59club’s performance management tools are supporting his progressive plans…

I’ve been working with 59club for the best part of 12 years now and, when I joined Farleigh, in November 2019, introducing the survey tool was one of the first things I did. Indeed, I think it was the first members’ survey at Farleigh, and it’s something we have continued to do on an annual basis.

The members were given a month to complete the survey, and subsequently their feedback really helped shape the action plan for future development at the golf club, from a policy and procedure perspective, to managing potential investments, etc…

Working in the business, we don’t play the golf course that often, as much as we would like to get out there and see it from a member’s perspective; so we’re heavily reliant on gaining feedback from the members, who play the course day in, day out.

Delivering surveys is not a tick-box exercise; we use the process as a window to gain as much information from the membership as possible, and then we can start acting upon it. There’s very little point in doing a survey if you’re not going to do anything with the information you collate. We’re an open book with the data and try to communicate the results out to the members in as much detail as possible – from experience, the more invested the members are in the process, the more fruitful the feedback. It’s also important for them to feel as though their voice and opinion has been recognised, and the club are actively doing something about this.

We value our members interaction with the entire process and as such, we send out snapshots of the results: highlighting areas where we performed well, the 59club analytics in terms of where we sit in relation to the ‘industry’ and the ‘best performers’; and then also the areas where we didn’t do so well, outlining the actions we’re going to take to improve, and how we’re going to get there. We call this our ‘You Said, We Did’ action plan.

For the most part, members chose to remain anonymous when completing surveys, for those who were happy to waive anonymity it was straightforward to reach out to those individuals. Myself and the team make a point of calling these individuals to try to arrange sit down meetings to discuss their feedback, and any additional points that they may have since completing the survey, in greater detail. Annually, we probably sit down with 30-40 members in person to run through the results.

The 59club survey tool has developed over time, it’s a very user-friendly experience. Pretty much all the questions you’d want to ask new and existing members are already saved within the various templates, meaning you don’t need to spend hours and hours adding your own questions. Over the years they’ve developed a key list of questions and criteria that all club managers need. Or at least providing information club managers would like to have.

I’ve been guilty in the past, perhaps, of making some surveys too long, which has had a negative impact on the response rate. And that came out in some of the early feedback. Nowadays, we are more succinct, and focus on the specific areas we want to explore, and that naturally flows well from a members’ perspective also.

Feedback has helped us shape the decision making on our offering. It just gives you a well-rounded representation and, yes, some of the feedback you get may be a little bit pipedream-esque, but for the most part you do get real, solid insight that you wouldn’t have achieved otherwise.

Sometimes when you’re in the building six or seven days a week you may miss something that’s right in front of you. And you certainly don’t see it from a member’s perspective. It’s easier to push decisions through if members feel they’ve been actively involved in the process and there’s logic behind what we are trying to achieve.

You need to show the members that you’ve taken onboard some of the feedback and that you’re going to action certain things, even if you can’t action them immediately. Simply sending out a survey and then doing nothing with it is counterproductive. If that’s your intention, you’re better off not sending out the survey at all. Members take the time to submit their feedback, the least a club can do is sit down and analyse the results, communicating actions in the process.

The more information you have, the better – and the more a member feels involved in the decision-making process, the easier it is to get their support and their buy-in, which is, ultimately, what we’re after.

We don’t just survey members, though – we also use it for societies. Twenty-four hours after an event, all event organisers receive an automated survey from the my59 software, requesting their feedback: Communication before the event, quality of the F&B and the golf course on the day… amongst many other areas. So, we rely on the information collated by 59club heavily – one of our very early surveys, identified the need for a tee-time confirmation email which has long since been implemented and well received.

We have also taken this a step further in 2021 tailoring surveys for internal use, specifically for our Employee of the month nominations. In the past the nominees had been put forward by the Heads of Department – we felt however that it was important to open this up to all employees to get their buy in. A simple survey is therefore sent out to all staff each month requesting their nominations.

As a result of our 2021 Membership Satisfaction Survey (Sent out in October, over 240 responses, overall satisfaction score of 80%), the following have been identified as priorities for 2022 and beyond. Important to note that some of these areas have already been actioned:

A horsebox halfway house is now available on site during busy days and has been met with some fantastic feedback from members and guests alike.

Inefficiencies were identified with the current booking platform, and as such we are currently working alongside our software provider to make the online customer journey more fluid and ultimately user friendly.

Members can feel a little bit of an anti-climax around renewal time, with feelings as though you hand your money over and that’s it – and so in response to this, the ever-popular membership renewal booklet (with over £1,000 in additional value) will return for 2022. And, for the first time in the club’s history, all renewing members will receive a personalised bag tag on renewal.

Our member communication came out as excellent – during the lockdown, whilst the club was closed, we sent 2 member round ups each week, which we have now scaled back to once a week.

New tee markers, along with new divot bins and replacement tee caddies will be onsite ready for the season.

Full bunker audit instigated, with the most problematic bunkers being addressed as soon as possible with the remainder works scheduled in order of priority as part of a wider 3-5 year plan.

Additional staff training is currently being undertaken with a view to re-instate table service as of January 2022.

If you’re a club that wants to progress and are looking to focus on the things the members & visitors actually want, it’s a very, very useful tool. But the biggest piece of advice I have for anybody contemplating it is: if you’re going to do it, you’ve GOT to do it properly.

59club UK, the Industry’s leading Customer Service and Sales Analysts and Training Provider, has today announced a partnership with Golf HR, the expert Employment Law and HR Specialist supporting golf clubs in the UK.

Golf HR and its sister company Gap HR have been keeping organisations tribunal-free for 19 years, and now work with 129 private member clubs, and 62 private sector companies. More than a quarter of the Top 100 Golf Courses in England work on with Golf HR on a regular monthly basis. Golf HR has also run the GCMA Employment Law Helpline since January 2018, which members can call to talk about any issues they have in their clubs.

The partnership will see the two companies unite in providing data, support, and expert advice to ensure their clients make informed decisions on both their product offering, service, and to support and develop their people.

Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK commented;

“We are delighted to partner with Golf HR and share our mutual clients’ sentiments and enthusiasm towards the great work that Carolyne and the team are delivering.

“59club’s success is achieved through gathering global proprietary data; to better understand individual client performance levels, and subsequently supporting our properties to make informed decisions to elevate their sales and customer service performance. With the training support we offer, and the use of our performance management tools, it’s a complete package; and that’s what I saw in Golf HR; their style of doing business mirrors our level of support in exactly the same way.”

Carolyne Wahlen, Director of Golf HR was similarly delighted to partner with 59club;

“Our partnership with 59club will help more golf clubs be aware of the things they need to be doing to increase success.

“Our HR services ensure our clients have all the information they need to deal with staff issues safely, legally and in a way that provides the best outcome for the club, and we’re excited to partner with an organisation that also provides critical information to help golf clubs move forward. 

“Just like 59club, we promote decisions based on facts and realities, gathering data to help our clients make the right decisions when dealing with employee issues.”

59club Headquarters are delighted to announce their commitment to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2022, and their division serving the UK joins them in this promise 8 years earlier than planned.

As the market-leading performance-management specialist continues to expand its operation around the world, they had originally set sights on a global goal of becoming carbon neutral across all territories by the end of 2030, however 59club UK and its Global Headquarters have brought forward their plan by 8 years.

General Manager of 59club UK, Will Hewitt describes the move as; “Essential, if we are to achieve our goal of being a responsible employer.  We could wait, it would be easy to do so and with much less business expense, but we feel that action is needed now, and we are willing to act.

“Our plans have scrutinised every single activity and expense that our company undertakes, from our Mystery Shopping, Training Services, our Awards Events and program, right through to the servers which host our software and the power used for every aspect of our employees work.

“We are confident that within the UK we can achieve the goal of eradicating our carbon footprint within the next 12 months. In addition, we want to go further and will also factor in the activities that our staff undertake away from work where we can support them. 

“As part of the plans we will also develop a tree planting project here in the UK, delivered in partnership with our clients, to compensate any areas of our business that happen to tilt the balance”.

59club has 6 territorial divisions around the globe; UK & Ireland, Asia, USA, Middle East and Africa, Western Europe and Southern Europe, with two new openings set for 2022 in Canada and Australia. The hope is that the other offices will also be in a position to accelerate their neutrality plans, with emphasis placed on the new divisions serving Canada and Australia to open in a carbon neutral position from day one. 

59club CEO Simon Wordsworth added, “We have long been regarded as an industry leader championing customer service and driving our affiliate venues towards delivering the greatest customer experiences, and now we’d like to take that position of trust and use it for the greater good, with the hope that others will follow in our footsteps.

“Attitude to climate change is very different across the regions that we operate, and we have to respect those cultural differences, whilst not losing sight that we have a duty to preserve the planet for the next generation. Working together to change behavior is the only real way forward, and for those fortunate enough to be in decision making positions, it’s up to us to create the environment to change attitudes faster, 59club are doing that. There is a significant cost to these actions, this cost is often used as a reason to push the deadline off into the distance. We firmly believe that companies should take action now, should use a “green” supply chain – we will be doing so and this feels like an opportunity not a cost in the medium term.”

The project is being led by 59club Director Andy Etherington, who has already delivered numerous work and lifestyle changes across the company over the past 2 years including dietary changes, increased use of locally sourced food, recycling and composting and the use of renewable energy.  Earlier in the year 59club chose Kinsey to supply uniforms globally through their new brand, BRK, which is made of ‘100 per cent renewable source materials’. The latest move will see Etherington fulfil the switch over of all company vehicles in the UK to electric models.

59club will share further details and landmark moments of their journey towards becoming green on their website and via their social media platforms.

At a time when golf clubs might well cite the pandemic as mitigation for a drop in standards, it’s all the more creditable that so many venues across UK and Europe were recognised for their service quality with the annual award of 59club’s coveted ‘golf flag destinations’.

Remarkably, at a virtual ceremony hosted by presenter and broadcaster Dan Walker, 13 clubs received the highest accolade of a gold flag – the benchmark of excellence – for standards in customer service.

What’s more, they were joined on the virtual podium by eight silver and eight bronze award winners, illustrating that despite everything that has plagued the UK & European golf industry since early 2020, many clubs refuse to allow their standards to drop.

Introducing the awards, Walker said: “59club’s industry benchmark of excellence, its bronze, silver and gold flags, is an annual tradition across the golf industry. ​They recognise commercial venues and member clubs that have achieved the required standard of customer service, as determined by 59club’s impartial mystery shopping audits, with additional recognition for providing the very finest offerings for golfers to enjoy.

“Employee qualifications, restaurant accolades, member communication, and environmental accreditation, are just some of the determining factors within the qualifying golf flag criteria.

“This year, we have witnessed innovation, diversity, and a determined attitude across 59club’s affiliate properties. We have seen scholars earn additional qualifications, dining experiences honoured by the finest associations, with facilities and courses positioned among some of the very best in the industry.

“Above all else, the level of engagement achieved with members and guests demonstrates a beacon of light to the future prosperity of the golf industry.”

Host; Walker then congratulated the winners of the awards before confirming the launch of a summit that will see clients from all 59club territories compete in the inaugural ‘World hospitality service excellence awards ceremony’ in 2022.

The 13 venues celebrating the ultimate gold flag in 2021 – and, presumably, harbouring hopes of success in next year’s new worldwide ceremony – were Celtic Manor Resort, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Foxhills Club & Resort, Gleneagles, Gullane Golf Club, Rockliffe Hall, Stoke Park, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, and The Grove, in the UK; Mount Juliet Estate, in Ireland; Club de Golf Alcanada and Golf Son Muntaner, in Mallorca; and, from Portugal, Quinta do Lago.

The following venues were honoured with a silver flag designation; Burnham & Berrow GC, Farleigh GC, Frilford Heath GC, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Le Golf National, The North Berwick GC, The Mere, and Woodhall Spa. 

And finally, the properties celebrating bronze flag status were Harpenden GC, Kingswood GC, Ladybank GC, Long Ashton GC, Panmure GC, Porters Park GC, Royal Dornoch GC, and Slaley Hall.

The 59club industry awards signify the benchmark of excellence and can be seen proudly on display at some of the very best establishments around the world.

Starting with its mystery shopper experiences in UK golf clubs back in 2009, 59club has built a proud reputation and an enviable client list, and is no longer limited to golf clubs – or just the UK.

It remains headquartered in the UK, but now has several divisions across America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and multiple offices serving Europe. It now also has a diverse offering that has the brand firmly established in hotels, restaurants, leisure clubs and spas, in addition to its heartland of golf.

Each division is delivering market-leading performance analytics and resources to measure, train and support properties in their region, while also feeding worldwide sales and service performance data into a central database.  That vision, teamed with 59club’s expertise, is the winning formula that has been driving the hospitality industry to become more customer centric, and, ultimately, more profitable.

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With many corporations paying lip service to the reduction of their carbon footprint, it’s refreshing to learn of a company which has genuinely taken further action towards its aim of becoming carbon neutral.

Market-leading performance-measurement specialist 59club has taken another step towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by the end of the year by partnering – appropriately – with the Kinsey Partnership, the designer and manufacturer of high-quality golf clothing.

As part of the new relationship, Kinsey will supply ‘uniforms’ to 59club globally through a new brand, BRK, which is made of ‘100 per cent renewable source’ materials.

59club’s CEO, Simon Wordsworth, is driving the green initiative personally. He explained: “Ideally, I’d like 59club to be carbon neutral now, but I am a pragmatist. It’s not something that can be done overnight, but we are determined not to procrastinate about it, and the chance to switch all our uniform to 100 per cent renewable sources was an opportunity not to be missed.

The new uniform is available for both ladies and gents and is designed to cover all climactic ranges experienced by 59club divisions, with its headquarters in the UK, and divisions now spread far and wide across Europe, Asia to the Middle East and beyond to the USA.

In other green initiatives, the company’s staff have worked from home since 59club’s inception, in 2008, and are already incentivised to change utility suppliers to renewable energy and to switch their vehicles to electric or hybrid models.

Next year UK staff will have three mileage rates, with those driving electric and hybrid vehicles benefiting from a higher rate than the standard company rate, thus generating personal reward for making the switch.

“As UK government policy changes for the better, regulation may allow us to go further and support in other ways, and wherever possible we will try to take advantage of these policies,” added Wordsworth, “in the meantime all these small gestures add up to our goal.”

“The Kinsey Partnership also shares the same ethos as 59club, which makes the new arrangement work on another level too: we’re both committed to creating the very best experience possible for our clients – many of whom we have in common.”

“For a long time now we have never sent Christmas cards, donating instead to a chosen charity, and we try to be a paperless business wherever possible across all products; mystery shopper results, my59 surveys, my59 mentor virtual training platform and the new mytell member communication all are fully paper-free. Next project for us to look at is the carbon footprint created by our testers”.

The Kinsey Partnership is the name behind some of golf’s best quality brands. It is the exclusive licensee in Europe and the UAE for Imperial Headwear and Donald Ross, and in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East for Marbas, and has more than 15 years of experience working with the brands.

It also designs, sources, and supplies private-label clothing and accessories within both the golf and corporate markets.

The Kinsey Partnership’s Managing Director, David Kinsey added: “We are delighted to have developed the relationship with 59club and thrilled that our forward looking and environmentally conscious Spanish brand BRK was so attractive to all regions.

We look forward to continuing the development of outstanding, considerate, fashionable clothing for all markets.”

59club was established in the UK in 2007 and is now the market leader in the provision of bespoke performance measurement and management programmes for the golf, leisure, spa, events, F&B and hotel industries, with six territorial divisions across the globe: UK & Ireland (HQ); Asia, USA, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Western Europe and Southern Europe.

59club.com

The golf industry ‘Oscars’ went ‘virtual’ this year, with hundreds tuning in online to watch their contemporaries receive a coveted 59club Service Excellence Award, as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the UK & Ireland.  

And, for two individuals, it proved doubly worthwhile, as Long Ashton’s Glenn McNaughton and Goring & Streatley’s Matt Aplin retained titles they received the previous year.

McNaughton repeated his feat of being crowned ‘Food & Beverage Manager of the Year’, while Aplin continued to bloom as one of the victorious ‘Greenkeepers of the Year’, both within their respective qualifying categories.

There were also more celebrations at the Bristol-based club, as Long Ashton was named one of the class winners in the ‘Golf Operations Team of the Year’ category, while retail manager Jack Heginbotham secured the club a third title, and the venue went on to retain its my59 Service Excellence accolade, in the virtual event hosted by presenter and broadcaster Dan Walker.

Owing to 59club’s ever increasing portfolio of affiliate venues, along with the diversity of the golf club industry, an additional tier for the 2020 awards was introduced, which saw winning performances recognised across three categories, to reflect the respective price points and the market segment each property has chosen to compete within.

McNaughton was joined in the F&B winners’ enclosure by Kingswood’s Simon Ibbotson and Stoke Park’s Christian Tarca, while Aplin’s fellow greenkeeping celebrators were Phil Chiverton, of The Grove, and Gary Nicoll, of Panmure GC. The latter three venues enjoyed further celebration when Panmure landed a my59 Service Excellence award, Tim Harris (Stoke Park) scooped ‘Golf Retail Manager of the Year’, and Brad Gould (The Grove) was crowned ‘Golf Manager of the Year’, alongside Tom Lawton (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa).

Speaking of the Long Ashton’s triumphant successes, Gareth Morgan, General Manager said: “Over the past 2 years, 59club has given us the structure and the theory to ensure everyone in the team knows what is expected of each other across multiple departments, and that has assisted us to develop our reputation for delivering great customer experiences both on and off the course. I can genuinely say there is a buzz around the place every time a mystery golfer report lands.

“The recognition the team have received this year has been well deserved in my biased opinion. Despite all of the challenges COVID has thrown our way they have each contributed to an increase in service levels, and I am incredibly proud that every possible area of the Club received a nomination for this year’s awards.

“We are already looking ahead at how we improve from here.  Because, as 59club always tell me – better never stops!”

Will Hewitt, 59club UK’s general manager, said: “This was our 11th annual Service Excellence Awards ceremony, but the first – and, hopefully, the last – we’ve been forced to host remotely.

“As always, our congratulations go out to all the winners and those who secured ‘podium’ finishes, which is still a sign of exceptional quality. But a special mention must go to Long Ashton GC for stealing the show in securing four titles.”

Stirling GC witnessed a double celebration as Kenny Monaghan scooped the ‘Golf Retail Manager of the year’, while the venue claimed the ‘Golf Operations Team of the Year’ title alongside Gleneagles.

Also landing two titles was Farleigh GC, which secured both a ‘Golf Manager of the Year’ award, through James Ibbetson, and the much-coveted ‘my59 Ultimate Service Excellence’ title for its commitment to engage, analyse and enrich its members and guest experience utilising the my59 survey tools.

Two other venues shared the ‘my59 Ultimate Service Excellence’ award: newcomer Glynhir GC, and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, which retained this highly prized title from 2019.

Phil Stickler (St Pierre, Marriott Hotel & Country Club), and Dan Hawkins (Celtic Manor Resort) were both victorious within the individual ‘Golf & Leisure Membership Sales’ category, with Branston Golf & Country Club claiming the ‘Leisure Membership Sales Team’ award.  

Other venues celebrating success on the day were Ashford Manor GC, Dulwich & Sydenham Hill GC, Edgbaston GC, Haydock Park GC, Highgate GC, John O’Gaunt GC, Pollock GC, Radyr GC, and Trentham Park GC.

The places in the 59club service excellence awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria. And they represent all areas of the business: sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food and beverage, and management.

59club’s coveted industry benchmarks of excellence – its gold, silver and bronze flag designations – are scheduled to be revealed at a ‘live’ event in the summer, as 59club recognises member clubs and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year.

WINNERS (and runners-up)

My59 Service Excellence, sponsored by Golfbreaks.com 1, Ashford Manor GC; Dulwich & Sydenham Hill GC; Edgbaston GC; Haydock Park GC; Highgate GC; John O’Gaunt GC; Long Ashton GC; Panmure GC; Pollok GC; Radyr GC; and Trentham Park GC.

my59 Ultimate Service Excellence, sponsored by 3D-IFS:  1, Farleigh GC; Glynhir GC, Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa.

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance, sponsored by Albatross: 1, Phil Stickler (St Pierre, Marriott Hotel & Country Club); 2, Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden, Marriott Hotel & Country Club); 3, James Flesher (Dunston Hall Hotel).

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance, sponsored by Tacit & Eagle:  1, Dan Hawkins (Celtic Manor Resort); 2, George Wainwright (Branston Golf & Country Club); 3, Victoria Martin (Old Thorns).

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Kennet Leasing: 1, Branston Golf & Country Club; 2, Celtic Manor Resort; 3, Old Thorns.

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Comesto:1,Christian Tarca (Stoke Park); Glen McNaughton (Long Ashton GC); Simon Ibbotson (Kingswood GC); 2, Craig Sutherland (Brora GC); Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Leanne Ray (Wexham Park GC); 3, Daisy Foster (Foxhills Club & Resort); Greg Smith (Edgbaston GC); Josie Swift (Farleigh GC).

Golf Retail Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Asbri Golf: 1, Jack Heginbotham (Long Ashton GC); Kenny Monaghan (Stirling GC) Tim Harris (Stoke Park); 2, Alyson Lilley (Gleneagles); Paul Babbage (Farleigh GC); Stuart Morrison (Tain GC); 3, Matt Lacey (Hurtmore GC); Peter Lane (Harpenden GC); Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort).

Greenkeeper of the Year*, sponsored by Toro: 1, Gary Nicoll (Panmure GC); Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC); Phil Chiverton (The Grove); 2, Angus MacLeod (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Craig Parry (Edgbaston GC); Derek Hunter (Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club); 3, David Wyborn (Foxhills Club & Resort); James Braithwaite (Long Ashton GC); Terry Wharton (Haydock Park GC).

Golf Operations Team of the Year*, sponsored by Club Car: 1, Gleneagles; Long Ashton GC; Stirling GC; 2, Farleigh GC; Stoke Park; The Mere Golf Resort & Spa. 3, Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club; Porters Park GC, The Grove.  

Golf Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Golf Genius: 1, Brad Gould (The Grove); James Ibbetson (Farleigh GC); Tom Lawton (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa); 2, Gareth Morgan (Long Ashton GC); Karen Drake (Burnham & Berrow GC), Stuart Collier (Stoke Park); 3, Andrew Jowett (Gleneagles); Ruud Hercik (Gaudet Luce GC); Tom Scott (Harpenden GC).

*Three categories

While 2020 was an unpredictable year, the appetite across 59club partner venues to deliver the greatest customer experiences across golf, leisure and hospitality didn’t falter.  

59club, the market-leading performance-management specialist, will continue to honour their best performers across the UK and Ireland with a virtual recorded presentation, as their 11th Annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony is available to watch from 4pm, Wednesday, March 24 hosted by presenter and broadcaster Dan Walker.

Despite the difficulties presented by COVID-19 and the consequent lockdowns throughout 2020, 59club continued to support their client venues to ensure the highest standards of service were maintained, whilst also introducing a virtual employee training platform to upskill performance and elevate service standards even further.

The award winners are determined by scores collected from 59club’s impartial mystery shopping team, which evaluates the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members across the spectrum, in accordance with objective industry leading benchmarking criteria.

59club UK’s General Manager, Will Hewitt, explained: “Let’s not forget, 2020 was a unique year for most industries, not just golf; it was very testing and threw up unprecedented challenges to venues across the globe.

“But they weren’t closed for the whole of the year and, when they were open, our mystery shopper audits continued, enabling us to maintain our annual recognition of performance in what will be a virtual ceremony to celebrate what has become widely regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the industry.”

He added: “It’s certainly a different programme, as, this year, our awards will be split with, hopefully, a ‘live’ event in the summer to crown the gold, silver and bronze flag recipients, the 59club Industry Benchmark of Excellence. But the virtual event on March 24 will celebrate the individuals, teams and venue titles which have become so highly coveted.”

Owing to 59club’s ever increasing portfolio of affiliate venues, along with the diversity of the golf club industry, an additional tier for the 2020 awards has been introduced, which now sees winning performances recognised across three categories, to reflect the respective price points and the market segment each property has chosen to compete within.

Among the nominees aiming to become multi-award winners are four individuals hoping to retain titles they won in 2019: Long Ashton’s Glenn McNaughton, and The Belfry’s Jacques Hobson, in their respective ‘Food & Beverage Manager of the Year’ category; Foxhills’ Sean Graham, in ‘Golf Retail Manager of the Year’; and in the ‘Greenkeeper of the Year’ category; Goring & Streatley’s Matt Aplin.

Both Radyr Golf Club and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa are also looking to retain their 2019 titles which saw them each receive the ‘Ultimate Service Excellence’ award for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a diverse range of survey tools across 59club’s software platform.

Meanwhile, Forest of Arden, Marriott Hotel & Country Club’s Philomena Wilkinson is in the hunt for her second success in the category of ‘Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance’, having won the equivalent title in 2018.

Host Walker, who is a familiar face on TV through his work on BBC Breakfast and Football Focus, is a keen golfer himself, and said: “I’ve been lucky enough to present these awards for a number of years. It’s always a pleasure to reward venues and people who go the extra mile to make our golfing experiences as memorable as possible. It’s great to see how the event has become seen as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf industry.”

■ The pre-recorded awards presentation will be available to view at www.59clubuk.com from 4pm on March 24, as presenter & broadcaster, Dan Walker announces the winning individuals, teams & managers for their achievements across 2020.   

Nominations:

my59 Ultimate Service Excellence, sponsored by Golfbreaks.com: & 3D-IFS:  Ashford Manor GC; Dulwich & Sydenham Hill GC; Edgbaston GC; Farleigh GC; Glynhir GC; Haydock Park GC; Highgate GC; John O’Gaunt GC; Long Ashton GC; Panmure GC; Pollok GC; Radyr GC and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa; and Trentham Park GC.

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance, sponsored by Albatross: James Flesher (Dunston Hall Hotel); Phil Stickler (St Pierre, Marriott Hotel & Country Club); and Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden, Marriott Hotel & Country Club).

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance, sponsored by Tacit & Eagle: Dan Hawkins (Celtic Manor Resort); George Wainwright (Branston Golf & Country Club) and; Victoria Martin (Old Thorns).

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Kennet Leasing: Branston Golf & Country Club; Celtic Manor Resort; and Old Thorns.

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Comesto: Christian Tarca (Stoke Park); Craig Sutherland (Brora GC); Daisy Ash (Foxhills Club & Resort); Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton GC); Greg Smith (Edgbaston GC); Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Josie Swift (Farleigh GC); Leanne Ray (Wexham Park GC); and Simon Ibbotson (Kingswood GC).

Golf Retail Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Asbri Golf: Alyson Lilley (Gleneagles); Jack Heginbotham (Long Ashton GC); Kenny Monaghan (Stirling GC); Matt Lacey (Hurtmore GC); Paul Babbage (Farleigh GC); Peter Lane (Harpenden GC); Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort); Stuart Morrison (Tain GC); and Tim Harris (Stoke Park).

Greenkeeper of the Year*, sponsored by Toro: Angus Macleod (The Belfry Hotel & Resort); Craig Parry (Edgbaston GC); David Wyborn (Foxhills Club & Resort); Derek Hunter (Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club); Gary Nicoll (Panmure GC); James Braithwaite (Long Ashton GC); Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC); Phil Chiverton (The Grove); and Terry Wharton (Haydock Park GC)

Golf Operations Team of the Year*, sponsored by Club Car: Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club; Farleigh GC; Gleneagles; Long Ashton GC; Porters Park GC; Stirling GC; Stoke Park; The Grove; and The Mere Golf Resort & Spa.

Golf Manager of the Year*, sponsored by Golf Genius: Andrew Jowett (Gleneagles); Brad Gould (The Grove); Gareth Morgan (Long Ashton GC); James Ibbetson (Farleigh GC); Karen Drake (Burnham & Berrow GC); Ruud Hercik (Gaudet Luce GC); Stuart Collier (Stoke Park); Tom Lawton (The Mere Golf Resort & Spa); and Tom Scott (Harpenden GC).

*Three categories

59club; the leading sales & service analysts and training provider, have today announced its exciting new personal development program; ‘Succession’. www.succession.digital

The initiative is open to all managers, their deputies, and other rising stars within their business, whether they work with 59club or not. It is designed to support you to reach your full potential within your current role, whilst expanding learning opportunities, career progression and personal growth. What’s more, annual membership is priced at just £59 per annum per person. The key contract holder at any 59club client venue will receive access to Succession at no cost throughout 2021.

59club CEO Simon Wordsworth said; “59club’s mantra is to ‘Measure-Train-Support’, and Succession delivers on the latter two core elements. By making it affordable and open to all managers/prospective managers, it allows us to engage with the forward thinkers in our industry, people that want to learn and improve”.

Taking on many forms, in its simplest guise Succession contains 3 core elements; ‘In the ether’ acts as a hub that connects individuals with the goal of developing fresh ideas and new perceptions. Learning is supported by an extensive library furnished with video, audio, and documents, plus access to online monthly panels and live webinars hosted by experts from differing industries. These learning vehicles centred around relevant topic matter, are designed to expand an individual’s performance and their ability to make an impact. 59club has worked with a number of contributors to develop unique e-learning courses that are creative, interactive, and truly relevant to either the manager or the team under them. This area of the platform will grow significantly over the coming months.

To give a flavour of what’s to come; a small soft launch pre-Christmas saw a number of 59club associates join England Manager, Gareth Southgate as he led a seminar around ‘leadership styles & changing cultures’. An earlier panel were also invited to join Harry Redknapp as he discussed his 34 years experiences managing at all levels of professional football, with Succession aiming to take much of its inspiration from other sports & leading individuals from outside the world of golf. When Succession launches on Monday, January 18^th, it will host a really insightful piece based on “leading teams” with England Cricket Captain, Joe Root just before he flew to Sri Lanka.

Succession’s second element ‘On the road’; will include a number of live events throughout the year. The first ‘learn and play’ event, subject to COVID-19 measures being relaxed will be hosted in April, at England’s National Football Training Centre, St George’s Park, conceived around a morning of education of the highest quality, a tour of the venue, and in the afternoon, a walking football tournament with training from LMA ambassador managers.

Finally, but by no means least, the ‘On the course’ activities will see business leaders and golf loving sports personalities quizzed around their life lessons & achievements, in a regular spot called ‘Buggy Banter’ and ‘Mower Mayhem’ – supported by 59club partners; Club Car and Toro of course!!

Wordsworth added; “Succession aims to build upon the talents and qualifications that managers already possess, by providing a vault of additional information, learning resources and unique opportunities to further enhance those prerequisite skills.

“We’re looking to expand the horizons of those in managerial positions, assisting them to thrive within their existing role, whilst supporting them and their deputies to succeed throughout their chosen career paths.

“We have built Succession with your time in mind, so you consume it at your pace, when and wherever you wish. One of the best examples of this ‘time focus’ is the ‘tombola’ carousel where each week managers will be able to access a 30-minute staff training session of bitesize learning. As a manger, you want to learn and should do, but you simply have no time – Succession will help.

“We’re not going to sit there and teach you how to analyse a P&L or complete a VAT return, we’ll leave that to other bodies. Succession is here to top up, add the finishing touches to you as an individual”.

Succession is a credit to the collaboration between 59club and its long-term major partners Club Car, Golf Genius and Toro, plus 3dIFS and CGI Insurance. For more information either visit www.succession.digital or reach out to your regional 59club Manager today.

Excellent article below written when one of the 59club team, Will Hewitt recently spoke to editor of Golf Retailing,  discussing how 59club can help your business in 2021.

Read more below…
http://bit.ly/38hGaus

– Sponsored by 3difs, CGI Insurance, Comesto, Golf Genius & Toro, 59club’s regular accolades reward individual staff performance throughout the year –

59club, the leading specialist customer service analysts and training provider, today announce their prestigious quarterly Service Excellence Award winners, as they continue to recognise staff excellence throughout the year across their affiliate golf venues. The designated UK & European awards focus on four categories spanning Golf Operations, Golf Course, Retail, and the Food & Beverage experience.

The honours saw Brad Gould of The Grove recognised for his outstanding performance within the Leading UK & European Golf Operation category, which saw him achieve a 3-percentage point advantage over his closest rival.

Chris Fitt of Foxhills Country Club & Resort, Christopher Reeve of The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Andrew Jowett of Gleneagles Hotel and Stuart Collier of Stoke Park Country Club, Spa & Hotel all narrowly missed out following a run of very successful audit reviews, as adjudicated by 59club in accordance with its objective benchmarking criteria.

On receiving his prestigious accolade, Brad Gould, Head of Golf Sales, said; “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of our exceptional team at The Grove, who have continued to deliver a 5 star guest journey in the most trying of circumstances.  We will continue to focus on how we can enhance our customer experience and rewarding staff members through the valuable feedback we receive from benchmarking within 59club visits.”

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When it came to delivering the best golf course, it was a very close race which saw Alex Millar of Stoke Park Country Club, Spa & Hotel claim 59club’s Leading UK & European Golf Course Experience, with just half a percentage point between Alex and his closest competition, Phil Chiverton of The Grove.

Angus Macleod of The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Craig Parry of Edgbaston Golf Club and Terry Wharton of Haydock Park Golf Club came in third and joint fourth position thereafter, again with just the minuscule of percentages between these top performers.

Talking about his success, Alex Millar, Head of Estate said; “It’s a great acknowledgment for the greenkeeping crew for all their hard work this season, and to get the mark we did is very special. The 59club standards are a great way to see where you are in the industry, and what you have to strive for.”

Within the Retail category, it was Jack Heginbotham of Long Ashton Golf Club who claimed 59club’s Leading UK & European Retail Experience award, with a 1-percentage point margin over his closest rivals.

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Sean Graham of Foxhills Country Club & Resort & Tom Davies of Ashburnham Golf Club came in joint second position, with Matt Lacey of Hurtmore Golf Club & Alyson Lilley of The Gleneagles Hotel claiming third and fourth, respectively.

Commenting on his winning performance, Jack Heginbotham, Head PGA Professional said; “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of my talented Pro Shop team here at Long Ashton Golf Club.  Since starting our work with 59club we have learned so much relating to service, and it would be remiss of me not to thank my team for the hard work they have put in alongside me to improve our service levels and dramatically improve our mystery golfer scores across the board.”

When it came to recognising service excellence delivered within the clubhouse during a golf visitor mystery shopper experience, there was nothing to separate the leaders, which saw 59club’s UK & European Leading Food & Beverage Experience award presented to both Steven Marshall of Gullane Golf Club and previous winner Jacques Hobson of The Belfry Hotel & Resort.

Houssem Belabed of The Gleneagles Hotel was just 1-percentage point behind the joint winners, with Greg Smith of Edgbaston Golf Club and Simon Ibbotson of Kingswood Golf & Country Club sharing third position.

On receiving his shared accolade, Steven Marshall, Club House Manager said; “It is a great honour and a privilege for me to win the Service Excellence Award on behalf of Gullane Golf Club.  As one of Scotland’s most prestigious members clubs, we continually strive to provide a first-class experience for members and visitors alike.  Achieving a high level of customer service is always of upmost importance to all our F&B team, especially in these challenging times.”

Joint winner Jacques Hobson, F&B Outlets Manager added; “I am extremely proud to be part of a dedicated team that provides exceptional customer service at every level. To be recognised for this award two years running is a privilege and demonstrates how The Belfry goes above and beyond to deliver memorable experiences for its guests. I am confident that the service and hospitality myself and my team deliver will continue to exceed expectations for years to come.”

Commenting on the success of each of the winners, Will Hewitt, 59club UK General Manager, said: “Congratulations to all award winners, and of course to all of our contenders. It’s always an extremely close race with the smallest of margins splitting the very best, as we delve into the league tables each month. Now more than ever, amid what was a challenging period for many, for us to be able to continue recognising the industry’s best customer service providers and sales performances, despite the obvious restrictions and disruptions is something we are very proud of.

“We are equally as delighted to witness that standards at our client properties, regardless of those obstacles, has remained as you would always expect, at the very highest levels observed within the industry across the board, and we have enjoyed supporting these performances.

“Well done to all those individuals, teams and managers who contributed to delivering the very best experiences in golf. Standards like these will always set you apart! Be proud, enjoy the glory & keep up the great work”.

59club is the industry’s leading customer service & sales analysts and training provider, raising service standards across the golf & hospitality sector to new heights as they gather primary data and implement strategic solutions. 59club’s ultimate objective is to transform the revenue performance of its clients by enhancing their approach to customer service and sales procedures. By understanding where strengths and weaknesses lie (using live consumer data), 59club can help venues implement lasting change to benefit their members, guests, staff and profits.

59club, the industry’s leading Customer Service & Sales Analysts and Training Provider, has today announced additional growth across the South of Europe with the formation of a dedicated regional team supporting golf and leisure clubs, hotels, restaurants and spa destinations to drive customer service & sales performance across their respective properties.

The new division is led by James Beesley, whose previous experience at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club (Portugal) and current role at Finca Cortesin Hotel & Golf Resort (Spain) – two of Europe’s leading luxury resorts – will further strengthen 59club’s position within the wealth of golfing hotspots across Spain, Portugal, Italy & Greece.

James joins with an educational background in Business, Marketing & Sports Management, and as a member of the PGA and Club Managers Association of Europe. Venues across the region will also benefit from James’ practical expertise, having heightened sales performance and customer service standards as a client of 59club at multiple venues.

Commenting about his new venture, James said; “As a client of 59club I have experienced first-hand the incredible insights and benefits of their products and services, applying their analyses to decision-making and witnessing the improvement in both operational, as well as financial results! I’m thrilled to be able to take on this additional role and look forward to working together with our regional team, whose local knowledge and expertise will provide a dedicated and personalised service to our current and future customers!”

With leading venues such as PGA Catalunya (Barcelona), Finca Cortesin (Marbella), Quinta do Lago (Algarve), and Verdura Resort (Sicily) – all listed amongst the top 20 Resorts in continental Europe –enjoying long-standing prosperous relations with 59club, local standards are set to rise as more properties are attracted to the appealing advantage of enhanced customer satisfaction, acquisition, increased revenues and profits – described by many as the ‘59club effect’.

Long standing 59club client, Julián Romaguera, General Manager at Los Naranjos said; “We were referred to 59club by La Manga Club during the PGA show, and within 30 minutes of our meeting we had signed up. For me, it was important to have an external tool to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and whilst you may have the perception that you are good at something, this tool keeps your feet on the ground and lets you know exactly what you have to focus on, what are the urgencies and what needs to be prioritised. 59club has to be shared between the staff and by the management at the same time, so that everyone is engaged and dedicated to working together to advance the high levels of service we are committed to achieving. We are using the tools to become more hospitality orientated, moving away from just golf, to introduce a more personalised service. 59club allows you to understand how others work and you can benchmark your sales & service performance against them.”

Of the announcement, Simon Wordsworth 59club CEO said; “We are so excited to be working with James on expanding 59club across the South of Europe. These are difficult times; regardless, those venues who afford the best service experience across golf and hospitality will always win. James and the team are the perfect fit to assist venues who strive to progress as they bring our performance management tools and employee training services to a wider market”.

Those interested in a proven strategy to measure, analyse and elevate staff performance, overall customer experience, and consequently, operational outcomes, are urged to visit www.59clubeurope.com or reach out to james@59club.com for more information.

For all media queries, please contact: Sarah Connelly, Marketing Manager, 59club HQ.  E: sarah@59club.com

59club, the industry leading Customer Service Analyst and Training Provider has launched three Human Resource Survey templates that address all areas of the employment roster, from measuring the New Employee Experience, general Employee Satisfaction, plus an Employee Exit Survey.

When it comes to customers; satisfaction surveys have been a vital part of 59club’s mission to drive the member and guest experience across our industry. If the reality is that ‘happy employees equals happy customers,’ then it’s high time we also prioritise employee well-being. As J. Willard Marriott famously said, “Take good care of your employees, and they’ll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back”.

The new survey templates can be used to quantify employee wellbeing, engagement & satisfaction levels.  The venues management team will also be able to identify what motivates individuals and how they can support their employees continued growth within their existing role, also providing clarity and vision over personal career progression.

The Employee Satisfaction Templates are available right now and ‘free to use’ for all my59 Survey licence holders, alongside a wealth of Golf & Hospitality Member & Guest Satisfaction Templates.

The question templates are available to all in English immediately and will be rolled out in other languages across all 59club territories shortly. To enquire about owning a my59 Survey Licence, please visit www.59club.com.

The intelligent software can be adapted and moulded to suit every differing properties persona, meaning that the industry can now gain valuable Human Resource data from inside their own four walls, complete with the ability to make direct industry comparisons to monitor and advance their employee experience. 

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO and Founder said; “Your staff are your number one asset, if they are nurtured, allowed to develop and progress, there are nothing but positives for the business, cost savings throughout and without doubt greater revenues and repeat clients. As a business we have always been involved with measuring staff performance and providing training solutions to remedy those weaknesses, this new development allows the employee, manager, and the employers performances to be evaluated and improved.

“In this current climate, with so much insecurity, staff “out of position” and undertaking new and multiple roles, we need to ensure that we boost morale and prioritise employee satisfaction. As a business and industry, we will be able to harvest and retain talent to better service our customers and drive the enjoyment factor within the game we all love.

“If you have access to my59mentor, our online virtual training platform, as the industry’s needs start to evolve as a result of the data, we and our partners will be able to work together to strengthen our offering to educate your team in situ”.

To discuss your business needs and how 59club can assist you to achieve Service Excellence utilising a variety of Satisfaction Surveys, Mystery Shopping Audits, Financial Comparison Tools & Employee Training Programs; contact your local 59club Area Manager – and make a positive change today to realise your greatest potential. 

For more information, visit: www.59club.com

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59club; the industry’s leading Customer Service & Sales Analysts and Training Provider, has today announced a partnership with Comesto; the UK’s most dynamic food & beverage wholesaler.

The partnership sees the pair unite to support golf clubs, resorts, hotel chains, restaurants, and bars to elevate food & beverage standards and customer experience, whilst maximising profitability across their entire operations.  

Offering an exciting range of quality food & beverage brands not available through traditional wholesalers, Comesto will afford the golf industry direct access to its wholesale procurement platform; promising more choice and a faster, more connected buying service, complete with tempting unique deals for 59Club customers.

59club will support the industry to ensure that customer service, upselling etiquette and brand standards within the dining experience are maintained. Mystery shopping and customer satisfaction surveys will provide intel to highlight individual venue performance, the industry standards and the best performers across the marketplace, with supplementary training and education services also provided by 59club to upskill employees and address any sales and service shortcomings.

Paul Walker, Commercial Director of Comesto said; “It’s been a pleasure to engage with 59club and witness their sentiment and passion towards quality; something we wholeheartedly share with the brands we represent. We welcome the opportunity to introduce our unique and exciting products, at the most competitive rates to golf clubs and resorts that our trade buyers are demanding in the wider marketplace.”. 

Will Hewitt, General Manager of 59club UK said; “Golf has often ambled on without access to the technologies that other industries rely on daily. We have developed an armoury of sales, service and operational tools that our clients rely on to ensure standards at their properties are maintained, whilst maximising their performance levels and profitability rates. We look forward to a successful partnership with Comesto, that serves to further advance the dining experience across our respective industries, as we welcome the UK’s FIRST EVER managed marketplace for sourcing quality food and drink into the 59club family. I’ll drink to that!”

Those wanting to benefit from a widened range of services & commodities, and an accurate view of what is available across the entire food and beverage/hospitality marketplace, can contact Paul Walker, Commercial Director on paulwalker@comesto.co.uk or visit www.comesto.co.uk

Hospitality providers wanting to take advantage of 59club’s global intelligence to elevate food & beverage sales and the dining experience across their respective properties, can contact Will Hewitt will@59club.com or visit www.59club.com for more information.

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59club the leading sales & service analysts and training provider, have today released my59 Mentor, their intelligent virtual learning experience, safeguarding clients triumphant return to golf.

The new virtual platform features 59club’s acclaimed sales & service training programs – from membership sales and retention strategies, to perfecting corporate sales enquiries and advancing the overall guest experience – across golf & hospitality.

Venues can take advantage of the virtual mentor experience to expand their existing knowledge, educate new staff, upskill relief staff and providing personal development pathways for all aspiring individuals. Additional white papers, videography and supplementary contributor content from the likes of the infamous Gregg Patterson, are also accessible within the platform, available now 24/7 at staff member’s convenience.

The platform also acts as the perfect vehicle for venues to store and communicate all in-house company policies and training manuals direct with their team, also providing the technology to build online training courses, verify learning outcomes and track liability acceptances within one user-friendly, easily accessible and white-labelled virtual platform.

Simon Wordsworth 59club CEO said: “We recognised the need for organisations to have control over their online learning experience, so we built a platform that our partners can manage without any knowledge of coding. My59 Mentor has been developed with simplicity in mind; its clean, intuitive design makes the platform a user-friendly experience for admins and students across all devices.

“During this difficult time, we understand the challenge of motivating staff and the need to enhance personal development, and for this reason education has to remain a priority. Our entire educational content is waiting to be discovered within the platform, what better way to engage staff and build momentum, ensuring they are on top of their game and raring to go.

“There isn’t a single golf club, restaurant or hospitality venue on the planet that will, in the short term, continue to operate as usual. Each club or venue will have acute and significant challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic – problems my59 Mentor can alleviate.”

Intelligent push notifications will link directly to a venue’s mystery shopping and survey performance data, directing the member of staff to the relevant lesson within the platform, as My59 Mentor instinctively acts to upskill staff and address any shortcomings.

Venues can build their own in-house digital education programmes and customise the appearance of the platform. Host staff handbooks and support files to communicate knowledge & company policy direct to the team, while collating all existing digital and paper content into one media library. The platform also provides an efficient way for managers to communicate with their staff around their initial COVID-19 policies and procedures, and phased protocol thereafter.

Within my59 Mentor there is an integrated ‘Quiz’ function which tests knowledge both before and after courses to evaluate progress. Upon completion, individuals can download certificates to authenticate their achievement. This process will naturally lend itself to organise and communicate new COVID-19 operating procedures efficiently, demonstrating that all staff members throughout the operation have read and gained a clear understanding of any new policies as they come into force.

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59club the industry’s leading sales & service analysts and training provider, continue to support golf clubs with a move to produce financial comparable data alongside their famed benchmarking tools.

Simon Wordsworth 59club CEO said: “my59 Metrics was always due to launch in the Spring, we have been working hard to provide the intel that the industry has been lacking around various monetary P&L data. Recent events have led us to adapt this technology to provide additional feedback to managers on the effect that COVID-19 has had on their club in quarter 1, and subsequently throughout 2020, providing short, medium and long-term analytics.

“This is live data that everyone needs right now, not only now in this crisis but forever. We want to support the industry to be able to make the right financial decisions going forward, based on real industry statistical evidence.

“For so long golf has had little data on which to make its decisions, we felt that this had to change. We have produced live customer service data for years and have now developed the intel within my59 Metrics to measure financials. We have always put confidentiality at the top of our to do list, this ethic puts us in the perfect place to reach across the industry and all the different stakeholders to deliver a product that’s needed, and needed now.”

My59 Metrics, is an analytical platform that provides comparable data around the industry’s operating rates, such as gross profit, turnover, membership revenue & attrition, purchasing rates, stock levels, average monthly sales, payroll, staffing levels – and many other variables.

All data entries remain anonymous to anyone other than your club’s sole key account holder. As with all 59club products, its intelligent applications contain a wealth of filters that generate comparable data against venues of a similar nature, allowing club management to make astute judgements and decisions around its financial operation. All venues will be able to filter the results by business style (private, resort, etc), by county/region, by venue size (number of holes) and by course style (parkland, heathland etc). Additional functionality is available within a premium licence.

59club has benchmarked customer service, staff sales performance and operation management, providing key performance indicators across golf & hospitality for over 12 years. Now as they launch my59 Metrics, they have completed the circle of data, helping golf clubs to measure and strengthen their financial operations.

Venue managers, industry suppliers and stakeholders have all been involved in shaping the first release of my59 Metrics, which includes the key headline measurements that will provide clarity around revenue, rounds played, costs and margins. Subsequent releases will allow golf clubs to delve deeper into those headline areas and truly understand greenkeeping costs, professional offerings and club salaries.

The first release will take place on 8^th May for clubs across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales, with managers invited to complete the initial my59 Metricsdataset before the end of May. By completing 2019 data at the same time, you will realise the immediate effect COVID-19 has had on your club and the industry as a whole.

Monthly data entries will be co-ordinated thereafter, as 59club generate industry-wide comparable data like never before. 59club also plan to work with other technology providers to automate the process, with the ambitious goal that by the end of 2020, golf could have LIVE data. To take advantage of this opportunity and make informed decisions on how best to weather the financial effects of COVID-19, visit www.59clubuk.com

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The customer service analysts and benchmarking firm 59club announced today they will also provide COVID-19 specific employee survey tools to golf and other hospitality venues free of charge amid the current crisis. The survey tools capture employee challenges, concerns and potential opportunities all in one easy-to-use snapshot.

This addition comes shortly after 59club had made equivalent survey tools available to target the golf & hospitality industries customers, members and guests. These complimentary offerings will remain available throughout the current crisis.

“Many clubs are asking themselves if surveying their employees is appropriate during this time,” said Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK. “The long-term implications of mismanaging employee needs are insurmountable, and there is data available that shows employee feedback and direct communication is not only appropriate, it’s necessary during this crisis. Top-performing companies consistently search for ways to make themselves and their employees better.”

59club’s proprietary survey tools enable managers to identify both employee and customer needs, strengthen retention levels and recognise a clear direction on ways to improve their overall experience. The smart dashboard analyses data in a clear and concise manner and provides demographic filters to further segment information, creating a comprehensive, manageable and immediate snapshot of their opinion and attitude.

Managers and decision makers can use these COVID-19 question templates to build their personal survey, with the freedom to include additional custom questions within a template, they also have the ability to create a survey entirely of their own making, to better fit their needs and goals using the software.

“Effective feedback, both positive and negative, is critical knowledge at any given time, it may be more important now than ever during these ever-changing times, said Hewitt.

“Top performing clubs remain the best performers because they consistently search for ways to make their best even better. Managers who deliberately ask for feedback will gain valuable insight that can address any weaknesses or oversights within their business. With so much uncertainty, staff and customers need to be nurtured now more than ever, that process starts with asking the right questions, at the right time”.

Click here to gain complimentary access to 59club COVID-19 Survey Software

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Customer service satisfaction and benchmarking firm 59club have announced today that they will further extend their complimentary offering amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, as 59club help the golf & hospitality industry to make the right choices and provide the right options for its customers, members and staff.

59club’s ‘We are in this together’ Campaign, has seen newly released survey templates that reflect the current situation facing the industry, and the interactive Golftell Member Communication app added to their existing complementary offering, all free of charge throughout the current crisis.

“The ability to appreciate what customers and staff need, what their future intentions are, what they are willing to do right now and how they will react amid this ever-changing time, is data we could all use wisely, and never has there been a more pertinent time to glean this valuable information than today – right here, right now”! said Will Hewitt, managing partner of 59club UK.

“We want to make sure the golf and hospitality industry have valuable tools available to them so they can make informed decisions during these trying times.”

Specific COVID-19 survey templates have and will continue to be added as part of 59club’s complimentary offering, covering all aspects of general member surveys, golf professional services, including retail, custom fitting & coaching and staff wellness surveys.  The survey tools assist managers to glean feedback from its customers, members and staff amid the current crisis at specific times when the facility continues its limited offerings, at times when the offering/operation is forcibly closed, during a clubs renewal process, when dealing with membership cancellations and in the run-up to the club/facilities reopening.

The templates contain a bank of pre-set questions, enabling managers to build their survey with the ability to create custom questions of their own. 59club’s proprietary survey tools enable club managers to identify both employee and guest needs, strengthen retention and recognise a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective properties.

The smart dashboard allows management to analyse data in a clear and concise manner and provides demographic filters to further segment information, creating a comprehensive, manageable and immediate snapshot of their customer, member and staff opinion and attitude.

The interactive Golftell Member Communication app creates a new channel for members to privately communicate directly with club management, with the ability to provide as much or as little feedback as the member wishes to supply. During times when the club is closed, the app can be used to reflect on previous experiences, to make future suggestions, to communicate on any matter relating to the club and their membership, and when normality resumes – they can continue using the app to provide instant feedback when visiting the club.

The app channels member feedback within the following areas: course condition, food quality, general facilities and customer service levels, applying an average rating of great, good, average or poor which contributes towards the clubs own satisfaction rating as well as adding into the industry-wide data pool.

Managers and decision makers can make use of 59club’s complimentary offering throughout the current crisis to gather data from one’s own customers and employees. Complete with the ability to make direct comparisons amid the current situation facing the industry, as 59club continues providing help, clarity and vision on a global scale, at a time when it is needed most.

“These are extraordinary times. Many managers are trying to figure what, if any, services should still be available, and what people will want when you re-open” said Simon Wordsworth, founder of 59club.

“Customers will remember those who took the time to touch base with them, to ascertain their needs and wants during the unprecedented time when they knew you were simply hoping to remain open, and latterly during the challenge of being forcibly closed.

“Navigating unchartered waters and relying only on substandard communication tools like social media and non-reply emails does a disservice to the manager, staff, their members and guests. We want our friends and colleagues in the tourism and hospitality industries to have everything they need to weather this storm.”

Please visit www.59club.com and follow the COVID-19 actions to instigate your FREE license, any additional support can be directed to your local 59club division who are waiting to help!

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59club, the Industry leading Customer Service Analysts and Training Provider firm, 59club announced today they will offer complimentary use of their proprietary survey tools amid the current COVID-19 crisis. Golf clubs and other hospitality venues may use the survey tools to communicate directly to their membership and identify member and guest needs for free through till 31^st May 2020.

“Obviously, the tourism and hospitality industries have been greatly affected by the pandemic,” said Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59club UK. “We want to help these clubs communicate with their members and guests so they can be best prepared to accommodate special circumstances until things get back to normal. We’re in this together. We want to do our part and help as much as we can.”

59club’s proprietary survey tools enable club managers to identify member and guest needs, strengthen customer retention and recognise a clear direction on ways to improve the overall experience at their respective clubs. 59club will provide specific COVID-19 survey templates as part of their complimentary offering of the survey tool. Managers and decision makers can use this service to pick and choose from pre-set questions already available within the platform, and/or choose to add custom questions of their own. The ability to gather data from one’s own members and make direct comparisons based on the current situation facing the industry will provide clarity and vision on a global scale when its needed most.

“These are extraordinary times. Many managers are trying to figure out if their club should remain open or what, if any, services should still be available,” said Simon Wordsworth, founder of 59club.
“Clubs themselves are navigating unchartered waters trying to determine what their members actually want or expect from their club. Relying only on substandard communication tools like social media and non-reply emails does a disservice to the club, its members and guests. We want our friends and colleagues in the tourism and hospitality industries to have everything they need to weather this storm.”

Go to www.59club.com to sign up for your complimentary 59club survey tools.

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High-profile venues across the UK and Europe recognised for service excellence in glitzy ceremony at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club

The golf industry’s very best clubs, resorts and individuals descended on The Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, on Thursday March 12, 2020, with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at 59club’s 10^th annual Service Excellence Awards.

A day which started with a series of inspirational educational seminars, ended in a glittering awards ceremony honouring the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence across 2019.

59club’s illustrious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. On the night, 59club presented 64 awards across 27 categories, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile, by segmenting several individual accolades based on a venue’s average green fee rate, of either above or below £75 per person.

Stoke Park and The Belfry Hotel & Resort picked up the highest prized awards of the evening, The Ultimate Members’ Club, and The Ultimate Golf Resort respectively, withThe Belfry retaining their title for a second consecutive year and Stoke Park having claimed The Ultimate accolade previously in 2015.

Stuart Collier, Stoke Park Director of Golf, said; “It’s a huge honour for the entire team at Stoke Park to be awarded the prize of Ultimate Members’ Club at this year’s 59club annual awards dinner. We have worked very closely with 59club since 2011 and this has enabled us to review, develop and improve the overall member and visitor experience at the club.

“At Stoke Park we are blessed to have world class facilities but we feel the interaction with the staff is the most important element of any visit and we rely on the 59club to provide us with real feedback to monitor, manage and improve this”.  

In addition to being crowned The Ultimate Golf Resort, The Belfry’s celebrations continued, as Chris Reeve retained his Golf Manager of the Year title (>£75 category) with Jacques Hobson crowned Food & Beverage Manager of the Year (>£75 category).

Upon collecting numerous awards personally and on behalf of The Belfry Hotel and Resort, Chris Reeve, Director of Golf, said: “Having received crowning glory from 59club once is truly an honour, to maintain the highest prized accolade 2 years in a row across our entire operation amplifies the teams solidarity for delivering the greatest experiences in golf, cementing our position as Europe’s Ultimate Golf Resort. 

“It was fantastic to see Jacques Hobson crowned Food & Beverage Manager of the Year, and retaining the Golf Manager of the Year title is a personal highlight in my career – as we continue to deliver the unforgettable member and guest experience that The Belfry is synonymous with, we all have a lot to celebrate”!

59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, are always a highlight of proceedings. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2019.

This year, 59club presented 14 ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Celtic Manor Resort, Club de Golf Alcanada, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Foxhills Club & Resort, Gleneagles, Golf Son Muntaner, Los Naranjos Golf Club, Monte Rei, Mount Juliet Estate, Rockliffe Hall, Roehampton Club, Stoke Park, The Belfry Hotel & Resort and The Grove.

The Foxhills Collection were left revelling on the night having been awarded Golf Group of the year, with Foxhills Club & Resort achieving Gold Flag status, Golf Operations Team of the Year (>£75 category), and Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year. Further celebrations saw Sophie Whitmore honoured for her Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance, and Sean Graham crowned Golf Retail Manager of the Year (>£75 category).

Marriott Golf also boasted numerous successes on the night, with Forest of Arden seeing Fraser Liston crowned Golf Manager of the Year (<£75 category), with 2 further team awards recognising their Golf Operations and  Golf Sales departments, the latter having been retained for the 4^th consecutive year, as well as the venue retaining their Gold Flag status. Tudor Park provided more reason to celebrate after Rachel Palmer was honoured for her Leading Individual Group Golf Sales Performance. St Pierre continued the winning streak having scooped the Golf Membership Sales Team accolade, with Hanbury Manor achieving Silver Flag Status.  

Of this year’s awards, Simon Wordsworth, CEO at 59club, commented: “Forest of Arden was the perfect host for our 10^th annual awards ceremony, and my unerring congratulations go to our nominees, tonight’s winners, our supporters and everyone involved with 59club for their commitment to perfecting service standards across our industry. 

10 years ago tonight, we celebrated our first award winning performances, and as I look back at that wealth of data, I am privileged to have witnessed 59club quite literally reinvent member and guest experiences across Golf & Hospitality using technology & data to measure, train and support our clients to achieve service excellence.

Our promise to our clients, and to those just embarking on their journey with 59club – as 12 Franchises take hold around the world servicing golf, leisure, spa & hospitality providers – has always been to continue supporting their customer journey, with new tools and more intel, to equip our most ambitious companies in their pursuit of excellence. The first half of 2020 sees ‘Business Metrics’ and our ‘Education Platform’ launch simultaneously, with many more progressive tools waiting in the wings”.

Other prestigious award winners on the night included Matt Aplin of Goring & Streatley who retained his Greenkeeper of the Year title (<£75 category), with Scott Fenwick & Craig Haldane from Gleneagles crowned Greenkeepers of the Year in the over £75 category.

Jonny Dye of Rockliffe Hall was hailed Golf Retail Manager of the Year (<£75 category), whilst the Food & Beverage Manager of the Year title (<£75 category) was presented to Glenn McNaughton of Long Ashton Golf Club.

Five-time winner, The Vale Resort was awarded Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year, and Alice Cox-Cooper from The Mere was recognised for her Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance.

8 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Golf Club Castelconturbia, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, La Manga Club, Le Golf National, The Duke’s, St Andrews, The North Berwick Golf Club and Woodhall Spa.

A further 7 ‘Bronze Flag’ Awards were presented to Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Gullane Golf Club, Porters Park Golf Club, Royal Automobile Club, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Sandy Lodge Golf Club and Slaley Hall.

To recognise venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform, 13 ‘Service Excellence’ designations were presented on the night. Recipients included Aldenham Golf & Country Club, Branston Golf & Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Cotswold Hills Golf Club, Edgbaston Golf Club, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Moor Park Golf Club, Mount Juliet Estate, North Middlesex Golf Club, The Scandinavian and Vale Resort. Radyr Golf Club and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa received distinction in this category achieving the Ultimate Service Excellence honour.

Celebrations continued the following morning as guests re-assembled for the 59club golf day, sponsored by Golf Genius which teed off on the Arden Course, and saw the winning individual Phil Rowsell of Asbri Golf – 59club’s most recent industry partner – claim the Claret Jug, with an individual score of 40 points. The winning team consisted of Eryl Williams, Richard Dinsdale both of Asbri Golf, Chris Dowrick of Foxhills Club & Resort and Will Hewitt, 59club who led a 3-point team victory.

For more information on 59club, visit www.59club.com

Full list of award winners can be seen in the table below.

59club ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2019/20:

The Ultimate Members’ Club: Stoke Park

The Ultimate Golf Resort: The Belfry Hotel & Resort

Golf Group of the Year: Foxhills Collection

Gold Flag Designations: Celtic Manor Resort, Club de Golf Alcanada, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Foxhills Club & Resort, Gleneagles, Golf Son Muntaner, Los Naranjos Golf Club, Monte Rei, Mount Juliet Estate, Rockliffe Hall, Roehampton Club, Stoke Park, The Belfry Hotel & Resort and The Grove.

Silver Flag Designations: Golf Club Castelconturbia, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, La Manga Club, Le Golf National, The Duke’s, St Andrews, The North Berwick Golf Club and Woodhall Spa.

Bronze Flag Designations: Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Gullane Golf Club, Porters Park Golf Club, Royal Automobile Club, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Sandy Lodge Golf Club and Slaley Hall.

My59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award: Radyr Golf Club and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa

My59 Service Excellence Award: Aldenham Golf & Country Club, Branston Golf & Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Cotswold Hills Golf Club, Edgbaston Golf Club, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Moor Park Golf Club, Mount Juliet Estate, North Middlesex Golf Club, The Scandinavian and Vale Resort.

Golf Manager of the Year (<£75 green fee): Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club –    Aylesford Course)

Golf Manager of the Year (>£75 green fee): Chris Reeve (The Belfry Hotel & Resort)

Greenkeeper of the Year (<£75 green fee): Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley)

Greenkeeper of the Year (>£75 green fee): Scott Fenwick & Craig Haldane (Gleneagles – Kings Course)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year (<£75 green fee): Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton Golf Club)

Food and Beverage Manager of the Year (>£75 green fee): Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year (<£75 green fee): Jonny Dye (Rockliffe Hall)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year (>£75 green fee): Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort)

Golf Operations Team of the Year (<£75 green fee): Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club (Aylesford Course)

Golf Operations Team of the Year (>£75 green fee: Foxhills Club & Resort

Leading Individual Group Golf Sales Performance: Rachel Palmer (Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club)

Golf Sales Team of the Year: Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance: Sophie Whitmore (Foxhills Club & Resort)

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year: Foxhills Club & Resort & St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance: Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year: Vale Resort

Stay up to date with all 59club development on social media at @59club1 on Twitter, @59club on Facebook and Instagram at @59clubuk

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The very best individuals, teams and venues in golf unveiled for 59club’s 10^th Annual Awards Ceremony, celebrating excellence across sales, service, operations, retail and management, with some of the highest-profile and best-loved venues in the running for a golf industry ‘Oscar’.

The glittering affair, hosted by BBC’s Dan Walker will be staged at Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, 12^th & 13^th March 2020, and will see the leading figures from the world of golf come together to honor individuals, teams and venues across Europe for their industry-leading performance throughout 2019.

The accolades are determined by scores collected from 59clubs impartial mystery shopping team, who evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. 

Each venue is judged on its performance in the following areas: sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management. 59club continues to reflect the very best performances, regardless of  a venue’s size, scale or profile and as has been the case in recent years, five of the main titles will be further segmented, creating two categories for nominees, based on an average green fee rates; of either above or below £75 per person.

Leading the stakes is none other than the host venue itself, as Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, are nominated across 8 award titles which sees; Justine Friedrich nominated for her Individual Group Golf Sales Performance, Simon Howell nominated for Retail Manager of the Year, Rob Rowson for Greenkeeper of the Year, and Fraser Liston for Golf Manager of the Year as well as three further nominations within Golf Sales & Golf Operation Team categories.

Foxhills Club & Resort is nominated 7 times, with The Belfry Resort, Rockliffe Hall and Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club each up for 6 awards, with the four-time Ryder Cup venue returning to defend their title ‘Ultimate Golf Resort’, after claiming one of the highest prized accolades of the evening last year in St Andrews.   

Another Ryder Cup venue, this time Celtic Manor Resort, are in contention for 4 awards, which sees Jim McKenzie MBE in the running for Greenkeeper of the year, and Brian Duncan nominated for Golf Manager of the Year. Hannah Howells is nominated for her Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance, and Celtic Manor’s Leisure team up for Membership Sales Team of the year.

In contention for Golf Group of the year are previous winners Marriott Golf who face stiff competition from Arabella Golf, Almarose Hotels, De Vere Hotels, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts and Foxhills Collection.

Looking ahead to a glittering evening, Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO and a Fellow of the PGA, said:

“This is the 10^th year of our awards, a milestone for 59club which signifies 10 years of data, 10 years of passion & dedication and countless successes for our venues who work tirelessly to perfect their customer experiences. Over the past 12 months, our clients have again demonstrated their incredible commitment to achieving the golf industry’s highest service standards. Each year the bar gets higher and higher, with individuals, teams, managers and groups all battling it out to claim top spot, and what better way to recognise our greatest achievers, than with an evening to remember at The Forest of Arden. We can’t wait to get the celebrations underway”.

Other European venues to receive multiple award nominations include; Barnham Broom, Belton Woods, Club de Golf Alcanada, Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Herons Reach, Ladybank Golf Club, La Manga Club, Monte Rei, Stirling Golf Club, Stoke Park, St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club, The Grove, The Mere, The Vale Resort and Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club.

With; Ashburnham Golf Club, Branston Golf & Country Club, Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Cranleigh Golf & Country Club, Deeside Golf Club, De Vere Wokefield Park, Dunbar Golf Club, Gleneagles, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Haggs Castle, Langland Bay Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Longniddry Golf Club, Macdonald Linden Hall Golf & Country Club, Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa, Old Thorns, Pennard Golf Club, Royal Automobile Club, The Dukes, St Andrews and Thorpeness Hotel & Resort, each all nominated.

The night’s proceedings will also see 59club bestow accolades upon venues for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across the my59 software platform.

15 venues will be recognised within this category, including: Aldenham Golf & Country Club, Branston Golf and Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Cotswold Hills Golf Club, Edgbaston Golf Club, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Moor Park Golf Club, Mount Juliet, North Middlesex Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club, Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort. These venues will all compete to win an Ultimate Service Excellence accolade.

The award ceremony – sponsored by; 3DIFS, CGI Insurance, Club Car, Golf Genius, Golfbreaks.com, Gunners Cocktails, Kennet Leasing, Tacit and Toro – will also see 59club’s Industry Benchmark, its Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards presented to golf resorts and private member clubs which have demonstrated distinction against broad criteria for both customer service delivery and the quality of their facilities.

59club is the world’s leading customer service & sales analysts and training provider and is set upon raising the service standards of the leisure industry to new highs through the gathering of primary data and implementation of strategic solutions. 59club’s ultimate objective is to transform the revenue performance of its clients by enhancing their approach to customer service and sales. By understanding where strengths and weaknesses lie (information provided via raw consumer data) 59club can help venues implement lasting change to the benefit of their members, guests, staff and revenue.

59CLUB ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ EUROPEAN AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order):

Leading Individual Group Golf Sales Performance: Ben Stokes (Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa), Daniel Leigh (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club), Justine Friedrich (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club), Kathryn Collier (Barnham Broom), Rachel Palmer (Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club) and Sylvia Norris (De Vere Wokefield Estate)

Golf Sales Team of the Year: Barnham Broom, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Herons Reach Golf Resort, Macdonald Linden Hall Golf & Country Club, Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club and Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year:Foxhills Club & Resort, Rockliffe Hall, Stoke Park, St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club, The Mere and Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Leading Individual Golf Membership Sales Performance: Ashley Freeman (Rockliffe Hall), Chris Dowrick (Foxhills Club & Resort), Phil Stickler (St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club), Richard Bowman (Herons Reach Golf Resort), Sophie Whitmore (Foxhills Club & Resort) and Steven Webster (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club)

Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year: Branston Golf & Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Old Thorns, Stoke Park, The Mere and The Vale Resort

Leading Individual Leisure Membership Sales Performance: Alice Cox-Cooper (The Mere), Hannah Howells (Celtic Manor Resort), Louise Ringham (The Vale Resort), Michelle Bees (The Vale Resort) and Ursula McMillan (Cranleigh Golf & Country Club)

Golf Operations Team of the Year – Over £75 green fee: Forest of Arden (Arden Course), Foxhills Club & Resort, La Manga Club, Monte Rei, The Belfry Hotel & Resort and The Grove

Golf Operations Team of the Year – Under £75 green fee: Belton Woods, Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club (Aylesford Course), Rockliffe Hall, Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club and Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee: Jacky Montgomery (Dunbar Golf Club), Jesús Moreno (La Manga Club), Kristoff Both (Club de Golf Alcanada), Sean Graham (Foxhills Club & Resort), Simon Howell (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club) and Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort)

Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee: Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle), Christine Langford (Thorpeness Hotel & Resort), Jonathan Clewett (Langland Bay Golf Club), Jonny Dye (Rockliffe Hall), Kenny Monaghan (Stirling Golf Club), and Matt Bradley (Belton Woods) 

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee: Bernat Llobera (Son Muntaner), Gloria Cortés (La Manga Club), Jacques Hobson (The Belfry Hotel & Resort), Marianna Maraviglia (The Grove), Matthew Penman (The Dukes, St Andrews) and Rui Silvestre (Monte Rei)

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee: Caroline Lees (Ladybank Golf Club), Caroline Taylor (Pennard Golf Club), Glenn McNaughton (Long Ashton Golf Club), John Rix & Paul Walker (Dunston Hall), Jordan Pails & Alex Maclachlan (Ashburnham Golf Club) and Pamela Dixson (Longniddry Golf Club)

Greenkeeper of the Year – Over £75 green fee: Angus MacLeod (The Belfry – Brabazon), Borja Azpilicueta (Club de Golf Alcanada), Jamie Wade (The Belfry – PGA National), Jim McKenzie MBE (Celtic Manor Resort – 2010 Course), Rob Rowson (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club – Arden Course) and Scott Fenwick & Craig Haldane (Gleneagles – Kings course) 

Greenkeeper of the Year – Under £75 green fee: Colin Powrie (Ladybank Golf Club), James Lindsay (Stirling Golf Club), John Smith (Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club), Jon Wyer (Rockliffe Hall), Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley Golf Club) and Neil McLoughlan (Deeside Golf Club)

Golf Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee: Brad Gould (The Grove), Brian Duncan (Celtic Manor Resort – 2010 Course), Chris Fitt (Foxhills Club & Resort), Chris Reeve (The Belfry Hotel & Resort), Darren Griffiths (Monte Rei) and Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club – Arden Course) 

Golf Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee: Alex Davies (Belton Woods), Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club – Aylesford Course), Martyn Stubbings (Rockliffe Hall), Philip Worthington (Royal Automobile Club), Sam Oliver (Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club) and Stephen Hindle (Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club) 

Golf Group of the Year: Almarose Hotels, Arabella Golf, De Vere Hotels, Foxhills Collection, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts and Marriott Golf

my59 Service Excellence: Aldenham Golf & Country Club, Branston Golf and Country Club, Celtic Manor Resort, Cotswold Hills Golf Club, Edgbaston Golf Club, Goring & Streatley Golf Club, Long Ashton Golf Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Moor Park Golf Club, Mount Juliet, North Middlesex Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club, Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort.

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Former host of the British Masters and HSBC Championship venue are chosen to host 59club’s glitzy ceremony as Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club will welcome 59club clients from across Europe on the 12-13^th March 2020. An extension to the ceremony will see The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa host the awards to recognise excellence across Asia, The Middle East & Africa on the 20^th April 2020, as the Service ‘Excellence’ Awards are split for the first time.

The Ceremonies will bring the industry together to honour great individuals, clubs and group achievements across all 59club spectra, with revellers invited to attend their choice of local or international awards, with many expressing the desire to celebrate and network across both events. 

Whilst proceedings may have diversified, the principals remain the same, as 59club stand to recognise the leading Golf and Leisure venues that consistently achieve ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the business – sales, service, operations, retail, facility, food & beverage and management. With winners recognised by the genuine scores collected from the independent visitor panel who evaluate the experience afforded to both visitors and prospective customers.

The climax of the night for many is when the 59club’s Industry Benchmark awards are announced; the Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards. The awards are bestowed on the finest member clubs and commercial venues that not only achieve the required standard of service as part of the mystery test audit criteria, but also provide excellent facilities for customers to enjoy. 

59club will also bestow accolades upon venues for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across the my59 software platform.

An Educational Day will precede the evening Awards Ceremony in true 59club style; with the promise of inspirational content for those looking to start 2020 on the best foot. Further to last year’s success 59club will continue to include a Golf Day.

59club’s driving force very quickly grabbed the industry’s attention, and saw the event hailed the ‘Industry Oscars’ in its early days. Now in its 10^th year, amid huge expansion plans across the globe which have already signified openings of local 59club offices to accommodate growth in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the USA;  the 2020 line up is set to once again deliver a spectacle of glory, equally fitting the calibre of nominees, winners and all those present at the awards for their commitment to delivering ‘service excellence’.

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO said: “59club is fully committed to assisting the industry to advance. The awards for us is about bringing everyone together and paying tribute to what we have achieved collectively.

“What started out as a simple idea to develop people and process in the early days, has grown into a global pioneering brand that has taken every experience across the hospitality industry and made staff, managers, venues and groups accountable for the service and sales etiquette they deploy. That 59club seal of approval means everything to the staff on the ground, the managers leading their team and the people at the very top – who all revel over the quantifiable effects that come with achieving best in class standards.”

“A special thanks goes to our award sponsors; 3DIFS, CGI Insurance, Club Car, Golf Genius, Golfbreaks.com, Gunners Cocktails, Kennet Leasing, Tacit and Toro who have been instrumental in creating the 2020 Awards, these are set to be the best yet!”

Tickets are on sale now, to secure your place at the Education Day, Awards Ceremony and Golf Day, and for all accommodation/travel requirements, please contact Naime Torgut; naime@theaspirationgroup.com or visit www.59club.com  

Stay up to date with all the action, and behind-the-scenes insight by following 59club on Twitter and Facebook.

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59club continues growth with formation of West Europe & North Africa division to improve sales and service etiquette, increasing customer satisfaction, revenue and profits

January 30, 2020: Golf and leisure clubs, hotels, restaurants and spa destinations can now benefit from an in-depth vision into their operational successes and areas in need of improvement thanks to the formation of a dedicated division set to cover France; Belgium; Holland; Switzerland; Germany; Austria; Morocco and Tunisia.

The new division will be led by the highly decorated General Manager of La Golf National; Paul Armitage, who alongside his commitments with the club will also co-own and drive 59club’s expansion into Western Europe & North Africa, the latest addition to the world’s leading customer service specialists – currently operating across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the USA.

59club are famed for their market-leading performance management tools, their customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping audits, whilst their training and education services are widely regarded as best-in-class across the industry.

Trusted by many of the world’s leading venues, 59club delivers an acclaimed route to measure and develop customer service levels and staff sales performance. Their intel and expertise hold the key to drive growth, providing a significant increase to customer acquisition, satisfaction, retention & profitability within businesses of all sizes.

59club has been trading across Europe for over 10 years having engaged with many of the leading golf & hospitality venues including European Tour Destinations; La Golf National, Terre Blanche, Diamond Country Club and Golf Club St Leon-Rot alongside Monte Rei, Alcanada and La Manga amongst many others.  With a dedicated local presence, 59club’s hold in the region is set to perfect the golf, leisure and hospitality experience afforded to consumers whilst driving club revenues to new heights.   

59club’s online dashboard allows these managers to compare results to the industry benchmark, elite-performing properties and even direct competitor venues of their choice, making it one of the only ways for venues to measure how well they are performing within their market.

Following the launch of 59club West Europe & North Africa, 59club CEO, Simon Wordsworth, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to extend our scope of service into Europe and North Africa and hit the ground running, with the launch of this new business. 59club is all about the people, we couldn’t ask for better partners to lead this division than Paul Armitage & Sylvain Marcati who will drive our expansion within the region. We have the utmost confidence in them both. Our objective data-collection and analytical models will help golf clubs and other hospitality properties to achieve more out of their operations and begin to put customer service at the forefront of club and resort management once again. It’s great to see our product now available in the French language.”

Paul has been working in the golf industry since 2003. He has filled several roles as GM and building brand reputation and business in various golf facilities, and also as Managing Director for one of Europe’s leading Golf Networks.

Paul joined the French Golf Federation in 2014 to help prepare Le Golf National, not only to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, but also to raise the levels of service and experience to resemble that of other major tournament golf destinations around the world. 

Working with 59club tools to help improve standards, and with Paul’s knowledge of the needs of modern golfers – it has been a recipe for success. It was therefore an obvious choice for Paul to help bring 59club to wider markets across Western Europe, Morocco & Tunisia.

“Customer service has to be the number one priority for all hospitality providers” said Paul Armitage, Managing Partner of 59club Western Europe & North Africa. “In today’s world, competition is fierce. Once you lose a customer to poor service, they are likely never to return. That’s why 59club was created. It’s the only golf, leisure and hospitality-specific benchmarking tool in the world that provides this type of objective analysis, ensuring operators are making informed decisions to increase customer retention.

“I am extremely proud to have excelled under the armoury of tools provided by 59club at La Golf National, and equally as excited to drive the same significant successes for my peers across the region, that an association with 59club delivers.”

For media queries, please contact:

Sarah Connelly

Marketing Manager, 59club HQ

E: sarah@59club.com

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Concept has partnered with 59club to provide its golf, leisure & spa clients with new service analysis intelligence to measure customer satisfaction levels within their businesses via its high-end operations software suites.

Concept users can now benefit from 59club’s expertise, mechanism and freedom to independently deliver customer satisfaction surveys using their industry specific benchmarking assessment criteria, flexible survey templates and automated software.

The new partnership enables the auto-generating functions to remain switched on for mutual affiliated clients – meaning that each time member and guest data is entered into their operations software, 59club will auto-invite the customer to complete the venues bespoke satisfaction survey based on their recent encounter – for example after having joined the club, paid to play, visited the spa or F&B outlet or having relinquished their club membership. The functionality can even track a customer’s experience at significant landmarks during their journey, auto-generating a series of questionnaires, in sequence at set intervals as programmed by the venue, measuring a new member’s experience over a set timeframe as a guide.

With a wealth of survey templates that cover all areas of the hospitality industry and as a result of the two software giant’s new pairing, club staff can now save valuable time delivering surveys, avoiding additional data entry, and elements of human error or resistance are eradicated.

The new interface will go live at one of the most prestigious properties in The UK; The Belfry – with other leading Golf Groups such as Dubai Golf and premier clubs and resorts that includes the likes of Old Thorns, Celtic Manor, Stoke Park, Ramside Hall and Dalmahoy also set to win as a result of the new pairing, with concept looking to roll-out the update to all of its clients very soon.

Chris Reeve, Director of Golf at the Belfry Hotel & Resort, said: “The 59club surveys have been a huge success for us and we are just about to introduce a link between our EPOS [Concept] system which will talk directly to 59club’s software [my59] and provide a survey to anyone that plays a round of golf at The Belfry with a few key questions. This is going to open new doors for us and gives us even more insight into what our customers are looking for and allows us to retain our number one position as the best golf resort in the UK”

The new partnership has been forged to assist venues to improve and maintain sales and service quality, in addition to comparing their internal customer satisfaction levels against 59club’s benchmark; the industry average and the best performing venues globally. Ultimately venues stand to capture more consumer insights than ever before.

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO, said: “Our recent partnership with Concept is hugely exciting for 59club. Linking our customer satisfaction survey software with the complete enterprise solution for the world’s leading resorts couldn’t be a better match. Both companies have a focus on being in control; whether that’s assisting clients managing memberships, reservations, POS or business intelligence.

“The addition of ‘real-time’ customer service analysis sees the essential day to day operation of golf, leisure & Spa venues worldwide get a whole lot smarter. As 59club continues to grow with new operations in America, Asia and Europe, I’m looking forward to seeing our collaboration with Concept continue to advance service excellence standards across the industry globally”.

Concept, a Shiji Group Brand, offers its users with leisure software for spas, clubs, resorts, and golf courses. The Concept Golf product is a complete enterprise solution for the world’s leading golf resorts and venues and caters for all software needs for golf operations.

Malcolm Rennie, Commercial Manager of Concept, said: “This new relationship and integration with 59club is so exciting for us. The cross-over between our mutual clients is staggering and we were delighted to see so many of Concept’s customers being recognised at 59club’s annual awards ceremony. We can’t wait to rollout this integration to new and existing clients and see the positive results.” 

For more information on 59club, visit: www.59club.com
For more information on Concept, visit www.concept.shijigroup.com

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59club, the industry’s leading Sales & Customer Service analysts, with more than 12 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, has announced a partnership with the UK’s premier draught cocktail brand, Gunners.

59club’s unrivalled mystery shopper audits and customer satisfaction surveys launched to the Food & Beverage sector in the spring in order to provide comprehensive & totally objective on-line reports, which measure the customer experience in four distinct types of food delivery. They are “Food to go”, “Quick Service”, “Gastro/Brasserie” and “Premium Dining” with supplementary training services available. Each food outlet tested has the option to choose the competitors that they would like to be ranked against, with the objective being to ensure that 59club maximises the commercial opportunity and provide support where necessary. 59club food services play a vital part in ensuring that the desired sales & service standards are achieved.

Further plans set to advance sales & service levels within the Food industry include the launch of an ‘F&B Service Excellence’ qualification for customer facing staff in late 2019. To enable the rapid growth of service & sales performance management tools that are driving standards across the industry, 59club has created a small network of Food & Beverage Partners who share the common goals of wanting to develop products and services that serve to enhance customer experience. Gunners are the first major supporter of this initiative and have put a great offering together for golf clubs to have the drink available to members and guests on draught, in bottle and by portable dispense.

Established in 1842, Gunners is famed for being a distinctive non-alcoholic cocktail. Gunners ‘Saint’, one of the most refreshing summer drinks, includes Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Angostura Bitters and a twist of lime, always served over ice. Gunners ‘Saint’ is now accompanied by Gunners ‘Sinner’; a modern, darker version of the classic drink that comes complete with a shot of dark rum, to add a little more punch (4.5% abv). Rather than being hand mixed behind the bar, both drinks are now available in pre-mixed packaging and poured through modern dispense equipment, so that a perfect serve is achieved, every time, in a fraction of the time.

The new pairing has since seen the refreshing, British taste of Gunners added to The Belfry Hotel & Resort, one of the most popular golfing venues in the UK. The fit forged around quality, affords the perfect accompaniment of beverages to meet the demands of both the traditional and modern-day golfer. 59club’s rich heritage in golf saw an early paring with the 4-time Ryder cup host venue some 12 years ago. This year the Resort was crowned 59club’s Ultimate Golf Resort in the 9^th annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony hosted in March 2019 at St Andrews, Scotland – the home of golf.

Simon Wordsworth, CEO of 59club said; “We look forward to a successful partnership with Gunners, set on advancing customer service levels across golf resorts, hotel chains, restaurants and bars. If that wasn’t enough, perhaps to see the famous drink pave its way into more golf bars around the globe will be something we all toast at the first 59club Food Service Excellence Awards Ceremony.”

Whether you favour the ‘Saint’ or the ‘Sinner’, visit www.gunnerscocktails.co.uk to find out more about this unique

cocktail.

For more information about 59club’s sales & service performance management tools, contact Mike Bell for all F&B related enquires at mbell@59clubfood.com and Matt Roberts for Golf, Leisure, Spa & Hotels at matt@59club.com

Suppliers interested in partnering with 59club to further advance sales & service within the hospitality industry are urged to contact Paul Walker on behalf of 59club who can be contacted on paulwalker@pwcl.co.uk.

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At a very basic level, as golf professionals, whichever direction our career has taken, we all aim to offer the best products and services to our customers. We all inspire to deliver the level of professionalism that our PGA training instilled within us. The pro who thinks smarter, who sets their own agenda to push the boundaries to achieve success, is the pro who stands to win the most!

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High-profile venues across the world recognised for service excellence in glitzy ceremony at the Home of Golf . 

The golf industry’s very best clubs, resorts and individuals last night descended on St Andrews, The Home of Golf, for the 9th annual 59club Service Excellence Awards. A day which started with a golf tournament on the Jubilee and iconic Old Course, ended in a celebratory awards ceremony at The Old Course Hotel, within the Hall of Champions.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort and Emirates Golf Club picked up the highest prized awards of the evening, The Ultimate Golf Resort and Ultimate Members’ Club. The Belfry Hotel also scooped a ‘Gold Flag’ and three other awards, including Chris Reeve being crowned UK ‘Golf Manager of the year’ based on their PGA National Course audits, and Angus MacLeod crowned UK Greenkeeper of the Year in recognition of The Brabazon Course, for the second consecutive year.  

Dubai Golf-managed venues were left revelling on the night, with Emirates Golf Club collecting four awards, while Dubai Creek went one better claiming five, including both the Leisure Membership and overseas Golf Membership Sales Teams of the Year. Dubai Golf were also awarded Golf Group of the Year, both venues awarded ‘Gold Flags’, whilst Stephen Hubner of Dubai Creek crowned overseas Golf Manager of the Year for the second year running. Upon collecting 10 total awards on behalf of venues across the Dubai Golf portfolio, Chris May, CEO, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved such success here at the 59club Service Excellence Awards, and it is with much personal pride that I was able to collect so many accolades on behalf of Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek, as well as the sought after Golf Group of the year title. “The expertise, information and staff training support that 59club has provided us over the years has become a mainstay of our business, and has allowed us to deliver a consistently high level of customer service across our entire group operation. We pride ourselves on being amongst the very best venues in terms of the visitor and member experience in world golf.” 

The awards, which recognised the leading golf venues that consistently achieve ‘service excellence’ across all areas of their businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management – are determined by scores collected from an independent visitor panel who evaluate the experience presented to both visiting golfers and prospective members, all in accordance with 59club’s industry leading, non-subjective benchmarking criteria.   

To ensure venues of all sizes are recognised for their outstanding levels of achievement, 59club introduced two categories for selected individual and team awards, thus segmenting clubs who charge an average green fee of either above or below £75.  This ensures clubs of all sizes and budgets have the chance to receive the credit they deserve, based on the market segment they have chosen to compete in.Chris Reeve, Belfry Hotel and Resort Director of Golf, said: “I am extremely proud to have received such a prestigious accolade, which underlines our commitment to deliver the highest levels of customer service and unforgettable experiences for all of our guests. “The award recognises all the hard work that each individual has contributed towards realising our vision for the future of golf at The Belfry. From the greenkeepers to the bar and kitchen staff, every member of the team is committed to service excellence and does a fantastic job; they are the driving force behind our success. “This win not only demonstrates the achievements of our team, but also signifies the benefits of our work with 59club, and this would not have been possible without our close working relationship with them. I am looking forward to the year ahead and continuing to build upon the resort’s illustrious reputation.” 59club’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards, the Industry Benchmark, are a highlight for many. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs and resorts that provided excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2018. This year, 59club presented 19 ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Forest of Arden, Foxhills, Yas Links, The Dukes St Andrews, Monte Rei, Celtic Manor Resort, The Grove, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Gleneagles, Rockcliffe Hall, Son Muntaner, Royal GC Bahrain, Stoke Park, Abu Dhabi GC, Trump International Dubai, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Saadiyat Beach GC and Roehampton Club. Los Naranjos were the only venue to receive a ‘Silver Flag’, while 12 ‘Bronze Flag’ Awards were presented to Forest Pines, Slaley Hall, La Manga Club, Castelconturbia, Worsley Park, Club de Golf Alcanada, Frilford Heath GC, Hanbury Manor, Gullane GC, Woodhall Spa, Royal Automobile Club and Sandy Lodge GC. Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden) received the Award for the ‘Leading Individual UK Golf Membership Sales Performance’.

Forest of Arden had further reason to celebrate by winning the ‘Golf Sales Team of the Year’, being awarded a ‘Gold Flag’ and Simon Howell claiming the ‘Golf Retail Manager of the Year’ UK award in the over £75 green fee category. These successes for the Marriott Golf Group culminated in a total of 9 awards throughout the night which included a Bronze Flag for Hanbury Manor, Breadsall Priory claiming UK Golf Membership Sales Teams of the Year, and Worsley Park earning themselves a Bronze Flag and UK Golf Operation Team of the Year for the under £75 category. Meanwhile, alongside a Gold Flag, Trump International, Dubai were also crowned overseas Golf Operation Team of the Year. Special acknowledgement should be reserved for Royal GC Bahrain, which claimed two individual awards Paul Gindra and Candice Hall for Overseas Food & Beverage Manager of the Year, and Jamie Faulkner and William Evans for Overseas Greenkeeper of the Year, and also a Gold Flag Designation. In recognition for venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s ‘my59’ software platform, 19 ‘my59 Awards’ were presented. Recipients included Ashburnham GC, Colchester GC, Dalmahoy Hotels & CC, Dunscar GC, Ferndown GC, Gog Magog GC, King’s Lynn GC, Langland Bay GC, Maxstoke Park GC, Old Thorns GC, Orsett GC, Radyr GC, Sherborne GC, Stoke Park, St Ives (Hunts) GC, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort. Two venues received distinction in this category – Celtic Manor Resort and Macdonald Hotels.Other prestigious award winners on the night included Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles) claiming the UK Food & Beverage Manager title within the under £75 category, while Ben Hunt (Rockliffe Hall) received the same accolade within the over £75. Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley) was crowned the UK Greenkeeper, with Sandy Smith (Ladybank) receiving UK Golf Retail Manager, both within the under £75 greenfee category. The Grove had reason to celebrate success, retaining their Gold Flag status, Brad Gould claimed the UK Golf Manager title, and the Resort crowned UK Golf Operation Team of the Year, both within the over £75 greenfee category. Of this year’s awards, Simon Wordsworth, CEO at 59club, commented: “St Andrews Old Course Hotel has not disappointed in providing an exciting and memorable evening celebrating our 9th Annual Service Excellence Awards. The winners have all showcased the very best client experiences possible, a trait that will consistently see them advance standards across the industry and ensure they stay at the forefront of the golf and hospitality industry.“The team at 59club has consistently pushed the boundaries with customer service standards and thanks to our proven benchmarking tools and training support, the success stories amongst our client base continue to grow. “I’d like to congratulate all of our winners, nominees and venues we work with, who continue to dedicate themselves to delivering the best experiences possible for their members and guests.”

59club Director, Mark Reed is back from his Tour of the UAE where he has been busy corrupting the teams at Dubai Golf & Yas Links empowering them to convert more member sales and retain more club members.  

Training has focused on the exact same ‘59club membership sales procedures’ that assisted one of the largest golf group in the UK increase their membership sales performance by 77% in year 1, and 90% in year 4.  

Yas Links is fairly new to 59club after calling on their expertise last year, but the teams wasted no time in getting to grips with the 59club sales and service principals.  

Howie Roberts, Yas Links General Manager was quick to acknowledge the positive impact that 59club has had on staff performance and the way he manages his business when it comes to visiting golfers, members and prospective members.  

“I am confident that when a golfer visits Yas Links that everything we do has been carefully planned, that the service we offer is guaranteed and that when it comes to our bottom line we are doing well. 59club has assisted us to breakdown the customer journey and scrutinise the minuscule to make a big impact.  

Marks training day with the team put the icing on the cake for us, he gave them new focus, ignited the fire in their bellies and has given them new direction and a process that we now need to follow in order to excel.  We are already looking forward to Marks return trip as we constantly strive to do better”.

The team at Dubai Golf have worked with 59club to develop their sales performance & service etiquette for the past 5years where both The Emirates Golf Club & Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club as a result are witnessing some of the best membership conversion and retention rates that the group has ever seen.   

Chris May, Dubai Golf CEO said “Having Mark deliver the training to the team has given them a heightened perspective of the standards that we expect from our staff and the service that our members and guests deserve.  

It’s truly inspirational to see Marks passion and vision for wanting to create the best experience for our members from the very moment they join. The team are literally buzzing and can’t wait to incorporate 59clubs sales and service tactics into ‘club life’.  

59club Director Mark Reed added, “When members choose to join these forward thinking clubs, reassuringly they will never be treated like ‘a number’. These clubs work hard to assist members integrate into club life and guarantee to make their life as a member experience the very best”.  

Dubai Golf famously collected the ‘Golf Group of the year’ Award at the 2016 ‘59club Sales & Service Awards Ceremony’ famously regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf industry. The Creek was honoured with the ‘Ultimate Golf Members Award’ and The Emirates went on to collect the 59club Gold Flag Award, further demonstrating the groups commitment to providing the best experience for visiting golfers and their members who are lucky enough to call Dubai Golf their club!  

59clubs UK ‘Sales, Service and Retention Roadshow’, coming to a club near you, takes place between the 5^th and 8^th of December 2016. The 59club Directors will empower you to convert more member sales & maximise member and visitor revenue. Whilst the infamous American, Gregg Patterson, will excite & entertain as he discusses the BUZZ, the LOVE and the GLOW enlarging and enriching the service experience.  

Contact 59club for further information on this must attend event aimed at Owners, Managers, Directors of Golf and all aspiring future managers – come and be enlightened!