North Foreland Golf Club, on the east coast of Kent, has undergone a senior management team transformation in 2024, with significant plans for clubhouse redevelopment in 2025 also underway.
Gary Ivory joined the team as General Manager in April, bringing with him extensive experience of over 25 years in the UK golf industry. Gary previously worked for a number of prestigious venues and leading golf club operators, including The Club Company, and as General Manager at 6 clubs.
Gary comments, “North Foreland is a wonderful golf club with a huge amount of history, set in an amazing location on the east Kent coast. The board are very forward-thinking and progressive, so accepting the General Manager role was a very easy decision.”
He set about reviewing all aspects of the North Foreland business, which comprises of a Championship 18-hole course, stunning 18-hole par-3 course and extensive clubhouse.
“The business has all the raw ingredients to grow and become even more successful than it is today. A priority area that I identified was that of the hospitality offering, which needed to modernise, become more efficient and start replicating the excellent standards seen on our golf courses. There really is massive potential here, with a clubhouse blessed with stunning views out to sea.”
Gary engaged Promote People, the golf recruitment experts, to find a Food & Beverage Manager to help him drive up the standards of the clubhouse operations. Their extensive candidate search included online jobs boards, social media, industry press and their own database of industry job seekers.
From more than 75 applications, 5 were forwarded to Gary for his consideration, with Vernon Harris ultimately proving successful in securing the role. As a previous Director of Food & Beverage and Duty Manager at Champneys Eastwell Manor Hotel & Spa in Kent, Vernon came with a massive amount of experience. Vernon’s prior career experiences also encompassed 5-star hotels in China, Cyprus and Thailand.
Gary continues, “Vernon has been a breath of fresh air and is already proving to be a great asset for the business. The changes he’s making to our standards and working practices will be so important to the club going forward, as we continue exploring plans for a redeveloped clubhouse facility.”
The winds of change sometimes blow hard, but North Foreland Golf Club is quickly adapting to Gary and Vernon’s new vision for the club – where its future can be as prosperous as its past.