The former Managing Director of Golfsmith Europe, Doug Poole, was the worthy recipient of the PGAs of Europe Special Recognition Award at the Gala Awards ceremony at the Association’s Annual Congress.
The ex-PGA Professional’s career has spanned over 40 years within the industry and during his leadership of Golfsmith Europe he supported the Association across a 16-year period, and shared the value of this partnership across the industry. As Poole stated during his acceptance speech, Golfsmith Europe’s UK and Europe-wide accounts grew in number to over 7,000 helping to expand business internationally with PGA Professionals by over 1000%.
Poole received his award at the Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner supported by Rolex and once again hosted at Hotel Vila Galé Lagos, in Portugal’s Algarve region. The Gala Awards capped off the week long Annual Congress that was supported by Glenmuir and the Associação Turismo do Algarve, and ran alongside the International Team Championship at Onyria Palmares.
“Firstly, I’m truly flattered to receive this award – I’ve been in the golf industry for 48 years…and it’s been a gift,” said Poole. “When I entered the industry it was as an Assistant Golf Professional and being a member of the PGA gave me the opportunity to use the branding to take my career to a whole load of heights that I never thought possible. To receive the award is really a true honour.
“Through my business times with the PGAs of Europe, I didn’t invest money as a sponsor because I just felt it was a good idea, it actually gave me an opportunity to grow my business. It allowed me to not only to grow it in the UK but right across the whole of Europe. I made many friends at conferences and golf days that we had with representatives from all the countries.”
His career began as the PGA Professional at Coombe Hill Golf Club and was followed by a move North to Lindrick Golf Club where he also served on the Executive Board of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland.
A keen interest in travel lead him down his second career path venturing into the world of golf travel, which included a seven-year spell as the Director of Golf at British Airways, before he took hold of the Golfsmith Europe franchise in late 1996.
The 2013 Annual Congress Gala Awards are supported by Rolex, and the Congress & ITC are supported by Glenmuir, the Associação Turismo do Algarve, Hotel Vila Galé Lagos, OnyriaPalmaresBeach and Golf Resort, and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.
PGAs of Europe http://pgae.com