The wealth of experience and skill-sets available to the golf industry through the burgeoning Golf Consultants Association (GCA) has expanded further with the addition of two new members in the fields of environmental permission and compliance, and hotel and restaurant development.
Jackie Spurr has 16 years of experience working within the environmental sector as a regulator and principal consultant. Her Essex-based business, Jackie Spurr Consulting (JSC), has provided environmental consultancy services to a wide range of clients across the UK within the waste and resource sector since October 2011.
Her core areas of work involve project management and the preparation of environmental permit applications, from feasibility through to delivery and she has a proven track record in securing the relevant permissions.
Greg Place is a partner in Hotel Creations – a London-based company working with major brands and independent hotels – and is a specialist in the creation and opening of hotels.
He has more than 25 years’ experience at a senior level in both operational leadership and development within the hotel and leisure sector, with the ability to create and communicate the visionary aspects of the development and bring them to life in every day experiences.
A former operations director with Whitbread Hotels, Place was also the opening general manager for both the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 and London Heathrow Marriott hotels.
The chairman of the GCA, golf course architect Howard Swan, said: “These are challenging times for the golf industry both in terms of environmental concerns and the competitive area of hospitality, but, with the addition of Jackie and Gregg to our team of consultants, we can at least rest assured that the GCA, at least, is ready to confront these issues head on and with a great deal of expertise.
“And, it’s reassuring for the industry as a whole that there are experts of this calibre available to all.”
Established in 1999, the GCA has a successful record in providing assistance to the global golf community across a broad spectrum of services. It aims to assist golf course developers and those looking to build successful golf businesses by offering expert and impartial advice. It is an umbrella organisation for a number of golf business experts, each of whom has a track record in delivering outstanding value for golf clients around the globe.
GCA members can offer specialist skills in any number of aspects of golf operations, including buying, selling and financing golf developments; golf marketing and media relations; designing and building golf courses and driving ranges; environmental golf development; golf market research; and much more.
Golf Consultants Association www.golfconsultants.co.uk