Europe’s emerging force in the commercial golf arena, PGA Golf Management, has been awarded a major contract by His Excellency Shaikh Rashid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, chairman of Bahrain International Golf Course Company (BIGCC), who owns the prestigious Riffa Golf Club.
The five-year appointment, worth a six-figure sum, comes just months after PGA Golf Management re entered the golf facility management scene. The scale and significance of the Riffa contract demonstrates the strength of the company ethos, its impressive credentials and management team. The appointment is in conjunction with Gleneagles, who have been integral to the first five years of Riffa’s development, and the appointment of PGA Golf Management reflects the strength of this relationship.
It is expected that the new appointment will see the continued growth of Riffa Golf Club in both profitability and in the high quality of service standards and to meet the high aspirations for Riffa Golf Club to become one of the region’s leading leisure facilities. In this capacity, PGA Golf Management will support the second phase development of the resort including its new 18-hole golf course, leisure facilities and real estate units.
This move into the Middle East market represents a long-term commitment by PGA Golf Management to developing its presence in the region. As part of this expansion a new Middle East office will be established at Riffa to explore other opportunities in the Gulf region.
Keith Haslam, operations director, PGA Golf Management, said, “To secure a contract on this scale within the first few months of operation is an incredible achievement and clearly testament to the commitment and drive of the team at PGA Golf Management. The Riffa deal allows us to look beyond Europe and provide our expertise in an emerging market which offers wide reaching opportunities for developers and management companies alike.”
The decision to continue with Gleneagles in their joint bid with the PGA Golf Management Company was based on a number of factors. “We have been comfortable working with the Gleneagles management team and continuity was a big factor,” commented Shaikh Mohammed Bin Isa Al Khalifa, BIGCC’s vice chairman, who steered the bidding process. “Adding the benefits of a PGA joint venture certainly helped cement the relationship. We have high aspirations for Riffa Golf Club to become one of the region’s leading leisure facilities. Our plans to expand the existing facilities are very exciting and we feel that PGA Golf Management will help us to achieve these goals,” added Shaikh Mohammed.
The team behind the venture are amongst some of the most experienced golf executives in Europe, boasting skills acquired directly from hands-on responsibility for highly successful and profitable golf operations. The scope of the expertise will enable PGA Golf Management to provide a full range of business services from human resources to marketing with the necessary flexibility to ensure a tailored approach.
Riffa Golf Club www.golfbahrain.com
PGA Golf Management www.pgagm.com