The Scottish Golf Union, together with the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, now offers a pathway for certification through its comprehensive training programmes, starting again next month and continuing later in the year.
David Roy, the Managing Secretary of Crail Golfing Society, recently joined an elite band of only 20 club managers inEuropeto achieve a qualification in club management recognised throughout the world – and Scottish Golf is running training courses this year to help others gain this accolade.
David, 43, has achieved the Certified Club Manager (CCM) award after a long six-year process, a title awarded by the Club Manager’s Association of Europe (CMAE) following the passing of an externally marked examination. The CCM also requires candidates to have a minimum of six years club management experience and to have attended several training courses, many of which are now available here inScotland.
In these challenging economic times, club managers are under greater pressure than ever from their committees, owners and members to create and implement business strategies that guarantee the continued success of their clubs.
Working towards the CCM can help club managers achieve those goals and the Scottish Golf Union, together with the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, now offers a pathway for certification through its comprehensive training programmes, starting again next month and continuing later in the year.
Indeed, the only way to achieve the CCM qualification is by attending the Management Development Programme, owned by the CMAE, approved and endorsed by the the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the world leaders in the field, and hosted in Scotland by the SGU and the SLGA.
Last November, Scottish Golf blazed a trail for the rest of Europe after successfully staging Scottish Golf Club Management Training Level One – the first comprehensive course of its kind inEurope.
Delegates gathered from acrossScotlandat Stirling Management Centre to recognise the importance of serving their club and club members with the most up-to-date education in the industry. The week-long training course focused on the 10 key core competencies areas for club managers – such as club governance, accounting and financial management, strategy and leadership, golf operations, facilities management and membership and marketing.
Such was the demand and positive feedback following the Level One course, a repeat course has been scheduled for next month – 12-16 March – with another from 29 October-2 November. Both Level One Courses, run from Monday to Friday, are again being held at Stirling Management Centre.
Places are available on both courses, but the March course is close to being sold-out so to book a place contact the SGU as soon as possible on 01334 466 477.
Costs are subsidised for clubs affiliated to the SGU and the SLGA, with further financial support available through the Scottish Government’s Skills Development Scotland programme.
This first training course is targeted, in particular, at those managers who are either new to post, recently appointed or simply wanting to enhance their knowledge to better serve their club committees.
“I learned more about what my job should be in five days than I learned in the previous five years,” said Tom Cummings, Secretary, Kirkintilloch GC, who attended the November course last year.
Scottish Golf Club Development Manager Kevin Fish, CCM, helps run the course and he added: “Together, we continue to strive to provide world-class facilities inScotlandfor our customers.
“Club Secretaries/Managers invariably come into the industry with strong skill-sets and the comprehensive training programme can now supplement those. Europe is a long way behind theUSAin training club managers. It is our aim to close that gap andScotlandis at the forefront of that drive.”
The and the SLGA are grateful to the support of several long-term partners, including BIGGA, CMAE, GCMA, the PGA, the R&A, DLA Piper & XactAdvice delivering the course.