The nominations for the 59club Service Excellence Awards have been revealed, with some of the highest-profile and best-loved venues across the globe in the running for a golf industry sales and service excellence ‘Oscar’.
The glittering affair, to be staged this year at The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, (pictured above) will see the good and the great of the golf industry come together to honour individuals, teams and venues for their industry-leading performance in sales, service, operations, retail and management. The evening will be hosted by Alan Tait, on course commentator for BBC Radio Scotland and 59club’s very own Area Manager for the North of England and Scotland.
In a shake up to the historic awards’ format, and to reflect their international appeal as 59club continues to extend its footprint overseas, seven new categories have been introduced, ensuring the ceremony continues to reflect the very best performances, regardless of size, scale or location, at home and abroad.
For 2019, an ‘overseas’ category has been introduced to no fewer than seven awards: Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance, Golf Operation Team of the Year, Golf Retail Manager of the Year, Food and Beverage Manager of the Year, Greenkeeper of the Year and Golf Manager of the Year. As has been the case in recent years, five of these seven will be further segmented, creating two categories for UK nominees in each, based upon average green fees; above or below £75 per person.
The awards are determined by scores collected from an independent visitor panel who evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members in accordance with 59club’s non-subjective benchmarking criteria. Each venue is judged on performance in the following areas: sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management.
The Belfry and Dubai Creek are the front runners among this year’s nominees, each of which is up for 11 nominations. The four-time Ryder Cup venue can boast a return to the reckoning for The Ultimate Golf Resort – a title it last picked up back in 2014 – Golf Operation Team of the Year and Greenkeeper of the Year, the latter courtesy of 2018 title-holder Angus Macleod’s re-nomination.
Dubai Creek, meanwhile, will see three team members go head-to-head for just one prize, as Dougie Gair, Michael Major and George Wearden compete for the Leading Individual Leisure Membership Performance. No surprise, then, that George Wearden is also up for the Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance and Dubai Creek, the Golf Membership Team of the Year (Overseas).
Emirates Golf Club follows closely behind on 10 nominations, including the potential for collective glory in two categories: Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – Overseas and Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year. Forest of Arden is a short way further back with the potential for success in eight categories, which include a return to contention for two-time winner and reigning champion, Simon Howell, for the Golf Retail Manager of the year – Over £75 green fee category.
Other globally-recognised venues to receive multiple nominations include: Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Ashburnham Golf Club, Breadsall Priory, Celtic Manor, The Dukes St Andrews, Forest Pines, Foxhills, Gleneagles, last year’s Host; The Grove, Ladybank Golf Club, Macdonald Hotels, Monte Rei, Old Thorns, Royal Automobile Club, Rockliffe Hall, Royal Golf Club Bahrain, Sandy Lodge Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Stoke Park, Trump International Dubai and Worsley Park.
Another new introduction to the night’s proceedings will see 59club bestow accolades upon venues for their commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across the my59 software platform. 19 venues will be recognised within this category, including: Colchester Golf Club, Dunscar Golf Club, Ferndown Golf Club, Gog Magog Golf Club, King’s Lynn Golf Club, Langland Bay Golf Club, Maxstoke Park Golf Club, Orsett Golf Club, Radyr Golf Club, Sherbourne Golf Club, St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort. The 19 venues will all compete to win an Ultimate Service Excellence accolade.
Always a highlight of proceedings among attending guests, the evening will also see the 59club Industry Benchmark, its Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards, presented to golf resorts and private members clubs which have demonstrated distinction against broad criteria for both service and the quality of their facilities.
Looking ahead to a glittering evening in St Andrews, Simon Wordsworth, chief executive of 59club and a Fellow of the PGA, said: “Over the past 12 months, 59club members have again shown an incredible commitment to providing their members and guest with the golf industry’s highest service standards, and what better way to reward them than with what promises to be an evening to remember in St Andrews.
“There is no doubt 2019 has been the most impressive year on record, with many of the categories far too close to call. More than this, however, the evening will stand as recognition of those individuals and teams who go above and beyond to ensure the experiences they provide are nothing short of exceptional. Our awards are a tribute to their tireless work and we can’t wait to join our guests in their celebrations.”
The 59club Awards are supported by: 3d-ifs, CGI Insurance, Golf Genius, Golfbreaks.com, Tacit, Toro, Club Car, Kennet, The PGA, England Golf, GCMA, Performance54, Albatross Digital Golf, BIGGA, Clubface-golf, Swatkins, Colt Mackenzie McNair, Foresight Sports, Crossover, Foremost, Golf Retailing, Golftell Member App, Design Elegance, Fluid Productions, PlayMoreGolf and Course Mate.
To book a place at the awards evening taking place at The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, on March 13, please contact: naime@theaspirationgroup.com
For more information about 59club, visit www.59club.com
2018/19 59CLUB ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order by venue):
Leading Individual Golf Sales Performance:
Damion Gee (Ashburnham GC), Jack Bowen (The Belfry Hotel & Resort), Rachel Alford (Breadsall Priory), Joel Westwell (The Grove), Ben Stokes (MacDonald Hotels), Jennifer Jefferies (Stoke Park)
Golf Sales Team of the Year:
Ashburnham GC, Breadsall Priory, Forest of Arden, Macdonald Hotels, Stoke Park, Woodhall Spa
Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – Overseas:
Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Trump International Dubai, Yas Links
Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year – UK:
Breadsall Priory, Forest of Arden, Foxhills, Herons Reach, The Mere, Ramside Hall,
Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance – Overseas:
George Wearden (Dubai Creek), Rhys James (Emirates GC), Beatrice Wambua (Trump International, Dubai), Khay-Gie Aniciete (Yas Links)
Leading Individual Golf Membership Performance – UK:
Luke Speed (Breadsall Priory), Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden), Aditi Auluck (Foxhills), Helen Roseberry (Ramside Hall), Ashley Freeman (Rockliffe Hall), Philip Stickler (St Pierre)
Leisure Membership Sales Team of the Year:
Celtic Manor Resort, Cranleigh G&CC, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Old Thorns, The Vale Resort
Leading Individual Leisure Membership Performance:
Dougie Gair (Dubai Creek), Michael Major (Dubai Creek), George Wearden (Dubai Creek), Cian Hurley (Emirates GC), Andy Meech (Emirates GC), Emma Jenkins (Old Thorns)
Golf Operation Team of the Year – Overseas:
Abu Dhabi GC, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Monte Rei, Saadiyat Beach GC, Trump International Dubai
Golf Operation Team of the Year – Under £75 green fee:
The Belfry Hotel & Resort (The PGA National Course), Dalmahoy Resort, Forest Pines, Rockliffe Hall, Sandy Lodge GC, Worsley Park
Golf Operation Team of the Year – Over £75 green fee:
The Belfry Hotel & Resort (The Brabazon Course), Celtic Manor Resort (The 2010 Course), The Dukes St Andrews, Forest of Arden (The Arden Course), Foxhills, The Grove
Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Overseas:
Giovanni Malcotti (Castelconturbia), Gregorio Gonzales (Dubai Creek), Juan Kramer (Emirates GC), James Durkin (Saadiyat Beach GC), Carmen Laguna (Son Muntaner), Sven Nielsen (Trump International, Dubai)
Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:
Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort, PGA National Course), Gordon Robinson (Cardrona), Sandy Smith (Ladybank GC), Jonny Dye (Rockliffe Hall), Jeff Pinsent (Sandy Lodge GC), James Lambert (Worsley Park)
Golf Retail Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:
Tom Hughes (The Belfry Hotel & Resort, The Brabazon Course), Simon Howell (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Sean Graham (Foxhills), Mike Shrieve (The Grove), Alasdair Good (Gullane GC), Tim Harris (Stoke Park)
Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Overseas:
Sandeep Pandey (Abu Dhabi GC), Francois Roldan (Dubai Creek), Steen Simon (Emirates GC), Gloria Cortés (La Manga), Angélique Monteiro (Monte Rei), Candice Hall & Paul Gindra (Royal GC, Bahrain)
Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:
Jacques Hobson (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Caroline Lees (Ladybank GC), Moses Solomon (Royal Automobile Club), Ben Hunt (Rockliffe Hall), Andrew Williams (The Vale Resort), Chris Dinnage (Worsley Park)
Food and Beverage Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:
Jacques Hobson (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Martyn Woods (Celtic Manor Resort, The 2010 Course), Matthew Penman (The Dukes, St Andrews), Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles), Christian Schindler (Hanbury Manor), Christian Tarca (Stoke Park)
Greenkeeper of the Year – Overseas:
Matthew Perry (Dubai Creek), Matthew Perry (Emirates GC), Joao Goula (Monte Rei), Jamie Faulkner & William Evans (Royal GC, Bahrain), Clinton Southorn (Saadiyat Beach GC), Ben Griffiths (Trump International, Dubai)
Greenkeeper of the Year – Under £75 green fee:
Paul Hopkins (Ashburnham GC), Jamie Wade (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley GC), Colin Powrie (Ladybank GC), Jon Wyer (Rockliffe Hall), Ian Brawn (Worsley Park)
Greenkeeper of the Year – Over £75 green fee:
Angus Macleod (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Jim McKenzie (Celtic Manor, The 2010 Course), Rob Rowson (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Scott Fenwick & Craig Haldane (Gleneagles, Kings Course), Phillip Chiverton (The Grove), Ashley Allpress (Roehampton Club)
Golf Manager of the Year – Overseas:
Francisco de Lancastre David (Abu Dhabi GC), Stephen Hubner (Dubai Creek), Rhys James (Emirates GC), Darren Griffiths (Monte Rei), Phil Waine (formerly Royal GC, Bahrain), Francisco de Lancastre David (Saadiyat Beach GC)
Golf Manager of the Year – Under £75 green fee:
Chris Reeve (The Belfry, PGA National Course), Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden, The Aylesford Course), Matthew Peacock (Forest Pines), Jason Neve (Royal Automobile Club), Ben Stockman (Sandy Lodge GC), Stephen Hindle (Worsley Park)
Golf Manager of the Year – Over £75 green fee:
Chris Reeve (The Belfry, The Brabazon Course), Will Hewitt (formerly Celtic Manor Resort), Ayden Roberts-Jones (The Dukes, St Andrews), Fraser Liston (Forest of Arden, The Arden Course), Gary Silcock (Gleneagles), Brad Gould (The Grove)
Golf Group of the Year:
Almarose Group, Arabella Golf, Dubai Golf, Foxhills Collection, MacDonald Hotels, Marriott Golf.
my59 Service Excellence Award:
Ashburnham GC, Celtic Manor Resort, Colchester GC, Dalmahoy Hotels & CC, Dunscar GC, Ferndown GC, Gog Magog GC, King’s Lynn GC, Langland Bay GC, Macdonald Hotels, Maxstoke Park GC, Old Thorns GC, Orsett GC, Radyr GC, Sherbourne GC, Stoke Park, St Ives (Hunts) GC, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort.