Blairgowrie Golf Club has announced the appointment of one-time Amateur champion Stuart Wilson as their new managing secretary. He will join the Perthshire club from a similar post at his home club Forfar and take-up his duties in January as successor to Steven Morgan.
The 43-year-old family man is a well-known and respected figure in Scottish golf.
Stuart, who is a member of the R&A, won the 2004 Amateur Championship during an outstanding playing career, which included GB&I international honours. He has served as an R&A Boys’ team selector and captained the Junior Ryder Cup team in 2012 and again, at Blairgowrie, in 2014.
Stuart will captain the GB&I men’s team at the 48th Walker Cup scheduled for Seminole in Florida next year and the St Andrews Trophy in 2022.
Many Blairgowrie members recall Stuart from his days with us as an assistant professional. Club captain Peter Inglis welcomed the appointment, commenting: “Stuart will bring a wealth of experience across the whole range of activities that the modern golf club manager requires, having spent a very successful career at Forfar.”
Stuart is eagerly looking forward to the new challenge. He said: “The Blairgowrie Golf Club is a place that I have a great affinity with and I look forward to returning in the role of managing secretary. “The club has fantastic facilities, some of the very best in Scotland.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome golfers from far and wide to the great experience that Blairgowrie provides. At the same time, I am looking forward to serving the members to the best of my ability to ensure they fully enjoy the experience on every visit.
“I would like to thank the club for granting me this opportunity and I enthusiastically await my start date.”
Blairgowrie Golf Club is on target for reporting a “small profit” in the year end to September, despite the impact of Covid-19 on Scottish sport. The captain described the turnaround since July as “dramatic”. And a proposed Covid-19 levy has been put on hold.
“Visitor numbers have exceeded all expectations post lockdown,” said Peter, who also noted that a ‘severe cost cutting regime’ by management earlier in the year had trimmed spending by £130,000.
“The committee would like to thank each member of staff for their herculean efforts to achieve such an outstanding result and members have also supported their club. We have postponed the proposed imposition of a COVID Levy to see if the club can break-even by the end of 2020.”