Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa has appointed Craig Donnelly as the new Director of Golf for its Academy and Practice Centre.
Donnelly started his professional career playing at Letham Grange Golf Club in Scotland, and found his passion for coaching in 2000 when he launched his own golf management, retail and teaching business. He has since won numerous coaching awards, including Young Business Award from the Princess Trust and continues to hold the role as head coach of the junior team at the Murcia Golf Federation.
In his new role as Director of Golf Academy, Donnelly will be responsible for the management, strategy and performance at La Manga Club Golf & Spa.
With a passion for advanced sports technology, Donnelly has already announced plans to introduce Trackman 4, which provides detailed data and insights about a golfer’s swing and ball flight, and Hack Motion, which is designed to help players assess their wrist analytics when putting. Both programmes will be available in the practice centre to ensure that coaching is tailored to individual player capabilities and that progress can be tracked. This tech-led approach will allow the club to deliver the highest standard of coaching.
Additionally, Donnelly has also set out plans to increase class availability and launch a new Junior Golf Academy in time for the peak summer season. He is also committed to welcoming more PGA Professionals to the academy and continues to advocate for the uptake of golf in women and girls.
Donnelly commented: “I’m incredibly honoured to be joining the La Manga Club team, and to be part of one of Europe’s greatest golfing destinations. I first played at the resort over twelve years ago and have returned many times through the years, so it’s great to be back and to be in a position to drive the direction of the club.
With my innovative approach to coaching and lifelong passion for the game, I aim to inspire current golfers to continue improving, as well as those that are new to the sport. I’m also a father of two young daughters, so getting more women into the game and supporting their development is a huge focus for me.”
Ángel Holgado, General Manager at Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa, added: “We are delighted to welcome Craig to the resort and look forward to seeing him continue to grow our world-class golf offering, from expanding our membership network to offering a greater variety of coaching support at the Academy.”
