“I went to England, when I was almost 18, with no English language skills, no job, no anything. I stayed with friends in London and worked as a kitchen porter wherever I could, trying to learn English. On my days off I would take the Underground to the end of the line and see the golf courses I could visit to talk to the head pro and hand over my CV.”
“I think I was the first general manager in the UK — especially among the CMAE which I’m a member of — to lose my job due to COVID, and I haven’t been the last. But there seems always to be light at the end of the tunnel even if you don’t always really see it at the start.”
“Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation are working tirelessly to help grow the game of golf in Saudi Arabia. Mass participation programmes form a key strategic pillar in Golf Saudi’s vision and will be paramount to the future success of Royal Greens in helping to grow golf in Jeddah for Saudi nationals.”
“I remember one of those members gave me some very good advice on my first day here – he said if you fall out with somebody in the hotel game you’ll probably never see them again, whereas if you fall out with somebody in the club game, chances are they’ll be coming through that door for the next 20 to 30 years. I took that on board and used it as good counsel, as it’s very true.”
“I love the business; one of the great things about it is you meet so many great people, and you’re always going to nice places to meet them. There aren’t many golf courses constructed around the back of a dingy old gas works. I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me. I’m a very lucky guy. It doesn’t feel like work to me, so I don’t anticipate giving up the job anytime soon.”
Opened in 1993, the course is situated within the magnificent Palheiro Estate, which is more than 200 years old. Arguably one of Robinson’s finest course designs in Europe, it is one of three outstanding 18-hole layouts on the Portuguese archipelago.