Mark Darbon;
The R&A
“I think it’s undeniable the shop window in golf has not been as strong, recently, as it could be. So, I’m eager for us to work with the stakeholders around the game to try to evolve that. But there’s lots more we can do below that, because the second pillar, then, is all around participation. One of our responsibilities is to break down barriers to participation, particularly for young people.”
DJ Flanders;
Troon
“I did have aspirations to play professionally, but I found out, very quickly, that it wasn’t the right fit for me. It was my own fault. I didn’t have the work ethic, as there were too many distractions. I was a pretty good high school player, and I had opportunities to go play college golf at Mississippi State University. Thankfully, MSU also had the professional golf management programme.”
Russell Hannah;
IMG
“Typically, in Europe, a lot of clubs will do it themselves, and they’ll find their own GMs and their own golf directors. There’s a lot of good talent in the UK and Europe, including Spain and Portugal, so I guess it’s up to us to make sure that we let owners and clients know the benefits that IMG can bring to their business. If we look at some of the things that do work in Europe, we know that agronomy is strong.”
Morten Bisgaard;
Players 1st
“Everyone wants to belong to a tribe and for me that’s where clubs should invest much more going forward as the amount of money you need to invest in order to create a great club environment is nothing compared to fixing the green. We’ve launched a partnership with England Golf in order to build the biggest financial benchmarking platform in England, so you can have an idea about how you’re performing against your peers.”
David Green;
Basingstoke Golf Club
“There’s a lot more to this place than we had at the previous site. There’s a bigger acreage to look after, a bigger footprint to the clubhouse, a grander greens facility, a driving range... there are so many components to this golf club that they didn’t have on the old site. Plus, there’s a lot more structure required to make sure that it operates as it should do and of course that all comes at a cost.”
Saujana Golf & Country Club;
Malaysia
Home to two of Malaysia’s most revered championship courses, Saujana Golf & Country Club has earned a distinguished reputation as a premier venue for prestigious international tournaments, including multiple editions of the Malaysian Open and Maybank Championships. With its rich legacy of hosting some of the world’s greatest players, this esteemed golf resort beckons those who appreciate the finer aspects of the game.