Adam Calver;
Kuala Lumpur G&CC
“All the clubs I’ve been at, when the course was in great condition, our revenue grew. When the greens struggled, revenue goes down. If you don’t get the course, and the product right, then everything else is a really tough sell. My whole philosophy has been ‘Product, People, Price’ and our product is greens… we’re selling green fees, and if the greens aren’t good, nobody’s popping champagne after they’ve just five putted.”
Karl Whitehead;
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
“I flew out to see him in 2011 for a holiday, played some golf in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and got to learn more about Troon. I remember thinking at the time that the UAE was the place to be, so when a position was advertised at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and I applied, thankfully my references were from good people, and in this industry, references are the most important thing.”
Tom Munt;
St Ives (Hunts)
“Very soon after I started playing, I became fascinated by the strategic design of golf courses, and I suppose the theoretical challenge they posed. From a young age I started drawing golf holes, and redesigning golf holes. I was a junior member at March Golf Club up the road, and I put together a hypothesis on how they could redesign it into an 18-hole golf course through the acquisition of four more fields around it. I was probably 15.”
Stephane Talbot;
Royal Golf de Marrakech
“I met a guy at the Montreal Golf Show who was talking to a friend of mine who’s a golf pro. He’d been hired as a head-hunter for a family in Marrakesh that ran Palmeraie and they wanted a French speaking North American for the position. I had played in the Moroccan Open in 1998 and 1999 and remembered how friendly the people were, although I hadn’t visited Marrakech at the time.”
Alastair Higgs;
Rain Bird Europe
“Once you are a turf manager and fall in love with turf management I think it stops being a job and your professional challenges just continue to grow. I was very lucky that people gave me chances in the industry at a young age to be a supervisor and then to lead a team. It had responsibilities that went with it, but for me that was the challenge I enjoyed.”
Ombria Algarve;
Portugal
Opened in April 2023, this 18-hole, par 71 course has quickly garnered recognition for its exceptional design, commitment to sustainability and the unique golfing experience it offers. Designed by the esteemed Portuguese architect Jorge Santana da Silva, Ombria Golf stands out as the first 18-hole course to open in the region since 2008, marking a significant addition to the Algarve’s renowned golfing landscape.