Frank Smith, the famous Canadian psycholinguist once wrote: “One language sets you in a corridor of life. Two languages open every door along the way.”

Smith’s quotation could have been written with César Burguière in mind. A 42-year-old native French speaker, Burguière is fluent in English and Spanish, and thanks to his latest role as golf director at Antognolla Resort and Residences in Italy, can now add Italian to this list.

Yet, it was his love of golf – not language – that ultimately saw Burguière land a role with Troon but not before trying his hand as a young teaching pro as he explains: “I started working as a golf pro, teaching when I was younger, and that was during my university years [in Valencia]. Following this I started working in golf retail.

“When I stopped teaching, I was in the middle of my studies, so I took a year off to travel around the world, and then I came back and I finished my degree, at which point I started working at a golf store called Golf USA.”

Burguière progressed to operations manager in charge of five stores in the region of Valencia in Spain but decided he wanted to broaden his education further still despite holding a business degree obtained at the University of Valencia.

“Following my experience working with Golf USA, I completed a postgraduate programme at Les Roches Marbella International School of Hotel Management,” explained Burguière, “and this is where I met the sales and marketing director of Troon Europe, Damian Murphy.”

At the time, Troon were working in Morocco with the Doha Group, and required a French-speaking retail manager to assist with one of their properties. With his experience working in golf retail, Burguière was the ideal candidate and subsequently spent just over a year in North Africa before relocating to Troon’s international office in Geneva as office manager. His language skills were to prove invaluable to Troon.

“Because of Vision 2020 I went to Morocco and as a French speaker I was able to assist with the development the company intended to have there. I also went to France, and Spain, where I did some consulting.

“I also assisted with budgets and retail agreements at the same time as I was taking care of a variety of office tasks.”

In April 2011, the position of golf operations manager at Costa Navarino in Greece became available, and Burguière spent 18 months at the 36-hole destination in Messinia before accepting the role of director of golf at Lumine Golf and Beach in Tarragona, Spain.

Working alongside general manager Calle Carlsson, Burguière learnt from one of the best in the business, before deciding it was time to look for a new challenge away from the Costa Dorada.

“I was looking to make a move and considering what opportunities I had,” he recalls. “What I wanted was a really great project, as I wanted to grow my career, and that is exactly what I’ve done by coming here… I made a great step forward.”

What Burguière refers to as “here” is Antognolla Golf Resort and Residences in Umbria, Italy.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones II and originally opened for play in 1997, Burguière has been influential in transforming the resort since arriving in November 2017. As he explains: “At that time the golf course was in very poor condition and it needed serious investment to place it where the owners wanted it to be.

“I remember when landing in November the golf course was not draining at all, and players were coming back to the clubhouse with their trousers ruined.

“Antognolla had limited visitors in winter because you couldn’t play as the course wasn’t draining – the bunkers were just big holes where water was accumulating.

“The course had no staff, restaurant, golf shop, no superintendent, golf professional and no outside service attendants. We quickly went through hiring all the associates and creating a team from nothing. Even though we were not starting from zero, at times it certainly felt like we were.”

The scale of the task facing Burguière may have seen lesser individuals running for the hills, or the nearest airport, but as his first senior position in golf – reporting directly to the owners – the Frenchman rose to the challenge and began to plan a way forward.

“It was actually good for me,” he recalls, “because there were new things here that I could influence, plus I had a role where I was directly in contact with the owners and the board, which I had never had before.”

Burguière spent his first winter in Umbria fully assessing the course and made immediate plans – all backed by the owners – to re-build every bunker, create a new network of drainage, upgrade the irrigation system, and construct a new driving range.

“The owners had limited golf expertise and they needed someone to help drive them through the process,” added Burguière.

“We also had consultants like Braemar Golf and Robert Trent Jones II so it was a great team to work with.”

With the golf course now at a standard which Burguière is content with, he has switched his focus to plans for a new clubhouse and maintenance facility.

“The clubhouse has been designed to be very efficient operationally, as we were involved with the architects during the development stages,” he states. “At other facilities it is quite usual to see reduced operational efficiencies in the clubhouse, as there is no golf expertise involved during the design stages.

“This is not the case here and I have been very happy to have a say on these important aspects.”

Burguière has also been involved on the culinary side of the operation and has been actively engaged in creating the restaurant on-site, which as a Frenchman has delighted him.

“Building up a restaurant in Italy has been very exciting as Italian cuisine is internationally recognised, and who does not like a wood-fired pizza! We’ve started literally from zero, hiring all the staff, and creating a concept to go in accordance with the golf strategy – it’s been really fun!”

It is evident talking with Burguière that he has invested sweat and tears into the project at Antognolla. The long-term vision for the resort is well aligned with his goal for a high-end facility nestled in the foothills of Umbria.

He is also acutely aware that there remains room for improvement stating: “It’s true that we’re not finished with infrastructure or with the facilities, but our main focus remains always on maintaining a high level of service as we understand this is a fundamental foundation to ensuring repeat business.

“We are working exceptionally hard to provide a service that is above any standard in Italy.”

Burguière has yet to finish ‘Project Antognolla’ but when the time comes to move on, he would like to return to Spain one day where his wife was born. “I have just become a dad,” he says with pride, “so we would like to see ourselves in Spain, that’s for sure.”

And fluent in Spanish, it’s only a matter of time before another door opens for the affable Frenchman.