Just back from a weekend in Morocco to celebrate his 30th birthday, Sean Graham is relaxed and buzzing with enthusiasm for his new role at one of Surrey’s premier courses, where he has been head of golf operations and retail for the last five years.

“I feel like I have a real connection with Foxhills, so it’s a really gratifying and proud moment for me to become director of golf here,” says the man who only hit his first ball at 15 and turned pro three years later.

“I was pulled into the game by friends,” he recalls. “It was just a casual thing really, though I was always a sports fanatic. Then I watched the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club. “From that moment I was hooked. My first coach, PGA professional Matthew Lea, was a huge motivator, providing me with the environment and support to turn professional myself and he continues to be a friend and mentor to me today.”

Graham’s passion and skill led him to graduate as a PGA professional from the University of Birmingham’s Applied Golf Management Course from which he was quickly snapped up by the Forest of Arden as a tournament co-ordinator, overseeing the play of the membership as well as large scale residential and corporate functions.

Since then, Graham has enjoyed a rapid rise in the industry and was recently inducted into 59club’s Eminent Collection, recognising customer service excellence and exceptional management qualities.

He joined Foxhills in 2018 upon returning to the UK after working at Safaa Golf Club, Saudi Arabia, where he was golf operations manager for three years.

“I loved the challenge of managing a seven-star operation. The set-up, the attention to detail, customer service; golf is a totally impressive experience in the Middle East but footfall through a private members club is rarely high.

“I missed the buzz of a busy, vibrant business and when the opportunity at Foxhills presented itself the pull was three-fold.

“Firstly, the club’s reputation is second to none,” he explains. ”Foxhills is the most stunning setting with the fairways of the Longcross in amongst the pine trees all the way.

“Secondly it was an opportunity to work with a diverse and motivated team and finally as someone who is commercially minded, Foxhills offered me the chance to develop my strategic planning skills; the owner’s appetite for investment was sold to me as I walked through the door and has never gone stale for which I am very grateful.”

Indeed, Graham’s promotion comes at an exciting and pivotal time for Foxhills as he leads the golf team through a multi-million-pound course improvement and modernisation project. He is overseeing the biggest structural changes in course layouts at the club’s Longcross and Bernard Hunt courses since they were designed by Fred Hawtree following the purchase of the club by the Hayton family in 1983.

As the club marks that 40th anniversary, Graham is determined to ensure Foxhills secures its spot as one of the favourite clubs in Surrey’s golfing utopia, with work on several holes on the back nine of the Longcross already underway.

“Tee positions will change on several holes to bring hazards more in play and encourage more strategy and creativity throughout the round,” Graham explains.

Bunker shape and positioning; green size, shape and contouring; as well as herringbone drainage and irrigation upgrade work on holes 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the Longcross will soon begin too. But it is on the 16th hole where the most complex part of the renovation project will take place.

“We are really excited to transform the par-three into a signature hole. A pond, which currently sits too far away from the green to influence club selection, will be extended to the putting-surface edge to create a more dramatic hole.

“The size of the green will also be increased to provide room for additional pin locations and a new bunker will be built on the left side of the green to remove the temptation of bailing out.”

Phase two is scheduled to begin in summer 2023, with attention turning to improvements across the rest of the back nine on the Longcross before moving onto the Bernard Hunt in 2024.

Named after the former Foxhills’ head professional and ten-time Ryder Cup star, the Bernard Hunt course is longer, fairways are more open and it’s more forgiving off the tee providing a thrilling challenge for golfers of all abilities.

“The course changes are going to make a positive difference to the playing experience. It’s important to us that the courses are enjoyable for all levels of golfer, from low handicappers to mid-high and the masterplan for this project was designed with this at the front of our mind.”

Whilst there’s no doubting Graham’s passion for both the game and the business of golf, it’s clear the people who play it are just as crucial to his job satisfaction.

“The members are what it’s all about. I hope my promotion here reflects the relationship I have with them. They are always inviting me out for a round,” he laughs, adding he doesn’t take up their offers as much as he’d like to, not least because his two-year-old daughter now makes a play for his attention as much as the fairways.

“We live close by and whenever we drive past Foxhills, she gets so excited to come here, it really is a family club at heart with a warm and welcoming vibe. She’s not quite old enough to start playing golf herself yet but it won’t be long!”

In the meantime, Graham is looking forward to Foxhills hosting more high profile competitions once its course improvements are complete.

“One of my favourite memories was hosting the recent PGA Cup which we had been building to as a team and a club for the last four to five years. It was a long and intense week, hosting the US team and their families and it was closely fought, but seeing our courses featured on TV and that trophy on the first tee all week was really special.”

There are challenges of course, particularly in relation to sustainability and water conservation.

“Last summer’s extreme temperatures meant we had to adopt creative methods to store and conserve water, but we handled it well through the team’s diligent steps to work efficiently.”

On top of the strategic responsibilities at Foxhills, Graham also has a day job managing some 25 staff and overseeing Foxhills’ busy events schedule and members’ calendar.

“We host up to 90,000 rounds of golf across both our courses each year so we need to ensure we maximise space and manage and track levels of play to ensure the members’ experience remains excellent.

“The atmosphere is very buzzy and contemporary; we are not a stuffy old Surrey golf club. We often hear members describe us as a ‘home from home’ because they can just relax and be themselves here.

“Foxhills is a vibrant resort where there’s always something going on. Business is done here; fun is done here. We pride ourselves on delivering a stress-free seamless experience for not just our golf members, but often their whole families too.”