The maxim good things come to those who wait certainly holds true for Englishman Wayne Sheffield and his employers, Isleworth, one of the foremost golf communities in the USA and worldwide.

In 2011 the Windsor-born businessman was set to take charge at Lake Nona, like Isleworth owned by the Lewis family, but a visa ballot mitigated against him.

However, four years later the then chief executive of The Wisley got a second opportunity to fulfil his ambition of working in the USA at the highest level in golf management – to the subsequent benefit of both Sheffield and Isleworth, situated among the Chain of Lakes in central Florida.

As general manager at Isleworth Golf & Country Club, where he is now also president of Isleworth Realty, 48-year-old Sheffield helped turn it from a loss-making operation to one in profit. And arguably the biggest testament to his acumen and skills was that the move from red to black figures partially came about not by the oft-followed route of cost-cutting, but by increasing expenditure to reverse what he saw as “some migration and denigration of mystique and pixie dust.”

“Over the past 30 years, Isleworth had been a huge commercial success and source of pride for the Tavistock Group,” says Sheffield, “home to the Lewis family in the USA and an enduring ‘front porch’ for the Group with significant historical and mystical brand equity.

“The Isleworth team were challenged to halt owner financial subsidy of operations, improve the value of real estate holdings and look at everything with fresh eyes, objectivity and focus. This period of assessment included meetings with members and residents and, after consultation with the owners, a candid assessment that there had been some migration and denigration of mystique and pixie dust that maybe [led to] a tired offering.

“Our job was to come up with a promised action plan and this included a reiteration of the core focus on exclusivity, security and the importance of golf here at Isleworth. We also implemented a plan to improve all facilities, and create new amenities with a greater focus on families, women and children.

“We are on a great upward spiral and improving the golf course and investing in landscaping has seen us attract the next crop of amazing sports stars and golfers [among them Danny Willett and Tommy Fleetwood] with a waiting list for social membership also.”

The pixie dust to which he alludes was originally sprinkled by Arnold Palmer, who flew over the area when it was orange groves and earmarked it as a great place to build a golf and residential community, and has since been applied liberally by the likes of Tiger Woods, Payne Stewart and Bubba Watson, and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Isleworth prides itself on its exclusivity while placing emphasis on its “informal excellence” and the peace of mind it offers was elevated with the installation of a US$2 million security system around the perimeters of an estate that includes more than 400 mansions.

Sheffield and his family, wife Carey, daughter Alex (17) and son Stuart (15) – his eldest son, James (25), currently lives and works in London ahead of a move to San Francisco – are thriving in the Florida sunshine, but he admits there was a big initial hurdle to overcome in that his visa did not allow Carey to continue her profession as a photographer in the USA.

“The hardest thing about the move was that Carey was well-regarded, had won awards, had lots of front covers, but then couldn’t work on my visa,” he recalls. “However, we got our green card about a year ago so that meant she could set up a business here, which is better for her.”

This reporter naively suggested that his appointment at arguably the foremost golf club in the world outside Augusta National appeared to be similar in level of achievement to a Briton being appointed as coach of an NFL franchise.

“It’s a funny but not really fair analogy as us Brits tend to know very little about NFL, having not grown up on it 24/7, yet we have history and some amazingly talented golf club managers and golf industry professionals,” gently chides Sheffield.

“I know so many UK managers who would be a huge asset to clubs in the US and throughout the world and saw this in my time appointing managers for worldwide projects whilst at IMG [where he was director of golf operations]. The biggest reason that it is seen as a big achievement is due to the difficulties of getting a visa and why would clubs go through such difficulties when there is also an abundance of very talented US managers available?”

He had been at The Wisley for three years when he was originally coveted by the Tavistock Group and believes the further four years he spent in Surrey, along with his previous experience in the UK, Europe and Asia, played their part in leading to the offer of his current post at Isleworth.

“I think the experience of having worked for some of the bigger groups and around the world was important for the visa process, but also hugely important for me and my ability to do my job,” he reflects.

“Different cultures, different experiences, different expectations, varied ways of operations and also factors such as exposure to both warm and cold season grasses are critical.

“The Wisley is an amazing club and the ability to work with Robert Trent Jones II on the Church and Mill nine refurbishment projects and inherit the Garden nine project further added to my skill base and learning.

“Likewise, the club and membership were rightly demanding and wanted to constantly improve and be the best, so to make such improvements over the eight years there was critical for my role as chief executive which, of course, helped me to demonstrate why I could do the same at an amazing club like Isleworth.

“The one thing we should all realise in any role or any of our clubs is that we go backwards if we stand still. On a daily and weekly basis we try to make lots of small improvements and these all add up to a big uplift.

“My favourite quote that we reiterate and ask the team here to work by is, ‘In the race for excellence, there is no finish line’.”

The former two-handicapper says that a career in golf wasn’t really planned. Having left university with a business degree he decided against following his father into accountancy and worked in marketing for a catering equipment manufacturer.

The role as sales & marketing manager at The Lambourne Club saw him first dip his toe into golfing waters and led, ultimately, to him spending eight years as the longest-serving CEO at The Wisley before Isleworth.

He confesses to missing friends, family and his beloved Tottenham Hotspur – who are owned by Tavistock – but the pluses of the Florida family lifestyle far outweigh the negatives. As to the future, he says: “I have a great job and much more to do here at Isleworth and have also taken on leadership of the Realty and Home Services businesses.

“The green card has really taken the pressure off in terms of the future, which we all feel lies firmly here and with Tavistock.” And he adds with a laugh that maybe he might one day become Tottenham chairman “when Daniel Levy decides to retire.”