So here we go again, farewell 2016 – welcome 2017. What waits in store for this year?
Towards the end of December, you will have received a press release regarding the announcement of the launch of our new monthly members’ magazine ‘The Golf Club Manager’. Working in conjunction with our recently appointed media partner Sports Publications, the magazine as well as an on-line version will be with you from April 2017.
We have been working on this project for over a year with the objective to deliver a completely overhauled members’ magazine. To achieve this we have reached an agreement with Sports Publications who presently publish a number of leading consumer magazines, including National Club Golfer and Lady Golfer as well as a various business titles.
Following on the recent launch of the Diploma in Golf Club Management, the new magazine will include enhanced benefits for GCMA members, a number of co-hosted golf days for managers and a number of opportunities for significant exposure to new audiences. It will provide a key learning tool for the nine units of the qualification forming the structure of the educational content. This will then be supported by a series of articles that are aimed at keeping you abreast of industry developments, including interviews with key industry figures, reports of Association activity and insights from other areas of business.
‘The Golf Club Manager’ will also feature a recruitment section with job adverts, career advice and personal development tips, as well as golf club management jobs. Industry partners and suppliers will be encouraged to advertise vacancies that are of interest to the Association’s members.
Probably the most important step forward for the Association is that we will have complete control of both the editorial and commercial activity, which I believe is crucial for the working Golf Club Manager.
‘The Golf Club Manager’ magazine and the communication of information to the membership will be headed up by Mike Hyde and his team. Having advised you in Decembers issue that we had been joined by Tash Johnson who will take on the role of Business Development Manager, I am now pleased to inform you that we have appointed Amelia Brice who will be assisting Mike and Tash with the development of the content for all communication channels. Amelia joined the team on January 9 and we wish her well in new role at HQ.
If any of you would like to contribute to the new magazine, or to discuss the possible inclusion of related activities, please contact [email protected] .
With the launch of the magazine in April, we will announce details for the Manager of the Year awards and how managers can be nominated. The awards will once again be presented at the National Conference, which as I have previously advised will be held at the extremely impressive Mercedes‑Benz World in Weybridge, Surrey on November 12-14. Further details of the National Conference will be issued shortly. Put the date in your diary!
Other dates for the diary:
Annual General Meeting at Chesterfield GC – Monday, April 24. We will be hosting the Captain’s Cup which is a pairs competition that was instigated last year, with the present holders Alex Woodward from Boyce Hill GC and David Kelly, a retired member previously also from Boyce Hill GC.
National Golf Day at Kings Lynn GC – Monday, June 19. The current holder of the Greenshield Memorial Trophy is Nigel Sweet of Leeds Golf Centre, with Robert Thompson the current holder of The Founders Cup.
Bob Williams
[email protected]
By Bob Williams
