In the final instalment of a four-part series, we spoke with Royal Troon’s Club Secretary Stephen Anthony about the pressures of golf club management.
Do you think your role and the role of Golf Club Managers in general is understood and appreciated by the wider industry and the golf-watching public?
Unless you have been in this position and sat in this seat, and I don’t just mean as Secretary of an Open Championship venue, you will not understand the requirements of the position. I have seen that members do not understand what the role of Secretary/General Manager/Chief Executive of a golf club does, so the wider industry and golf-watching public will definitely not. It is only when a member maybe sits on the council or committee or becomes Captain or Chair that they begin to see and understand to some degree what the role entails.
Does it feel like a high-pressure responsibility, and how do you respond to that pressure?
I must admit that I have often been heard to say that I don’t do stress and can deal with pressure, however, this past three months [leading up to and including The Open] has been something else.
Yes, it did feel like a high-pressure responsibility and while working many hours without much time off during the months prior to and the week of The Open, you rely on your support team both outside and inside work to get you through. I am fortunate to have excellent support both at home and in work which is how I managed the pressure.
