As we approach the end of another busy year, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on some of the highlights of 2026, celebrate what we’ve achieved together and look ahead with excitement to what 2027 has in store.
It’s been another year of positive progress for the GCMA, with continued investment in education and professional development, growing recognition of our profession, enhancements to member support services and some fantastic opportunities to bring our community together.
The year started with an important milestone for our Association, as you voted in favour of changing our name to the Golf Club Management Association. This subtle development helps to broaden our appeal to a wider audience within our profession, at the same time as enabling us to continue focussing on you as individuals and retaining our core sense of purpose.
As always, everything we do is centred around you, our members, and our commitment to providing you with the highest possible levels of professional and personal support.
I’d like to share a few of this year’s highlights, along with some of our plans and priorities for the year ahead.
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
GCMA Advanced Management Programme
It’s now just over two years since we launched our Advanced Management Programme, and I’m delighted with the progress we’ve made in establishing this as a high quality, modern and accessible professional development opportunity for Golf Club Managers.
We’ve now successfully delivered at least one of every Certificate within the Programme, with delegate satisfaction ratings exceeding 95% on every single course. This is fantastic feedback and testament to the quality of our specialist training providers and the enthusiasm of the members who have taken part.
A particular highlight this year was the delivery of our first Leading and Managing People Certificate, giving delegates three days of focused learning, with the opportunity to step away from their day-to-day responsibilities and dedicate their attention entirely to their own personal development and leadership skills.
In an industry where we’re so often focused on looking after everyone else, it’s incredibly valuable to have opportunities like this to invest some quality time in ourselves.
Principles of Golf Club Management
Our residential Principles of Golf Club Management Certificate remains a highlight of the education calendar, and this year we welcomed 15 emerging talents and future Golf Club Managers for a fantastic week of learning and development at Hillside Golf Club.
Alongside a comprehensive introduction to Golf Club Management, delegates enjoyed a particularly special behind-the-scenes visit to the host venue of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
It’s always incredibly rewarding to see the enthusiasm and ambition of those starting out on their management careers, and I’m sure we’ll see many of this year’s delegates progressing into club management and leadership positions in the years ahead.
GCMA Accreditation
Another significant milestone has been passing the 100 mark for GCMA Accredited members.
It’s fantastic to see growing numbers of members achieving formal recognition of their experience, knowledge and professional achievements.
Our focus now is on increasing awareness and understanding of Accreditation across the wider golf industry, particularly amongst Golf Club employers, Boards and Committees, ensuring that its value is increasingly recognised when recruiting, developing and supporting management teams.
We want Accreditation to become a recognised benchmark of professionalism within Golf Club Management, and we’ll continue working hard towards this throughout 2027.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Supporting the personal wellbeing of our members continues to be an increasingly important priority for us.
We all know that Golf Club Management can be an incredibly rewarding profession, but equally, it can bring significant pressures and challenges.
I’m therefore particularly pleased that, thanks to the support of the GCMA Benevolent Fund, we’ve been able to train and qualify an additional Mental Health First Aider in every region this year, further strengthening the support network available to members.
I’d also like to remind you of the wider range of personal support services available through your GCMA membership, including our Mental Health First Aiders, a confidential 24/7 counselling helpline, employment law helpline and employment dispute cover.
These are all services that we sincerely hope you’ll never need to use, but I genuinely believe that having this support available when you need it most is perhaps the most important thing we do as an Association.
Please remember that we’re here to support you as a person, not just as a Golf Club Manager, and if you ever need our help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
NATIONAL MEMBER EVENTS
One of the greatest strengths of the GCMA is the sense of community amongst our members, and it’s been wonderful to see so many of you coming together at our national events throughout 2026.
We enjoyed a hugely successful AGM at the beautiful Conwy Golf Club, where we welcomed Ray Chilten as our National Captain for 2026. We’re now looking forward to our 2027 AGM at Fulford Golf Club in York, where we’ll be welcoming Mick Thorpe as our new National Captain.
Our National Members Championship was another fantastic occasion, hosted at the superb Frilford Heath Golf Club.
Congratulations to Andy Rideout, who claimed an impressive second consecutive Championship title and we look forward to Andy hosting us at High Post for the 2027 event.
As always, these occasions are about much more than the golf itself, providing wonderful opportunities to catch up with colleagues, make new connections and enjoy being part of our fantastic GCMA community away from our professional commitments.
REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Our regional network remains at the very heart of the GCMA, and responding to member feedback, enhancing the quality and consistency of our regional offering is a core priority for us right now and as we move into 2027.
We recently held our annual get-together of the Board of Directors, HQ Team and Regional Managers, and for the first time, we were delighted to also welcome our Regional Captains to the meeting.
This provided an excellent opportunity to bring together a broad perspective of opinions, share ideas, discuss best practice and begin developing an action plan to further improve regional member services, business meetings and educational opportunities.
We want every member, regardless of where they’re based, to benefit from a consistently high-quality regional experience, with opportunities that are relevant, engaging and genuinely valuable.
As I’ve said before, these are YOUR regions and YOUR meetings, so please do get involved, share your ideas and help us shape their future.
2027 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
I’m absolutely delighted to announce that our next Golf Club Management Conference and Exhibition will take place at Wokefield Park, from 14th to 16th November 2027!
It’s always an exciting time as we begin planning our biennial flagship event, bringing together members, Business Partners and industry colleagues from across the country for three very special days.
As always, we’ll be putting together a fantastic programme of high-quality education, with expert speakers, engaging workshops and opportunities to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Golf Club Management.
Alongside this, our exhibition will provide opportunities to meet with industry suppliers and discover new products, services and ideas, while our networking and social events will bring everyone together, culminating in our Gala Dinner and Member Awards.
Our National Conference is always a real celebration of the GCMA community, and I’m sure 2027 will be no different.
We’ll be sharing plenty more information over the coming months, but for now, please do get the dates in your diary. I very much look forward to seeing you there!
INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION AND COLLABORATION
Alongside our direct member services, an increasingly important part of our work is representing Golf Club Managers and ensuring that your voice is heard on the wider issues affecting our industry.
We continue to work closely with fellow Associations, industry organisations and Governing Bodies throughout Great Britain and Ireland, collaborating on some of the key challenges facing our game.
One particular focus throughout 2026 has been water management, an issue brought into even sharper focus by the prolonged periods of drought experienced over the summer.
Through our industry collaborations, we’re helping to ensure that the needs of Golf Clubs are properly represented, including putting forward representations to Government through the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf (APPGG), alongside developing closer relationships with the water industry and Environment Agency.
An important part of this work is building a clearer understanding of water usage across our industry, and you’ll shortly see a new industry-wide water usage survey landing in your inbox. I’d really encourage you to take part. Your input will help us build a stronger evidence base and support more informed discussions with policymakers, regulators and other key stakeholders.
YOUR FEEDBACK – 2026 MEMBER SURVEY
Talking of surveys, we’ve also recently completed our 2026 GCMA Member Survey, and I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to participate.
Your feedback is incredibly important in helping us understand what’s working well, where we need to improve and what matters most to you as members.
We’re currently reviewing the responses, identifying the key themes and priorities, and developing actions to help shape our plans for 2027 and beyond. We’ll be sharing the main findings and next steps with you very soon.
It’s important to me that you can see how your feedback is helping to influence the direction of your Association, and that we continue to develop services that reflect your needs and expectations.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027
Reflecting on everything we’ve achieved throughout 2026, I feel incredibly positive about the progress we’re making as an Association.
From the continued success of our education programmes and growing recognition of GCMA Accreditation, to our investment in member wellbeing, regional development and wider industry representation, there’s much for us to be proud of.
But as always, our focus is very much on what comes next.
We know that the role of a Golf Club Manager continues to evolve, bringing new responsibilities, expectations and challenges. Our commitment is to ensure that the GCMA continues to evolve alongside you, providing the education, professional recognition, practical advice, personal support and community that you need to thrive in your role.
Most importantly, I’d like to thank you for your continued membership, support and contribution to the GCMA community. Our Association is only as strong as the people who are part of it, and it’s your involvement and willingness to support one another that makes the GCMA such a special organisation.
On behalf of everyone here at HQ, our Board of Directors and Regional Managers, I’d like to wish you and your families a very happy and restful festive period, and all the very best for a successful, healthy and enjoyable 2027.
We very much look forward to continuing to support you in the year ahead.
Thank you,
Tom Brooke
Chief Executive Officer
Golf Club Management Association
By Mark Shanley
