Some golf club managers have been made redundant

There are reports that some golf club managers have been made redundant in recent days – in spite of the income boost many golf clubs in the UK have experienced in the last month.

One experienced manager of a leading English golf club wrote on LinkedIn: ‘Well, it’s happened as I thought it might. After being furloughed for the last six weeks, I have just been informed that the board have decided to terminate me to save costs.

‘I suspect they will appoint my very talented deputy (which they should do), so I am back searching for opportunities.’

An Irish golf club manager added: ‘One manager I know quite well was let go last Friday along with his office administrator. He had been there 15 years, worked all the hours God gave him, kept the club going and would still be eligible for Covid-19 assistance, thereby saving his club money. A true professional manager.

‘I find it extraordinary that in the midst of the biggest crisis ever to hit the golf industry that some clubs choose this time to make their club manager redundant. Throw away all his accumulated experience, knowledge, know-how and his ability to get the club to survive this. As he had done in the previous recession in 2008.

‘Others chose to put the manager under unnecessary pressure at the exact time when he or she is trying their best to keep staff motivated, and the club going forward.

‘I think the old maxim that people on committees park their brains at the door when they go into a meeting is alive and well. To those of you who sit on committees in clubs or indeed hold office, support your manager. It will repay you in spades.’

Another golf club manager wrote: ‘I’ve been incredibly sad in recent days to see some of who I consider to be some of the top golf club managers in the country being ‘let go’ or furloughed from their clubs to save money.

‘Trust me, as someone who is a member at a club who made a similar decision several years ago – find your saving elsewhere!’

A poll during the lockdown found that one in ten golf club managers had been furloughed and another one in ten had seen their role come ‘under review’ due to Covid-19 – although this was before the boom in memberships that the industry saw in May.

Last month we ran this article by Chris Duffy, who had just been made redundant as the general manager of Huddersfield Golf Club, calling for the industry to stand by its managers during this time – as they are the people most likely to steer them to future prosperity.