Steve White, the head professional at Thurlestone Golf Club in Devon, was named Foremost Member of the Year for 2024. We sat down with Steve to discuss his extensive career in golf, some retail tips and tricks for the next generation and his plans to remain the best golfer in his family.
Can you start by sharing a bit about you and your journey into the golf industry?
When I joined Foremost back in 2000, I had just begun my first head pro’s job, when the proprietor called me in and said: “I would like you to take on the pro shop.”
I think my next phone call was to Foremost Golf. It made perfect sense to get involved with Foremost. Ultimately, if you weren’t in a buying group, you weren’t going to survive.
I became the head pro down here in Devon at Thurlestone in 2012. My old job was an hour commute each way, whereas Thurlestone is five minutes from home. It was all about rebalancing my home life with the job I love. I have three children and a wife — and the move helped me get some time back.
What has it been like working so closely with your wife at Thurlestone?
My wife is the retail manager here at Thurlestone. She’s got a great eye for fashion, the small details, and retail is all about detail. She’ll spot things a mile away.
When we moved to Thurlestone, it was the first time she got involved in my business. It’s helped take the pressure off me, and she understands the pressures of club life — customers, committees, members. She also does the bookkeeping and does a great job of managing the ladies’ ordering and all the soft goods.
She much prefers the face-to-face part of retailing rather than the bookwork and by using Foremost’s ‘Central Invoicing & Payment System’ and easy-to-use ‘Online Document Manager’ which are indispensable tools, this saves us over half a day a week in managing our admin.
Congratulations again on receiving the Foremost Member of the Year Award. What does that recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
To be recognised by an industry leader — it gives you confidence that you’re doing the right things. You know your own environment, but you often don’t see much beyond that. I don’t know if someone up in the north-east is better or worse — I’m in my own little world. But my members are supportive, the feedback is positive and Foremost have analysed my numbers, and things are clearly looking strong!
Everything I do has customer service in mind. One of my mantras is that we’re in the entertainment industry, people come to the club to have fun. If they feel welcome, they’ll come back and be happy to spend money in my shop and the clubhouse too.
Customer service is a huge focus for Foremost right now. How do you keep tabs on customer retention, given the make-up of Thurlestone’s visitors?
Forty percent of my members don’t live within 100 miles of here. So, I keep them all in the loop through newsletters, fantasy leagues, charity raffles — things like that. When they visit, they buy equipment from me because they feel connected. We ship clubs around the country all the time. It’s about building trust and knowing people by name, which is something I have always been good at!
What advice would you give to younger professionals aiming to elevate their retail performance?
Learning and just keeping learning is key. As a professional, you’re busy doing what you do, and you’re not always aware of the wider industry. Foremost are like my peripheral vision. They’re innovative, inspiring, and — most importantly — hugely supportive. They’ve been central to the success of my business. I would say embrace Foremost and all that they do. They cover the hard work in terms of enhancing your professional image at the club. They’ve got multi-marketing, weekly newsletters, the website, in-store signage, displays and exclusive lines.
If you’ve got a good working relationship with your marketing editor — as I do with mine, Will Lebeau — it helps with planning initiatives. Especially when I’m busy with day-to-day stuff, he keeps me on track. Will looks after 50 other pros in the south-west and meet with him once a month but talk to him every week and he brings fresh ideas to freshen up our business. I have five members of staff in my business — but Foremost is like my sixth man. Maybe even seventh, eighth and ninth, because the work they do can’t be done by one person.
They typically have their finger on the pulse. Head professionals are busy enough already; Foremost looks ahead for you.
Have you seen the demand for golf change since you became a head pro?
When I arrived here there were two juniors. Now, 13 years later, we’ve got over 120 junior members and 60 kids every Saturday across six hours of coaching. We run summer camps, half-term camps, Friday night club sessions. We now have a junior in every age group within the Devon county setup. You’re missing a trick if you don’t have juniors around the place.
And people ask, “How does that help the club?” Well, those 120 kids bring in parents, who then join, and families get more involved. It becomes a family-oriented environment. They’ll want lessons, equipment and to enjoy their experience getting into the game. If they have fond memories of growing up here, that sticks. The Thurlestone Junior Academy now contributes about £100,000 of income a year.
The club benefits from the fact we’ve got juniors in the county setup and in national competitions. So, is it worth spending time with kids? 100 percent.
What else have you set up for beginner golfers?
We’re 12 years into the Thurlestone Junior Academy, and now we’ve mirrored it for adults. They join on a three-month Academy membership. We started with the kids, now we’ve just replicated it for adults. They get invited at the end of their sessions to join for three months, get involved in club life, and see if it fits into their schedule and lifestyle.
After that, we try to transition them into full membership. And it works! I have learned that you benefit hugely if you can make golf more accessible, breaking down that barrier to entry for newer golfers. That has always been the goal — not just filling the tee sheet but building a proper golf community.
Do you think the role of a club professional is more complex now than it was a decade ago?
Yes. The club pro is seen as the fountain of all knowledge. People come to you before anyone else. The pressure is higher now, especially for new pros.
You must keep good communication with the club and committee. I write a monthly report to the executive committee that outlines what I’ve done, what improvements we’ve made, what training’s been done — both for me and staff. That way, they’re always aware of the direction and the alignment of the businesses.
What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone just entering the club professional world?
It’s difficult to nail in one sentence, but keep learning. Always strive to do better. Commit fully. It’s really no different than how they play golf. The same mindset applies.
How do you envision the next phase of your career — or the future of golf at the club level?
I’d love to get back to playing more golf. I’m so busy — I’ve sort of become non-competitive, and I miss that. Playing is what got me into being a pro in the first place. My son is a decent player, and I’d love to give him a run for his money.
If I can get to that point where the team’s running the business well, I’d love to get out and play again. That would mean I’ve got the setup right.
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