Golf club operator Link Golf UK has appointed Andy King as its strategic advisor to support its next phase of growth.
Link Golf currently runs seven golf venues in England: Marland Golf Course in Rochdale, Heaton Park Golf Course in Manchester, Stanley Park Golf Course in Blackpool, Tapton Park Golf Course in Chesterfield, Derby Golf Course in Derby, Middlesbrough Municipal Golf Centre in Middlesbrough and London Airlinks Golf Course in Hounslow.
The appointment of the experienced leisure sector leader follows a strategic and operational review undertaken by Andy during the summer, working alongside Link Golf’s founders and senior team to assess the organisation’s current position and identify the priorities required to support sustainable expansion.
Link Golf UK acquires and operates a growing portfolio of golf
facilities across England, made up of both municipal public courses and private members’ clubs. The ambition across the group is to raise standards, deliver the best possible product and give every customer a fantastic experience.
Andy also joins as Link Golf launches Link Club, the private members’ club arm of the business, with the first clubs due to be announced shortly.
The proposition there is straightforward. Link Club takes on the day to day operation of golf clubs, invests capital and streamlines the business so it performs commercially. What that does is lift a weight off a board and a committee, who at most clubs are volunteers doing a demanding job in whatever time they have spare. The members keep their club, their history and their identity. They just stop having to run an operating business.
Andy will work alongside founders Andrew Terry and Joe Jackson, together with the wider leadership team, providing independent strategic challenge and support as the business continues to develop.
His initial focus will include strategy, governance, commercial
performance, organisational development, leadership and operational effectiveness, as well as helping Link Golf ensure that its systems and infrastructure keep pace with its growth ambitions.
Andy said: “I’ve really enjoyed getting under the skin of Link Golf over the last few months. What has struck me most is the ambition of Andrew, Joe and the team and their determination to demonstrate that accessible public golf can also be really good golf.
“There is already a great deal to build on. My role now is to help the team take a step back from the day-to-day, provide some independent challenge and make sure the organisation, its people and its systems develop at the same pace as the portfolio.
“I’m particularly excited by the opportunity to help Link Golf combine strong commercial and operational performance with a genuine social purpose – getting more people playing golf and making good-quality facilities accessible to a much wider audience.”
Through Andy King & Associates, Andy advises local authorities, leisure operators and other organisations on strategy, transformation, commercial and operational performance, leadership and the development of active wellbeing services.
His career has included leading four leisure and cultural trusts,
serving as a national director with Serco Leisure and holding senior roles within major public and private sector leisure operators. He has a particular track record in organisational turnaround, commercial improvement, leadership development and aligning organisations behind a clear strategic purpose.
Andy is also chair of GM Active, the collaboration of 12 leisure and
community organisations across Greater Manchester and holds a number of advisory and non-executive positions across the health, physical activity and leisure sectors.
Andrew Terry, co-founder of Link Golf, said: “Andy came into Link Golf initially to give us an independent view of the business and where we needed to focus as we grow. He quickly understood both what we are trying to achieve and the challenges that
come with scaling an organisation like ours.
“We want Link Golf to continue to grow and Andy brings enormous experience of leading complex leisure organisations, developing people and improving commercial and operational performance. Importantly, he is prepared to challenge us as well as support us.
“We’re delighted that he has agreed to continue working with us as strategic advisor.”
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