Northumberland Golf Club: Creating one of the finest members clubs

What brought you to Northumberland Golf Club?

I was approached by a recruiter in December 2022 and, after discussion, he put me forward for the position.

After a rigorous recruitment process, I was successfully appointed in February 2023.

In August 2023, my family and I moved North, so I could further my career in golf club leadership.

What are your long and short-term goals at the club?

Our revised vision, which we set out in November 2023, seeks to bring Northumberland Golf Club to the forefront as one of the finest members clubs in the North of England.

Short term goals are focused on building foundations across all aspects of the business.

These are crucial to the delivery of the strategy, ensuring each step we take is on a firm footing, and can be built on in years to come.

We are making numerous capital improvements across the club this year.

We are underway with the construction of a new golf reception and enhanced driving range.

We drained nine greens over the last winter and this autumn will see our putting green doubled in size.

We have recently been through a staff restructuring and appointed two PGA professionals and a head chef.

We have launched new packages for corporate golf days and visiting parties, and are most definitely open for business.

 

• James Thomas, Northumberland Golf Club general manager

 

How do you believe golf clubs can balance tradition with the need for modernisation and innovation?

Heritage plays a vital role in every golf club.

Northumberland has a rich history of 125 years, which must be preserved and celebrated.

Modernisation can sometimes be at the expense of the experience an original customer base bought into, so one must be cautious when choosing what and how to modernise.

Innovation takes many forms; the golf club proposition has survived for decades and simply needs to be fine-tuned.

Technological improvements are a great starting point, automating processes and making the user experience simpler and, ideally, seamless.

These enhancements can help defray subscription costs over time, improving the overall value for money element of golf club membership.

Reputation is something that cannot, and should not, be compromised.

Innovation can seek to erode a club’s reputation, so approaching with caution and a clear direction of travel is vital, as reputational damage can take years to rebuild.

Innovation should be born from listening to what your customers want – being mindful their desires must chime with your values – and designing/innovating a proposition that seeks to deliver an experience that meets customers’ expectations.

What events and tournaments do you have coming up at Northumberland Golf Club?

2024 sees the launch of the Northumberland Professional Golf Championship & Pro-Am.

Through the support of our sponsors, we have secured a £10,000 prize fund for the professionals.

This is the biggest event on the North East/North West circuit, and has already attracted a very healthy field in its first year.

www.thengc.co.uk

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