The GCMA's new Advanced Management Program aimed at educating and developing Golf Club Managers - is on the verge of launching.  Leighton is joined by Tom Brooke who talks about the motivations behind the program, what it is and why managers should take part.  Gareth Morgan, who recently started in his role as Professional Development Manager, also joins the episode.  The program has been in the making for some time and the expertise of the education providers will make this a "must-do" for anyone looking to develop their Golf Club Management careers.   The official la ..read more

Leighton & Eddie welcome Monique Landman-Bovenkamp of "Unchain People and Change" to the show.  It's a warm and open discussion on Leaders bringing "heart and empathy" to their roles and clubs.  Monique has worked inside and outside of Golf and has long pushed for heart in the boardroom with a view that we can't achieve the best results as organisations without it.   Is it time to move away from the ruthless, selfish and agressive style of the 2000's to a place where we lead with heart and in a safe culture where people are happy to speak, make mistakes and be creative ..read more

Trending Topics with England Golf is back and on this episode we're talking about the Respect in Golf Campaign with Matt Draper, Ben White - Comms Director and Toni Shelbourn - Brand and Campaigns Manager.  This is a great initiative being led by England Golf and one that looks to improve the image of Golf through showing that Golf belongs to everyone.  How do we make Golf a welcoming environment regardless of your background, age, race, gender, ability etc.   Golf can mean many things to many people and we explore how clubs can assist in projecting a more positive image of ..read more

A thought provoking, inspiring and relevant discussion this week where Leighton is joined by 5 women from different sectors of the Golf Industry: Natalie McColl - Membership Services Manager - GCMA Nicole Wheatley - Owner Medi8 Candi Watkins - General Manager - Sharpley Golf Club Karen Drake - General Manager - Clevedon Golf Club Claire Docker - Ganerel Manager - Robin Hood Golf Club   The discussion delves into what it's like to be a woman in the Golf industry.  We operate in what is still a very male-dominated industry and there are many challenges to being a woman in this industry ..read more

Two interviews on episode 98 with Eddie talking to Matt Nicholson, owner and author at Golf News.  Golf News is a dedicated Golf Newspaper in the UK and was started in 1994 by Matt. The publication continues to bring an unrivalled mix of club news, course reviews, exclusive player interviews, equipment reviews, travel features and competitions that has proved such a hit with golfers for the last 30 years.  Matt talks through his time at Golf News and the game in general. Leighton and Eddie are then joined by Alan Plumb, consultant in the valuation team at Savills, Leisure & Tradi ..read more

A recent workforce survey was carried out by Sporting Insights on the state of the Golf industry workforce.  The survey, commissioned and supported by GCMA, R&A, BIGGA, England Golf, Wales Golf, Golf Ireland and Scottish Golf - provides a valuable insight and measure into the health of the workforce across multiple areas. This information is key to employers, Golfing bodies and employees alike and John Bushell and Erica Healy talk us through the key findings from the report, with the assistance of Kevin Barker - R&A, Tom Brooke - GCMA and Jim Croxton - BIGGA.  A general discu ..read more

Leighton is joined by Emma Ballard for a catch up on what's happening at Women & Golf and her take on Golf generally.  Emma always has some insightful thoughts on the game and industry and she will also be up at the AIG Women's Open in late August for the last major of the year!  Rob Saunders then joins from our new show partner - Toptracer!  Toptracer is revolutionising practice and game play on Driving Ranges and Rob discusses with Leighton the topic that Top Tracer can be for all facilities and clubs.  There's conversation around how it can improve engagement, time s ..read more

On this month's Trending Topics with England Golf, we welcome back Matt Draper and Gavin Anderson for a deep dive into their DNA report which was recently released.   The DNA report is a collection of statistics across many of the key areas of England Golf's remit and the landscape of Golf.   The data is being collected on the ground via Club Support Officers as well as the central admin team.   In this chat we talk a little about how the report came about but then move onto the main areas such as; membership statistics, inclusivity, visitor Golf revenue, Golf Clu ..read more

We're joined by the Director of Sustainable Golf from the R&A, Daniel Lightfoot.  Daniel who has an impressive resume from the Golf industry and greenkeeping, is currently at the forefront of promoting the R&A's vision for sustainable Golf.  Working his way through the five pillars of sustainability for the R&A, Daniel breaks down the aims into simple terms. On the eve of the Open Championship at Troon (where Daniel happens to be spending the week), the chat is timely and presents a great insight into his role and the subject of sustainability within Golf.   Are you ..read more

In this episode we explore and celebrate the R&A Women in Golf Leadership programme.  Leighton and Eddie are joined by four women from the industry who are either driving, mentoring or participating in the programme.  Jackie Davidson – Director of Golf Development at R&A Vicky Cuming – Mentor/Coach Bee Craft – Golfbreaks.com and delegate from previous cohort Giulia Ferroni – Leeds Golf Design and delegate from current cohort The conversation explores the motivations for setting up the programme, what’s involved, how it works and how women can get involved.  The delegates ..read more