Leighton & James return for a
wide-ranging catch-up conversation, with Leighton sharing a
personal update and discussing the positive future direction of
Golf Club Talk UK and The Greenprint, including increased
investment of time, energy, and resources into both platforms.
The conversation then turns to
leadership, communication, and culture in golf clubs as Leighton
welcomes friend of the pod Monique Landman to discuss one of the
most important relationships in the industry: the partnership
between the General Manager and the Course Manager. Monique
is the Chief Empathy Officer at Unchain and Partner for People and
Performance at Himalayas Golf.
A central theme throughout is
simple but powerful - greenkeepers are the experts, and great GM’s
position them as such. The best clubs operate well when the GM and
Course Manager act as one team, working shoulder to shoulder with
alignment, and mutual respect. The discussion explores why GM’s
should empower and elevate their Course Managers, putting
greenkeepers into the arena through committee/board meetings,
stakeholder discussions, and strategic conversations, while also
protecting and advocating for their teams internally.
The episode also focuses
heavily on expanding the influence of Course Managers, particularly
when communicating the value behind major projects such as a
£100,000 bunker renovation for example. The key here is
presenting well-researched and thoughtful proposals so that the
decision makes itself.
The conversation also dives
into a great analogy with agronomy, including why hollow tining is
essential for building stronger root systems to allow better
growth. They also discuss phototropic and gravitropic growth in
turfgrass — how the plant responds both upward toward light and
downward into the ground. These can both be translated into
the leadership world.
Throughout the episode, the message is clear:
successful golf operations depend on alignment between management
and course teams, with leadership built on trust, empowerment,
communication, and shared purpose.
Monique
Landman
Connect with Us:
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Website: Golf Club Talk UK
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A big thanks to our partners:
Toro - Click
here for more information
Himalayas Golf - https://himalayasgolf.com/
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