This gentleman has a hard task on his shoulders -corpulent, of course- to deal, in the good sense of the word, with the voluminous social mass of one of the most emblematic clubs of the Costa del Sol, the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina in Marbella.
– 1 Directing a club with such a large number of members -more than 2,000- as Guadalmina, does it allow you to enjoy a day of tranquility at work or is that impossible?
The position of director of a golf club requires full-time dedication, during the working day you have to attend to any incident that may occur, and when the members go home, you are left reviewing issues and planning for the future, both immediate and medium term. The usual thing in this job is to receive more complaints than compliments, because if everything works well, it is understood that it is as it should be, and if something goes wrong, and with so many partners the probability is high, you have to be prepared to be able to solve the problem or address the complaints. The only way to be successful is to dedicate yourself body and soul to the job, and to have a good team to help you develop your work.
– 2 How is a real club like yours weathering this long crisis?
– The crisis is putting all the Clubs in a situation that most of us had not known due to the nature of it. In Guadalmina we have taken decisions since 2009 aimed at being able to face the years with serenity, adjusting costs and trying to optimize resources. At the moment, thanks to the economic structure of Guadalmina, with a very important contribution in income from membership fees, together with a policy of savings, we have been able to offer good results both in 2010 and 2011, the current year is being better than the previous one, partly due to the improvement of the weather and that the offer of the Coast is being adapted, becoming more attractive to the markets of golf players.
– 3 In your opinion, what is the most outstanding feature of Guadalmina Golf in its 50 years of history?
– Guadalmina offers a Club with history and a magnificent social life, with more than 400 golf tournaments a year, and at the same time some courses both the North and especially the South, of great quality and that allow you to enjoy a pleasant golfing experience for a public of any profile, the Pitch & Putt course and practice facilities serve as a complement to the great offer of golf Guadalmina. The team of the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina also tries to offer a personalized service, both to members and visitors, and that is very appreciated, the restoration is another of the strengths of Guadalmina.
– 4 What do you like most about your profession?
– Since I started in the management of Clubs in 1992, I have always said that this work has a lot of vocation, in my case the vocation for service and customer service is what motivates me. I have always thought that there is nothing better than trying to make life more pleasant for others, for this I reiterate that in order to carry out this mission you have to rely on the team around you. In my particular case, one of the aspects of my work that I find most rewarding, is the collaboration with the Guadalmina Children’s School, it is a sometimes complicated job, but the satisfaction of seeing how the youngest are interested in golf and why not say it, to see them succeed, fills me with great pride.
–5 What needs to be done to make a field stand out from the competition?
-In my opinion, make the most of what makes you different, in some cases the countryside, in others the social life, the environment, exclusivity… etc. Once you have detected what makes you stand out, promote it and make it known using all the means at your disposal.
– 6 What are the most common complaints from golfers playing on the Costa del Sol?
– The complaints are very varied, in some cases the slowness in the game, whether it is a player who is on vacation or a regular player, always have the impression that the field “goes very slow”, and wonder why nothing is done to prevent it. There are complaints about the state of the courses, but I think that in most cases the courses on the Costa del Sol are in good playing condition.
– 7 What does the Costa del Sol have to do to maintain its leadership as a golf tourist destination in Europe?
– Continue to focus on quality service, and substantially improve its ability to communicate with the recipients of this message of excellence. Maintain the quality-price ratio in which we are currently positioned, and seek complementary offers to golf so that the golfer’s companion is also interested in visiting us.
– 8 How do you see the future of Andalusian golf in the short term?
– I am calm about the future of Andalusian golf, but at the same time I am worried about not seeing a progression in the future of the sector. The Public Administrations have not yet decided to bet on the development of this great industry. It is true that it is an activity that arouses controversial opinions, but I think it would be worthwhile to study the possibility of developing a Master Plan for the Development of Golf in Andalusia.
– 9 Why choose Guadalmina and not other Costa del Sol courses to play golf?
– Because you cannot miss visiting one of the emblematic clubs of the Coast, and who knows …. maybe you will stay, as others have already done.
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