Ken Lingwood, general manager of the Gecko Tour, the professional circuit that takes place during the winter on the Costa del Sol, takes stock of the sixth season, which recently ended with its grand finale at Finca Cortesín.
– If I had to give a grade to the season….
-It’s hard to give the season a grade because so many different aspects have been developed in the season. In some aspects I would have to give it a very fat 0! However, in others an 8, 9, or 10. Still, the overriding feeling is one of pride that we have managed to continue this incredible odyssey and lay the groundwork for improving the product and the company.
– What are you most satisfied with this year?
-To have a fantastic, united team that collectively has managed to produce a format that has worked much better for our players. The team brings a welcoming feeling to both the golf clubs and the players. It is vitally important to inspire this homely, almost familiar feeling as young amateurs and professionals travel to play for the first time and it is part of their learning process. For us, making them feel welcome is essential.
– What would you never do again…?
-Ambitiously we had two two-day events each week, this worked very well for the traveler who wanted to stay for a couple of weeks and then return home and then come back for another short period of time. However, for the local player or those traveling and staying with us for an extended period, two events each week can be difficult. The essence of a developmental golf tour is to prepare our players for the challenges ahead in their careers. In the winter months they have to find the balance of playing as much competitive golf as possible, but also find the time to work on their game. With two events a week it was difficult to find this time.
Also and very importantly, the Gecko team needed a break, two events a week meant we were all on the golf course for 6 days a week. Which meant that the seventh day was dealing with administrative work etc. This was difficult for everyone and it was only the fact that we all love what we do that we were able to pull it off. For me personally it is vital to dedicate time to business development which was impossible during the season.
So now that we have started planning for next season we are working on our format to find the right balance for everyone.
– What has been the feedback from the players and the fields?
-We asked our players to complete a questionnaire to provide us with as much feedback as possible. Their comments were positive and if there was criticism it was positive and constructive. I am very involved with the Tour, from preparing the golf course, to tee starter, scoring scores on the course, presenter of prize giveaways, etc etc, so I interact with the players all the time. Everyone knows I am approachable, transparent and honest and will listen to your opinions, thoughts and ideas. The Gecko Tour is a Tour for the players and I will always try to implement, include and act on the wishes and thoughts of our customers.
– What changes are you planning to introduce for next year.
-We will make adjustments to our format, but our main goal is to find a sponsor or sponsors, in an ideal world, a powerful sponsor to sponsor the entire season.
The Gecko Tour is a proven and viable product with a successful brand image. We have provided for the past 6 years a platform for elite amateurs and young professionals to help them prepare for their careers. Our marketing is “gold”: our events are televised, we are active on radio stations and our website gets over 40,000 hits per month during our winter season. We have over 150 different golfers each season traveling to La Costa del Sol, renting cars, renting apartments, staying in hotels, spending money in bars and restaurants…. We bring corporate guests to our events and pro / ams. We offer excellent media exposure to our wonderful Golf Clubs and Courses. However, surprisingly, we have had difficulty partnering with like-minded sponsors.
To be truly successful The Gecko Tour simply must find a sponsor. There are other development Tours historically operating in other parts of Europe and the Middle East that have seen what the Gecko Tour has achieved and slowly but surely have taken a share of our winter market. It would be a travesty for our wonderful region of Spain with such confidence in the golf business to allow such a great venture as the Gecko Tour to fail. I want to see full fields in incredible tournaments of wonderful young talent from all over Europe, but also and especially from Andalucia, Spain, the region and country I have adopted and made my home.
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