Golf Club Talk UK

In this Toro Partnership episode, we open with James Howard, General Manager, and James Cleaver, Course Manager, of Stratford Oaks Golf Club. They are joined by David Timms and Josh Nash of Reesink, with the discussion centred on Stratford Oaks' recent major addition of Toro machinery to their fleet. The conversation explores how a club approaches the decision-making process around a fleet purchas...

Stephen Smith is a neuroscientist and one of only six professionals worldwide fully registered as both a sport psychologist and a business psychologist . Through his company, Sports Psychology , Stephen works with clubs to improve performance and commercial success by better understanding customer behaviour—what members and guests need, what makes them feel comfortable, and what keeps them coming...

In this unique two-part episode, we delve into elite performance at England Golf, covering girls, women, boys and men's national squads and exploring what it truly takes to succeed at the highest level of the sport. Leighton spends two days on the ground at the National Golf Centre, gaining a real feel for the work that goes into driving success at national level. The episode not only highlights t...

Panel Discussion Episode 2 of 3  Guests: Darren Redwood  – Your Golf Marketing James Brockington  – General Manager, Henley Golf Club & GCTUK Alastair Sinclair  – Play More Golf Sarah-Jane (SJ) Shepherd  – 59 Club Tony Adams  – Hospitality in Golf In the second episode of our three-part series, we take a deep dive into your club's brand and image. How is your club really perceived, and what are cl...

We're delighted to welcome The Revenue Club as our newest partner on GCTUK. In this episode, we take a deep dive into how The Revenue Club supports golf clubs in maximising their online revenue through a combination of dynamic pricing, digital marketing, and insightful performance reporting. Founders Rob Corcoran and Chris Knight join us to discuss why online sales have become increasingly critica...

In this episode, we recap both 2025 so far and the Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition held in November. First, we're joined by the GCMA team — Tom Brooke, Gareth Morgan, Darren Wood, and Natalie McColl — as we explore the key areas of the association. They highlight recent successes and provide an update on the value GCMA membership offers. The conversation covers professional developmen...

Episode Description Brought to you by Toro In this episode, we head to the striking Island of  Madeira , an autonomous region of Portugal located off the northwest coast of Africa. While Madeira isn't traditionally thought of as a golf destination, it carries nearly 100 years of golfing history and features three courses across two islands— Palheiro ,  Santo da Serra , and  Porto Santo . The islan...

As 2025 closes out and 2026 approaches, Leighton, James and Eddie sit down for a reflective year-end conversation. The trio shares personal takeaways from 2025, highlights the GCTUK episode that resonated most, and looks ahead to what trends might shape the golf industry—both in the UK and globally—as we move into 2026 and beyond. It's an easy, insightful, and genuinely enjoyable discussion. The e...

Panel Discussion Episode 1 of 3  Guests: Darren Redwood – Your Golf Marketing James Brockington – General Manager, Henley Golf Club & GCTUK Alastair Sinclair – Play More Golf Sarah-Jane (SJ) Shepherd – 59 Club Tony Adams – Hospitality in Golf In this first episode of our three-part series, we take a deep dive into the culture of golf—both at the club level and across the wider sport and industry....

In this episode, we dive into one of the standout industry events of the year: the GCAE Conference in Madeira (9-12 November). We're joined by Renate Roeleveld , CEO and organiser of this exceptional gathering, to explore event highlights and unpack some of the biggest themes shaping the future of the game. From mindset and psychology , to technology , evolving business models , driving ranges , a...

In this episode, Leighton and James kick things off by catching up and reflecting on a number of recent conferences and educational events that they've attended. We're then joined by a returning guest: Ben Laing of Branston Golf & Country Club . Ben first appeared on the podcast back in February 2021 (link to that episode below), when he shared the story of the management buyout of Branston comple...

We're really lucky to be joined by  Clyde Johnson  of  Cunnin' Golf Design . Clyde brings an extensive knowledge of golf course design and construction, built through his time working with  Tom Doak  at Renaissance Golf Design and, for the past decade, through his own practice. Learning from and collaborating with some of the best in the business, Clyde takes great pride in crafting natural golf c...

Every golfer remembers the view — that one hole, that perfect light, that feeling you never forget. Leighton & Eddie catch up for a monthly review, and Eddie is then joined by Graeme Baxter who has turned Golf and Golfing memories into art for over 30 years. His oil paintings have captured the most iconic scenes in golf — from the Swilcan Bridge to many Ryder Cup venues  —  " it's golf culture on...

In this episode, we're joined by Luigi Goria and Roberto Chiosa , the founders of Pin Vision — a golf technology company launched in 2022 that's changing the way golfers see the course. Pin Vision provides exact measurements to pins from anywhere using GPS technology, helping golfers make more informed decisions on every shot. Beyond that, the product also offers notifications to golfers, the abil...

Leighton is joined by Tom Brooke, Natalie McColl, Gareth Morgan, and Darren Wood for a final look ahead to the Golf Club Management Conference & Exhibition, taking place from 16th–18th November . With this year's theme — "Being Future Ready" — the panel explores what it means for golf clubs to stay adaptable and forward-thinking in an ever-changing industry. In this episode: Tom Brooke discusses t...

Leighton is once again joined by golf course architect Thad Layton of  Thad Layton Design  to explore a recent architectural study trip. Fresh off an incredible 20+ course tour of southern England and the Midlands, Thad shares the motivations behind the trip, how he organized it, and the design lessons he's bringing back to his own work. Many architects make this journey to the UK, but the focus h...

In this episode, Leighton is joined by England Golf regular Matt Draper , Laura Yapp (Junior Development Manager at England Golf), and Martin Crowder (Head of Development at The Golf Foundation) to explore the Junior Journey — a collaborative initiative between England Golf and The Golf Foundation . Together, they discuss how the partnership is creating opportunities to inspire children and young...

In this episode, Leighton kicks things off with some exciting announcements — including our upcoming Workshop in partnership with Club Benchmarking and a potential tour to the GMA/ASTMA Conference in Melbourne, Australia. Full details are available in the show notes below. Leighton and Eddie are then joined by James Brockington, General Manager of Henley Golf Club . James might be making more regu...

A shorter episode this week, but packed with exciting news and great conversation! We start with an announcement about our upcoming interactive workshop on "Effective Budgeting Using Data," hosted by Golf Club Talk UK in collaboration with Club Benchmarking EMEA . This hands-on session will use real club data (gathered from delegates ahead of time) to explore the financial health of clubs and how...

In this episode, brought to you in partnership with  Toro , we sit down with  Andy Johnston  — General Manager, Director of Agronomy, and Head of Design at  Sentosa Golf Club . A hugely respected figure in the world of golf, Andy shares an inside look at Sentosa GC, discussing its unique agronomic and climatic challenges and how he has helped shape both the courses and the wider infrastructure to...

On this episode of GCMA Insight on Golf Club Talk UK, we welcome Tom Brooke, CEO of GCMA, along with Dave Reeves and Matt Orwin of Promote People. The conversation focuses on one of the most important topics in the industry right now: people, recruitment, and the welfare of employees at golf clubs. This issue has come to the forefront recently, ranking highly in a Golf Club Talk UK poll on the mos...

This episode takes us to The National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa – the home of England Golf. Leighton is joined by Matt Draper, along with Peter Moore (Courses Director) and Lisa Brown (Operations Manager), to explore this world-class venue that remains highly accessible and relevant to golfers everywhere. With two outstanding courses – including the renowned Hotchkin, ranked 58th in the world – pl...

In partnership with Toro, we're delighted to be joined by Andrew Wilson, Director of Agronomy at Bethpage State Park Golf Course, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to prepare a Ryder Cup venue.  Together with Mike Hadley, Course Superintendent of the famed Black Course, they will ensure the course is tournament ready, providing the perfect stage for one of golf's greatest co...

Eddie and Leighton are delighted to be joined by two incredible leaders in Canadian golf: Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada, and Scott Kolb, President of the PGA of Canada. In this wide-ranging conversation, Eddie, who has been working with the PGA on the customer service side of their education program, explores how the PGA is evolving its vision for the future, supporting professionals thr...

Leighton and Toby Ingleton of  Golf Course Architecture Magazine  join Martin and Allan to share their first-hand experience of playing the newly refurbished Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry, while also reflecting on the wider golf course. Widely regarded as one of the greatest courses in the world, the Ailsa has recently undergone significant changes — particularly to holes 7 and 8 — that further...