Author: Neal Graham

Thursday 24^th March 2022

YAS LINKS, ABU DHABI RISES TO THE TOP AT 59CLUB MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

High-profile venues across the Middle East & Africa recognised for service excellence

in ceremony hosted at The Els Club, Dubai.

The finest golf properties across Middle East & Africa saw their teams descend on the Els Club, Dubai, on Wednesday March 23rd, 2022, with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at the annual 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards.

A day which started with a 9-hole Team Scamble, ended in a glittering awards ceremony as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the region for having achieved the highest standards of sales & customer service excellence across 2021. 

The winners in the 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria over a period of 12 months.

On the night, 59club MEA presented 23 awards, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – Sales, Service, Operations, Retail, Golf course, Food & Beverage and Membership. 

And, for one property, there was special celebration as Yas Links, Abu Dhabi  gained four awards after scooping Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, Golf Operations Team of the Year, Gold Flag Designation and the leading award of the night, the Ultimate Service Excellence Award. Attached picture from left to right: Daniel Wright, Corey Finn, Lee Waggott and Santos Montes.

Speaking of their winning performance, Matt Waters, Group Director of Golf, said; “We are extremely proud of the teams amazing efforts in achieving four superb awards at this year’s 59club Middle East & Africa Awards. We strive to deliver the best possible customer experience at both golf clubs and with the support of Troon and 59club, we have been able to continually improve to deliver some great results. I believe that the awards we have received this year are a true testament to the hard work and commitment from all team members over the past couple of years. Thank you to 59club Middle East & Africa for organising a fantastic awards afternoon and evening to allow all clubs the opportunity to celebrate their successes.”

Other Teams honoured on the night were Saadiyat Beach Golf Club who were awarded Golf Retail Team of the Year, the Els Club, Dubai who claimed Golf Membership Team of the Year and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai having scooped Food and Beverage Team of the Year.. 

While Trump International Golf Club, Dubai repeated their success from last year to receive the My59 Service Excellence Award for their continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform. 

The final awards of the evening and always a highlight of proceedings saw 59club MEA present their Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations. These highly prized accolades recognise properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year. 

This year, 59club MEA presented 9 ‘Gold Flags’, the deserving winners were: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Whilst 6 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf; Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai and 1 ‘Bronze flag’ to Meydan Golf.

Of this year’s awards, Mark Bull, Director at 59club MEA, commented: “ It is always a pleasure to host the industry at our annual service excellence awards and recognise the hard work and commitment of all membership and operations teams in the region. Special thanks to our host venue, The Els Club, Dubai and all of our partners and sponsors on the day. Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, the high levels of service and quality of facilities at all venues is fantastic and we are very proud of the part we play in supporting the industry in measuring and benchmarking to maintain these standards”. 

Full list of 59club MEA ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2022

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Worldwide Golf: The Els Club, Dubai

Golf Retail Team of the Year, sponsored by Luxury Carts Group:  Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Dubai

Food and Beverage Team of the Year, sponsored by African & Eastern:  Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai

Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, sponsored by Delta Turf Care/Toro:  Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Golf Operations Team of the Year, sponsored by Golf Genius:  Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

My 59 Service Excellence, sponsored by Sunset Events Production: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai

Ultimate Service Excellence Award, Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Bronze Flag Designations:

Meydan Golf

Silver Flag Designations: 

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf; Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai

Gold Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

Notes for journalists:

About 59club Middle East and Africa:

59club Middle East and Africa is the market leader in providing bespoke mystery shopper performance measurement programs for the Golf, Leisure, Retail, Spa, Events, F&B and Hotel Industries. Specifically designed to elevate sales and service standards, 59club provides ‘Mystery Shopper Audits’, ‘Customer Satisfaction Surveys’, and ‘Training Services’, empowering venue managers to analyze their entire visitor and member experience, enabling them to set targets, monitor performance and ultimately make informed decisions to advance. Based out of Dubai, Directors, Neal Graham and Mark Bull have over 25 years’ experience in the region, working in the golf and hospitality industries, supporting venues and organizations across 7 countries. 59club operates in four other different regions, UK, Europe, Asia and USA.

For further information on 59club contact:

Mark Bull: mark@59clubmea.com +971 50 538 4841

Neal Graham: neal@59clubmea.com +971 50 553 7989

■ For more information on 59club MEA, visit www.59clubmea.com

Tom Rourke is general manager of Troon Golf’s The Els Club, in Dubai. Here he explains how working with 59club has achieved an unprecedented level of membership at the facility and why he regards 59club as an essential service provider, both now and in the future.

Although I had worked with 59club previously, I hadn’t utilised the membership sales experience audit as I was previously based at a daily fee only facility. Upon joining The Els Club and better understanding the membership structure, I thought the best thing to do would be to have 59club involved with some membership enquiries and mystery shops – to go through that experience to see where enhancements could be made to improve the conversion of our prospective member show rounds.

I met with 59club MEA director Mark Bull who discussed the expectations, the history of the previous membership enquiries from past mystery shoppers at The Els Club, the benchmarking process, audit criteria, and the recommendations to get the most success out of a potential new member or membership enquiry.

Subsequently, I sat down with our membership manager, Thomas Nicolson, and gathered his feedback before we instigated the first membership related mystery shopper enquiry. After receiving the initial audit report, Thomas and I analysed the feedback and established there were quite a few areas where improvements could be made. 

Thomas is a great member of the team and together we very constructively worked our way through the audit feedback; with Mark Bull on hand to provide his insightful recommendations on further measures to advance. 

Thomas took all of the data and feedback within the audit on board, and, worked to improve the membership enquiry process, and the following month, achieved a near perfect show round appointment mystery audit. The process has transformed our membership sales procedures, and, after receiving this great feedback, we started to look at the membership offering and made some additional adjustments.

And it’s really paid dividends. Thomas did a fantastic job: in December we had around 30 new members sign up; in January we had 40 new members; and, in February, another 15 – so it’s been a huge success. Since working with 59club, we’ve had more new members sign up at The Els Club than ever before.

It illustrates that by reviewing the customer journey and the show-round experience, utilising the 59club tools, and doing a refresher of all the Troon Golf operational standards as well, makes a massive difference, even at an incredible property such as The Els Club. We’re delighted with the results.

With 59club, the attention to detail from the tester is incredible and, when you’re able to review recordings of the telephone call, when you’re able to analyse the sales techniques demonstrated, and in other audits the upselling measurements in the golf shop, the photographs and the reports from the agronomy perspective as well, it is hugely valuable detail. 

There was already an agreement in place with 59club when I arrived at The Els Club, but I would be looking to work with them at any facility that I would go to within Troon Golf. It’s an absolute no brainer – the costs you’re looking at for 59club, the detail and information you’re going to receive, and the improvements you can make, mean you’re going to get back that investment 10-fold, with all the enhancements you’re able to identify and implement. 

As a new general manager or department head, there’s great value in reviewing the previous 59club mystery shops, so you start to understand the operation with a different set of eyes. And then to be able to meet with 59club and engage with them and understand what’s happened previously, the feedback that was given, and whether any adjustments were made, is a big help.

I’m also a believer in the integrity test side of the business, especially on the driving range or areas where, maybe, there’s fewer associates, or they’re further away from the main hub of the clubhouse. It’s fundamental for department heads and the GM to study these mystery shops and integrity checks, just to have some eyes on those areas from an experience side and a security perspective.

To be engaged with 59club to monitor your business, make improvements, and for it to complement Troon Golf, is for me, just the minimum standard. After the first couple of mystery visits and the results of the integrity tests, associates begin to see things differently and take call handling, sales processes, and cash handling more seriously.

It’s really been an eye opener for the team – you always get a few shocks, speedbumps and hiccups along the way, but you start to make improvements and the revenues will start increasing. Certainly, using 59club services will only increase revenues, whether that be on membership, green fees, retail, or on the driving range. To receive that detailed feedback helps enormously. 

There is such incredible value in the level of detail in the reports, it’s a set of independent eyes, seeing it through the eyes of the guest, which is so incredibly valuable. Nine times out of 10, you are going to see an increase in revenue, and that is an absolute no brainer.  

The wider business goal for The Els Club is to become more of a country club and engage with the local community. The Els Club will always be, fundamentally, built on an incredible golf course – Ernie Els did a fantastic job with the design.

But we’re currently underway with the construction of two padel tennis courts, a spa, ladies hair salon and a gents’ barber shop, and, because 59club does not just specialise in golf, we will also be engaging with 59club in these areas of the business. 

59club is very much across the whole area of hospitality and the business – which Troon Golf also specialises in – and it will further enhance the guest and member experience, help drive revenues and give the general manager, and his decision makers, and department heads the information they need at their fingertips.

As the flagship facility, all the fantastic standards we have within Troon Golf are at the very highest level at The Els Club. But, with 59club – whether it be SOPs, training, uniform standards, or something else – we’re just going to get additional feedback, which will only further enhance what Troon Golf has in place and ensure it is followed, consistently. We’re already at such a high standard, but it will give more information, data and feedback – and it’s always great to receive. 

We can also utilise other platforms within 59club that might not be on the guest side of things, such as associate training. There’s always something, for example, upselling, that you can never improve enough. If you want to improve the engagement with the guest, improve product knowledge, and the way that information is delivered, 59club is a great partner to guide you through that process and deliver training sessions. Department heads at Troon Golf always do an incredible job, but it’s additional support, and that goes a long way.

Having a 59club division ‘on the ground’ here in the region has made a big difference. I was very fortunate, previously, to do my PGA training with (59club CEO) Simon Wordsworth, and have worked closely with both Mark Reed, Matt Roberts and Andrew Etherington, so I know it’s an incredible team; but, having Neal Graham and Mark Bull on the ground here, is a great addition to the club. They are on hand with recommendations, training, or support, and will pop over at any time.

You don’t ever feel with 59club – unlike some – as if you’re on ‘the meter’; you know you’re calling them over to have a coffee, catch up and go through some feedback. You feel they are a pure partner and that they simply want to enhance the guest journey, and the operation, and genuinely care about The Els Club as a business. Both Mark and Neal have great experience in the region and it just further complements the club.

I feel the 59club team understood our goals from the start; the key part for us is we are all about membership – so we want to hit our full membership cap of 200 members which we’re now very close to achieving. They understood that, and, also, the history of The Els Club: that the number one focus is golf. They looked at how they can assist us and give recommendations, improve that mystery shop and guest journey, so that we could attract more members. Then we looked at the F&B experience, the upselling in the golf shop, the engagement during the experience with the guests, the experience on the golf course – every part of the business. But, number one, was membership and, then, the driving range, just looking to make sure policies and procedures were being followed.

It’s an absolute pleasure to be associated with and work alongside 59club and I’m sure the relationship and support will continue to enhance and complement The Els Club and Troon Golf’s operating and hospitality standards.

This year we were delighted to receive two 59club Service Excellence Awards, in both Golf Retail Team of the Year, and, The Els Club was awarded the highest honour, the Gold Flag Designation, which is credit to the hard work and high standards we all work to achieve. 

I do genuinely respect and value what 59club offers and to see it branching out now all around the world, is wonderful. It’s something golf never had previously, and I just hope everyone else values it as much as we do, and doesn’t see it as an expense line. Properties need to see their products and services as something that provides tangible value; with 59club your guaranteed to improve the overall experience, and ultimately that will make a difference to your profits.

Troon International, a division of Troon, the world’s largest golf management company, has selected 59club to afford its venues full access to their market-leading ‘performance management’ products & services. 

Based from their corporate office in Dubai, Troon International works with clients across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. 

Mark Chapleski, President of Troon International, explained: “Troon International has recognised the benefit 59club products bring to its venues. Existing General Managers and Directors of Golf have embraced the external mystery shopping audits and utilised the feedback to improve the customer experience, develop associates, improve financial performance and help provide valuable data in setting out their long-term goals and objectives.

“This enhanced service will allow each of our properties – outside of the Americas – to utilise 59club’s product portfolio, should they so wish.”

The catalyst for the new agreement was centred around 59club Middle East & Africa’s existing successful support of nine Troon International properties in the Middle East The Els Club, Dubai Hills GC, Address Montgomerie, Arabian Ranches GC, and Meydan Golf, in Dubai; Abu Dhabi GC, Yas Links, and Saadiyat Beach GC, in Abu Dhabi; the Royal GC, in Bahrain and 59club’s long standing relationship in the UK with The  Grove.

These venues already utilise 59club’s wide range of mystery shopping products, including the golf visitor experience; golf membership sales enquiry; group golf enquiry call and integrity audits. They have also adopted the my59 survey platform to measure their member experience; custom-fit service, with 59club delivering onsite staff training which is supported by the recently launched ‘My59 Mentor’ virtual training platform. 

59club MEA director Mark Bull explained: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Troon International on a firmer footing worldwide and, although not mandatory, this allows access to 59club’s full portfolio of products, should the General Managers and Directors of Golf choose to use them.

Troon International venues taking up this opportunity will be provided with a minimum of four mystery shopper audits per year, focussed on both their visitor and member-experience, and will benefit from the additional service & support provided by their local 59club division and the new virtual Mentor training platform.

This partnership will also see Troon International venues eligible for entry into 59club’s Annual Service Excellence Awards, regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf industry, as 59club recognise individuals, teams, venues and management groups for delivering the very best member and guest experiences. 

FINEST SERVICE PROVIDERS HONOURED AT 59CLUB MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS SUPPORTED BY GOLFBREAKS

High-profile venues across the Middle East & Africa recognised for service excellence in glitzy ceremony hosted at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai.

The finest golf properties across the Middle East & Africa saw their teams descend on Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, on Wednesday May 26, 2021, with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at the annual 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards.

A day which started with a 9-hole Team Shamble on The Earth Course, ended in a glittering awards ceremony as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the region for having achieved the highest standards of sales & customer service excellence across 2020/21. 

The winners in the 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria. 

On the night, 59club MEA presented 16 awards, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – Sales, Service, Operations, Retail, Golf course, Food & Beverage and Management. 

And, for one property, there was double celebrations as Abu Dhabi Golf Club saw two of its teams honoured after scooping Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year and Golf Agronomy Team of the Year.  Pictured from left to right: Scott Sellars, Golf Operations Manager of Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Clinton Southorn, Cluster Director of Agronomy.

Speaking of their winning performance, Francisco de Lancastre, Cluster General Manager said; “We are delighted to receive these two awards, as it is a testament to the hard work and effort demonstrated by the team over 2020. Working with 59club MEA throughout the year assists us to monitor customer service data and constantly strive to improve and evolve our renowned service and facility standards”.  

Other Teams honoured on the night were Abu Dhabi City Golf Club who were awarded Food and Beverage Team of the Year, Emirates Golf Club who claimed Golf Operations Team of the Year and The Els Club, Dubai having scooped Golf Retail Team of the Year. 

While Trump International Golf Club, Dubai went on to receive the My59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award for their continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform. 

The final awards of the evening and always a highlight of proceedings saw 59club MEA present their Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold and Silver Flag Designations. These highly prized accolades recognise properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year. 

This year, 59club MEA presented 8 ‘Gold Flags’, the deserving winners were: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Whilst 2 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and The Track, Meydan Golf. 

Of this year’s awards, Mark Bull, Director at 59club MEA, commented: “ It was an honour and privilege to host the first service excellence awards outside of the UK, special thanks to our host venue, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Golfbreaks for their support of the event, as well as all our event partners.  Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, all of whom can be proud of the levels of service provided throughout 2020 and we look forward to continuing to support the industry in driving standards forward.”

59club MEA ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2020/21

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Worldwide Golf: Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Golf Retail Team of the Year, sponsored by Sunset Events:  The Els Club, Dubai

Food and Beverage Team of the Year, sponsored by African & Eastern:  Abu Dhabi City Golf Club

Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, sponsored by Toro/Delta Turf Care:  Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Golf Operations Team of the Year, sponsored by Golf Genius:  Emirates Golf Club

My 59 Ultimate Service Excellence, sponsored by Club Car: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai

Silver Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and The Track, Meydan Golf.

Gold Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas Links Abu Dhabi

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Dubai, UAE: 59club Middle East and Africa is delighted to announce the nominees ahead of its Service ‘Excellence’ Awards Ceremony, as the market-leading performance management specialist continues to honor those responsible for delivering the best customer experiences across golf & hospitality.  

This year’s awards ceremony; supported by Golfbreaks.com and our Event Partners will take place on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at Jumeirah Golf Estates. A 9-hole Texas Scramble competition will proceed the evening’s Gala dinner and Awards presentation. 

The nominees for the Service ‘Excellence’ titles are determined by scores collected from an independent panel of mystery shoppers, utilizing 59club’s unique, non-subjective benchmarking criteria.  Measurements to qualify for these highly recognized industry accolades includes a series of audits that focus on the property’s service levels, sales performance, staff attitude, internal processes and facility standards.

Leading this year’s nominations for these illustrious accolades are Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; and The Els Club, Dubai, who all feature in 3 of the award titles, with Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; and Yas Links, Abu Dhabi all receiving multiple nominations. 

Other venues also nominated for a Service Excellence Award include; Emirates Golf Club; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and The Track, Meydan Golf.

Despite a condensed auditing schedule, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 59club MEA continued to deliver the necessary quota of mystery shopper audits across their affiliate properties, further cementing the shared commitment between 59club and its client properties to realise the very highest levels of customer service across the region.

The night’s proceedings will also see venues honored for their commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across the my59 software platform.

59club’s coveted industry benchmark of excellence – its gold, silver and bronze flag designations will also be awarded on the night to those venues that have delivered the most consistent golf experiences, as 59club MEA continues to recognize properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of service throughout 2020/21. 

Neal Graham, Director of 59club Middle East and Africa commented: “The 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards, recognizes the industry’s most successful venues for delivering the highest levels of customer service and facility standards across the region. 

It’s even more prevalent than in previous years for us to continue honoring great team achievements realized, despite the challenging circumstances we all faced as an industry throughout 2020. And, as customer expectations continue to evolve, the data 59club MEA continues to provide, will assist clubs to shape their service standards moving forward.”

Full list of Nominees: – 

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year:

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

The Els Club, Dubai

Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Golf Retail Team of the Year:

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club

The Els Club, Dubai

The Track, Meydan Golf

My59 Service Excellence  – Ultimate Award:

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Trump International Golf Club, Dubai

Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Food and Beverage Team of the Year:

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club

Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

The Els Club, Dubai

Golf Agronomy Team of the Year:

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Jumeirah Golf Estates

Golf Operations Team of the Year:

Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Emirates Golf Club

Jumeirah Golf Estates

About 59club Middle East and Africa:

59club Middle East and Africa is the market leader in providing bespoke mystery shopper performance measurement programs for the Golf, Leisure, Spa, Events, F&B and Hotel Industries. Specifically designed to elevate sales and service standards, 59club provides ‘Mystery Shopper Audits’, ‘Customer Satisfaction Surveys’, and ‘Training Services’, empowering venue managers to analyze their entire visitor and member experience, enabling them to set targets, monitor performance and ultimately make informed decisions to advance. Based out of Dubai, Directors, Neal Graham and Mark Bull have over 25 years’ experience in the region, working in the golf and hospitality industries, supporting venues and organizations across 7 countries. 59club operates in four other different regions, UK, Europe, Asia and USA.

For further information contact:

Mark Bull: mark@59clubmea.com +971 50 538 4841

Neal Graham: neal@59clubmea.com +971 50 553 7989