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MICHAEL Braidwood, one of golf's leading figures in Bahrain, is leaving his position as general manager of the Royal Golf Club and returning to Scotland.
Rumours have been rife that there would be changes within the Riffa Views-based operation in recent months although it was thought Braidwood would continue in a part-time capacity within the organisation.
But this week it was confirmed that he was severing all links with the kingdom's first signature golf course and would be going before the end of this month to rejoin his wife Judy and two children, former St Christopher's School pupils, Ben, 10, and Hannah, nine, who have already moved back to Fife.
Braidwood, 39, said: "My wife and I decided earlier on this year that we would make the move back home as soon as I felt that the Royal Golf Club was well on track operationally.
"That time has now arrived and I have every confidence in the strong executive team continuing the great work they have produced since we opened in January. The board of directors of the Bahrain International Golf Company, the club's parent company, will continue to provide overall strategic and financial guidance.
"I haven't finalised what is next but there are several interesting business opportunities that I will be exploring.
"For now, I'm just planning on enjoying the festive season with my family and putting my feet up for a while. I have been in Bahrain since 1998 and the past few years of closing down the Riffa Golf Club, overseeing the construction of the new Royal Golf Club and the grand opening of it, has been somewhat tiring to say the least!"
Braidwood told GulfWeekly that he had fond memories of his time in Bahrain, believes he has played a part in the growth of the sport on the island ... but still leaves with a few regrets.
He said: "I have a huge number of very fond memories from my time here and feel very proud of all that we've achieved as a team, both with the former Riffa club and now at the Royal Golf Club.
"The switching on of our floodlights in 2002 was one of my personal unrivalled memories - to bring 'Night Golf to Bahrain' for the first time was a huge achievement and it was a spectacular display to see the course lit up.
"I also feel proud of the two European Seniors Tour Championships that we hosted in 2005 and 2006. There was a great buzz around the club during those events.
"The spectacular growth of the sport amongst Bahraini youngsters is also something that I think everyone at the club can feel proud of.
"The dedication of our PGA teaching team at the Royal Golf Academy has been instrumental in making golf a very accessible sport to local children and hopefully some of them will go on to represent their country on the global golf scene in future.
"My only real regret is that I was unable to secure a full European Tour event for Bahrain before I left for good.
"It would be a fantastic way to really put Bahrain on the sporting map as well as being great for tourism. It hasn't happened yet but I'm sure the executive team will continue to try and make it a reality in the not too distant future.
"From a physical standpoint, the club house and golf academy are now complete. The golf course is maturing beautifully. We recently hosted the Gulf Air PGA Pro Captain's Challenge and international referee Ian Taylor was one of the participants. He said that the course was of superb quality and the staff and facilities were of superior international standard.
"It's easy to forget how good the golf course is if you don't get to compare it with other international courses very often!
"From a membership point of view we are very happy with the number of golfers taking up membership since we officially opened on January 1 and renewals for 2010 have also been very strong.
"I believe the club will continue to see growth in both the membership and visitor golf sectors into the foreseeable future."
He officially leaves office on December 17 and Susan Stevenson, currently director of HR will be taking over as acting GM, leading the executive management team which consists of Pennie Nixon - director of sales & marketing, Phil Jones - director of golf, Mark Hooker - director of agronomy, Rajeev Nair - head of finance. The chairman of the BIGC Board, the club's parent company, is Shaikh Rashid bin Khalid Al Khalifa.
Stevenson said: "Michael has played a vital role in growing the game of golf in Bahrain and will be greatly missed. Every member of the Royal Golf Club team looks forward to continuing his work in ensuring that the club is indeed the premier leisure destination of choice in Bahrain."
It is not known how long 'acting' will remain in Susan Stevenson's title as a club spokesman told GulfWeekly there were "no" plans to advertise for a new general manager in the New Year and that "the executive management team is in place".
Braidwood is confident that the club can continue to progress. Early criticism from some players that the course was 'too difficult' appear to have been ironed out with a few minor changes and as soon as building work is completed on the residential estates surrounding it, the course should become a magnet for more local players and tourists too.
"The Royal Golf Club has a very strong executive management team that will continue to drive the organisation forward," he said. "The team is comprised of people with an extensive range of skills giving the company the benefit of both golf professionals and business experts from various fields.
"I have every faith that their skills will take the Royal Golf Club to the next level in service and product delivery.
"As a company we have recognised that we must nurture our Bahraini employees to become the leaders of tomorrow. We will continue to invest in career and skills development in this area.
"The executive management team will continue working towards the company's long-term strategic plan to ensure that the team as a whole realises the vision of being regarded as the premier leisure destination of choice in Bahrain.
"I leave the Royal Golf Club with many fond memories and know that it is left in extremely capable hands."
