Making the career cut

NEW Royal Golf Club general manager Chris Geraghty only took up the sport seriously in his late teens and never looked back, writes Stan Szecowka.

Born in England to Irish parents, he first made his mark on the courses close to his Lancashire home town of Lytham St Annes, famed for its royal golf club, one of the courses in the Open Championship rotation.

His father, taxi proprietor Frank, was an accomplished golfer reaching a 1-handicap in his prime, and used to take him out to hit a few balls at St Anne’s Old Links Golf Club.

“I didn’t really take it seriously until finishing school,” said Geraghty, “but I grew to love the game from the age of 16 and knew I wanted to be in the golf industry. What I love most about the game is the life-lessons it provides – it’s a great ‘leveller’ and will teach you a lot if you let it.”

He enjoyed a successful amateur career, which included representing England and achieving a handicap of +4 before turning professional in 2008 to play on the PGA Euro Pro Tour and European Challenge Tour. He played in and won tournaments as far and wide as England, Ireland, Egypt and Australia.

“Am I missing it? Yes and no,” he admitted. “Of course it would have been very nice to make it out on tour like some of my friends have done. However, I am also very grateful that I’ve been able to develop a career within the golf and hospitality industry as that’s what I love.

“A lot of people who don’t break through on Tour can end up working jobs they don’t like, so I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had.”

As well as playing in Egypt he carved up a successful career rising to director of golf and head golf professional at the Stella Di Mare Golf & Country Club, which has three hotels on site, before moving to Cairo.

In addition, he became proficient in speaking the local lingo. “Certainly the Arabic-speaking helps and I look forward to learning the Khaleeji dialect as well,” he said. “One thing that Egypt has taught me is how to deal with lots of different types of people from different walks of life, different nationalities and from different backgrounds, which really prepares you for a multi-cultural country such as Bahrain. I have a lot to thank Egypt for and am very grateful for the time I have been lucky enough to spend there, almost nine years.”

When he touches down in the kingdom on Tuesday, it will not be his first time. Geraghty first visited Bahrain back in 2010 to play in the King Hamad Trophy tournament at the RGC and he ‘loved the place’, adding: “I was surprised by the quality of the facility and really enjoyed my experience of Bahrain. One thing I love about the Middle East is the collectivist culture here and how everybody does what they can to help and support each other with their initiatives and ideas.

“I’m looking forward to getting on the ground and building relationships with the membership as well as within the local community and sharing my passion for golf. We will be building upon the club’s success, looking at ways to add value through the unique initiatives offered by Troon rather than implementing radical changes.

“I’m a strong believer that the game needs to speed-up. As busy professionals we’re all ‘time-poor’ and the thought of a five-hour round can deter many people from playing the game, sometimes me included. This is where Troon has got it right with their ‘Troon Values Your Time’ initiative which helps facilities establish their own Time Par. I think it can only be positive for all golfers if we can keep the game speedy and enjoyable.”

He knows the ‘hottest question’ in golf right now is how to attract more players. “My opinion is that sustainable plans to get children into golf at a young age and focus on retaining them is key for the future of the game and the future of golf clubs,” he said, and the company has global action plans to address the issue of ‘growing the game’.

Programmes such as Troon Family Golf which attract the entire family and junior teaching through initiatives by the professionals at RGC are all aimed at actively engaging the next generation of golfers.

“The Wee-Monty course is the perfect tool to teach, guide and provide young golfers with the skills and experience and, I believe, relationships with schools to see golf activities incorporated in PE curriculums will open up the game, leading to the success and sustainability of the sport in the future,” Geraghty added.

FootGolf has been one initiative introduced, although highly popular with many in Bahrain, some golfers have shunned the move in Bahrain, with one group even banning its members from participating.

Geraghty is a firm supporter and has top level backing for his stand. “It’s an interesting idea and a great way to attract a younger golfer and a different market segment to the facility which otherwise might be difficult to attract,” he believes. “The game of golf is transitioning with lots of initiatives that encourage fun, something Troon’s chairman and CEO Dana Garmany believes is essential for the progression of the game. So initiatives like FootGolf which make the golf course more accessible to a wider audience can only be a good thing.”

The RGC is, of course, more than a couple of golf courses and boasts many restaurants and other facilities. “I think we need to position the outlets well within the local community and also observe what is needed or wanted in the area,” he said. “It’s great that the club has multiple outlets, and each of these has a different selling point which can attract a huge variety of customers. Also I see the club has done a lot of positive things recently with the introduction of The Bahrain Jazz Festival and staging some other large-scale events, which offer fantastic exposure.

“On some initial visits to the club I was able to get an understanding of the outlets and what’s on offer. Both food quality and service level are high and so I will be looking at how we can take this further to offer guests an experience every time they dine. I believe this experience is what sets us apart and ensures we become a dining destination at the forefront of the community.”

There is no hotel on site at Riffa Views despite on and off rumours that one was going to be built on land next to the course. However, with new properties opening and more to come in an expanding tourism sector, opportunities beckon.

“I come from a hotel background and would like to look at ways to build partnerships with local hotels,” said Geraghty. “I think brand assimilation and co-operation with hotel properties can only be of mutual benefit in terms of providing more facilities to our members, partners and guests of the hotels and allows us to offer international guests great golf holiday experiences.”

Geraghty succeeds American Stephen Havrilla who has moved within Troon to Malaysia to become Group GM of The Els Club Teluk Datai and The Els Club Desaru Coast Ocean & Valley courses.