Author: Sam Hughes

The nominees for 59club’s Australia and New Zealand Inaugural Service Excellence Awards have today been announced, with many of the Leading Golf Venues across Australia making the shortlist. The winners will be unveiled during the awards ceremony, at Emporium Hotel in the Signature Restaurant on Sunday 16^th June 2024 – the first ceremony of its kind to be hosted in Australia.

59club’s prestigious accolades honour outstanding Venues, Teams, and Individuals in the global golf & hospitality industry who consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences for members and guests.

The selection process remains unbiased, relying on scores attained through an in-depth and objective mystery shopping program. This program meticulously evaluates the experiences provided to members, visitors, and potential members across Golf, Greenkeeping, Retail, and F&B operations.

This year sees several of the finest Member Clubs, Resorts and Public courses in Australia securing multiple nominations. Notably, the ranked New South Wales Golf Club on the La Peruse Peninsula and the 2023 host of The Australian Open, The Lakes Golf Club lead the pack with eight & seven nominations respectively.

The nominations list also includes the likes of: Glenelg Golf Club, Sandhurst Club, Portsea Golf Club, Oatlands Golf Club, Centenary Park Golf Club, Collier Park Golf Club and Moore Park Golf Club, all contending for service excellence awards.

Additionally, this year’s awards will showcase the best individual moments of service across the customer journey.

The first every awards in Australia to recognise the best of the best in customer service excellence is supported by 59club’s Industry Partners – Golf Genius and Turtleson. The Bronze, Silver and Gold Flags are awarded to the venues that have demonstrated distinction against criteria for both customer service delivery and the quality of their facilities.

Looking ahead to the first ceremony to be held in Australia, founder of 59club, Simon Wordsworth expressed his excitement, stating:

We are delighted that after our first successful year in Australia we are able offer the “down under” version of our Service Excellence Awards.

Australia hosts a diverse range of fantastic venues that span all corners of the country from private member’s club to resort and full public, and our mystery shopping over the last year has measured their successes. It is only right that those high-performing venues are given their moment in the spotlight at our awards ceremony. We feel privileged to be able to share in their success and look forward to supporting them further to achieve their goals in the future.

Simon Wordsworth, CEO of 59club

59CLUB AUTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order): 

Food & Beverage Manager of the Year:  

Anna Fontaine (Glenelg Golf Club); Victoria Trikillis (New South Wales Golf Club); Jade Henderson (The Lakes Golf Club);

Retail Manager of the Year: 

Craig Stickling (New South Wales Golf Club); Brodie Wool (Centenary Park Golf Club); Russell Skennerton (The Lakes Golf Club)

Superintendent of the Year (under $120): 

Sally Benwell (Centenary Park Golf Club); Peter Beach (Collier Park Golf Club); Corey Budden (Sandhurst Club)

Superintendent of the Year (over $120): 

Mark Parker (New South Wales Golf Club); Dominic Yates (Oatlands Golf Club) Anthony Mills (The Lakes Golf Club);

Golf Operations Team of the Year:  

Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club

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59CLUB AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS – Leading Individual Experience (in alphabetical order): 

Leading Individual Food & Beverage Experience:  

Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club

Leading Individual Retail Experience:  

Centenary Park Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; Portsea Golf Club

Leading Individual Golf Operations Team:  

Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club

Leading Individual Golf Visit Experience (under $120):  

Collier Park Golf Club; Moore Park Golf Club; Sandhurst Golf Club

Leading Individual Golf Visit Experience (over $120):  

Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club

59club Australia & New Zealand, a leading customer service benchmarking and training provider in the golf and leisure industry, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with Clublinks, a premier management and consulting company specialising in public golf, leisure, and hospitality sectors. 

This partnership brings together two industry leaders, combining their expertise and resources to deliver exceptional customer service and operational excellence to golf and leisure facilities across Australia and New Zealand. By leveraging 59club’s proven benchmarking and training programs alongside Clublinks’ extensive experience in management and consulting, the collaboration aims to elevate the performance and profitability of clubs and resorts in the region. 

59club’s innovative benchmarking tools, which include mystery shopper audits and customer satisfaction surveys, will enable clubs and resorts to gain valuable insights into their customers’ experiences. Through detailed analysis and customised training programs, 59club will work closely with Clublinks to enhance staff performance, improve service levels, and drive customer loyalty.

Clublinks’ vast network and industry knowledge will be instrumental in expanding the reach of 59club’s services across the Australian and New Zealand markets. As a leading management company, Clublinks brings a wealth of operational expertise, strategic insights, and industry best practices to the partnership, ensuring public access golf and leisure facilities receive comprehensive support in all aspects of their operations. 

“We are delighted to join forces with Clublinks, a respected leader in the golf and leisure industry,” said Sam Hughes, General Manager of 59club Australia & New Zealand. “This strategic partnership allows us to combine our unique strengths and deliver unparalleled customer service and operational excellence to our clients. We are confident that our collaboration will empower clubs and resorts to elevate their performance, drive revenue growth, and exceed customer expectations.” 

Steve Peverett, NSW State Manager of Clublinks, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “At Clublinks, we are dedicated to providing exceptional management solutions to our clients. Our collaboration with 59club Australia & New Zealand aligns perfectly with our mission, as we strive to enhance customer experiences and drive sustainable growth. Together, we will set new benchmarks for excellence in the industry and help golf and leisure facilities achieve their goals.” 

The partnership between 59club Australia & New Zealand and Clublinks marks an exciting chapter in the golf and leisure industry, where customer service and operational efficiency are paramount. Both organizations are committed to transforming the industry landscape by delivering measurable results and raising the bar for customer satisfaction. 

For more information about 59club Australia & New Zealand and Clublinks, please visit their respective websites at www.59clubau-nz.com and www.clublinks.com.au. 

John Burbergs, General Manager of Portsea Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula, is one of the latest Club Managers to engage 59club, sharing the common goal of wanting to deliver the very best service levels and customer encounters for their members and visitors. 

59club opened it’s doors to golf clubs & hospitality providers across Australia & New Zealand at the tail end of 2022; and after a successful round of trial mystery shopper audits – Portsea Golf Club is the latest club, and the first located in Victoria to officially partner with the customer service specilaists.  

As part of the agreement, the golf club; including the Mercure Hotel will now benefit from the continual support and regular feedback that 59club will deliver on all elements of its golf & hospitality operation – including the properties sales process, service offering and facility management.  

With a series of mystery shopper audits which include recorded enquiry calls and live visits from 59club auditors, used to evaluate the experience afforded to customers, all in accordance with 59club’s global ‘objective’ criteria and benchmarking comparison tools.  

The popular holiday destination – which ranks inside Australia’s top 50 – is located less than two hours drive from Melbourne. Adding to the alure of the destination, Portsea Golf Club is also home to the Mercure Portsea Hotel, boasting panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay, catering for upmarket tourists as well as corporate events, meetings and weddings. 

59club’s vision, expertise and universal intel currently supports hundreds of golf clubs, resorts and companies worldwide, with leading names such as TPC Network, Marriott Golf, Troon International, European Tour Destinations, TPC Sawgrass, Emirates Golf Club, New South Wales Golf Club, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Gleneagles, Le Golf National and Marco Simone, all engaged in the network and reaping the rewards of elevated customer service levels & sales performance.  

John Burbergs, General Manager at Portsea, said: “Portsea Golf Club is proud of its team and is striving towards offering the best golfing experience on the Mornington Peninsula, and we’re always looking at ways that we can improve the experience we afford our members and guests. 

 “We have been very impressed with the range of services that 59club provides, and this knowledge will give us invaluable insight and understanding to help us engage even better with golfers, helping us to analyse each part of our operation in detail, and the process will identify areas that require our focus”.  

Sam Hughes, General Manager of 59club Australia & New Zealand, commented: “The partnership between 59club and Portsea comes at a perfect time as the Club approaches its 100-year anniversary in 2026. We are eager to support John and the team to deliver a service level that not only compliments the quality of the golf course and facilities, but also rivals the best in the 59club global community.” 

For more information on 59club Australia & New Zealand please visit www.59clubau-nz.com or email sam@59clubau-nz.com 

For more information on Portsea Golf Club and to book, visit www.portseagolf.com.au