Mike Hadley tells it like it is for Christchurch Golf Club

Mike Hadley tells it like it is for Christchurch Golf Club

By Neville Idour

A recent visit to the iconic and much revered, and for good reason, Christchurch Golf Club at Shirley Links proved to be most rewarding.

We were welcomed warmly by general manager Mike Hadley, who happily gave us a full and wide ranging update on happenings at the club, especially since the almost complete rebirth of the golf course and facilities since the earthquakes of 2011.

Firstly, though, we asked Hadley about his own background and lead in to his current position.

“I have a marketing background. I was born in Christchurch. I have worked in Wellington and I was New Zealand manager for Adidas when I lived in Auckland. I had a tertiary education business with franchises throughout New Zealand.

``I have been a member of this club for 25 plus years. I had the opportunity to become temporary manager for a while. It then became permanent and I have been here now for seven years. So I kind of found myself by accident in this role.”

Hadley then explained some of the changes at the golf course.

“We have done a lot of things I’m proud of. We have redeveloped two holes. The trees were a big issue. We sold some land for a housing subdivision. That money has enabled us to completely develop our implement shed and new pathways. Most of our energy has gone into the course. One of the things that comes out all the time is our members say the course comes first, second and third. So our real focus is making sure we have the best course.”

He seems to enjoy his role we suggest.

“It is challenging. The major challenge is not actually managing the golf, but the business of golf. The challenge is 600 or 700 different members. We don’t try to keep them happy. What we try to do is explain to the members what we are trying to do. We have a strategic plan but our members have very strong opinions about what they think the golf should look like and the experience. So we have to manage those interactions with our members.

“Sixty percent of our members are baby boomers so the average age is 62, which is similar nationwide. Aged between 71 and 79 represents 30 percent of our membership. So the big news for us is what are we going to do about membership?

``So we are now moving towards a much greater reliance on green fee income. The younger guys are not necessarily interested in being a member. There are something like 32 courses in Canterbury. On a Sunday they can get up, see who has the best price and play with their mates.

“So golf clubs are no longer about competitions. Championships are no longer a big deal. People come to play with their friends or group not with someone they don’t know — play different courses with their friends. So the membership model is going to come under pressure.’'

Hadley then suggests bowling clubs are exactly the same.

“On a Saturday some bowling clubs are closed for members because they run corporate tournaments on Saturday for working people. Young people who pay a fee then go to the bar and spend on food and refreshments. So it is more profitable to have non members playing on a Saturday. Imagine if I told our members they can’t play on Saturday.”

I suggest there would be a riot. Hadley agreed.

“So we have introduced dynamic pricing for off peak times. For example on a Monday which would normally be very quiet we have a $49 green fee and it isn’t quiet now.”

The significant green fee income is then augmented by the 19th hole clubhouse spending. Golf is an expensive business for clubs. Hadley says even with men’s subscriptions of $3500 they have to augment them in various ways.

“Our costs have gone up enormously. A lot of our members travel so they know what good looks like. People come here, they want good but aren’t prepared to pay for it. Go to Australia and at Royal Queensland the subs are $A6000. So you have to pay for what you want, but you don’t want to pay for it.

“The only way for us to overcome that is to have more green fee players, so what we are doing and it is controversial, is off peak pricing. For example before 8.30am or after 1.30pm are off peak times and will offer off peak prices. We had a group of 50 people from Opunake (in Taranaki) turn up in a bus on a Monday to pay their $49. They loved it and spent up at the bar afterwards.”

We then turn attention to the member experience. Members are effectively a stakeholder, they own the club.

Hadley continues “Some members think they are a customer in that they turn up, we provide a service and they go home. They don’t do any volunteer work. It’s I pay you, I want this, I’m your customer. My view is, no you’re not, you are a member. What we do here is, what’s good for the golf club will be good for the members, not the other way round. If we focus on doing what members want, the golf club will decline. They will all want something different and beyond the club’s means. But if we do what is right for the golf club then the members will benefit.

“People get confused about the difference from being a customer or a member. If you are a customer you ask for things. My answer is don’t ask. We will provide you a product based on what we can afford to provide and that is what you get. We will provide for everybody, not individuals.”

What is very clear is Hadley and his team are doing just that and doing it very well. There is no question that taking the course back to its roots as a links course has been a revelation and the addition of the state of the art clubhouse, complete with the Sir Bob Charles galleries, places the club in the top echelon in New Zealand.