Head Professional, Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club

THE HEAD PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY AT ROYAL ASHDOWN FOREST GOLF CLUB

Reporting to the General Manager, the Head Professional will lead the Club’s transition to an in‑house golf operation, overseeing retail, golf operations and coaching. They will ensure smooth day‑to‑day operations across both courses, maintain a welcoming, member‑focused professional shop, and deliver engaging coaching that encourages participation at all levels. Approachable, supportive, and commercially aware, the Head Professional will lead and develop the golf team while working closely with the General Manager to create a warm, professional, and seamless golf experience that reflects the Club’s commitment to its members.

Founded in 1888, Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club is a traditional members’ golf club set in the heart of the Ashdown Forest. The club’s 130‑year history is marked by its classic heathland layout, with both courses remaining entirely natural. The Old Course is currently rated (2025) in the Golf World Top 100 Golf Courses in GB&I.

Royal Ashdown Forest offers two superb golf courses, retaining their natural contours and views. The club has a rich provenance, with links to historic figures such as the Duke of Windsor and Bobby Locke.

• Stock purchasing, control, merchandising, EPOS management, custom fitting services, club repairs, and monitoring retail KPIs.
• Maintaining profitable stock levels, forward ordering, and promoting strong product knowledge and a positive sales culture within the team.
• Managing the retail budget, monitoring stock and cash flow, providing operational and financial reports, and identifying opportunities to improve revenue and margins.
• Managing tee sheets, daily play operations, competitions, tournaments, and society/group golf events.
• Coordinating golf activity with other departments and maintaining high standards across the practice range, buggy fleet, and facilities.
• Delivering high‑quality individual and group coaching, structured programmes, the Club Golf Academy, and junior/beginner participation initiatives.
• Supporting membership engagement through coaching events, demo days, custom fitting, and player development sessions.
• Directly managing assistant professionals and shop/operations staff, preparing rotas, delivering training, and conducting performance reviews.
• Building and maintaining a professional, service‑driven culture, ensuring exceptional member service and alignment with service expectations.
• Ensuring safe working practices, compliance with Club policies and SOPs, and reporting maintenance or safety concerns.
• Reporting directly to the General Manager, delivering operational excellence, and collaborating on membership engagement, commercial initiatives, budget planning, and overall golf operation standards.

• Proven experience managing golf operations and retail within a premium private club or resort setting, with a strong track record of retail profitability and stock management.
• PGA qualified with a passion for coaching golfers of all levels, and experience delivering structured coaching programmes.
• Strong knowledge of competition management, the Rules of Golf, and high golf IQ with a deep understanding of the game, operations, and current industry trends.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire teams, with excellent leadership, emotional intelligence, and stakeholder management skills.
• Operational leadership with strong commercial awareness, organisational discipline, and attention to detail.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with a confident, visible presence and a service‑oriented mindset.
• Professional presentation, conduct, and the ability to maintain the highest standards of member experience.
• Experienced in using golf club management systems and modern retail/POS software.
• Flexible, proactive, and collaborative approach to working as part of a senior leadership team.

The successful candidate must hold a PGA qualification with Advanced or higher status being desirable and remain an active golfer. Preferably, ongoing professional…