The Troon LEADer Program, an industry-leading 12-month curriculum that aims to guide, inspire and coach the next generation of leaders, recently launched its Class of 2023 with 30 participants from 10 countries and 30 Troon-managed facilities. Countries represented in the Troon LEADer Program’s Class of 2023 include the United States, England, Egypt, India, Czech Republic, Australia, Bahrain, UAE, Cambodia and Scotland. Troon associates from facilities throughout the Troon brand portfolio (including Troon Golf, Troon Privé, and Indigo Sports) have the opportunity to grow through the LEADer Program.
LEAD, which stands for “Lead, Educate, Assess, Develop,” launched in 2010, with its first graduating class in 2011. The Program prepares future leaders for high-level roles within the golf industry by combining hands-on learning, interactive webinars, and individual coaching. Since 2011, 150 Troon associates (including international and domestic) have graduated from the program and have each participated in over 400 hours of course time over the 12-month program. LEADer Program participants, for example, learn how to operate a mower and mow greens, work in a professional kitchen and prepare menu items, develop marketing materials, and more. They also complete one-on-one leadership coaching calls to grow their strengths and leadership style, take online courses, and network with Troon corporate experts from all over the world.
In the past five years more than 40 leaders have been promoted after completing the program, with 30-plus placed into general manager positions. The 2021/2022 program culminated on April 30, 2022, with the 2022/2023 program having started in late May. Those who have graduated from the Troon LEADer Program speak highly of the experiences, development and knowledge it has afforded them.
Lindsay Maurer, General Manager of Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi, Utah graduated from the program in 2020. “Over the course of the year, I received countless hours of one-on-one time with a personal leadership coach, several subject matter experts and an extremely accomplished mentor. Having the opportunity to learn from the very best of the best in our industry was absolutely priceless. The overall curriculum was intensive and relevant. Not only did I learn how to intentionally utilize my own strengths and leadership skills on a daily basis, I also learned how to help inspire the same growth in others and strategically build effective, ‘rock-star’ teams. The LEADer program helped set me up for long-term success as a general manager and in future roles as well. I graduated with exponentially more knowledge, in-depth, hands-on experience in every department, and confidence. This was yet another example of Troon providing me with the exact right resources at the exact right time, something the company has done my entire 9.5-year career with the company.”
Franco Botha, currently Director of Golf Operations at Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, graduated from the Troon LEADer Program in 2016. “In 2015 I was fortunate enough to be put forward for the LEADer Program while working at The Els Club, Dubai. The initial workload seemed overwhelming but I would say my key take-away from this experience was how open and willing others in the Troon network were to support in any way, shape or form.”
Adam Dutson, Cluster Director of Golf at Emaar Hospitality Group in the UAE, graduated from the LEADer program in 2020. “Troon now has more than 27,000 associates around the world, so to complete the program and join a very exclusive club of 150 Troon LEADers is a real honour. I watched my first Director of Golf, Karl Whitehead, complete the program in 2014 and always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
Javier Farran, Golf Course Superintendent at Prestige Golfshire Club in Bangalore, India graduated from the program in April 2022 and commented: “I really liked the rotation in other departments as it gives you a holistic idea of the business. It touches everything involved with a golf course, Troon and Troon standards. The LEADer Programme has given me the opportunity to get to know how a club works as a whole, to understand things outside of my area which is agronomy and, most importantly, it has helped me learn my strengths and showed me how I can be a better leader to lead within Troon in the future.”
Zakary Hastings, Golf Operations Manager at Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club in Queensland, Australia also recently graduated from the Troon LEADer program and explained how it has improved his overall skillset: “The program gave me the necessary knowledge in order to manage a golf club. Troon is a global leader in management and learning their practices has helped me develop myself further and is something which I hope I have passed onto my team. Although I have worked in the golf industry for over five years, the LEADer Program has given me more hands-on experience in the other facets of a golf club needed to excel. Learning more about accounting, F&B management as well as kitchen preparation and costing has been interesting and enjoyable.”
Devin Lowe, Director of Club Operations at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona also graduated from the LEADer Program in 2020. “I am grateful to have completed the 2020 LEADer Program and thank Brady Wilson for my nomination into the program. The LEADer program embodies the attention to detail and excellence Dana Garmany strived for when he created the company. It is important to keep these standards at all of our properties as we continue to grow globally as the world leader in hospitality management. This program helped me sharpen my leadership philosophy, while also bringing me back to my roots with the department rotations since I started in the golf industry 18 years ago working in a cart barn in Ohio. I look forward to my next step with the company and am excited to nominate my first, of many hopefully, associates for the program.”
To learn more about both Troon and the Troon LEADer program, visit www.troon.com.
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