INFORMATION BRIEF No. 134 | Sep 2025

By Alistair Collier | The Business of Golf Magazine

Dear Club Manager, Director of Golf, Course Superintendent,

FEEDBACK ON THE CMASA CONFERENCE – THE GOLDEN THREAD – ESG

The CMASA Conference held at Steyn City, Johannesburg on 25 and 26 August 2025, saw 136 club managers and heads of department, and 24 CMASA partners in attendance.

The programme included presentations from 12 fantastic speakers, and several CMASA members participated in panel discussions, while, for the fifth year in a row, the “Good Things Guy”, Brent Lindeque was the MC for the conference.

The proceedings commenced with opening remarks from the outgoing chairperson of CMASA – Francois Swart – who wrote that “this year’s conference is, as always, more than just a gathering, it is a chance to reset, refocus, and be re-inspired”.

Personally, I found that the conference was indeed a great opportunity, as Swart put it, to “learn, share, challenge and laugh”, and it was also a re-affirmation of the importance of sustainable golf, and or the sustainable development of golf.

I felt that the golden thread, running through the whole conference, was the issue of sustainability and its three pillars – environment (“E”), social responsibility (“S”) and good governance and financial sustainability (“G”).

In addition, it was also a learning experience, through its identifying the several action items (which will be discussed below), which club managers could take away from the conference.

ENVIRONMENT (“E”)

A few speakers, such as Jerry Steyn, Craig Corbett, Louis Destroo and Andre Coetzee, touched on the environmental pillar of sustainability, and in general, “E” focuses on the steps a golf club can take to minimise its impact on the environment, from the delivery of its products and services, to the supply chain and its operations.

Within this focus, it can also implement more sustainable and ethical practices by, for example: reducing energy usage; reducing carbon emissions; reducing waste and encouraging recycling; managing water usage and turf management practices.

From an “E” perspective, the panel discussion on the GM, Director of Golf, and greenkeeping team relationships, entitled “Chase the Ace”, was chaired by the CMASA chairperson, who as joined by the panellists: Paul Stoner – GM of Clovelly Golf Club, Louis Destroo – Director of Golf at Stellenbosch Golf Club, Jerry Steyn Course Superintendent from Royal Johannesburg, and Craig Corbett of Matkovitch Golf.

The panel dealt with several issues and themes, with the central take away being the role of the course superintendent / green keeper.

Other themes included balancing member expectations and operational challenges; common friction points and creative solutions, wherein some examples included issues like early tee times and player build up leading to friction with starters and course marshals; communication and relationship building; balancing course conditions and financial goals; education and communication with members; planning and scheduling for course maintenance; budgeting and equipment management; technology and innovation in course maintenance.

As regards some of the action items that came out of the panel discussion, as well as questions and discussion from the floor, management were tasked to:

strengthen communication channels, to ensure information flows effectively from the greenkeeping team to club management, and vice versa
create educational content (e.g. video on “The Life of a Divot”) to help members more fully understand course maintenance needs
establish a clear vision, mission, and operational values that align all staff towards common goals
explore opportunities for greenkeeping staff, and club management, to have more informal, face-to-face interactions to improve mutual understanding
invite greenkeeping committee members to join discussions and to provide input, while maintaining clear boundaries for them around day-to-day operations

From an “E” perspective energy management is always an important issue, and Andre Coetzee, EPC Professional & Energy Systems specialist spoke on “lights on, costs down”.

The themes he dealt with included, understanding solar energy potential; introduction to solar systems; technological advancements and practical considerations; regional differences and energy zones; real-world examples and cost-benefit analysis; battery banks and load shedding solutions; financing and maintenance options; expansion and monitoring of existing systems.

In dealing with action items, Andre emphasised the huge potential of solar energy, and its ability to power all industries and households, and he suggested that clubs;

conduct a system health check on any existing solar installation
install a dedicated meter to monitor the performance of the existing solar system
explore options for expanding the solar system, including grid-tied and hybrid solutions

Interestingly, social responsibility, which is central in the acronym “ESG”, and this pillar of sustainability attracted the most speaker input throughout the conference, and the speakers on this sustainability pillar included; Roger Collins, Kath Tucker, Rob Arnold, Shradha Gang, Remy Kloos and Steven Kitshoff.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (“S”)

The “S” is all about how a golf club can impact its members, consumers, employees, and wider society in a positive way.

This is achieved by implementing fair and ethical business practices, for example promoting equality in the workplace; promoting safety and wellbeing; investing in the wider community.

Roger Collins, a motivational speaker and passionate corporate educator and leadership trainer, presented a talk on “Cracking the generation code”.

The themes he discussed included reference to Meatloaf’s song “I Would Do Anything for Love” (but I wouldn’t do that), and its mysterious lyrics, which the song’s writer, Jim Steinman, initially thought people would not understand; generational theory and attention spans; changing perceptions of generations; the impact of technology on youth; generational shift and workplace reckoning; understanding the modern world; the role of technology in shaping youth; feedback and generational differences; job market challenges and youth values; teaching methods and relevance; radical factors in the workplace; generational change and deep-rooted reform; the appetite for wonder and future generations.

In dealing with action items Roger highlighted the generational shift in values, with younger individuals prioritising fairness, flexibility, ownership, recognition, financial security, clear career paths, and ethical leadership. The action items for club managers as employers challenged them to:

reflect on the changing needs and expectations of the current generation
explore ways to foster a workplace culture, which aligns with the values of the current generation
provide more feedback and opportunities for the current generation
have conversations with the younger generation, to help better understand their needs and perspectives
provide more ‘guardrails’, and support for the younger generation to help them succeed
consider the potential impact of Generation Alpha, who are following on Generation Z
embrace the changes brought by the younger generation, and work to create a better work environment for all.

An interactive session was facilitated by Kath Tucker, an executive coach and strength-based leadership expert representing Clifton Strengths.

In advance of the conference, attendees were invited to complete a questionnaire, which analysed individual strengths.

The discussion emphasised the importance of strengths-based leadership, focusing on personal strengths rather than weaknesses.

It highlighted the Clifton Strengths Assessment, which identifies 34 talent themes, with nearly 34 million possible combinations of the top five themes.

Kath shared personal experiences, noting that understanding and leveraging strengths can significantly improve leadership and team dynamics.

The themes that were discussed included an introduction to Clifton Strengths Assessment, which is a tool used for 50 years to understand individual strengths.

Also discussed was the concept of Clifton Strengths, describing it as a unique combination of talents that set individuals apart and this discussion included:

discussing personal experiences with Clifton Strengths such as a personal story about using the Clifton Strengths Assessment to understand and improve relationships
the impact of understanding strengths on leadership and team dynamics, leading to better placement and success
balancing strengths and weaknesses and the concept of overplaying strengths, which can lead to self-doubt and difficulties
the importance of understanding and managing strengths to avoid capsizing under pressure
the practical application of strengths and encouraging participants to focus on their top five strengths and understand how they can use them in daily activities,
emphasis on the importance of being the best version of oneself, not striving for perfection, but focusing on strengths

The action items Kath left with the participants were:

for each person to reflect on their own top 5 Clifton Strengths, and identify the one that feels most energising
to identify the Clifton Strength that one suspects that one is only using minimally, or haven’t planned to use and discuss
for managers to consider that in the eyes of the club members, the club’s brand is inextricably linked with its staff, and which therefore makes each staff member the physical embodiment of the club’s brand promise, as they interact with the members at any given moment

Rob Arnold is the founder of RCA Consult, with expertise in neuroscience and psychology, and helping organisations to understand how human behavoiur, emotions and decision-making shape guest experiences.

His presentation was entitled “The Neuro-Hospitality Advantage: Understanding the brain to delight the guest”.

Some of the themes Rob dealt with included:

exercise in acknowledgement and discussing the brain chemicals dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin, and their roles in motivation and bonding
the currency of legacy, such as time, sacrifices, integrity, value, relationships, memories and the importance of creating lasting memories for a lasting impact

neuroplasticity and priming; anticipation and customer experience and the neuroscience of anticipation, and its impact on customer experience
personalisation and preparation, and the importance of these in creating a memorable customer experience
storytelling and communication; recognition and connection and the importance of recognising and connecting with members, to create a memorable experience

the role of technology in enhancing personalisation, and creating a memorable experience
the importance of leveraging anticipation, to create value for new visitors to a club, emphasizing personalized communication
the neuroscience of snap judgments and referencing Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink”
the impact of emotional reactions on customer service, and comparing two different ways of answering phones at a golf club, emphasising the importance of tone and emotional response

the importance of training staff to upsell and make recommendations, reducing decision fatigue for customers, and the example of a staff member guiding customers to make a decision, illustrating the impact of suggestive selling
the importance of differentiating between member and visitor experiences, as they require different approaches.

The action items Rob left with the conference participants were for them to:

interrogate the customer journey, and ensure that all touchpoints, including phone greetings, are consistently excellent and elicit positive emotions
avoid overwhelming customers with too many choices, and instead, provide guidance and recommendations
implement sensory experiences, such as scents, to enhance the perception of the club’s offerings
Shradha Gang, an executive coach and change leader spoke on “Service versus the Customer Experience”.
Shradha’s message emphasised the importance of shifting from customer service, to customer experience, highlighting that organizations with executive-level ownership of customer experience are 60% more profitable.
In this regard, she dealt with several themes, such as:
defining customer service versus customer experience
leadership and cross-generation behaviour
the importance of emotional journey
creating a customer-centric culture
aligning customer experience with company culture
measuring and improving customer experience
customer loyalty
impact of customer experience on retention
project with Heritage Resorts and Golf in Mauritius and results and insights and the success of the project, scoring a 4.8 out of 5 rating in customer satisfaction
The action items Shradha highlighted for delegates to consider, were the following:
implementation of cross-training for staff, to improve their ability to deliver the desired customer experience
discussion and decision on the core emotions that the organisation wants to create for its customers
the mapping out of the customer experience and employee experience journeys, and the training the mid-level management in creating an environment to foster the desired emotions
the roll out the customer experience initiatives to frontline staff
preparation of all standard operating procedures (SOPs) to align with and focus on creating the identified core emotions for customers, and to explore innovative ways to enhance the customer experience
evaluation of the organisation’s hiring practices, to focus on mindset and attitude alignment with the club’s vision and purpose
ensuring that the customer experience is a visible priority in the leadership’s agenda, and that frontline teams are empowered to take initiatives
implementation of a reward and recognition programme to incentivise and reinforce customer-centric behaviours internally
Remy Kloos spoke on “Beyond the Summit”, where she shared her experiences in high-altitude mountaineering, her mental health struggles, and how climbing helped her to find resilience, and the importance of curiosity, consistency, and adaptability.
Remy also mentioned the cultural and spiritual aspects of their expeditions. Some of the themes Remy dealt with included mountaineering challenges, and personal reflections on climbing Mount Everest.
The themes included climbing the highest peaks on seven continents; personal struggles and overcoming them; core values and personal growth; climbing techniques and personal achievements; charity campaign and ultra endurance test, and the project called “Seven Times for Seven Summits”; the concept of grit and grace explaining that grit is about laser focus, willpower, and resilience, while grace is about humanity, humility, and positivity.
She also discussed the duality of grit and grace, suggesting that achieving extraordinary things requires a balance of both.
Climbing mountains has been a transformative experience for Remy, leading to a deep feeling of self-acceptance, and accomplishing previously impossible feats; the role of fear and the journey’s purpose.

avoid overwhelming customers with too many choices, and instead, provide guidance and recommendations
implement sensory experiences, such as scents, to enhance the perception of the club’s offerings

Shradha Gang, an executive coach and change leader spoke on “Service versus the Customer Experience”.

Shradha’s message emphasised the importance of shifting from customer service, to customer experience, highlighting that organizations with executive-level ownership of customer experience are 60% more profitable.

In this regard, she dealt with several themes, such as:

defining customer service versus customer experience
leadership and cross-generation behaviour
the importance of emotional journey
creating a customer-centric culture
aligning customer experience with company culture
measuring and improving customer experience
customer loyalty
impact of customer experience on retention
project with Heritage Resorts and Golf in Mauritius and results and insights and the success of the project, scoring a 4.8 out of 5 rating in customer satisfaction

The action items Shradha highlighted for delegates to consider, were the following:

implementation of cross-training for staff, to improve their ability to deliver the desired customer experience
discussion and decision on the core emotions that the organisation wants to create for its customers

the mapping out of the customer experience and employee experience journeys, and the training the mid-level management in creating an environment to foster the desired emotions
the roll out the customer experience initiatives to frontline staff
preparation of all standard operating procedures (SOPs) to align with and focus on creating the identified core emotions for customers, and to explore innovative ways to enhance the customer experience
evaluation of the organisation’s hiring practices, to focus on mindset and attitude alignment with the club’s vision and purpose
ensuring that the customer experience is a visible priority in the leadership’s agenda, and that frontline teams are empowered to take initiatives
implementation of a reward and recognition programme to incentivise and reinforce customer-centric behaviours internally

Remy Kloos spoke on “Beyond the Summit”, where she shared her experiences in high-altitude mountaineering, her mental health struggles, and how climbing helped her to find resilience, and the importance of curiosity, consistency, and adaptability.

Remy also mentioned the cultural and spiritual aspects of their expeditions. Some of the themes Remy dealt with included mountaineering challenges, and personal reflections on climbing Mount Everest.

The themes included climbing the highest peaks on seven continents; personal struggles and overcoming them; core values and personal growth; climbing techniques and personal achievements; charity campaign and ultra endurance test, and the project called “Seven Times for Seven Summits”; the concept of grit and grace explaining that grit is about laser focus, willpower, and resilience, while grace is about humanity, humility, and positivity.

She also discussed the duality of grit and grace, suggesting that achieving extraordinary things requires a balance of both.

Climbing mountains has been a transformative experience for Remy, leading to a deep feeling of self-acceptance, and accomplishing previously impossible feats; the role of fear and the journey’s purpose.

In terms of action items

Remy identified, as her personal priority, to publish her book on her own experiences and insights.
For club management in the face of challenges she suggested that they should embrace the duality of grit and grace, which would lead to a transformative experience, itself then leading to a deep feeling of self-acceptance, and the accomplishment of what had been thought of previously, as being impossible feats.

The keynote speaker was Springbok legend and two-time World Cup Champion, Steven Kitshoff who was interviewed by Barney Girnum.

The discussion touched on several themes, such as the current rugby landscape and recent performances, leadership and team dynamics, challenges and strategies for upcoming matches, Steven’s personal journey and early career, the Springboks’ transformation and World Cup success, Rugby World Cup and final victory, injuries, and post World Cup celebrations and training, transition to business ventures, Steven’s role as a coach and mentor.

In terms of action items for conference participants Steven emphasised:

as a rugby team one faces challenges, triumphs and setbacks, but there will be setbacks, but despite these, the team managed to succeed
similarly, golf club management, as team, should heed this dynamic as well

GOVERNANCE (“G”)

Good Governance and financial sustainability (“G”), refer to a golf club’s decision-making and reporting processes. Several speakers dealt with the issue of “G”, and these included Thanda Sithole, Bradley Lee, Robyn van der Walt, Wayne Forrester, Joseph Krenn, Chris Bentley, Grant Hepburn and Janyne Marias.

“G” concerns the ethics and transparency of a club’s behaviours, as well as decisions around the social and environmental aspects of ESG.

Some examples of good governance include accurate and transparent financial reporting; communicating the organisation’s strategy and operations clearly; making business leaders and managers accountable; underpinning decisions with ethics.

Thanda Sithole, Senior Economist at FNB focusing on macroeconomic modelling, research and client engagement.

Thanda discussed global and domestic economic developments, highlighting the impact of increased protectionism and trade issues, particularly the US’s tariffs.

The macroeconomic themes he touched on included, global and domestic economic developments, IMF economic growth forecast, inflation and interest rates, trade trends and tariffs, impact of tariffs on South Africa, domestic economic challenges, consumer spending, and tax burden.

In terms of action items, it was regrettable while discussing domestic economic challenges Thanda did not specifically deal with the challenges facing golf and recreation industries. Notwithstanding this, he did alert attendees to:

keep an eye on government’s diplomatic approach in engaging with the US on trade issues, and the potential for a better trading arrangement
monitor progress made on the National Development Plan (NDP) goals, particularly in terms of private and public sector investment
monitor the Reserve Bank’s interest rate cuts, and their impact on consumer spending and the broader economy

Bradley Lee, who is a labour law specialist and co-founder of Lee & McAdam Attorneys, focused on compliance issues for club managers, emphasising the personal liability associated with non-compliance.

The general areas Bradley referred to included:

compliance overview and its importance
liquor license compliance and penalties
music licenses
tobacco compliance
the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)
employment compliance, occupational injuries and tax compliance
policies and procedures in the workplace
health and safety compliance
transformation
employment, and equity
compliance with employment equity regulations
pest control compliance
penalties and SARS compliance and tax regulations.

In terms of action items Bradley emphasised club management need to:

review social media content, and obtain necessary consent for any photos, or any personal information shared
verify liquor licenses, to cover all areas where alcohol is served on the premises
ensure that music licensing is up-to-date, and compliant with SAMRO, SAMPRA and CAPASSO requirements
designate and properly mark smoking areas that meet ventilation standards
develop and implement a POPIA-compliant privacy policy and manual
review and update BBBEE scorecard compliance
ensure COIDA registration, certificates, and injury reporting procedures are in place
review and update all required HR policies and procedures
ensure all legally required workplace posters and signage are properly displayed
verify health and safety compliance, including certificates, first aid, and fire equipment.

Robyn van der Walt, Senior Account Executive at SATIB Insurance Brokers and Wayne Forrester Director at Savage Jooste & Adams Inc dealt with Insurance and Liability issues.

The speakers dealt with:

liability and exposure
real-life cases and risk management
fault-based liability and legal duty
vicarious liability and examples of this
police liability cases
employer liability and sympathy
defences in liability cases
quantification of damages
general damages and dependency claims
incident management plans

In terms of action items Wayne highlighted the following items for club managers, such as the need to

review the club’s risk management practices and procedures to ensure they are adequate in addressing potential liability issues
identify any areas where the club may be exposed to liability and implement appropriate measures to mitigate those risks, and
schedule follow-up meetings with a liability lawyer to discuss specific issues and strategies for managing liability.

Joseph Krenn CCM, CCE CEO and General Manager of Farmington Country Club in Virginia USA, and Secretary-Treasurer on the CMAA Board spoke on the CMAA’s Capital Project Handbook.

The themes he dealt with included the:

purpose of his presentation
most common challenges in club management
formation of the capital projects symposium
impact of COVID-19 and increased capital funding requests
challenges in capital projects, project management processes, phases of a capital improvement plan, funding and construction considerations
historical context and practical applications, in closing out of capital projects, engaging leadership and stakeholders, adapting the process to different needs
building of the right team and communication strategies, planning and budgeting for projects, budgeting and voting processes in clubs
vital area of leadership responsibilities and decision-making, funding sources and financial models
importance of banking relationships and debt management, challenges in capital projects

In wrapping up, Joseph said that successful project management involves clear communication, reliance on processes, and leveraging industry knowledge, so as to ensure smooth operations and member satisfaction.

The action items Joseph highlighted encouraged managers to:

distribute the CMAAs Capital Project handbook to club leadership, either in physical or digital format
establish a consistent process for capital planning
organise post-orientation sessions to review relevant sections of the handbook with key stakeholders involved in upcoming capital projects

educate club leadership on the three key components of capital projects (time, cost, and scope), and how to manage them effectively
develop effective communication strategies, such as focus groups, town hall meetings, and digital updates, to engage members and gather feedback on capital projects
determine the decision-making process for capital projects based on the organisation’s rules and bylaws
educate members and leadership on the rationale for the capital project to get buy-in, even if a member vote is not required
evaluate the organisation’s financial model and funding sources for the capital project,
negotiate the banking relationship and debt terms if debt is used to fund the capital project,
develop a plan to manage cost overruns, project delays, and the closing out of the capital project, including warranties, maintenance plans, and member expectations

Chris Bentley discussed his career transition from managing the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club to JCB in the UK, highlighting cultural and operational differences, including regulation and staff mindsets.

Chris emphasised the importance of team building, and vision in golf management.

He then detailed his role in bringing the LIV Golf Tour to South Africa, noting the significant interest and support from the government and corporate sectors.

The action items Chris left with the club managers were for them:

explore opportunities for collaboration between CMASA and LIV Golf to promote the educational platform
advise young professionals that they be patient, keep learning, focus on making each day the best, the importance of networking and learning from experienced individuals and the philosophy of helping others and driving progress every day
consult with golf course architects and developers to incorporate tournament-friendly design considerations for future golf course developments

A session was facilitated by Grant Hepburn – CEO of GolfRSA – and Janyne Marias dealing with GolfRSA and The R&A updates.

The themes that Grant and Janyne dealt with included:

R&A’s increased investment in Africa
golf’s popularity and challenges
The R&A health campaign and GolfRSA and industry collaboration
the Golf Bag Magazine and Tournament Support Program
Global Participation Report and Women Involved Program
Women Involved Charter and strategic objectives which aim to make golf more accessible, appealing, and inclusive for women and girls, and its strategic objectives, which include;

increasing participation
promoting diversity, and enhancing business reputation
leadership development and success stories in which GolfRSA hosts its own Women Involved Leadership Program for South African women in the golf industry, and the first cohort of 25 women started in June and will graduate in November, reaching over 300 women in 46 countries
inclusive events and cultural changes
increasing women’s participation and leadership
visibility and media platforms and the importance of visibility in promoting the game and attracting more women and girls was emphasized and Super Sport’s launch of the first Africa’s all-women’s sports network, AWS, was mentioned as an example of the impact of visibility

In terms of action items for clubs, management were invited to:

share the Golf Mag magazine with club databases to increase its reach,
implement initiatives to promote inclusivity and diversity at clubs, such as gender-balanced fee structures, women’s clinics, and appointing women to leadership roles,
increase visibility of women’s involvement in golf by sharing club stories and projects,
support the Women in Golf Leadership Program and the Women in Golf Leadership Foundation program,
sign up and register as a charter signatory,
appoint a charter champion, male or female, to support the initiative,
attend the breakfast session in November to learn more about the initiative and hear from program participants,
provide support and visibility for the initiative through social media and media platforms.

At the end of the conference, the MC, Brent Lindeque in closing gave a short recap of proceedings.

The themes, in his summation, included success and leadership, and the key elements of success, including preparation, mindset, energy, consistency, perspective, resilience, inclusion, joy, wisdom, and belief; Brent mentioned the role of mindset and adaptability and the importance of joy and celebration.

In terms of an action items Brent left the audience with a message and a request –

there is always more to a win, and that the real magic lies in the journey
that golf club managers make every effort to attend the 2026 CMASA Conference.

The conference left me with asking questions leading with

Curiosity	“What is it that “thing” Club Managers are looking for?”
Challenges	“What happens if that “thing” you are looking for doesn’t get solved?”
	“What impact does that “thing” have on successfully managing your golf facility?”
Create an ideal picture	“What is the ultimate goal in managing that “thing”?”
Managing change	“If nothing changes, where will you be in 6 months?”
	“What would inaction cost you?”
The bridge	“Here is where we can get you to manage that “thing” by embracing sustainability and its three ESG pillars which is the golden thread that runs through the managing of any golf facility”

If you have any queries, why not contact the John Collier Golf through our website or via email ajcollier@telkomsa.net?

Yours in Sustainable Golf
JOHN COLLIER