Since opening in 1994, London Golf Club has consistently focused on a simple objective: strive to offer better course conditioning and customer service than any competitor.
With two stunning championship golf courses designed by the great Jack Nicklaus and an award-winning clubhouse, such high standards may seem straightforward, but is in fact the result of meticulous work.
“Delivering impeccable levels of customer service to offer the greatest experiences to our members and customers is at the forefront of our strategy,” says Ben Stimson, the club’s Director of Golf..
So how does the club achieve these standards?
Staff Training
“Setting stringent service standards for all of our staff is key for us to excel in this area,” says Stimson. “This includes drilling down on the fundamentals such as wearing smart uniforms, picking up the phone within three rings, and engaging with guests in a positive and friendly manner.
“It’s surprising how often venues fall down on these fundamental elements of customer service.”
Stimson continues: “Each new employee undergoes a full week of onboarding, spending time with the heads of each department so they fully understand all areas of the business.
”We try to make the training a straightforward process for our staff members by adhering to several fundamental basic standards. Whilst we provide a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure training manual, we believe in focusing our attention to enhancing the basic standards that include member and guest engagement, and providing a friendly atmosphere at all times.’‘
“There’s no point giving them an 80-page manual. Instead, he advised clubs to focus on communicating six key standards that employees should maintain. This makes it very easy to understand and avoids information overload.”
Stimson also shares how London Golf Club’s new initiative will play a key role in elevating the customer experience this year.
“From March 1st, we’re introducing a new communications process which will ensure our guests are made to feel welcome and looked after throughout their time spent at the club.
”We will be increasing our member and guest interaction points from security to bag drop, to golf services and the clubhouse. This will allow our members of staff to pro-actively expect members and guests, which will encourage a smoother member and guest journey throughout each visit.
“Our aim is to set ourselves high standards similar to what you would experience at a Four Seasons Hotel.”
Member Perks
London Golf Club strives to offer its members unique benefits and opportunities to enhance their experiences and add value.
“We aim to offer our members exclusive perks they wouldn’t receive elsewhere,” Stimson explains. “For example, we had wreath-making sessions at Boodles during the Christmas period, and we have away days at other top venues in the county such as Princes Golf Club.
“We’ve also invited members to events in Club Wembley. It’s about rewarding members for their loyalty by offering extras they wouldn’t get at other clubs.”
Course Conditioning
London Golf Club is blessed with two superb 18-hole courses – the Heritage Course, which is primarily for members, and the International Course, which is mainly used by visitors and guests.
“We don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to our agronomy,” says Stimson. “We’re very focused on keeping both courses in excellent condition.
“We allocate a large portion of our budget to golf course conditioning, investing in the best fertilisers, tools, machinery and staff.
“All of our greenkeeping team undergoes extensive training on using our machinery, and we have a very thorough preventative maintenance programme for all our equipment.”
Sustainability and biodiversity are also important at London Golf Club, which has recently replaced the irrigation heads over both courses in order to optimise water consumption.
“We also do a lot of work to remove self-seeding trees and shrubbery, like brambles and gorse bushes,” adds Stimson. “This helps optimise light and moisture for the native, primary oak and beech trees on the course.
“We have around 700 acres of land to maintain – enough space to fit seven golf courses. So it’s crucial that we invest in managing and nurturing this land to ensure it’s conditioned to a standard that not only provides the golfer with a unique golfing experience but looks after that land too.”
Stimson concludes: “It may sound simple when you say we focus on two things: course conditioning and customer service, but a great deal of work goes into those areas behind the scenes to ensure London Golf Club sets itself apart from the rest.”