A Cupar company is atop the leaderboard in developing career futures in the world of golf.

The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has announced that its new Professional Leadership Programme will be ready for delivery from this September – and it has been developed in collaboration with Cupar-based St Andrews Management Centre.

Rick Bond at St Andrews Management Centre explains: “The programme is tailored to the realities of golf course and club operations. Rather than traditional classroom-based learning, it focuses on applied leadership, real-world management scenarios, reflective practice and practical activities that are directly relevant to participants’ day-to-day roles.”

CMI Recognition

The Professional Leadership Programme is pitched at current and aspiring supervisors, team leaders, deputy head greenkeepers, first assistants and those transitioning into management roles, as well as experienced practitioners who have developed leadership responsibility organically but are seeking structured development and professional recognition.

Recognised by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the new programme meets national standards for leadership and management excellence. On successful completion, graduates achieve Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status, providing “formal professional recognition” and “a strong platform for future progression to higher-level study or apprenticeships“.

Peter Deakin, Associate Head of Partnerships at The Chartered Management Institute, says: “We are proud to support BIGGA’s Professional Leadership Programme, appreciating it as a vital step in the continued professionalisation of the golf greenkeeping sector. By benchmarking the programme to CMI’s professional standards framework in conjunction with the St Andrews Management Centre, BIGGA demonstrates its commitment to management, essential leadership and strategic skills for greenkeepers and the importance of treating leadership as a core professional standard within greenkeeping. Programme delegates will receive access to resources, tools and services and become part of the 240,000-pan sector community of managers and leaders and we hope many will have ambition to become a Chartered Manager in the future.”

Shaping golf’s future …

The launch reinforces BIGGA’s wider ambition to provide clear, high-quality education and development pathways for its members, supporting both individual career progression and the long-term sustainability of golf clubs and facilities across the UK and internationally.

Rob Phillips, BIGGA’s Learning & Development Manager (Technical), says: “The Professional Leadership Programme represents a significant step forward in how we support the development of leaders within greenkeeping and golf club operations.” He adds: “By working closely with St Andrews Management Centre and co-collaborators Epic Ltd, and securing recognition from the Chartered Management Institute, we have created a programme that is practical, credible, and genuinely relevant to the realities of our industry. This is about equipping people with the confidence, skills, and professional recognition they need to lead teams, manage change, and shape the future of golf.”

Rick Bond concludes: “We are delighted to be working with BIGGA and Epic Ltd in delivering this unique programme.  Our location close to the Home of Golf – and being in the home of the oldest 9-hole golf club in the world – is not lost on us! The skills and knowledge that the programme modules bring to the sector will be immensely valuable not only to the individuals taking part but also to the game of golf itself. For those completing the Programme, it will allow the post nominal of Foundation Charter Manager to be awarded – a key milestone on the journey to full Chartered Manager status and a world-recognised standard to aid career progression.”

Need more?

St Andrews Management Centre delivers training in Leadership & Management, Learning & Development units, Management of Change, Project Management, International Trade & Customs Compliance, Finance & Budgeting and Customer Service Skills.

Click on the image below to visit their website.

You can call them on 0330 024 1316 – or pop to visit them at 14 St Catherine Street (KY15 4HH).

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