The evening celebrations paid tribute to the best-performing properties within 59club’s mystery shopper programme of 2022.

59club’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag awards were presented to 10 properties across the Middle East, Africa & Asia for having achieved the required standard of customer service as well as providing the finest facilities and services for their customers enjoyment, as independently adjudicated by 59club’s comprehensive benchmarking system.

Emirates Golf Club received the highest of those accolades on the night — the Ultimate Service Excellence Award — for their leading performance within the Gold Flag Designations. They also saw their F&B department awarded the team of the year title, a triumph that Mark Bull, 59club MEA Director, revealed had seen Emirates’ CX performance across the F&B department rise by five per cent and the overall golf operation up by six per cent over the past 12 months.

Cian Hurley, Director of Golf at Emirates Golf Club, said: “We are delighted to have won the 59club Ultimate Service Award here at Emirates Golf Club. This is a true reflection of the overall team effort that goes into reaching and attaining the level of service standard we aim for. Working alongside the team at 59club has helped us to realise this achievement, the support provided is invaluable to us.”

Those properties achieving Gold Flag Designations on the night were: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Hamra Golf Club, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai Hills Golf Club, Els Club, Dubai, Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Trump International Golf Club, Yas Acres Golf & Country Club and Yas Links, Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, six Silver Flag Designations were awarded to Al Zorah Golf Club, Arabian Ranches, Bryanston Country Club, Meydan Golf, Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai, and Vattanac Golf Resort. Aquella Golf & Country Club, Riverdale Golf Club and Thana City Country Club claimed Bronze Flag Status.

Further celebrations were in store for Abu Dhabi City Golf Club after they took the double crown having seen both their Retail & Membership departments awarded 2022 team of the year titles.

Rhian Lobo, General Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to win best Membership sales team, best retail store and reach the 59club Gold Flag award. Congratulations to the entire team for providing exceptional customer experience standards throughout the facility.”

Trump International became the my59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award winners, an honour they have retained for the fourth consecutive year, having consistently demonstrated their commitment to regularly analyse and advance their customer service levels using a wealth of satisfaction surveys.

First time 59club winners Yas Acres Golf & Country Club took to the stage — having only opened last year — and were awarded Agronomy Team of the Year for their consistency on the golf course.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club claimed the Golf Operations Team of the Year award.

Meanwhile, 59club Asia saw success from two newcomers to the 59club community: with Aquella Golf & Country Club claiming a Flag Designation and both the Retail, and F&B Team of the Year accolade.

Vattanac Golf Resort also proved that standards at the Cambodian resort are amongst the highest in Asia, after they scooped 59club’s Golf Operation Team of the Year title, and their greens department won Asia’s Agronomy Team of the Year award for consistently delivering a well-defined and presented golf course of the highest standard.

“It was our pleasure to gather the industry together at JA Resorts for a celebration of the success across MEA & Asia,” said Bull. “Congratulations to all winning clubs and managers. We are already looking forward to making the 2024 awards a bigger and better event for all.”

The post EGC big winners at 59club MEA & Asia Awards for finest golf service providers appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A day which started with a 9-hole Team Scramble, ended in a glittering awards ceremony as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the region for having achieved the highest standards of sales & customer service excellence across 2021. 

The winners in the 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria over a period of 12 months.

On the night, 59club MEA presented 23 awards, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – Sales, Service, Operations, Retail, Golf course, Food & Beverage and Membership. 

And, for one property, there was special celebration as Yas Links, Abu Dhabi  gained four awards after scooping Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, Golf Operations Team of the Year, Gold Flag Designation and the leading award of the night, the Ultimate Service Excellence Award. Attached picture from left to right: Daniel Wright, Corey Finn, Lee Waggott and Santos Montes.

Speaking of their winning performance, Matt Waters, Group Director of Golf, said; “We are extremely proud of the teams amazing efforts in achieving four superb awards at this year’s 59club Middle East & Africa Awards. We strive to deliver the best possible customer experience at both golf clubs and with the support of Troon and 59club, we have been able to continually improve to deliver some great results. I believe that the awards we have received this year are a true testament to the hard work and commitment from all team members over the past couple of years. Thank you to 59club Middle East & Africa for organising a fantastic awards afternoon and evening to allow all clubs the opportunity to celebrate their successes.”

Other Teams honoured on the night were Saadiyat Beach Golf Club who were awarded Golf Retail Team of the Year, the Els Club, Dubai who claimed Golf Membership Team of the Year and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai having scooped Food and Beverage Team of the Year.

While Trump International Golf Club, Dubai repeated their success from last year to receive the My59 Service Excellence Award for their continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform. 

The final awards of the evening and always a highlight of proceedings saw 59club MEA present their Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations. These highly prized accolades recognise properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year. 

This year, 59club MEA presented 9 ‘Gold Flags’, the deserving winners were: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. 

Whilst 6 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf; Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai and 1 ‘Bronze flag’ to Meydan Golf.

Of this year’s awards, Mark Bull, Director at 59club MEA, commented: “ It is always a pleasure to host the industry at our annual service excellence awards and recognise the hard work and commitment of all membership and operations teams in the region. Special thanks to our host venue, The Els Club, Dubai and all of our partners and sponsors on the day. Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, the high levels of service and quality of facilities at all venues is fantastic and we are very proud of the part we play in supporting the industry in measuring and benchmarking to maintain these standards”. 

59club MEA ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2022

Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Worldwide Golf:  The Els Club, Dubai

Golf Retail Team of the Year, sponsored by Luxury Carts Group:  Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Dubai

Food and Beverage Team of the Year, sponsored by African & Eastern:  Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai

Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, sponsored by Delta Turf Care/Toro:  Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Golf Operations Team of the Year, sponsored by Golf Genius:  Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

My 59 Service Excellence, sponsored by Sunset Events Production: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai

Ultimate Service Excellence Award: Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Bronze Flag Designations: Meydan Golf

Silver Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai

Gold Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

The post Yas Links rises to the top at 59Club MEA Excellence Awards appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The European Tour venue scooped Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year and Golf Agronomy Team of the Year. Abu Dhabi G.C. were also recognised as one of eight recipients of a “Gold Flag”, the 59club MEA “Industry Benchmark of excellence”.

Scott Sellars, Golf Operations Manager of Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Clinton Southorn, Cluster Director of Agronomy.

59club MEA presented 16 awards at the awards ceremony at Jumeirah Golf Estates recognising service excellence across all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food and beverage and management.

Other winners included Abu Dhabi City Golf Club (Food and Beverage Team of the Year), Emirates Golf Club (Golf Operations Team of the Year), The Els Club (Golf Retail Team of the Year) and Trump International Golf Club, Dubai who received the My59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award.

The winners were determined by scores collected from impartial mystery shopping audits which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria. 59club also operates in the UK, Europe, Asia and USA.

“We are delighted to receive these two awards as it is a testament to the hard work and effort demonstrated by the team over 2020,” said Troon Abu Dhabi Cluster General Manager Francisco de Lancastre of Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s two awards.

“Working with 59club MEA throughout the year assists us to monitor customer service data and constantly strive to improve and evolve our renowned service and facility standards”.

The following clubs were awarded Gold and Silver Flag Designations recognising properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year.

Gold Flags: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

Silver Flags: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; The Track, Meydan Golf.

The post Abu Dhabi G.C. score big in golf industry sales and customer service ‘Oscars’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.