Golf At Goodwood welcomes Stuart Gillett
New Golf at Goodwood General Manager Stuart Gillett has a life-long passion for the sport which began at a very young age when he was living in Swaziland.
“I have always been passionate about golf, so to be working somewhere as prestigious as Goodwood, with a global reputation for excellence, is a dream,” says Stuart.
“I was very young when I first held a golf club. My parents both played and I have photographs of me hitting golf balls when I was just 18 months old.”
Stuart is now a formidable exponent of the sport, with a one-handicap. And it looks as if his own son, three year old Freddie, is following in his footsteps.
“Freddie is already showing an interest in golf, and a proficiency in hitting the ball.”
Stuart is one of the most respected and innovative executives in the world of golf management. His extensive skills have helped to establish numerous golf resorts throughout the UK.
He has built an impressive reputation for the imaginative manner in which he supervises the development of modern golf resorts with a unique range of ideas and strategies aimed at producing wide public appeal and steady financial growth.
Stuart took over the role of General Manager at the beginning of January and is looking forward to a new year packed with exciting events including the English PGA in June.
“Everyone has been very welcoming, friendly and supportive. I have been very impressed with the supremely high standards everywhere at Goodwood,” Stuart says.
“I am a great believer in high customer service and feel that developing relationships with members, guests and employees is an important element of my role.
“I am looking forward to meeting as many of the members as possible over the next few weeks, and to hearing their comments on how we can take Golf At Goodwood forward.
“I was really impressed with the Credit Membership at Golf At Goodwood; ensuring golf is both affordable and accessible to all. I am keen to build on Goodwood’s growing reputation in the world of golf, as well as its ambience and services and I’ll be working closely with the course management team.”
Stuart came to Goodwood after completing a highly successful term at Heythrop Park Resort in Oxfordshire where he not only established the complex as the “home” base for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire county teams for 2011 with special training facilities, but also held planning meetings with the European Tour for a Seniors tournament in the same year.
He was instrumental in opening the £5million Oxfordshire venue and for securing the only UK qualifying event for the world’s richest pro-am event, The Invitational in Dubai that attracted the leading European stars including Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy.
His list of previous projects included a spell as General Manager of the exclusive Mill Ride Golf Club in Berkshire where he supervised a staff of 50 and two years as Deputy General Manager of Bearwood Lakes Golf Club, ranked among Golf Monthly magazine’s Top 100 UK Golf Clubs.
Stuart, a UWIC graduate, brings extensive knowledge and expertise beyond the world of golf to his new task because he previously served as a senior executive with the Braningans entertainment group, and also worked as a resort manager in Meribel before making the change-over to the sport he loves.
Stuart and his wife Catherine moved from the Cotswolds to their new home in Midhurst, West Sussex with their two children, Freddie, and eight week old Nelly.