Introduction by Terry Hayward, Chairman
‘It is an honour and a privilege to be chairman of such a wonderful club. When I arrived in Buxton in 2000 I played a number of local courses to decide which would be my new home. The quality of the course and the warmth of the welcome I received made Cavendish the obvious choice not least because I live in Burbage and being able to walk to and from the course has its obvious benefits.
It’s fair to say that in recent years the club has struggled. Golf membership nationally has been in decline, and with two clubs in Buxton, attracting sufficient members will always be a challenge. But Cavendish Golf Club has never shied away from a challenge and despite Covid-19 we had a strong year in 2020. The Club has a dedicated and committed team of staff and we have a 5 Year Strategic Plan that will take us to our Centenary in 2025. We have a fantastic (possibly the most authentic) Dr Alister MacKenzie course, which has featured in the Top 100 in the UK for the last 5 years and, more recently, in the top 25 in the world under six thousand yards. Our Open Week this year attracted over 1100 visitors and our membership has grown by over 27% in 2020. This all bodes well for the future.
The Board remains focussed on maintaining and improving our primary asset, the course and on growing membership. We welcome visitors and continue to offer good value green fees as well as exceptional hospitality in our clubhouse. Our new professional will soon be offering a full range of services to further enhance the club. Our ladies and juniors sections are growing and we continue to be a committed member of both the Derbyshire Union and Manchester Alliance.
Cavendish Golf Club is a wonderful club and one I am fortunate to be able to steward at these uncertain times. But it’s certainly not all about me and there is a wonderful team of committed staff and volunteers who make up the Cavendish Team.”
Terry Hayward, Chairman
The Cavendish Board
Terry Hayward, Chairman – Sales & Marketing
Andrew McKinlay – Finance
Michael Williams, Fundraising
Mike Higgins, Greens
Christine Campbell, Membership
Pat Campbell Captain 2021 (ex officio)
Danielle Banks, Lady Captain 2021 (ex officio)
Rachel Child, Membership
John Cornwell, House
Lee Marshall, General Manager & Head Professional
Full time staff
Lee Marshall – General Manager & Head Professional
Kelly Meylan – Finance Assistant & Administrator
Liam Hancock – Assistant Professional
Warwick Manning – Course Manager who leads the salaried greens staff
Nick O’Meara – Deputy Head Greenkeeper
Anthony Lownds – Senior Greenkeeper
Colin Denny – Greenkeeper
The Greens Committee, headed by Mike Higgins is responsible for supporting the greens team to enact the strategic plan.
Volunteer course working parties are formed from enthusiastic members to support the greens team.
The Gardening team led by Roger Wood does a great job, adding the creative horticultural touches to the course and clubhouse grounds
Golf Matters
Club Golf and competitions are organised by the Match & Handicap Committee team headed by Dr Jeff Haddon for the men and Max Chuwen and Tina Turner for the ladies.
Ladies
The Ladies Committee, led by the Lady Captain, manages ladies golf within the club and competitions with other clubs. The committee raises funds and provides an important support to the whole club.
Club House & Hospitality
Paul Crisp & Ricardo Olivieri lead the hospitality team.
Matt Featherstone is restaurant and bar manger.
Membership Matters
The club must generate sufficient profits from its activities to be able to invest in the course, particularly as we work towards the ambitious plans leading to our centenary in 2025.
Looking after the interests of existing members and finding new members is a crucial task for the club.
An enthusiastic team led by Christine Campbell and Rachel Child provides numerous initiatives to encourage membership satisfaction and grow the membership.
Members and juniors are offered many opportunities to improve through relevant coaching input. Recent voluntary coaching has been provided by Professional Eddie Birchenough, Club Ambassador and Tour Professional George Bloor, Professional Jacob Bashaw and others.
Each event is supported by amazing member volunteers who provide the practical management and organisation essential for success.
Similarly junior coaching helps to encourage the next generation of Cavendish members.
Members provide voluntary support in so many other ways such as building projects, maintenance and repairs, social events, away day competitions, children’s Christmas party, fund raising events, starters and so many more. It’s always dangerous to mention names and projects as there’s a great danger some will be inadvertently missed out.
A big thank you goes up to all our brilliant volunteers and to our committed, creative and hardworking staff who together help create the wonderful team spirit witnessed by so many of our visitors.