Beijing, China: The Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) is backing a new research and education initiative aimed at defining and sharing effective best practices amongst the worlds’ top clubs and resorts.
The Global Golf Advisors Institute for Best Practice is a collaboration with CMAA-China Chapter, Golf Magazine China Edition and has the support of the AGIF, the World Golf Foundation, the Club Managers Association of America, Golf Environment Organisation and the Tourism College of Sun Yat-Sen University.
The Institute’s first research programme is now under way with participating clubs in China, USA, Canada and Europe sharing qualitative and quantitative data on subjects including customer care, community engagement, employee management, governance, membership, marketing and strategic planning.
Initial findings for China will be released in December with subsequent releases relating to North America and Europe taking place in March 2015.
Tim Trinka, President of the AGIF, said: “As the umbrella organisation for golf in Asia we are pleased to support this initiative. Our members are committed to helping to share effective best practices.”
Rob Hill, a partner with Global Golf Advisors EMEA Office, and Director of the Institute, provided insight into the value for participants.
“We have invited 200 of the world’s top performing clubs to participate in our first study and the response has been overwhelming. There is considerable interest in defining the characteristics of, and methods employed to achieve, categorical excellence. The Institute will facilitate the measurement and sharing of such practices, with the ultimate benefit of further enhancing the performance of all those clubs who contribute to the research”.

Clubs in China have an additional incentive to engage with the work of the Institute, as Dr Aylwin Tai of the CMAA-China Chapter outlined.
He said: “On behalf of the Institute for Best Practice, I have invited clubs ranked in the top 30 by Golf Magazine China Edition to participate. This will for the first time establish benchmarks, work practices and key performance indicators for the golf industry in China and will define what top performance in this country look like.
“We then intend to recognise those clubs that demonstrate performance excellence. They will receive invitations to join the CMAA China Chapter California Clubs Tour in March 2015, followed by attendance at the CMAA World Club Managers Conference in San Antonio, Texas where they will be officially presented with performance excellence awards.”