Phuket, Thailand: Peter Downie , a veteran of the golf industry in the region, has been recognised for his achievements over the course of more than three decades.

Scotsman Downie, whose well-travelled career has seen him work in the Cayman Islands, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, has been honoured with the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) International Manager of the Year Award.

Downie was presented with a plaque during the PGA of GB&I Members’ International Conference at Laguna Phuket.

“To say I’m in shock to receive this award is something of an understatement! Forty years as a PGA Professional and I still can’t wait to get to the office in the morning,” said Downie, General Manager at Hong Kong’s Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, a Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Downie graduated from the PGA of GB&I at The Belfry in 1984 before spending six years (1986-1992) as the Director of Golf at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman in the West Indies.

He then took on a similar position at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. In his 10 years there (1992 to 2002), Downie oversaw the set-up and pre-opening of the 27-hole course and academy, the first of its kind in the Middle East.

He was also heavily involved with the Creek club’s staging of the Dubai Desert Classic. In the third round of the event in 1999, he played in the final group alongside David Howell, the eventual champion.

“Talk about being out of your comfort zone! I went on to shoot 75 and 78 and quickly realised I’d leave tournament golf to professional golfers, not golf professionals like me,” recalled Downie, who moved to Hong Kong in 2002 to take up the post as Director of Golf at Clearwater Bay.

As well as being responsible for the golf operation at the private, members-owned club, Downie was instrumental in the installation of the first open seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant in Southeast Asia, for the purpose of irrigation.

From Hong Kong he moved to Singapore and the Sentosa Golf Club where he was involved in the rebuilding of the Serapong Course, home to the Singapore Open. He said: “We did six Singapore Opens and two HSBC Women’s Champions. I spent seven years there until I came back to Clearwater Bay … and I’ve been here happily ever since.”

In an interview with HK Golfer magazine, Downie said: “Clearwater Bay is extremely special to me. With the changing winds, it plays differently every day, and I can’t think of another course that has actually become better over the years. It’s like a fine wine. As a club we’re constantly striving to create an even better and even more special golfing experience.”

The PGA of GB&I is an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

**If you’d like to reach the Federation’s 10,000+ global audience via newsletter, website, Facebook and LinkedIn, become an AGIF member. For further details, please visit https://agif.asia/join-the-agif/