Golf Club Secretary

At just 32, Nathan Gilpin has already packed an extraordinary amount into his career in golf. A former PGA professional, England Golf championship manager, university events organiser, club secretary and Ladies European Tour referee, he is now General Manager at Perranporth Golf Club in Cornwall, where he has overseen a remarkable transformation in just two years.

Since arriving in November 2023, Nathan has helped deliver £600,000 in additional revenue, doubled annual green-fee income to £400,000, established the first membership waiting list in the club's history and turned its food and beverage operation into a profitable business. But his achievements go beyond the balance sheet. He has introduced a strategic plan, invested in the course and its people, and helped create a culture of ambition and confidence at one of England's most extraordinary links.

In this episode, Nathan talks to Dan Davies, Editor of the Golf Club Secretary, about the experiences and mentors that shaped his approach to leadership, why he initially failed to land the Perranporth job, and how he has balanced commercial growth with protecting the character of a traditional members' club. He also discusses the importance of visitor revenue, the challenges of managing members' expectations, the lessons learned refereeing on the international professional tours, and why he believes the best golf club managers must lead from the front.

Iain Burns describes three main phases of his career: the PGA, Marriott, and Little Aston. In the PGA, he learned tournament management, golf course setup, rules, refereeing, and how to deal with people at many levels, from local tradespeople to business executives and sponsors. He also valued the relationships he built in golf.

At Marriott, he wanted commercial experience and learned about crisis management during foot-and-mouth and 9/11, as well as revenue management, sales strategy, retail, and financial control. He says the move was an eye-opener and gave him skills he later used in club management.

At Little Aston, he combines lessons from both earlier roles. He says that unlike Marriott, there is no large support structure, so the club manager must cover maintenance, sales, HR, and other functions. He also says managing members is different from managing hotel customers because members are repeat users who expect access and consistency.

Burns explains that the club manager serves the members first, but also the team, committee, and club as a whole. He sees his role as both leadership and service, while also being able to challenge committee decisions when necessary. He says the committee structure at Little Aston provides continuity, which helps long-term planning.

He says being a member before becoming manager helped him understand the club and its people. He believes members support the club and want it to succeed, and he thinks a modern club manager’s role is not always fully understood outside the club.

On strategy and investment, he says Little Aston has completed major clubhouse improvements, including changing rooms and the shop and reception area, and is now looking at longer-term golf course projects such as reservoirs, water harvesting, practice facilities, bunker work, drainage, and tree management. He says the club uses surveys and member feedback to guide decisions.

Burns says the club should protect its small, traditional membership structure and invitation process, while still being flexible where needed, such as visitor dress code. He says the female membership is active and well served, and he is proud that the club has modernized while keeping its ethos and traditions.