The nominees for 59club’s Australia and New Zealand Inaugural Service Excellence Awards have today been announced, with many of the Leading Golf Venues across Australia making the shortlist. The winners will be unveiled during the awards ceremony, at Emporium Hotel in the Signature Restaurant on Sunday 16th June 2024 – the first ceremony of its kind to be hosted in Australia.
59club’s prestigious accolades honour outstanding Venues, Teams, and Individuals in the global golf & hospitality industry who consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences for members and guests.
The selection process remains unbiased, relying on scores attained through an in-depth and objective mystery shopping program. This program meticulously evaluates the experiences provided to members, visitors, and potential members across Golf, Greenkeeping, Retail, and F&B operations.
This year sees several of the finest Member Clubs, Resorts and Public courses in Australia securing multiple nominations. Notably, the ranked New South Wales Golf Club on the La Peruse Peninsula and the 2023 host of The Australian Open, The Lakes Golf Club lead the pack with eight & seven nominations respectively.
The nominations list also includes the likes of: Glenelg Golf Club, Sandhurst Club, Portsea Golf Club, Oatlands Golf Club, Centenary Park Golf Club, Collier Park Golf Club and Moore Park Golf Club, all contending for service excellence awards.
Additionally, this year’s awards will showcase the best individual moments of service across the customer journey.
The first every awards in Australia to recognise the best of the best in customer service excellence is supported by 59club’s Industry Partners – Golf Genius and Turtleson. The Bronze, Silver and Gold Flags are awarded to the venues that have demonstrated distinction against criteria for both customer service delivery and the quality of their facilities.
Looking ahead to the first ceremony to be held in Australia, founder of 59club, Simon Wordsworth expressed his excitement, stating:
We are delighted that after our first successful year in Australia we are able offer the “down under” version of our Service Excellence Awards.
Australia hosts a diverse range of fantastic venues that span all corners of the country from private member’s club to resort and full public, and our mystery shopping over the last year has measured their successes. It is only right that those high-performing venues are given their moment in the spotlight at our awards ceremony. We feel privileged to be able to share in their success and look forward to supporting them further to achieve their goals in the future.
Simon Wordsworth, CEO of 59club
59CLUB AUTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS (in alphabetical order):
Food & Beverage Manager of the Year:
Anna Fontaine (Glenelg Golf Club); Victoria Trikillis (New South Wales Golf Club); Jade Henderson (The Lakes Golf Club);
Retail Manager of the Year:
Craig Stickling (New South Wales Golf Club); Brodie Wool (Centenary Park Golf Club); Russell Skennerton (The Lakes Golf Club)
Superintendent of the Year (under $120):
Sally Benwell (Centenary Park Golf Club); Peter Beach (Collier Park Golf Club); Corey Budden (Sandhurst Club)
Superintendent of the Year (over $120):
Mark Parker (New South Wales Golf Club); Dominic Yates (Oatlands Golf Club) Anthony Mills (The Lakes Golf Club);
Golf Operations Team of the Year:
Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club
59CLUB AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD NOMINATIONS – Leading Individual Experience (in alphabetical order):
Leading Individual Food & Beverage Experience:
Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club
Leading Individual Retail Experience:
Centenary Park Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; Portsea Golf Club
Leading Individual Golf Operations Team:
Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club
Leading Individual Golf Visit Experience (under $120):
Collier Park Golf Club; Moore Park Golf Club; Sandhurst Golf Club
Leading Individual Golf Visit Experience (over $120):
Glenelg Golf Club; New South Wales Golf Club; The Lakes Golf Club