The finest golf properties across Middle East & Africa saw their teams descend on the Els Club, Dubai, on Wednesday March 23rd, 2022, with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at the annual 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards.
A day which started with a 9-hole Team Scamble, ended in a glittering awards ceremony as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the region for having achieved the highest standards of sales & customer service excellence across 2021.
The winners in the 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria over a period of 12 months.
On the night, 59club MEA presented 23 awards, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – Sales, Service, Operations, Retail, Golf course, Food & Beverage and Membership.
And, for one property, there was special celebration as Yas Links, Abu Dhabi gained four awards after scooping Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, Golf Operations Team of the Year, Gold Flag Designation and the leading award of the night, the Ultimate Service Excellence Award.
Speaking of their winning performance, Matt Waters, Group Director of Golf, said; “We are extremely proud of the teams amazing efforts in achieving four superb awards at this year’s 59club Middle East & Africa Awards. We strive to deliver the best possible customer experience at both golf clubs and with the support of Troon and 59club, we have been able to continually improve to deliver some great results. I believe that the awards we have received this year are a true testament to the hard work and commitment from all team members over the past couple of years. Thank you to 59club Middle East & Africa for organising a fantastic awards afternoon and evening to allow all clubs the opportunity to celebrate their successes.”
Other Teams honoured on the night were Saadiyat Beach Golf Club who were awarded Golf Retail Team of the Year, the Els Club, Dubai who claimed Golf Membership Team of the Year and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai having scooped Food and Beverage Team of the Year.
While Trump International Golf Club, Dubai repeated their success from last year to receive the My59 Service Excellence Award for their continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform.
The final awards of the evening and always a highlight of proceedings saw 59club MEA present their Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations. These highly prized accolades recognise properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year.
This year, 59club MEA presented 9 ‘Gold Flags’, the deserving winners were: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.
Whilst 6 ‘Silver Flags’ went to Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf; Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai and 1 ‘Bronze flag’ to Meydan Golf.
Of this year’s awards, Mark Bull, Director at 59club MEA, commented: “ It is always a pleasure to host the industry at our annual service excellence awards and recognise the hard work and commitment of all membership and operations teams in the region. Special thanks to our host venue, The Els Club, Dubai and all of our partners and sponsors on the day. Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, the high levels of service and quality of facilities at all venues is fantastic and we are very proud of the part we play in supporting the industry in measuring and benchmarking to maintain these standards.”
Full list of 59club MEA ‘Service Excellence’ Award Winners 2022
Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year, sponsored by Worldwide Golf: The Els Club, Dubai
Golf Retail Team of the Year, sponsored by Luxury Carts Group: Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Dubai
Food and Beverage Team of the Year, sponsored by African & Eastern: Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai
Golf Agronomy Team of the Year, sponsored by Delta Turf Care/Toro: Yas Links, Abu Dhabi
Golf Operations Team of the Year, sponsored by Golf Genius: Yas Links, Abu Dhabi
My 59 Service Excellence, sponsored by Sunset Events Production: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai
Ultimate Service Excellence Award: Yas Links, Abu Dhabi
Bronze Flag Designations: Meydan Golf
Silver Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Arabian Ranches Golf Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai
Gold Flag Designations: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Royal Golf Club, Bahrain; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.
