Careford Brings a Buzz To South Essex

Barry Careford, the new manager at South Essex Golf Centre, arrives with a promise to make every golfer feel like they are a member.

The 36 year-old music lover starts at South Essex GC on Monday October 20th expecting a buoyant atmosphere at the popular Brentwood golf centre, which recently added a FootGolf course to its three golf courses.

“The people at your golf club are like your extended family” said Careford. “My philosophy is to treat every golfer like they are already a member, as soon as they drive into our car park. Golfers tend to be loyal and friendly, and that’s the atmosphere I will encourage at South Essex Golf Centre”.

The new boss took up golf as a teenager, and has whittled his handicap down to an impressive 10 – but he doesn’t expect to get much time to work on it. “I expect to be too busy through the winter to play much golf myself” he said. “I am looking forward to getting to know the golf club, its customers and staff, and I am going to have to sacrifice my own golf game so that others can improve theirs!”

Golf’s often staid image is something which Careford is determined to change at South Essex. “When you visit here you’ll find a sport which is vibrant, energetic and fun. People get a buzz when they exercise, and with the amazing recent growth of FootGolf here too, South Essex is very much a modern golf centre with very few remnants of golf’s stuffy past”.

The north Londoner joins South Essex after an impressive five years at Hertfordshire golf club Chesfield Downs, where he put his leisure industry training to good use. Having spent the early years of his career at David Lloyd and Virgin health clubs, he helped Chesfield Downs to expand its leisure club membership fourfold during his time there as Golf & Leisure Manager.

“Barry is a great people person as well as being a very strong manager, and he was the outstanding candidate when we were looking for someone to take over at South Essex Golf Centre. We have been waiting for the right challenge to arise for him within our company for some time” said Stephen Towers, Chief Operating Officer at Crown Golf, which owns and operates South Essex, Chesfield Downs and 23 other golf venues across the UK.

“Seeing successful staff progress in their career is one of the most rewarding things about running an organisation like Crown Golf, and I have no doubt that Barry’s outgoing personality will enable him to establish himself quickly as the new figurehead at South Essex”.

Ends.

CONTACT SOUTH ESSEX GOLF CENTRE: +44 (0)1277 811289, Barry Careford, southessex-manager@crown-golf.co.uk.
South Essex GC, Brentwood Rd, Herongate, Brentwood, Essex Cm13 3LW

www.southessexgolf.co.uk

Established in 1994, South Essex Golf Centre encompasses 27 holes of Golf, located just outside Brentwood and only 5 minutes from Junction 29 of the M25. Facing mainly south the course basks in the southern sunshine & The panoramic views over the Thames Valley and into Kent are truly magnificent. South Essex GC is one of the country's leading environmentally-aware golf clubs, and was accredited with the GEO (Golf Environment Organization) in 2013, one of the first British golf clubs to achieve this prestigious qualification. The unique set up at South Essex provides three 9 Hole courses designed by Reginald Plumbridge - The Heron (3,531 Yds Par 36), The Hawk (3,389 Yds Par 36) and The Vixen (3,102 Yds Par 35), giving variety every time you play and offering a number of choices for 18 Holes. The three courses have been designed with spaciousness and nature in mind and have been blended into the established gently rolling landscape. Varying the mix of course can give some interesting combinations. Every hole is completely different offering its own individual beauty, interest and challenge. With its reputation as one of the best pay and play courses in Essex, it provides the ideal location for a relaxing game of golf in tranquil surroundings and offers fantastic views over the county and into Kent. The club also has a 14-bay covered 275-yard Driving Range and excellent practice facilities. Meetings, conferences and banquets can be accommodated up to 120 people. .

www.crown-golf.co.uk

The award-winning Crown Golf group has 25 UK golf facilities and 38 golf courses in its portfolio. With pride in customer service and innovation, Crown Golf (established in 1994) aims to provide an outstanding golf experience for its members and visitors, tailor-made to suit the lifestyles and needs of a wide range of golfers. The company’s flagship is the European Tour venue St Mellion International Resort (www.st-mellion.co.uk), home to The Nicklaus Signature Course – the first in the UK to be designed by 18-time Major-winner Jack Nicklaus.