There is a unanimous consensus of opinion that we currently have one of the best ever Lady Captains at my home club, Parkstone in Dorset. Pat Watson is confident, charismatic and caring. She bounded into the role with enthusiasm and has injected fun and energy into our social events. She is nothing short of a wonderwoman!
Pat embodies most of what could be described as the perfect personality traits for a club captain or leader of a section. However, this is very much open to interpretation and opinion. There are undoubtedly golf clubs with different ideas and attitudes, and certainly those that will put their hands up and admit that sometimes they get it totally wrong, ending up with a disastrous captain at the helm, that really wasn’t the right person for the job.
So, here are 7 personality traits that we think a great club captain should possess.
Positivity
A club captain is the figurehead of the club. As members you don’t want to hear about the problems they may have to deal with or any tricky decisions they face. The best captains have a can-do attitude that makes sure, no matter what, events run smoothly and golf is played and enjoyed by all. They simply exude positivity.
Passion
Having an undeniable passion for golf will help immensely, allowing the club captain to bring an energy and enthusiasm to their role. Some clubs struggle to get volunteers to step forward and take on the role of captain, seeing it more as a job than an honour. The best captains are those who want to do the job, willingly. It’s not a chore or an obligation but a delight. They love golf and relish the chance to captain their club or section.
Confidence
Although not essential, this is a particularly important leadership trait. It doesn’t matter whether you are captaining a club of 50 or 500 or more members, you will at some point have to stand up in front of a room of golfers with an air of confidence. Any public speaking skills will serve you well. The best captains are very natural and don’t script their speeches too much. They maintain eye contact with their audience and are confident communicators. This leads onto the next point…
Clear Communicator
It goes without saying that hand-in-hand with confidence comes clear communication. This can take many forms, from standing up in front of your members and talking about upcoming competitions and events, to sending out weekly emails or newsletters with updates on the golf played and interesting snippets of club news.
Most importantly, the captain must be honest and transparent with the members. If there was a problem with slow play, say so. If people are failing to repair their pitch marks, call it out. The better you can communicate with your members the happier they will be.
Caring And Compassionate
There will be times when members are disgruntled or upset about one thing or another. It happens frequently. Maybe a group gets held up on the course by other slow players. Someone might lose a relative close to them. A club captain is so much more than a leader, they are a counsellor!
They must be there to pick up the phone and answer questions, to listen to issues and resolve any conflict. They must also be the support network for the members. If someone is recently widowed, go to visit them and show that you have a genuinely caring nature. In your year of captaincy, put the club and the members first. Be a great ambassador for the club.
Sensible Decision-Maker
One of the biggest responsibilities for a club captain is to decide what competition formats to play. What handicap limits should apply? Some clubs have these parameters set in stone, others have a degree of flexibility and freedom for the captain to put his or her stamp of individuality onto it.
Then there are decisions about club socials, when they should be scheduled into the calendar. What format or theme should they take? Trickier decisions include whether competitions should go ahead when the course has to be partly closed due to bad weather, the list goes on. The best club captain has a sensible approach to decision-making that’s transparent and fair.
Fun
Last, but by no means least, a great club captain is fun! Maybe they are good at cracking jokes with a wicked sense of humour. Maybe they are just good at delegating and organising guests to join in social events and inject the fun. Parkstone Pat invited a surprise waitress-turned singer to serve at a social and it was brilliant fun. From straight-forward games of golf to annual social events, the club captain must walk around with a happy-go-lucky attitude and a smile on their face. The happiness of the members is in their hands.
