Congratulations to the all of the new winners and the few that claimed back-to-back titles in this year’s celebration presented by Turtleson.
A selection of the golf and club industry’s very best Clubs and Operators descended on The University Club of Toronto and the Calgary Petroleum Club over the last week with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at 59club Canada’s second annual Service Excellence Awards.
A couple of days that started with tales from mystery shopping, carried on with an impressive panel of new industry GM’s, ended with a glittering awards ceremony honouring the finest customer service providers for having achieved the highest standards of excellence across 2024.
59club’s illustrious accolades are determined by scores collected from their impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with 59club’s objective benchmarking criteria. On the two nights, 59club presented 10 awards across different categories, recognizing ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management. With 59club continuing to reflect the very best performances, regardless of a venue’s size, scale or profile.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club took home three achievements; Most Improved Experience, Golf Ops Team of the Year and Golf Manager of the Year, accompanied by a coveted Gold Flag, improving upon their Silver Flag status received in 2024.
Kudos to clubs or courses with multiple nominees including Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club with seven, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club with five, La Vallee du Richelieu and Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club with four a piece and Mad River and Donalda Club with three a piece.
It was a pleasure to see multiple team members attend this joyous evening. Some awards are individually awarded but more often than not they’re shared among the entire department. Team spirit is what these evenings are all about.
59club’s Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Designations, are always a highlight of proceedings. These highly prized accolades recognize member clubs’ and resorts that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2024.
This year, 59club presented a very impressive fifteen ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Camelot Golf & Country Club, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, Donalda Club, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, Mad River Golf Club, Mickelson National Golf Club, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club, Pinebrook Golf & Country Club, Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, The Club at North Halton, The Derrick Golf & Winter Club and Victoria Golf Club.
“We are truly honored to receive the 59club Gold Flag Award, a recognition of our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service and experiences for our members and guests. This achievement reflects not only the dedication and passion of our incredible staff—who continually go above and beyond to create a welcoming environment, deliver outstanding hospitality, and maintain world-class facilities—but also the invaluable support from 59club, whose mystery shopper program and service training provided the insights and guidance needed to reach this standard of excellence.” – Glenn Phillips, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club
“Being recognized as a repeat 59club Gold Flag recipient illustrates the commitment the club’s staff has to delivering service excellence to the membership and their guests.” – Brad Franklin, GM Oshawa Golf & Curling Club
The lone Silver Flag went to Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club and two Bronze Flags winners included Black Bear Ridge Golf Club and McKenzie Meadows Golf Club.
Other prestigious award winners on the night included Dean O’Doherty, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, who took home the Superintendent of the Year award and Steven Young was congratulated, for the second consecutive year with the Golf Manager of the Year award.
Ashley Zibrik was hailed Golf Retail Manager of the Year from Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, while the Food & Beverage Manager of the Year title went to Michelle Larcher from Mad River Club.
Individual experience awards were issued to Carrying Place Golf & Country Club for best F&B experience, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club for the best Retail Experience as well as La Vallee du Richelieu with the Best Individual Golf Course Experience award.
“Winning in the categories we were selected for signifies a remarkable achievement, marking key milestones in our journey. It reflects our commitment to excellence. This recognition is a testament to our hard work, innovation, and passion for success.” – Daniel Beauregard, GM Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
To recognize venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilizing a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform, a ‘Service Excellence’ designation was awarded to Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the second year in a row! A very impressive feat.
“Working with 59Club has provided measurable results for service interactions at every touch point. It has allowed our team to track progress and address areas of improvement we may not have otherwise recognized. Our recent award recognition also provided the team a sense of pride for the effort they’ve put forward to ensure we’re constantly working towards being best in class.” – Rich Morel, Carrying Place G & CC
For more information on 59club, visit www.59club.com
Full list of award winners can be seen below;
Gold Flag Designations
Camelot Golf & Country Club, Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, Donalda Club, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club, Mad River Golf Club, Mickelson National Golf Club, Oshawa Golf & Curling Club, Pinebrook Golf & Country Club, Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Sarnia Golf & Curling Club, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, The Club at North Halton, The Derrick Golf & Winter Club, Victoria Golf Club
Silver Flag Designations
Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Bronze Flag Designations
Black Bear Ridge Golf Club, McKenzie Meadows Golf Club
Golf Manager of the Year
Steven Young, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
Superintendent of the Year
Dean O’Doherty, La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club
Food and Beverage Manager of the Year
Michelle Larcher, Mad River Golf Club
Golf Retail Manager of the Year
Ashley Zibrik, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club
Golf Operations Team of the Year
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
Leading Individual Golf Course Presentation
La Vallee du Richelieu Golf Club
Leading Individual Food & Beverage Experience
Carrying Place Golf & Country Club
Leading Individual Retail Experience
Cataraqui Golf & Country Club
my59 Survey Service Excellence Award
Hamilton Golf & Country Club
Most Improved Golf Experience
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club
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