Bradley follows in father’s footsteps as Blankney Golf Club's new head professional

04/01/2022

Alec Bradley has taken over the reins from father Graham to keep the Bradley surname going at Blankney Golf Club.

Graham Bradley joined Blankney Golf Club, located in the heart of rural Lincolnshire, back in 1978 and having worked there for 43 years, he finally hung up his professional golf shoes in October 2021.

When he made the decision to retire and finally pass on the head professional role, he knew the club would be in good hands as his son, Alec, takes over from him, having also worked as a PGA Professional at Blankney for most of his career.

Alec recalls his dad getting him into golf as a young boy and the magical moments that made him first fall in love with the game. He has fond memories of hitting plastic golf balls in the back garden with his dad and finally getting the golf ball onto the putting green for the first time - he’s been hooked ever since.

“I was lucky my dad never pushed me into golf, but he did end up coaching me through my junior years," Alex revealed. "The parent-child relationship in coaching and the workplace can be difficult, but for me the pros have always far outweighed the cons.”

For Alec, following his father’s path into the golf industry was a decision he made early on. He started his training with The PGA at the age of 18 and has never looked back. The idea of going into the family business was one that always appealed to Alec and he has been thankful for the support they have given each other over the years.

Working for Graham since the start of his career, Alec was thankful for a move down south to Dartford in Kent for three years. It allowed him to expand his experience and step out from his dad’s watchful gaze for a while.

“In 2006, I moved to Birchwood Park Golf Centre as one of the Head Teaching Professionals. Moving away and learning in a different environment definitely helped me grow professionally and gain some self-confidence.”

Moving back to Lincolnshire and Blankney, Alec has seen his role progress throughout the years and become more managerial. Having taken his Director of Golf qualifications this year and begun to modernise the business, it’s clear that Alec is excited to make his own mark and help push the club forwards.

“Since taking over, I am looking forward to putting my own spin on things. If you don’t change then you do get left behind. For me it’s about embracing technology as the golf industry continues to move forward and modernise.”

Talking with Alec, you can tell how passionate he is about his role and how much he wants to do the best for the members at Blankney. He might have grown up playing golf at the club, but he is certainly no longer the junior. Perceptions from members have long since changed and he is there to drive the club forwards for the foreseeable future.

Looking back, Alec says it’s the smaller moments working with his dad that he will treasure the most. All those laughs along the way and being able to have each other’s back no matter what. Having spoken about almost nothing else for so long, it is probably going to take some adjustment from both Alec and Graham.

He added: “We haven’t been able to spend too much time together outside of the golf club, because everything has revolved around the business for so long, so it will be nice to finally meet up for a pint outside of the club.”