Managing a major brand is no small feat, but for PGA Professional Alan Purdie – who is now Brand Director at Glenbrae - it’s a challenge that he embraced. Here, Alan discusses his journey and the lessons he learned from 15 years at Kingsbarns and then Oakdale, as he encourages fellow PGA Members to venture down a similar path within golf retail.
Alan’s introduction to the game came at Turnberry on the west coast of Scotland and, by the time he was 17, he had turned professional. The initial plan was to play as much as possible before soon realising that he needed a back-up career. He was an Assistant Professional at Helensburgh and Bothwell Castle before becoming the Head Professional at Kingsbarns in Fife. After five years as Head Pro he then spent almost a decade as the Director of Golf Operations.
How you were educated into your new role and what were the valuable lessons that you learnt?
I moved from Kingsbarns to Oakdale as General Manager which presented a host of new challenges. From being very much golf orientated at Kingsbarns, Oakdale was a much wider spread of responsibilities – it was much more a business-type role due to being responsible for club finances, building insurances, food and alcohol licences and health and safety. Having that experience gave me the confidence that I was able to adapt into a new role and deal with the business and the customer service side of things. As for valuable lessons, you shouldn’t always try to do everything yourself, you need a strong team around you.
What advice would you give to your fellow PGA Professional in terms of venturing down a different career path?
I consider myself to be very fortunate to have worked within several different sectors of the golf industry, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every role equally and have embraced each challenge, I am also a bit of a workaholic, so the effort and drive needed has never been an issue.
Kingsbarns was probably the biggest influence and most defining role I have had. When you get the chance to be part of something from day one and experience every possible scenario for the first time, it emphasises that planning is important but not as important as experience.
How important has your relationship with The PGA been?
I was very fortunate to work for and alongside several very good PGA Professionals who had specialised in certain areas of their own PGA career and subsequently I had a very good and diverse training. I have just entered my 30th year of being a PGA Professional and, although my current role does not demand that I use the title, my connection with the PGA still assists me on a daily basis. The relationships that I formed with my PGA peers are still strong and the ability to consider things from a PGA Professional’s perspective are still relevant. I would encourage every PGA Professional to consider diversifying within the industry.
How is the golf apparel retail industry evolving?
I believe there have been three major changes; the introduction of new fibres, the look of how the average golfer looked when he was heading out to play and lastly the price point of the garments. Thankfully for the brands that I represent, these changes are all doing a 360 at the moment. The use of cheap fabrics that are not responsibly sourced is now being monitored closely and driven out of the market, people are much more aware of what fibres they are wearing and subsequently how they were sourced. Finally, we are witnessing a massive spike in trends moving back to a far more expensive, high quality and longer-lasting garment that has an elegant and smarter look for golf but is also far more acceptable off the course.
