Member in the Spotlight - Martin Gallagher

Martin Gallagher’s 35-year career as a PGA Professional has taken him all over the world, from Ireland to England, North America, Italy, the UAE and, most recently, to Eastern Europe. After leaving a post in Wales during the pandemic, Martin now divides his time between coaching at The Montgomerie Golf Club in Dubai and Dreamland Golf Club in Baku. Here, he recounts his experiences of working at home and abroad and what he has learned from the people he has met along the way.

What has been your career path to date?

I began my career as an assistant at Portmarnock Golf Club in Ireland, where former tour player Peter Townsend was the head professional. Having been both a Walker and Ryder Cup player, Peter generously shared his vast experience with me and furthered my passion for the game.

After two attempts at the European Tour’s Qualifying School, and playing in a few Challenge Tour events, I realised that the dream of becoming a successful tour player was beyond my reach. Not to be discouraged, I was determined to develop as a Club Professional and took advantage of the many learning opportunities presented to me.

Peter insisted that if I was to develop my skills it was imperative that I was prepared to travel and learn from my peers, so after three years at Portmarnock I applied for the assistant professional’s position at Sunningdale Golf Club, where I was fortunate to work under the legendary Keith Maxwell. It was there I really learned the importance of customer service and attention to detail. It created the foundation for my entire career, and I still reach out to Keith for advice even after all these years. He was an exceptional mentor.

During my time at Sunningdale I improved in all aspects of the business, and my game also improved considerably, as a big part of our job was to play golf with the members and always for a significant wager! There were few easy games, as the members mostly played to their handicaps, but it certainly kept my own game in competitive order.
I also began to develop a real passion for teaching and was responsible for developing junior golf at Eton College as part of my role. I have very fond memories of those sessions and encountered some very interesting children, many of whom I are probably now are part of the world’s business and political elite.

After receiving a US resident’s visa in a lottery, I left Sunningdale in 1988 to take up a position at a club in Hawaii where I worked for two years before deciding to move back home. There were so many opportunities in Europe at that time that I decided to be adventurous and try a country that was new to golf and had great potential for development, which was how I came to end up working in Italy.Ca' Della Nave, a brand-new club located just outside Venice that had an Arnold Palmer design course was my first ever Club.

I spent 20 happy years there before accepting a new challenge and moving to Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2010. It was a completely different experience – high paced and five-star customer service. It gave me great experience in the corporate sector of the industry, and I remained there for five years before deciding to return to the UK in 2015 for family reasons. I worked as Director of Golf at Penrhos Park in Wales for the next five years, during which time I developed the golf academy, assisted in membership development and upgraded the golf operations to bring the club in line with modern facilities.

How did you find out about your current role and how long have you been doing it?

I’m now doing two jobs, which wasn’t initially part of the plan, but due to the pandemic my previous role at Penrhos Park was severely curtailed and with no end in sight I decided to return to the Middle East last year. I’m now working as a seasonal professional at the Montgomerie Golf Club in Dubai and was presented with the opportunity to work as Head Professional this summer at Dreamland Golf Club in Azerbaijan. Because of the different golf seasons I can switch between the two jobs, which works out perfectly, although it does make it a 12-month golf season, which can be exhausting!

I was recommended for the Dreamland role by my international colleagues as having previous experience in a foreign country and overcoming the challenges of culture and the language barrier.

What is the remit of your current role/s and what does a typical day involve?

At The Montgomerie it is a full-time teaching role catering for a large clientele of international members and guests, and in particular developing group programs for junior golf, ladies’ development classes and men’s on-course instruction.

At Dreamland we have a significant number of coaching programmes introducing people to the game, while also developing an increasingly large membership. This has many parallels with my 20 years spent in Italy, which has now developed many top-class professionals, including European Tour player Guido Migliozzi whom I had the pleasure of teaching earlier in his career.

What are the most challenging parts of the job/s?

I believe the most challenging part of my job is getting the message across to golfers that golf is probably the hardest game in the world and accepting that it’s a game of reducing errors and not aiming for perfection. I treat golf an obstacle course, and the one who makes the least mistakes generally wins!

Most people’s expectations are too high and their goals must be realistic. Concentrating on the basic fundamentals is always overlooked and the cornerstone to any great player’s game – aim, grip and posture.

And the most rewarding?

The most rewarding element is the joy one gives to the golfer when he hits that perfect shot! At that moment the passion is born. Teaching creates a personal connection between coach and pupil, which, in some cases, has led to lifetime friendships. Now that’s priceless.

How easy has it been to settle into the local communities and what’s day to day life outside of work like?

When I first started working in Italy some 20 years ago I planned for everything golf-related, but didn’t give much thought to what my life outside the game would be like. To be honest, it never crossed my mind that I would have to learn a new language, as I rather naively thought I’d get by with my English. I was also somewhat resistant to the cultural shift that was required, and it really impacted on my ability to integrate.

Now, a lot older and a bit wiser, this time I have a basic knowledge of Russian, which is Azerbaijan’s second language, and I no longer expect the people to adapt to me and relish the opportunity to experience a new culture and integrate with the local people. That is the real secret if one plans to live anywhere abroad for an extended period. Like golf, be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them.

Who have been your biggest professional influences?

They have been many. When I was starting out in the game I used to practice outside on some waste ground near Royal Dublin Golf Club as I wasn’t a member. I was there nearly every day and a man who I presumed was a member used to give me some tips on his way to the club. He noticed my passion for the game and I was happy that someone could teach me something as I had no family members who played golf. I later discovered this man was Christy O'Connor Senior, 10-time Ryder Cup player and the club professional at Royal Dublin. He taught me many elements of how he played the game and how he mastered the wind. It was a priceless experience.

I have always been a fan of Butch Harmon and was lucky to meet him and shared a coffee and a chat in Abu Dhabi when he was coaching Phil Mickelson at the tournament where I was coaching about six years ago. That chat was a gamechanger and I quickly realised the simplicity and effectiveness of his style.

Four things stuck with me. Firstly, simple doesn’t mean it’s missing something; secondly, development is more about taking away than adding; thirdly, there is no one way to swing a club; and finally, the only position in golf that matters is impact. I highly recommend everyone to read Butch’s book ‘The Pro’, it provides an incredible insight into the game.

What is the best piece of advice you been given?

Don’t let others define your definition of success. You need to come up with your own. The measure of success is you. It’s not the recognition you may get, a position you hold, or about how much money you make.

What advice would you pass on to other PGA Members who are interested in following a career in your area of work?

I would say try your hand at every part of the profession. You will soon find which one you have the most passion for and then focus on developing it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to fail. As the great Basketball player Michael Jordan once said: “I have failed more times than you have tried.”

What is the one thing you wished you’d known earlier?

Never look for approval. Just do what’s right and you’ll be fine.

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