David McNicholas

Golfing Herald met up with David McNicholas, Head PGA Professional at Elsham Golf Club for our Meet the Professional series.

David’s love of golf began at a very early age. In the mid-1980’s he would sneak onto Turnberry golf course with his parents and his brother and whilst walking the course his Dad would proudly explain where golfing legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman had hit shots from during Open Championships played at this famous course.

Aged about 11, David joined Normanby Hall Golf Club and started with an official handicap of 31, but by his mid-teens was playing off a handicap of 5.

Returning home from a trip to Pebble Beach, David devised a five-year plan with the primary objective of becoming a Professional Golfer by 2007. This plan involved moving to Elsham Golf Club, being coached by Keith Williams (who was an England coach at that time) and funded by working as a shop assistant at Normanby Hall Golf Club.

During this five year period, David played for the Elsham Golf Club scratch team and in 2006 they won the prestigious Bramley Trophy. In 2007 he achieved his objective and became the Assistant Professional at Normanby Hall.

In 2008, David won the Lincolnshire Assistants Championship and in 2010 he successfully completed his 3 year PGA training course. One year later he became the youngest ever Head PGA Professional at Normanby Hall.

In 2016, David returned to Elsham Golf Club as the Head PGA Professional. He is a well-respected coach who combines modern day coaching methods with psychology and skill profiling. In 2018, David and his assistant Dane Duffin received the ‘Laddie Lucas’ award from the Golf Foundation, in recognition of their initiative to create more opportunities for girls to get involved in golf.

Elsham Golf Club

Established in 1900, Elsham Golf Club is located about 3 miles from the M180 (Junction 5).

This part parkland, part heathland, Par 71 course measures 6443 yards from the white tees and is recognised as one of the premier golf courses in Lincolnshire, placing emphasis on accuracy from the tee and excellent course management.

Elsham has a thriving club membership and is a very welcoming club to visitors and societies (to which I can testify having had the pleasure of playing 27 holes at Elsham a couple of weeks before interviewing David).

England Golf recently granted Elsham championship golf course status and in June of this year, Elsham will host with Holme Hall Golf Club the prestigious English Senior Men’s Open Amateur Championship. All competitors will play 36 holes over the first two days, with one round on each of the courses. The leading 80 players and ties will then play a further 18 holes at Holme Hall.

Tony Jacklin, who won the British and US Opens is an honorary member. He moved to the village of Elsham after winning the British Open and he practised and played at Elsham Golf Club whilst competing on the European and American professional tours.

1st Tee

Golfing Herald (GH): I ‘teed off’ by asking David how he first got into golf.

David McNicholas (DMc): My earliest golfing memory was walking at an Open Championship course in the mid-1980s. We used to go up to Turnberry every year and stay quite local to the course. Sneak onto the golf course at night with my Mum and Dad and my brother. Walking the course with my Dad explaining where Norman had hit this shot from, where Nicklaus had hit this shot from.

(GH): Did you also attend and watch any golf tournaments at that time?

(DMc): My earliest memory of actually going to watch golf came in 1988, the Open Championship at Lytham, and it was the Saturday which got rained off!! Just seeing people like Seve up close. He went onto win it that year as well on a Monday finish. Just seeing all of these people who I had seen briefly on TV was fantastic. We then got to Fulford as well to watch the Benson and Hedges Pro Celebrity. Had an autograph book so got lots of autographs as well.

(GH): How old were you?

(DMc): I would have been 6 coming up 7. Golf was always a huge part of what went on. My Dad went to the Open Championships in the 1970s and 1980s.

(GH): Does your Dad play golf?

(DMc): Yeah, Dad is still a golfer and he is a secretary at one of the local clubs. My brother is a Professional golfer as well at Saffron Walden Golf Club. My Dad would often go to an Open Championship, going there and back on the same day and then tell us all these tales.

Next Steps

(GH): From those very early days of watching professional golfers close up and listening to stories from your Dad, how did you progress to actually playing golf?

(DMc): Golf was always part of the family. There was always a golf club lying about. We would always hit a golf ball about, but my major focus when I was younger was football. I was into all sports really but football was probably my primary sport.

(GH): Did you play for the school team or a local team?

(DMc): School team and a local club. I would always play against adults when I was young. We would have lots of the family come over and my Dad was a very competitive man!! He would invite everybody in who he would teach so I always found myself playing against a lot stronger and older people which really helped me in my development. Golf was always there. Always in the background and my Dad would occasionally take me caddying. My brother was a good footballer but he got really badly injured so he turned his hand to golf.

(GH): Is your brother older or younger than yourself?

(DMc): He is about 3 or 4 years older than me. So due to his injury, he was sort of forced down that (golf) route really. Golf was always something I saw myself doing but it was never a priority for me. I just enjoyed the occasional game at a local golf course called Kingsway (Scunthorpe) which unfortunately closed a couple of years ago but it was a great starting point. A location where just about everybody who was not a member of a golf club would learn to play golf.

(GH): Municipal golf course?

(DMc): Yes. Municipal course, council-run facility, 9 holes. It used to be very busy and I think a lot of the people who played golf in Scunthorpe started at Kingsway. A great feeder course back in the day where private clubs were very much ‘private’ and very difficult to ‘get into’.

(GH): As you say, a great outlet and facility for those wishing to start playing golf.

(DMc): Certainly, but which sadly we don’t have anymore.

Golf Handicap

(GH): From Kingsway at what stage did you join a club where you obtained an official golf handicap?

(DMc): That was at Normanby Hall Golf Club, where I must have been about 10 or 11 years of age and I remember my first handicap was 31!!

(GH): You have arrived then though, haven’t you?

(DMc): Mixed emotions really. My brother was a good golfer at this stage and he was playing off a handicap of about 10 or 11. My Dad was playing off 3 or 4 so I saw myself off 31 and thought that’s not very good but at the same time I was delighted to have my handicap and be able to play competitively.

(GH): Did your handicap come down quickly?

(DMc): There was a really good junior section at Normanby so I played a lot of golf and the (school) summer holidays were just filled with playing golf. To the point that when I was about 15 I was down to a handicap of 5 and then down to a handicap of 4 just before my 16th birthday. But golf was just a bit of fun. It was a game. I saw my brother wanting to aspire to be a golf professional.

(GH): Your brother would have been about 18 or 19 at this time?

(DMc): Yeah. I got down to (a handicap of) 4 before him. I remember the event. We played over at Blankney Golf Club. It was a 36 hole event. His handicap went up by 0.2 and my handicap came down by 0.5. He was wanting to be the golf pro, I wasn’t. I had no intentions to be a golf pro at this stage. It was a pretty quiet car journey on the way home. He was frustrated and me not wanting to say anything to rub a bit of salt into the wounds. I got down to 3 by the time I was 18 but still wasn’t particularly looking to do golf as a career. It was still a game at this stage having just finished my A levels at college.

Golf ‘Takes Hold’

(GH): After leaving college, did you have thoughts or ambitions of going into tertiary education such as a place at University?

(DMc): Not really. I always thought there was some sort of role in a sport for me. I had just finished playing football by the time I was 16 or 17 and I wasn’t that interested in that (football) anymore. Golf had started to take over without me knowing. It had taken a hold on me. But it wasn’t until I was about 20 and we went out to Pebble Beach and I fell in love with the game again and realised that I had to do things a bit differently. I had already been working in golf for about a year before we went out to Pebble Beach.

(GH): When you say working in golf, in what capacity?

(DMc): As a shop assistant at Normanby Hall Golf Club. Chris Mann, who was the Professional at Normanby at that time was also running Kingsway so it was his responsibility to also staff the shop at Kingsway. A lot of good golf professionals went through there. Local pros such as Matt Peacock and Dan Greenwood (both now at Forest Pines Golf Club) started off down there. My brother did. And Tom Gillespie, who went down to Cirencester and is now a PGA tutor. A good stable of players who went through that system. I had my opportunity in 2001 and that was my entry to the world of a golf professional.

(GH): You just said that you fell in love with the game again when you went out to Pebble Beach. How had you fallen out of love with golf?

(DMc): Kind of lost my way. I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. But went out to Pebble Beach and really difficult not wanting to be involved with golf!!

(GH): Was there a professional tournament being played at Pebble Beach at that time?

(DMc): There was a tournament on, but not the AT&T or anything like that. We played at Spanish Bay and it was just a fantastic experience. We had been to St. Andrews a lot between 1995 and 2000. My Dad was a Headteacher so we could only get away during the school holidays so we would practise and then play 54 holes a day. On a season ticket (about £60 at the time) we would play the Eden, the New and the Jubilee every day for 3 days.

(GH): Fantastic value for money.

(DMc): It was. When I think about it I have always had a love for the game but that time at Pebble Beach I realised it was definitely the thing that I wanted to do.

Five Year Plan

(GH): Pebble Beach was very much the defining moment for you?

(DMc): It was. I devised a plan on the flight back home from LA. A five year plan to turn Professional. I started working with a new coach, a guy called Keith Williams who was at Woodhall Spa. He was an England coach at the time. I joined here (Elsham Golf Club) as an amateur. Good quality golf course but most importantly for me some really good golfers for that level of competition that I needed in order to push me forward. Just a nice way of bringing it all together by joining Elsham, a fresh start really, a blank canvas.

(GH): Were you still working at Normanby Hall Golf Club in a sort of retail capacity?

(DMc): Absolutely. I was in a very fortunate position. I was sort of a semi-pro really. I was playing golf 7 days a week and also working to support that in a golfing environment. The best of both worlds. Long days, lots of hours of practising put in, making new friends and getting involved with the teams at Elsham. Getting coached at Woodhall Spa made me want to work even harder. A strong work ethic to achieve my goals.

(GH): At a very high level, how did your five-year plan breakdown? For example, did you set yourself certain targets and milestones?

(DMc): Absolutely. For myself, it was all about getting the right processes in place. Making sure that I was doing the right things on and off the golf course. Lifestyle changes. Coming out of being an adolescent, young man. A lot of my friends were older and they started to get married. They settled down and that allowed me to settle down a little bit earlier. A lot of focus putting the hours in working towards a structured plan, structured practise.

Amateur to Professional

(GH): In what year did you finally join the professional ranks?

(DMc): In 2007, which got me the start line of being a professional golfer. That was the way I looked at it. I achieved my goals of the five-year plan. I then set new goals when I turned pro.

(GH): Just out of interest, what was your handicap when you turned professional in 2007?

(DMc): A handicap of 1 in the end!! That was the one thing I didn’t get right!! I was a bit unlucky really because I played a lot of golf internationally. My brother was out in New Zealand so I went out there.

(GH): Had he turned professional by then?

(DMc): Yes. He started his PGA qualifications in 2001 and qualified in 2004. He went out to New Zealand and I went out there and played some events. They were not recognised by the EGU (England Golf Union) and so I was unable to get down to scratch. I had some really good events out there. Just fell short of that goal but it was a goal that would have meant I did not have to do a playing test. In the end, I did my playing test in 2007. The measure tends to be your handicap and that is what people often ask. From a personal selfish point of view, I would have liked to have been scratch or better. But for me, and I say this to a lot of the young lads who I coach, the handicap is just a number.

(GH): As you say it is just a number in that the PGA allow you to turn professional with a handicap of 4 or better.

(DMc): I was eligible to turn professional when I was 15 or 16 if I had wanted to. But it’s not a case of where you are at when you turn pro it’s where you are going. The lessons I have learnt I try to pass onto some of the better players that I coach. I had quite a successful amateur career locally and regionally.

(GH): Any representative honours, say for the county of Lincolnshire?

(DMc): For the county yes at youth and senior level. Played a lot of the bigger amateur events such as the Amateur Championship.

Aspirations

(GH): You have now achieved the primary objective of your five-year plan by becoming a Professional golfer. Looking back (to 2007), did you have aspirations to be a touring/playing Professional?

(DMc): I think when everybody turns pro they want to be the best player that they can be. That competitiveness and wanting to win will never leave me but you realise that everybody is at a slightly different stage and that some people have more opportunities to develop that side of the game and may have more ability as well!! For me, the number one priority was to get through my PGA course. I saw that as my license to be able to do whatever I wanted to. Seeing my brother working abroad as well showed me that there were opportunities all over the world. But the priority as I install in my assistants is to get your PGA qualifications by getting through the 3-year course and take it from there really. In Lincolnshire, we have a very competitive pro scene. Some good golfers. I always knew that there was a chance for me to play. Then you have your bigger events away from the county such as the Assistants Championship.

Golf Psychology

(GH): Could you provide a bit more detail about the 3 year PGA course to become a qualified PGA Professional?

(DMc): I think you have to go into something like the PGA course with a very open mind as there all these different avenues that you can go down. For me, Year 2 was where I found ‘Golf Psychology’ which was totally unexpected. It is more common now to see players working with individuals on and off the golf course. For me, it was very much a lightbulb moment more than anything.

(GH): Was ‘Golf Psychology’ a specific module on the PGA course?

(DMc): It was. In Year 2 we covered Sports Science. Relatively new at the time. Golf Psychology stood out and I fell in love with that part of it (Sports Science). Read everything I could possibly read such as Bob Rotella, Harvey Penick, Lynn Marriott & Pia Nelson (Vision 54), Dr Joseph Parent (Zen Golf). I was able to immediately adopt this into my own game and also into my coaching as well. There was a chance to develop different coaching strategies around the psychology of the game and offer something a little bit different.

(GH): Talking of something a bit different, what caught my eye whilst I was preparing for today was your offering of ‘bespoke Golf Psychology coaching packages’!!

(DMc): Yeah. A lot of profiling to begin with to gain an understanding of the individual. I have just started working with a group called ‘Human Intelligence’ and that allows you to build up a profile of an individual. Strengths, weaknesses. All kinds of random questioning but it gives you this personality trait and helps you identify how they work best, learning style, how to communicate with them. Also, our compatibility as well (Coach and Pupil). We also do a booklet which works around the pre-shot routine, having an awareness out on the golf course and controlling your emotions. A lot of it is the basic principles of psychology…concentration, arousal regulation, imagery, goal setting, etc.

(GH): Is this package tailored for golfers of all abilities or is it more focused on golfers who say playoff low single figure handicap?

(DMc): It is more your dedicated golfer who would come to you for this bespoke package.

Chess, Bricks & Mind Games!!

(GH): I couldn’t help but notice the very impressive chessboard that you have set up when you showed me into your ‘office’. Is this linked to golf psychology or purely for pleasure?

(DMc): For me personally, it has always been a game that I have enjoyed playing. I am definitely no master at it but I do get a lot from it. A game I have played longer than golf, to be honest. Really helps me understand the strategy side of things. All strategy, very little physical. Just a simple move of the piece. I think a lot of skills you learn from chess are transferable into golf. It’s not something that I prescribe to people. But I would always advise it to those that are keen to see the crossover benefits, where you can think 2, 3 shots ahead. Being able to plot your way around a golf course, under pressure and have clarity of thought as well and look at all of the different possibilities. One of the exercises we do in Golf Psychology is to ask bizarrely on how many uses for a brick!! You would be surprised at some of the answers we get!!

(GH): Sounds like that episode from the TV series Father Ted where the housekeeper Mrs Doyle uses a brick to hold paper clips and then Father Jack adopted the brick as a pet!!

(DMc): Brilliant. Some people think you can only build with them whilst others can think of endless possibilities. But from this exercise, you get to understand the personality and mindset of somebody and how broad their thinking is. Then we ask people to describe how many ways you can make a 3 on this hole, 4 on this hole, 5 on this hole? Gets the mind working in a very similar kind of way to playing chess. I was in the chess club at primary school. Our Headteacher played chess for England so he made sure we had the opportunity to play chess. It wasn’t for everybody, but it is something I still enjoy by having a game now and again.

Short Game Programme

(GH): I also noted on your website that you are developing, or maybe by now have developed, a short game programme?

(DMc): It has been developed. It is called Skill18. It is broken down into 3 different sections. For me, it is all about 100 yards and inwards and the psychology of the game. Broken down to greenside, 0-50 yards and 51-100 yards. There are 6 different skills within each of these 3 sections to produce the 18. You work on some of the basic stuff like your set up, direction, distance, trajectory, pre and post shot routine and a 1 ball practise. It’s like a series of skills tests really designed to improve your game. Some people like to do all sections whilst some people might identify with or struggle around the greens. Maybe a golfer struggles from say 60 yards and asks what can you do for me? All of the skills involved within each of these areas kind of brings together everything that I have learnt from the last 15 years, in particular, the last 10 years since discovering golf psychology. Very much work in progress.

Back in Time

(GH): Let’s go back in time to 2007. To which club were you attached to when you turned professional?

(DMc): My pro career has mirrored my amateur career in that I started as an amateur at Normanby Hall and was the assistant pro there from 2007. Fully qualifying in 2010. The Head Pro at that time, his contract was due to expire in 2011. He turned to me in the early part of 2011 to signal his intention of not re-applying, saying get your business plan together. At this point, I had a few job offers, some more risky than others. My hand was kind of forced a little bit by the knowledge of the 10 years of being there (shop assistant + professional). I was the council’s dream really as I knew everything, how the system worked. I didn’t need training it was just a case of business as usual and thus in the summer of 2011 took over as the Head Professional at Normanby Hall and was looking after Kingsway Golf Club as well.

Move to Elsham

(GH): How did the move to here (Elsham Golf Club) come about?

(DMc): In 2016 there was a possibility that (Head PGA Professional) Stuart Brewer was going to move from Elsham Golf Club to Holme Hall Golf Club so again it was a case of putting together a business plan. Moving to a club such as Elsham was always on the radar. At Normanby, I learnt lots of new skills, developed existing ones and really gave me an understanding of what worked and what didn’t. It gave me a great platform from which to kick on and apply for the job with confidence here at Elsham.

(GH): Then there was the transition of working in the Public Sector (Normanby) to working in the Private Sector (Elsham)?

(DMc): Definitely. I was Head Pro at Normanby from 2011 to 2016 though there was a lot of uncertainty working for the council. My contract finished at Normanby on 30th June 2016 and I started here (Elsham) on the 11th of July. The timing was absolutely perfect. The previous pro had just moved on and left an opportunity for me and one I couldn’t afford to say no to. There was just a different feel to the golf club, a different type of business model, different expectations. Almost franchised out at Normanby. The council had the golf course but it wasn’t theirs. The catering was run separately. The Pro Shop was run separately. The Greenkeeping staff was run separately. Whilst here everything is under the same roof and effectively one big family and that took a bit of getting used to. Even though I had experienced Elsham as an amateur I was now seeing it from the other side really. But this club has been fantastic.

National Recognition

(GH): That leads on quite neatly as I read somewhere that even though Elsham is in many ways a very traditional club they had given you the opportunity to be innovative, explore new ideas, etc. For example, the project to create more opportunities for girls to get involved in golf which in 2018 was nationally recognised by the Golf Foundation with the Elsham Pro Shop Team receiving the Laddie Lucas award. How did that particular initiative start?

(DMc): We did a junior golf development plan and submitted that as part of the overall business plan for here. We came with a strong reputation for grassroots development. I was actually employing a female professional at the time so we got all of the girls coaching lined up for her. She went off playing and securing a job elsewhere so my assistant Dane Duffin fell into the delivery side of things. We planned it all out, we had meetings (with local schools). Dane was great by delivering the sessions. The award was for this initiative but we changed the feel of the golf club. Big changes in golf clubs across the country. We just brought a different approach more than anything and one that the club really bought into. Supported us well, proactive Club Manager at the time who let us do our thing and we didn’t let him down. Fantastic that we were awarded for all the hard work but it wasn’t something we were expecting. To be acknowledged for the work that had gone on. The juniors, in general, we had gone from a junior section that was small and depleted, struggling to put a team out to win the Junior League, winning the Lincolnshire North Finals, winning the Lincolnshire County Finals and then going on and playing in 2 National finals. All in the space of 18 months of us being here. That was really rewarding and added to the feel-good factor of the golf club at the time and we seem to use that momentum to keep moving forward

(GH): Dane and yourself were presented with the award at Wentworth Golf Club. Great experience?

(DMc): Wentworth was a fantastic experience. To get the award was brilliant for the club to be nationally recognised as well. A fitting way to bring the first bit of work we have done here to a close.

England Golf Championship Status

(GH): Talking of momentum and that feel-good factor did that play a part in Elsham (in conjunction with Holme Hall Golf Club) being awarded the England Golf National Men’s Senior’s Championship to be played in June?

(DMc): Elsham was established in 1900. Been a bit of a closed shop for many of those years but as soon as the course was ‘opened up’ people recognised the quality we have got here and in the area. Holme Hall is a good golf course and they hosted a Ladies Championship a couple of years ago which kind of got them on the ladder and we were able to get on their ‘coat-tails’ really to share the Men’s Senior Championship with them. It is fantastic for the club. I think it is one of those things that the championship is here for the week in June but I think we won’t really reap the benefits of it until later. People will become aware of the quality of the golf course. Locally we have always had a strong reputation and so it is nice to be able to branch out onto the National stage.

(GH): How is the planning going?

(DMc): We have been planning really hard for it over the last 6 to 8 months. The club has really bought into it as well.

(GH): What has the planning involved?

(DMc): The Chairman and his team have been speaking to England Golf on a regular basis. We went over to Coxmoor Golf Club to speak to their Manager as they hosted this competition last year. Some of our members went over and watched it as well. The team are just making sure that everything is done to ensure a really good championship. We have got all the options available to the players and we want them to go back and think Elsham was a really good venue, fantastic staff, everything they could want. That’s all we can do really.

(GH): Just need some good weather now!!

(DMc): Absolutely. The greens staff have been planning for some time and have tailored their work around the championship. Those guys probably more than anything are going to get a lot more from it as the course is their ‘pride and joy’. Our Head Greenkeeper has been out working at two French Opens and at the Ryder Cup last year, working on the Greens team out there. A very proud man. Great staff as well so really this is their showpiece event to get the course in the shop window…but if he does too good a job he might not be here long!! From our point of view, just a supporting role really to England Golf and make sure the event runs smoothly. Our members as getting involved as there are a lot of volunteer roles available.

(GH): As you say, the benefits of hosting this championship will hopefully be in the months and years ahead.

(DMc): It will and potentially what it could lead onto in the future. Do a really good job this time around and England Golf might want to host something else here in a few years time.

(GH): How long has Elsham been designated ‘Championship Status’?

(DMc): Very recent. Off the back of this event really so in the last 12 months. Not long at all. This is our first attempt.

Best Achievement

(GH): Bring the focus back onto you David, what has been your best achievement so far as a Professional?

(DMc): Playing wise, in 2008 I won the Lincolnshire Assistants Championship and I have won a handful of events around the county. Probably, my biggest achievements have come more academically, from being one of the youngest Head Professionals. I was the youngest Head Pro in the history of Normanby Hall. To be able to go from being an amateur there to being the Head Pro that was really a proud event. Likewise here to get such a good job at a young age. Kind of a build-up of all thing’s achievement wise. Good reputation for coaching, playing and customer service.

(GH): For me, the biggest insight I have learned today about your role is around business models and the preparation, submission and execution of business plans, budgets, financial planning, etc…far removed from playing golf!!

(DMc): I will always enjoy playing. I have not been the Club Pro champion like Dan Greenwood or been dominant in Lincolnshire as the standards are just so good. There has always been this healthy scene of golf. The fact that I have been able to win on the odd occasion and just stay competitive has been really pleasing. I am heading towards my Director of Golf qualifications as well and I will have that by the end of the summer so that kind of brings all of the education things to a head as well.

(GH): What is involved to qualify as a Director of Golf?

(DMc): It is a three-stage process. You do your induction then there are seven units all about managing people, managing budgets, managing yourself, working with other members of the club. A distance learning course. You get assigned a tutor. Do the learning in your own time. I’m doing a certificate at the moment but you can’t complete the course and get the certificate signed off until you are in a (Director of Golf) position. There are a lot of people out there who have got a certificate but have not had the opportunity to maybe become a Director of Golf, which is quite a new role. That would be a huge achievement for me to do something like that whilst managing my business, and whilst offering a high level of service and still playing.

(GH): Is playing for you today scheduled very much around Pro-Ams and Events in Lincolnshire?

(DMc): Yeah. Lincolnshire and Midlands events. I also play Club Pros, play English PGA and Open Championship qualifying. They are the ones away from Lincolnshire. Time-wise it is just very very difficult to fit it all in. And our location. We are right at the top of the Midlands region. We are more North region than the Midlands. For me to go where the vast majority of the regional events are would be a 2 hour plus drive every time. So that puts you off a little bit. My biggest achievement as a Pro would be that continued development throughout all areas of the game.

The best facet of your game

(GH): What would you say is the best facet of your game?

(DMc): My resilience definitely. Not always been the case!!  Definitely something I have had to work on. My ability not to get too far ahead of myself and the ability to be able to bounce back when things aren’t going according to plan. A lot of mental strength relying on some of the core ideas behind focus and concentration.

Teaching Philosophy

(GH): What is your teaching philosophy?

(DMc): Every pupil is different. I think I have got the ability to adapt to the person who is stood in front of me. I have got a high knowledge base when it comes to understanding the golf swing. I am able to delegate by referring pupils to other professionals, not just in golf, that can help them improve. It is understanding this person in front of you, understanding their best learning style. Just that ability to adapt more than anything to coach the individual.

(GH): Very much chameleon-like in your approach?

(DMc): Yes. I definitely class myself as a modern pro and we have a holistic approach to coaching. I am into fitness so I can give you exercises to do. We work on all areas of the golf game and the ability to work in lots of different ways to try an improve that individual. You have to be prepared for the differing abilities and learning styles of the people you coach so very much for me about ‘Preparation, Preparation, Preparation’. I have always been fascinated by the SAS and that was their internal code so preparation allows you to coach the person in front of you, allows you to be prepared for any possible situation. One of the lead questions I always ask is what would you like to work on knowing full well that I have prepared for whatever they throw back at me.

The role of a Club Professional

(GH): You have been a Professional Golfer for about 12 years now. What would you say has been the biggest change in the role of a Club Professional?

(DMc): I think that pro’s, in general, have had a lot more put on them shop wise and responsibility at a golf club. The role and responsibilities have definitely changed. The services that you provide have changed as well. I have been very fortunate that a lot of what is expected of the modern day pro I was doing at Normanby Hall anyhow. You are kind of Duty Manager there with it being a council facility so you did everything. Without realising it you were kind of ahead of the game which is not until you apply for another job you realise what a different skillset you have got to some of the other pros. There is a lot more expected of the modern day club pro from a service provider in the shop to how you fit in with what the club want in their model of doing things. A modern-day pro is very much the ’reception of the golf club’ especially here where players have to walk past the shop to get to the golf course.

(GH): As that first point of contact you very much set the tone and standards on behalf of Elsham Golf Club?

(DMc): Absolutely. We are heavily involved with green fees, setting the prices, running the Tee Times and getting that balance between members and green fees and societies. One of the big roles of a Director of Golf definitely encouraged me to go down that route because you are doing a lot of the golf operations side of things. I think if you were to ask me the same question in 10 years time then the modern day Head Pro will be a Director of Golf. It will definitely have to be on your CV and you will make yourself a very useful asset to the golf club.

Changes in Golf

(GH): Following on from the previous question, what is the biggest change you have observed in the game of golf?

(DMc): From a coaching point of view you get a lot of better-coached golfers coming through. All kinds of weird and wonderful things when it comes to Technology. The golf ball probably is the most overlooked part of the game and how that has improved so much. The durability of the golf ball and the performance side of things and the amount of money that is invested is huge. Access to play golf is probably the biggest change which has made courses such as Kingsway redundant as private members clubs are opening the doors offering an opportunity to play great golf courses. It has just become easier to play but to the detriment of membership. From a club point of view, we are trying to find ways of having members benefits and adding value to the membership and encourage people to actually part with their money and their time to be a member of the golf club. With opening the game up to the masses you do have these nomadic golfers, as they have been classified, where there is no commitment to any specific club. The ability to play, that would be the biggest change for me.

Outside of golf

(GH): I noticed on your Bio that boxing is one of your interests outside of golf and I can’t help but notice the various pairs of boxing gloves here in your office!! How did that all start?

(DMc): Boxing was more about keeping fit. By no means am I a competitive fighter but I used to train over in Grimsby for about 10 years. Just a great way to learn new skills and to appreciate how fit they are, especially some of the guys who were professional who were training three times a day. Just an unbelievable work ethic. Like everything, I wanted to surround myself with better people who are better than me and learn new skills from them so I was able to watch and learn how they did things. A lot of it is irrelevant to my golf but getting coached in a different way, picking bits out that work and being in that environment was cathartic. Just to be in that environment was always interesting but primarily was about fitness.

(GH): Looking back to what we touched upon earlier there are parallels between boxing and chess in that you have to strategically think ahead, be it punches or moves.

(DMc): Absolutely. Somebody like Lennox Lewis was a fantastic chess player. Though if you get it wrong in boxing it’s probably a little bit more severe than in chess!!

(once I stopped laughing I continued!!)

(GH): What else apart from boxing?

(DMc): I like playing a bit of poker. Don’t play as much as I used to. I like to keep fit. Training for Europe’s toughest Mudder at the moment. I have got that on the 18th May which is a 12 hour through the night endurance event. Not sure if it counts as an interest outside of golf!!

(GH): Sounds more like ‘madness outside of golf’.

(DMc): Yeah, a madness outside of golf. I have done a number of these events before during the day so trying to raise some good money for charity along the way. That has taken over my life outside of golf. Have been training for the past 6 and 1/2 months.

(GH): Good luck.

(DMc): Thanks. I am going to need it!! But golf is everything to me, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

(GH): Not a bad life?

(DMc): It’s OK!! One thing I will honestly always say is that at no time have I not wanted to come to work ever in the 18 years I have been involved with golf. There has never been a single day where I have regretted what I am doing or have wanted to do something different. In control of your own diary so you are able to manage your time accordingly. I still like to practise and play as well and that is the reason I got into golf in the first place. If I am not working then I tend to be on the golf course.

Favourite Sporting Event

(GH): What is your favourite sporting event?

(DMc): The Ryder Cup is definitely up there. Especially with the way it all unfolded in Paris. Your bigger events like the Olympics are fantastic just to see all the different sports we never get the opportunity to necessarily see or understand. Weird and wonderful rules in there as well. You can’t beat a good football match. I’m a Liverpool fan for my sins…end of the interview?

(GH): Not at all. Same as Paul Gibson in the previous article in this series. He is also a Liverpool fan but not actually from Liverpool!!

(DMc): The reason I started supporting Liverpool was that my brother was an Everton fan so I probably thought how could I wind him up.

Fantasy Fourball

(GH): Also on your Bio I noted that Ben Hogan and Bruce Lee were two of your heroes. In addition to yourself, would they be selected for your Fantasy Fourball?

(DMc): I don’t know what Bruce Lee would be like at golf!! Ben Hogan is probably, in my opinion, the greatest golfer of all time. Definitely what he brought to the game and how people are still learning from what he did and where he was regarded amongst his peers as well. But I think I would have to select Tiger. Best golfer of my generation. Best golfer I have ever seen play live as well. I would have to have my Dad and I would have to have Jack Nicklaus in the fourball as well. My Dad is a massive Jack Nicklaus fan and I am a big Tiger fan.

(GH): That would be a good match…you and your Dad vs. Tiger and Jack?

(DMc): I think it might be a short match!! I think me and Tiger vs. Dad and Jack to settle the argument of who is the best golfer of all time and we could watch it unfold in front of us!! That would be my ideal fourball. Take the popcorn and watch!! Still, think my man would win but I am sure my Dad would think differently.

If not a Professional Golfer

(GH): David, if you were not a Professional Golfer, then what?

(DMc): I was really into the military side of things when I was younger. I had every intention of joining the armed forces when I was 15 or 16. That would probably be where I would see myself. My fascination with special forces came from our next door neighbour, whose grandson was in the SAS. Heard all these stories from him and kind of imagined what it would be like.

Favourite Golf Course

(GH): Other than Elsham golf course, which is your favourite golf course in the UK?

(DMc): My favourite course in the UK would have to Alwoodley.

(GH): That is where the Brabazon Trophy is being played this year?

(DMc): It is. It’s a course that I have been fortunate to play at from a very young age. A family friend (a priest) who was a member there would drive all the way from Wath to play at Alwoodley.

(GH): What is it about Alwoodley that makes it your favourite course?

(DMc): Just the way it is set up. An Alister MacKenzie designed golf course. Just fantastic really when you go around the turn. You come around the corner on the Par 5 (8th) and just like wow!! Then you play the Par 3 down the hill and then on the Par 5 (10th) you play a hole which is his first attempt at the 13th hole at Augusta National. Up and over the hill, though the slope is a bit more severe. Just the history and the quality of the golf course. It’s a course I have played a lot. For a course that you have got access to all year round then definitely Alwoodley.

(GH): And your favourite golf course outside of the UK?

(DMc): Medinah is the one for me, where they held the 2012 Ryder Cup. We played there in 2009 and 2010. Played the No.3 course which was the course we managed to get on. Watched the US PGA Championship around there in 1999 when Garcia hit a shot then ran up a hill!! Pebble Beach is fantastic and played Spyglass the last time we were out there but Medinah is the best course I have ever played. Just an unbelievable venue. Definitely a privilege to get a game around there.

What would the members say

(GH): You have been at Elsham for nearly 3 years. If I polled the membership to describe you, what responses would I receive?

(DMc): I would like to think they appreciate how hard we work as a team. A different approach and a good level of customer service and just part of the club. I think we have managed to really ignite a good friendship and relationship between us and the members. I think we have built up trust as well. I think they have seen the importance of having a good professional here and most importantly a good professional team who can help the club move forward.

Marooned

(GH): A bit of fun. You are marooned on a remote Island. What would you not be without?

(DMc): My cat definitely!! I would take my cat Kiwi with me because she has definitely got a lot better hunting skills than I have. She would sort out tea and is good company as well, usually. I would have to take a golf club and golf ball. Probably the one album that I would have to listen to which is random is by a band called Sigur Rós.

(GH): Nice balance. Indulge in your favourite sport, eat well…

(DMc): …and listen to some good music. Brilliant!!

(without a word of a lie, at this point of the interview, Kiwi was tucking into a sumptuous lunch which had been served in a saucer rather than felinely hunted!!)

The Nineteenth

(GH): And finally. You are now in charge of the R&A so outline your mission statement/vision for Golf?

(DMc): Think the R&A have to put a little bit more value back into membership and perhaps support golf clubs with that as well. Lots of different ways with money to support the golf clubs that aren’t doing so well. They brought the ‘Golf Mark’ in a few years ago which has helped clubs run more like a business. I think just having that support and putting value back into membership would definitely be something but like anything you would have to work closely with all the people that are involved…England Golf, PGA, Golf Foundation. Definitely the PGA side of things as well. Having access to good quality coaching within the membership as well. It would definitely be membership-driven as I can see it is splitting up into lots of different parts and to the point where clubs are really struggling to offer value for money and the facility then starts to take a bit of a nosedive. Unfortunately, we have had a couple of courses quite local to here close in the last 8 months. The R&A could probably support club golf a lot more effectively but how they do that…?

(GH): David. A huge thanks for your time today in sharing a fascinating and passionate insight into your golfing career to date and for some very thoughtful ideas on the game of golf. Also, thanks to the hospitality of Elsham Golf Club and for allowing Golfing Herald to use images of the course within this article.

Finally, many thanks to Alwoodley Golf Club and Medinah Country Club for providing stunning photos from their respective courses.