Philip Baird, Manly Golf Club

Director of Golf, AAA Accredited Member of Australian PGA

Our Manly special Features Editor, spoke with our resident Golf Expert Phil Baird about his golf career, golf in the new millennium, Manly Golf Club's historic renovation, 'Nining and Dining', The Tiger Effect & a Greener Golf Environment.

Philip graduated from the PGA Academy in 1986 achieving accolades in Business Management. Says Philip of his early career, “In Australia we didn’t haven’t the luxury of the US collegiate system so there were few options if you wanted to become a tour player. I started my apprenticeship at age 17, which was pretty young. It was a three year program, studying golf as a business, working in a pro shop, doing repairs, teaching golf, learning how to run a business.  After I finished I took a year off and went to Europe to caddy.  Then I spent about twelve months cutting my teeth in the States learning about tour life, how the better players conducted themselves on a daily basis, their practice routines.”

His practical induction into the world of golf complete, he commenced 3 years of competitive play throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia & Canada. “Like most young guys do, I ran out of money and had to start a career.”

Developing skills in a number of areas including Corporate Golf, Incentive Travel and Golf Schools, Phil was responsible for implementing the "All at Sea" Golf Program for Cunard's "Crown Monarch" which delivered on-board clinics, seminars and daily trips to ports of call throughout the South Pacific.

Philip continued developing new product concepts combining travel with golf. Moving to California for 3 years he developed Golf Tours for the Australian Tourism Commission taking North American customers to destinations in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Philip moved back to Australia to pursue teaching with the highly accredited Jack Nicklaus Golf School before joining Macquarie Links International Golf Club as Director of Golf, and finally becoming Director of Golf at Manly in 2003.

“Throughout all that, the training, playing, corporate golf and club management, teaching has remained a standard part of my life.  I now find myself in a club where teaching is a big part of it,” enthuses Phil.

“It’s a great idea for corporate golf - Nine and Dine, half the cost, half the time. It’s a cost and time effective way for businesses to get groups of 12-50 players on the course. They have breakfast, a golf clinic, a private tee off then 9-12 holes in a motorized cart, scramble format then they come back in for lunch.  It’s a ½ day module that is going quite well. Corporate golf has sort of been done to death, and a lot of companies just can’t justify the spend these days.” Sounds like a great way for belt-tightening local companies to still have a fantastic product launch, client appreciation day or team building day.

The Tiger Effect

“Tiger’s influence here was much like Greg Norman’s in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The interest in golf was massive. When Norman played the Australian Open two years ago the number of people that came out of the woodwork to look at the Shark in person was phenomenal.  Icons like Tiger and Norman have a massive effect.

As a Tiger fan myself I’m not as interested in watching the Golf channel when he’s not there.”

Our Manly asked Phil how teaching golf has changed in the digital age especially for younger players.

“There’s a lot of competition for their attention. Karate, music, after school sports, swimming. As an 8 year old kid all I did was play golf everyday. Probably kids these days pay a little more attention to their schooling. Parents are more on top of it.  But in saying that, there are clubs in Sydney that have really big junior programs often driven by their members, often retired, who pick up the ball and run with it which is essential because golf pros these days are multi-taskers. We do administrative, we’re retailers, we’re teachers, we’re counselors. We do a lot so focusing on just one area like junior golf is tough.

Golf is something I’ve always done. It’s what I do to relax. People say, get a life, you’re a golf pro and what do you do on your day off, you go and play golf. If you’ve got a passion for the game, it’s what you do. It’s a unique game, unlike tennis and other sports, because it has a handicap system. You and I, an eighty year old and a fifteen year old, a pro and a hacker can all go out and have a good day together."

There’s an acute environmental issue surrounding golf - the use of water. Our Manly asked Phil how Manly Golf Club is addressing these concerns.

“Australian energy and water suppliers have made it quite clear that facilities like parks, sporting fields, golf courses are going to need to be self-sufficient in the next 3-5 years. The cost of town water is going to triple or quadruple within that time.  There are a lot of governmental grants being given to facilities like ours to become self-sufficient in that time.  We’re looking at grey water systems,  other clubs are looking at recycling clubhouse showers. There’s a real conscious effort to be green.

With our redevelopment, we’re taking out a lot of trees but in return putting in twice the amount of native shrubs.  When you put in native shrubs it actually brings back native wildlife. And it’s important to note we’re changing to a better grass that uses a lot less water. I think in time Manly Golf Club is going to be recognized for being more than just compliant.”