It is fairly unusual for us to cover a 90th birthday party as a leading article in Golf Features. However, I think it is quite fair that we make an exception for an exceptional person – Roger Mace. Roger’s career started as an assistant golf professional to Hector Padgham at Royal Ashdown Forest when he was 15 years old, and continued right up until just a few years ago when he was still teaching at Monxton and Grately Golf Centre, just outside Andover. Throughout his 70+ year career Roger has created more golfers and encouraged people to have more fun than anyone else alive. He has complete enthusiasm for the game, for fun and every aspect of life. Recently a few of us got to celebrate his 90th birthday with him at East Berkshire Golf Club on 16th July – the day after his birthday.
Included in their number were numerous golf professionals who became business owners in various aspects of the industry, as well as many friends from down the years. It is quite remarkable that Roger is still held in the highest regard by all those that he has touched and influenced throughout his long career.
Roger and the Pros (from left to right):
Russell Gardner, Nicky Lumb, Kim Short, Colin Jenkins, Roger Mace, Geoff Legouix, Colin Clingan, Matthew Barr, Paul Huggett and John Blanch
Roger was a one-man golf boom. He created more golfers and taught his team of pros to encourage and charm people into the merits of playing golf, embracing the sport as part of their lives. At the facilities he ran he has provided the finest levels of customer care, with friendly professional service at its core.
Roger is still a member of the PGA and although Rob Maxfield, the chief executive of the PGA, could not be at the lunch, he wrote to congratulate Roger on his amazing career. A lifetime of achievement was recognised with his good friend the late John Stirling when he received an OGRO lifetime achievement award 15 years ago.
Roger was one of the first golf professionals to own a course when he bought Shillinglee Park in 1980. Already a hugely successful operator, Roger transformed the short overgrown nine-hole layout at Shillinglee Park into a thriving and remarkably busy business. This is where I met him; I became his assistant in 1985 and spent two very happy years learning at the feet of the master. One of his excellent principles was that the golf reception should be packed full of golf equipment and also provide a place for socialising. His clubhouses were rammed full of golf stock, all attractively priced, beautifully displayed with distinctive handwritten price tags, which owed much to the style of a greengrocer. This made the stock appealing, affordable and easy to understand for people visiting his emporium.
Roger Mace and Colin Jenkins
So often today, golf shops are detached from the food & drink side of the business. One key element of Roger’s approach was that one person could man the whole of the operation at quiet times and then during busy periods more people could easily assist with looking after the customers. This fostered a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for those working for him and forever linked the commercial side of the business to the social side. Not surprisingly, it has been copied by hundreds of golf facilities over the years and is still the best way to operate a busy golf facility.
Roger had been the professional at East Berkshire Golf Club for many years after spells at both Littlehampton and Barton golf courses. He then moved on to run the extremely busy Downshire Golf Complex, prior to taking over at Shillinglee Park.
Roger and Jackie Allis catch up
Roger was one of the first PGA tutors and was joined at the lunch by Colin Clingan and Nicky Lumb who were also responsible for training PGA professionals to be more professional, better qualified and ideally suited to a career in golf.
Roger was also an expert trick shot artist and an accomplished after dinner speaker. His trick shot shows were hilarious and having watched scores of these marvellously entertaining demonstrations, I was always amazed at how he managed to introduce humour and warmth into the proceedings. Not surprisingly many of the non-golfers in the crowd subsequently took up the game and became lifetime friends.
For many years Roger represented Citroen, the car company, and Ken Forbes, together with his colleague David Cooper, were both delighted to be in attendance at Roger‘s party and help him celebrate his milestone birthday.
Roger, Russell Gardner and Ken Forbes
Danny Burrow, together with his partner Susie, arranged for a fabulous cake depicting Roger in a golfing setting. The event was a tremendous success and one that all those that attended will not forget. The catering at East Berkshire was excellent and Roger was warmly greeted by several of the older members who remembered him with pride as their superstar golf professional.
The cake
So, having spent over 75 years as a golf professional, what did Roger enjoy most about his career?
“I have had such a great time running various different types of golf facilities over the years that I never regarded any of it as work. At times we put in long hours, but none of it was a chore, as I loved what we were doing. I’m very touched that so many of my old friends and colleagues managed to come down to enjoy this day with me, it really was a day to remember.”