Meet the PGA professional: Iain Darroch

The head PGA pro at West Kilbride Golf Club discusses how he manages his shop and teaching, turning around what was a declining junior section and working with one of the rising stars in women’s golf since she was a child.

Can you detail what your life was like from the first lockdown in March 2020 until the present day?

It’s certainly been a crazy world since the first lockdown. Like most people, I had a real fear of how I would get through it financially. Taking delivery of large amounts of stock and then not knowing the real value of products as we had no one to sell to.

It was all very stressful, but thankfully most companies were very good to deal with. The support and advice from TGI Golf staff was fantastic too. Taking the decision to not furlough staff so they could be there and support the partners when we needed it most was amazing. I was also very fortunate that my golf club was on hand to support anyway they could.

When we did get back to golf … boom, it was all systems go. Golf being one of the first sports back, the demand on tee times was huge. For a period members were limited to only three games a week, it was a different kind of pressure. With no one able to go on holiday it just seemed people were playing all day every day! We will never see anything like it again. It’s definitely leveled off this season but still busier than before the pandemic so very positive for the game.

Iain Darroch

What daily challenges do you face in running a pro shop and teaching?

It’s without doubt trying to get the balance right with the amount of coaching and how many hours you spend in the shop. Thankfully I have excellent staff who do a great job doing both. I plan to involve them more in custom fitting next season which will help with my time management.

Teaching can be difficult. Like most pros you tend to have such a good relationship with your clients, if their game goes off you try to squeeze them in for a quick look! Time that simply might not be there. Still not fully worked that one out yet.

There is a constant flow of new golf products – how do you manage your stock to serve the needs of your members and visitors?

I must admit – I love it when all the new products come out, whether it’s the latest driver or smart apparel. I’m constantly trying to get the balance right of the amount of logo goods I stock for members and visitors and good lifestyle brands, as I feel more people want to wear it off course.

Pretty much all the hardware brands make fantastic products now. I just go with what I feel works best on TrackMan, great fitting solutions and excellent customer service. The relationship I have with the sales rep is very important to me, not in terms of how well you get on with them but how effectively they deal with any requests or issues you may have.

How do you manage your day?

Over the years, not very well! Last year I had a bit of a health scare and it changed the way I do things now. Especially after the first lockdown I was running about daft most days trying to fit everything in. I found it difficult to get time off and even felt guilty when I did. My staff did an amazing job when I was off and it really helped their development. So we all try to share the load better now. I think it’s better for the members to have more options and very important for my staff’s development to have more responsibility.

What are you doing to support junior golf and introduce kids to the sport?

A few years ago our junior section bottomed out. There were very few new kids taking up the game and numbers dropped at an alarming rate – it was a real struggle.

Fortunately, my assistant PGA pro Linzi worked so hard to get things back on track. She creates a wonderful environment for them to have fun and learn new skills through games. It was a good move from the club lowering the age of junior membership from 10 to five years old, along with great commitment from various junior conveners, meant we very slowly turned it around.
Linzi is now going into more schools to deliver programmes and the golf club is seeing a real benefit of our junior section growing again in numbers and also quality.

Linzi and I conduct academy coaching one evening a week. With the kids joining so young now it’s a long process but it’s so rewarding and we are very excited for the future. The boys won the Ayrshire Junior Golf League recently, the first time in 13 years. The key now is keep going, hopefully introduce and retain as many kids in the game as possible.

Are you trying to attract more women to golf?

Absolutely. We have tried various initiatives. Over the last few years Linzi has been very successfully delivering the love.golf programme. It’s fantastic to see so many complete beginners come along to the club and try golf. It’s taken time and we are faced with many challenges but we are getting there, helping break down some barriers along the way. I really believe in love.golf and think it’s an essential way to create a pathway from complete beginner to golf club member. Linzi has built up a fantastic reputation delivering the programme. The club will benefit hugely in the future.

Do you have any programmes in place such as academy membership to make it easier to introduce beginners to the game?

We are in the very fortunate position of men’s membership being full at the moment with a two to three year waiting list. As a result, we have been really focusing on improving junior and women’s numbers. It’s important to keep our eye on it though as the landscape could change quickly over next 12 months.

A lot of PGA pros are having to be a step ahead of their competitors in their offerings and technology – what additional added value services do you provide?

I invested in TrackMan which has turned out to be a great decision. We use it pretty much every day for fitting or coaching. The club has just built two covered bays plus one teaching bay with a shutter, so it can be changed to an indoor studio, which is a real game changer. It brings so many positives – no more cancellations, a much better fitting / teaching experience as you’re not battling the Scottish wind and rain! In turn will allow us to manage time so much better. I think it’s so important to weather proof your business if at all possible.

When did you join the TGI Golf Partnership and what was it about it that attracted you?

I joined TGI Golf in 2001 when I was appointed club professional at Eastwood Golf Club. I don’t mind admitting it was a shade intimidating taking your first club job at 25 years old, so I needed all the help and support I could get.

One of my closest friends is Gordon Stewart (Cawder GC) who told me everything that TGI Golf could do for you and your business. I spoke to one or two other local pros at the time and it was a very easy decision really. Having the support network of many professionals in the area being TGI partners was important. It has been, without doubt, the best business decision I’ve ever made.

Has TGI Golf been of benefit to you as a PGA professional?

TGI Golf is a huge part of my business. I use many of the services they provide. The email marketing they provide is very important to keep me talking to my members and advising them of all that is going on in the shop. I love attending the business conference as it is a great opportunity to learn from excellent speakers, but also from fellow partners, while the Team Challenge in Turkey is a fantastic week and so professionally run.

I work very closely with my retail consultant Ricky Gray, he is different class, working tirelessly to improve your business. It’s good to bounce ideas off him and he is always available to help. All the TGI staff do an incredible job for the partners.

What year did you turn professional and what have been your career highlights, both playing and employment?

I turned professional in 1995 and became a full PGA member in 1999 when I got the opportunity to teach at a golf academy in southern Germany. It was a fantastic life experience and I found a real passion for coaching.

Working with Louise Duncan [winner of the Women’s Amateur Championship in 2021. She turned professional this summer] from a 10-year-old to amateur champion has been an incredible journey. We had two trips earlier this year to the States for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and The US Open at Pine Needles. It was very special to see her competing with the best in the world.

A few years ago we were nominated for TGI Golf Pro Shop of the Year. We were very proud of the nomination due to the high quality of professional and retail shops within the partnership. It’s good to know you’re on the right track.

In April we were regional winners for TGI Golf’s Ping Custom Fitter of the Year from 2019/20. The three regional winners were taken to PING Headquarters in Arizona as guests of PING. We had an amazing few days, a factory visit with full custom fit experience testing the new G430 products. Meeting John Solheim and John K Solheim in the Gold Putter Vault was an incredible experience, as was playing golf at TPC Scottsdale, The Boulders and Grayhawk. It really was the trip of a lifetime.