AT 33 years-old and just months into his first GM’s role at Anglesea on Victoria’s surf coast, Chris Mandas represents a new generation of golf club leadership, while he is ever so thankful to have had the privilege of being mentored by industry legend Peter Parks (Kooringal).
Several people who have worked under Parks now hold senior leadership roles in the golf club industry.
“I’m constantly learning and evolving in the role,” Chris says. “In fact, Peter Parks was the one who encouraged me to go for this job at Anglesea. I was his operations manager at Kooringal and had learnt so much from him. It gave me confidence that he thought I was ready.
“But one thing he taught me was not to lock yourself away in the office, to get out and talk to the members every day if you can. People skills are so important in this job. You can always retreat to your office when the need arises. But first and foremost, it’s so important to know your members and what they are thinking.
“He instilled in me the importance of balancing operational excellence with member engagement. Even when members don’t always agree with a decision, it’s important they feel heard and respected.”
Anglesea Golf Club General Manager Chris Mandas.
Mandas took this mantra to his new job and he says it has served him well so far.
After a post school career in the hotel industry – he’s been out of pubs for 10 years – Mandas says he’s blessed to be working in golf.
“It’s a dream job to be driving to Anglesea (he lives in Geelong) every day and work in these beautiful surrounds.”
The membership of 850 is in the older demographic and the par 73 course is challenging enough. The course’s elevation and layout mean that many players, particularly visitors, choose to use carts.
The course is also open to green fee players and is certainly part of a tourist national and international destination because of the proximity of the heritage listed 12 Apostles and the abundance of kangaroos resident on the property.
“We actually conduct official kangaroo tours,” Chris says.
“We are having our 80,000th Kangaroo Tour visit in December which is a remarkable achievement, showcasing how popular the tours are.
“But when you are playing golf it is so peaceful with the kangaroos on one side and flora and fauna everywhere. It’s a great experience.”
A high marker himself – “it’s funny just because you are a golf GM everyone thinks you’re automatically a good player,” he laughs. “It’s certainly not the case for me.”
“I love being out on the course, however I also enjoy playing at other clubs. It helps me understand how different courses operate and gives me valuable insight into how other clubs run.”
Chris admits he’s no expert when it comes to the nuances of the game and course maintenance. But he’s again fortunate to have head professional Steve Lipovas and Brett Balloch, a revered course super, supporting him. Balloch has been at Anglesea for 33 years.
“He’s very respected amongst golf course superintendents and has held senior roles with ASTMA – the course superintendents’ national body,” Chris says.
Anglesea is in good hands.
