I’M not going to rest on my laurels,” said Des Shearer after being named PGA National Management Professional of the Year at the Greg Norman Medal late last year where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Greg Norman Medal winner Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Ian Baker-Finch et al.
Shearer, the general manager at Bunbury Golf Club in Western Australia, says he will start anew … resetting his focus on improving his management skills for the benefit of the club.
“I am now going to have to show improvements in my own management over the next few years, show further improvement at the club to make the place even better if I’m going to be considered for such an award again,” he said.
“You can’t just sit back and say you are the best management professional based on one year. I will start from scratch again. For me, I have to get better again.”
The 40-year-old is extremely confident in his ability to deliver good outcomes for his club and community.
Shearer received the award for his hard work overseeing the completion of key projects including an irrigation system upgrade, the introduction of an online golf retail store and the development of a membership retention program.
“Bunbury Golf Club offers a premium experience for all members and guests,” he said.
There has been steady growth in membership and in the number of rounds and competitions played due to the attractive range of offerings and incentives Shearer and the club has instituted.
Driven by Shearer, the club’s membership marketing plan resulted in a 10.4 per cent membership growth in 2021 and a staggering 22 per cent over the past three years.
Determined to offer a great service to golfers and non-golfers alike, Shearer has expanded the food and beverage offerings at the club that benefits the entire community.
The membership growth and a new in-house kitchen team that provides service six days a week has seen the club record its largest operating profit in history – 150 per cent higher than any other year.
Meeting the market has also been a key focus as Shearer introduced a new nine-hole membership category and facilitated a greater number of nine-hole competitions.
“Innovation and strategic development have positively impacted on member and guest services at the club,” Shearer explained. “Everything we have done that has been successful will continue to grow in the future
for the benefit of our members and the community.”
The award is not the first Shearer has received in the nine years he has been the boss at Bunbury GC. In 2017, he received the inaugural WA PGA Management Professional of the Year Award. The club too has been successful in picking up gongs.
In 2019, the club won the Regional Golf Facility of the Year, the WA PGA Tournament of the Year and the Regional Golf Course of the Year. And in 2021, the club won the Regional Golf Facility of the Year and WA PGA Tournament of the Year.
“We have had a good run over the last few years so our peers must think we are doing a good job,” Shearer said. “The PGA pros that come and play think it (Nexus South West Open) is one of the most enjoyable tournaments on the calendar.”
Shearer’s pathway to golf club management started when he was a trainee professional at Manly in Sydney before switching to Warringah to work under the guidance of the late Bob Richards.
“Bob and his son Greg helped me with some of the backend stuff of operating a business,” Shearer explained.
“But for me the big learning curve was at Paradise Palms in Far North Queensland under general manager Nathan Young. He had a lot of experience in hotel management and I learned a lot there as director of golf and later operations manager.”
“I have been lucky I had some good mentors all the way through.”
Bunbury has grown under Shearer’s leadership and now employs 29 staff members – 14 more than when he first arrived in 2014. The club has 1050 members and more than 250 social members.
I ask Shearer about his own golf game.
“I don’t play as much anymore,” he said. “I have been playing about 12 games a year for the last 15 years.”
Still, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“I have recommitted this year and I have set out to get my GolfLink scores, all 20 of them, in the one calendar year,” he added. “I have two to go so I might make it. Twenty games of golf a year for me is a massive effort.
“But I must say I am probably enjoying my golf more than I ever have.”
Chief writer David Newbery has been living, breathing and writing and editing golf for more than 30 years. His extensive knowledge of the game comes from covering golf around the world. Hired by Inside Golf in 2009, David previously worked as the editor of The Golfer for 25 years and before that worked for numerous daily newspapers in Australia and overseas. The Brisbane-based journalist describes his golf game as “a work in progress”, but has had the privilege of playing golf with some of the game’s best players including nine-time major winner Gary Player. David enjoys travelling, reading, music, photography and spending time with family and friends – on and off the golf course. 
