Wentworth course chief Kennedy retiring

Article provided by Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Virginia Water

Wentworth Club has announced that Chris Kennedy, Golf Courses Manager, will be retiring from his position after 22 years exemplary service. Kennedy, who joined the Club back in February 1990, will continue to work until 29th June 2012 and be responsible for his final BMW PGA Championship in May.


When Kennedy retires he will have managed the course presentation at Wentworth for a staggering 52 European Tour events.

Julian Small, Chief Executive of Wentworth Club commented:  “We wish Chris the very best in his retirement. He has been an exceptional member of the team here and overseen significant development of all our golf courses. I don’t think there is a Golf Course Manager in the world that can match Chris’s record in preparing golf courses for professional tournaments.”

Kennedy’s successor, Kenny Mackay will join Wentworth on 30th April 2012.  Currently Director of Golf Courses and Grounds at The Belfry since 2005, Kenny has gained a wealth of experience in golf course management and professional golf tournament preparation over the last 18 years, forging an enviable Curriculum Vitae including previous roles at The London Golf Club, Hanbury Manor and The Forest of Arden. He is also a Past Chairman of BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association) and a Category One golfer.

Mackay said: “I am very excited about this new challenge and realise that I am joining a world class venue with a superb tournament history.  I look forward to the professional challenges that come with the events along with meeting and getting to know the members.
“Chris Kennedy has achieved much here over the years; and now looking forward, I feel excited for all that lies ahead for me at Wentworth Club.”
Chris Kennedy said of his time at the Club: “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have been Golf Courses Manager for the last 22 years at Wentworth Club.

“I would like to thank both Elliott Bernerd and Richard Caring, the two owners of the Club during my time here, for giving myself and the team the chance to be involved in all the course changes over the years.
“Wentworth is a special golfing venue with three wonderful courses, all different. Working with the Tour for the BMW PGA Championship is always the highlight of the year and all the boys have worked very hard over the years to help make the event so great.

“I would like to welcome Kenny Mackay to the Club as my replacement and working with him during our handover period. I know he will do a great job. Finally after fifty years in the golf industry, Jill and I are going home to Scotland to play some golf and spend time with our families.”

Barton Wyatt provides properties in Virginia Water and Wentworth Estate, Surrey.

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The Diary of a Global Estate Agent

Most of you don’t know me from Adam, so I’ll put you in the picture very briefly. I started out as an Estate Agent in 1984 working for Mann & Co. in Walton-on-Thames before a short foray into London with Chestertons (to see how the posh lot sold houses). Joining the family firm in 1987, I thought I would sell houses until the cows came home and ate the grass off my grave. How wrong I was – my brother joined the firm and left no space for me as he was a much better salesman. So I became a lettings ‘lady’ and expanded that side of the business. Always wanting a challenge, I restarted the overseas department we had before the UK property crash of 1990.

Monday
I’m on a Gulf Air plane that I boarded yesterday evening, heading for Muscat in Oman. My eyeballs have trouble focusing at 2.30 GMT when breakfast is served. It is 5.30am Oman time,
and we land 90 minutes later. It is exactly 100 degrees already. A blast of hot air as we get off the plane is rather nice – a real reminder that I am somewhere totally different to the rain and coolish weather I left in London.

I’m picked up by my host for the day and she takes me back to their sumptuous house nearby. They are one of our clients and have impeccable royal connections in Oman. Breakfast is served by a servant and I keep quiet about this being the second breakie of the day….well, there was four hours in between the two!

I am in Oman for the day to get a brief overview of the increasingly busy International sales market which is hotting up and likely to boom any minute. Some would say it already is. A business meeting with local experts is followed by several hours touring the amazingly beautiful craggy coastline to see future developments sites in and around Muscat. Then it’s back to the
airport for the quick hop to Dubai where I find my luggage has been lost……

Tuesday
Having driven an hour across the desert to the Sultanate of Ras Al Khaimah last night, I then had to go shopping for a change of clothes for tomorrow and toiletries. I now realise that I should have tried the shirt on. It doesn’t fit and I resemble the Michelin man. Good news is that my bag has been found. First I have a meeting at Al Hamra Village which we are marketing. It is impressive and several showhouses are already completed on the 600 acre resort. The 18 hole golf course is taking shape and the first green shoots of grass are appearing – and this is the desert! After looking over the properties we stop off at the development’s 5* hotel for a drink and giggle at the strangely coloured holiday makers sitting in 110 degree of sun.

Back across the desert and pick up luggage from the airport before dashing to the other site of Dubai for a meeting with Nakheel – you might not know the name but you’ve probably seen The Palm development which they are building.

The site visit was an interesting experience in how to remain looking interested when looking at several miles of sand and nothing else. A painful two hour car trip back to the airport (the traffic in Dubai is dreadful) and a flight on to Bahrain.

Wednesday
I’m staying with friends here and having not seen them for a year, we have a lot of catching up to do. Inevitably, property comes into the conversation. Bahrain, like the rest of the Middle East is going through a manic building race, with it’s eye on the Financial Services Office market. After going through the 200 emails I have, it’s off to the Property Arabia Exhibition. The stands are impressive and I chat to existing clients about their products and reassure them of BW International’s efforts. Bahrain is not a major market for UK buyers and I have to be in my best ‘schmoozing’ mode. It’s not a big exhibition, so I’m finished by mid afternoon and go for a swim. At 5pm we go to a local hotel for a property wine and cheese reception which goes on all evening. Interesting to see that those from other nearby countries where alcohol is banned, seem to be getting a bit giggly!

Thursday
Oh dear, I shouldn’t have had those last 4 glasses. The searing heat makes the situation twice as bad. I travel down to see Riffa Views Golf Resort. This is an unusual development as there is an existing golf course and the development is being built around that. In their wisdom, the planners are actually rebuilding half of the golf course which has hugely upset existing members. Then on to a huge 20 square km land reclamation development called Durrat Al Bahrain which has 12 Islands and 12 miles of beaches. Formula 1 whiz Jenson Button has bought a home there.
Hopefully BW International can work with the developer.

Friday
Spend the day on the plane back to London writing reports and planning next weeks work schedule. I catch a movie and a few zzzz’s. My wife is at Heathrow which is lovely, and we get home half an hour before our four weekend guests arrive. Thank goodness there is a bank holiday on Monday!


James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000