ROYAL TARA GOLF CLUB - HIRING GENERAL MANAGER
ROYAL TARA GOLF CLUB
Bellinter, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 CFP3 | Founded 1906
Appointment of General Manager
Candidate Information Brief
Royal Tara Golf Club invites applications for the position of General Manager. This is a senior leadership appointment at one of the leading parkland clubs in Leinster, made at a point when the Club is midway through a significant programme of investment in its course and facilities. It will suit an experienced manager who wants full ownership of an operation and the opportunity to deliver capital development that will shape the Club for a generation.
The Club
Royal Tara traces its origins to 1906, when the Club was founded as Navan Golf Club. It moved to the Bellinter Estate in 1923, acquired the freehold of the lands in the 1960s and took its present name from the Hill of Tara, beneath which it sits. The Club celebrated its centenary in 2006.
The golf course runs to 27 holes of mature parkland across three nine-hole loops. The main competition course, opened in 1995 to a design by Des Smyth, combines the Cluide (Blue) and Tara (Red) nines; the Bellinter (Yellow) nine completes the complex. Sand-based greens give genuine year-round playability, and the beech, oak and ash through which the course runs make it one of the most attractive inland layouts in the country. The Golfer’s Guide to Ireland named Royal Tara the best parkland course in Leinster in 2023.
The Club’s competitive record reflects that quality. Royal Tara hosted the All-Ireland Cups and Shields Final in 2013 and the Ladies All Ireland Championship in 2009 and was selected by Golf Ireland to stage the Leinster U18 Youths Open Championship in 2024. Pádraig Harrington won the Leinster Boys’ Championship here in 1988, and Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both played at the Club in a Youth International in 2006.
The Clubhouse, built in 2000, has commanding views over the course and is among the better member owned club complexes in Ireland. The Tara Restaurant seats 90, with two balconies for outdoor dining, and serves members, visitors and the wider public. The Clubhouse is also available for private and corporate hire. A driving range and practice area operate year-round, open to members and non-members alike, alongside the professional shop.
Royal Tara is member-owned. The Club is governed by a Board of Management elected by the Joint Club, with the golf affairs of the Club managed by the Men’s and Women’s Clubs. Membership stands at approximately 1400 across all categories, supported by an active volunteer base and a full competition calendar.
The Role
The General Manager is the senior executive of the Club and holds overall responsibility for its day-to-day management, commercial performance and long-term development. The postholder will lead the staff team across the office, course, clubhouse and catering operation, and will report to the Board of Management through the Chairperson of the Board and work closely with the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer.
Leadership and people
Provide visible, consistent and effective leadership across every part of the Club.
Lead, support, develop and manage the staff team, including recruitment, performance management and training.
Work constructively with the Board of Management, the Men’s and Women’s Clubs and the Club’s volunteers, respecting the culture of a member-owned club while taking clear executive responsibility for its running.
Maintain open and timely communication with members, staff and the Board.
Member and visitor experience
Deliver a consistently high standard of experience for members, guests, visitors and societies.
Protect and strengthen the standard of welcome for which Royal Tara is known.
Grow membership across all categories.
Oversee the bar, the Tara Restaurant and the wider commercial use of the Clubhouse.
Commercial performance
Develop green fee, society and corporate income and build durable relationships with the regional hospitality and tourism trade, including the Club’s stay-and-play partnerships.
Make full commercial use of a 27-hole facility through effective tee-sheet management, group scheduling and off-peak yield.
Lead the Club’s marketing, brand and digital presence, including Open Week and the annual membership programme.
Facilities and development
Drive delivery of the Club’s development programme, from scoping and costing through to completion.
Pursue capital and grant funding, including the Community Sports Facilities Fund and other available schemes.
Work closely with the greenkeeping team and the Honorary Course Secretary on course development, presentation and maintenance planning.
Manage procurement and value for money, contractor relationships and service delivery across the Club.
Finance and governance
Ensure sound financial management, budgeting, forecasting, reporting and operational control, working with the Honorary Treasurer.
Maintain full compliance with governance, health and safety, employment, licensing, safeguarding and data protection obligations.
The Opportunity
Royal Tara is a club that is investing in itself, and the General Manager will be central to that work.
Current projects include an upgrade of the Bellinter nine holes, clubhouse works, practice facility development, irrigation, machinery and maintenance compound, energy and sustainability measures.
The successful candidate will take these projects from plan to completion: scoping and costing the work, securing capital and grant funding, managing contractors and budgets, and keeping the membership informed and behind the programme throughout. Developments handled well changes what a club can offer for decades, and there is a clear appetite at Royal Tara to get it right.
The commercial position is strong in the meantime. Twenty-seven holes across three loops is a considerable operational asset: member golf and visitor business can run alongside one another rather than compete for the same tee sheet. The Club is two kilometres off the M3, seven kilometres south of Navan and within comfortable reach of Dublin and Dublin Airport, in the heart of the Boyne Valley alongside Newgrange, Trim Castle and the Hill of Tara. Meath is among the fastest-growing counties in Ireland, which matters for membership as much as for green fee income, and the area draws substantial tourism traffic with the accommodation base to support it. There is real scope to grow society, corporate and visitor business, and the revenue that generates will help fund the next phase of development.
For the right candidate, this is the opportunity to lead an established club with a genuine name through the most significant period of investment in its recent history.
The Person
The Club is seeking an accomplished leader with excellent people-management and communication skills. Candidates should be able to demonstrate:
Strong leadership and a track record of motivating and developing teams.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal.
Sound judgement and the confidence to make and stand over decisions.
Commercial awareness and financial literacy, including budgeting and management reporting.
A proactive, organised and hands-on management style.
The ability to delegate effectively while retaining accountability.
A genuine member and customer service ethos.
An understanding of member-owned clubs and the role volunteers play within them.
Experience of delivering improvement.
Previous golf club management experience is an advantage but is not a requirement. The Club is equally interested in exceptional candidates from hospitality, leisure, tourism, private members’ clubs and other high-quality customer-focused businesses. Leadership, communication, people management and commercial capability carry more weight than golf pedigree alone. Experience in any of the following would also be valuable: capital project delivery and grant funding; golf club management and tee booking systems such as BRS Golf; Golf Ireland systems and handicap administration; food and beverage management; accounting software, marketing, social media and content creation.
Why Royal Tara
The successful candidate will inherit a club with substantial strengths already in place:
27 holes of mature parkland with sand-based greens and year-round playability.
Leinster’s best parkland course, as judged by the Golfer’s Guide to Ireland in 2023, with a championship record to match.
One of the most recognisable club names in Irish golf.
A purpose-built Clubhouse with a 90-seat restaurant and strong function potential.
A purpose-built Pro-shop fully equipped providing a full range of services.
A year-round driving range and practice facility open to members and the public.
An experienced greenkeeping team and an established maintenance programme.
A development programme already underway with the Board’s backing.
A loyal membership, an engaged Board of Management and an active volunteer base.
A location two kilometres off the M3, within easy reach of Dublin and Dublin Airport.
For candidates considering relocation, Meath offers a high quality of life within commuting distance of the capital, with good schools and services, strong transport links and housing costs well below Dublin levels. The Club is close to both Navan a busy county town and the historic town of Trim while the surrounding Boyne Valley combines significant heritage with straightforward access to the city. The role offers the chance to combine a senior appointment with a genuinely good place to live.
Further information about the Club is available at www.royaltaragolfclub.com.
Remuneration
An attractive remuneration package, commensurate with experience, is offered. Benefits include pension contributions, playing rights and support for ongoing professional development.
Application Process
Candidates should submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae together with a covering letter setting out their motivation for applying and the relevance of their experience to the role. Both documents should be combined into a single PDF and emailed to Mark Ruddy of Grow Sport at office@growsport.ie, using the subject line: General Manager Application – Royal Tara Golf Club
Candidates who wish to discuss the opportunity in confidence before applying are welcome to contact Mark Ruddy in confidence at office@growsport.ie.
The closing date for applications is Friday, October 9th, 5.00pm, Interviews are expected to take place shortly after the closing date.
All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
