Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Michel, your golf club in the north of Munich is not only open to private players - once a year the BMW International Open also takes place there.

Wolfgang Michel: Even our founding was done in close collaboration with BMW, as the company was then looking for a suitable venue for its new professional golf tournament near its headquarters. For this, an 18-hole course was built on this area near the airport, which operates as a regular golf club beyond the tournament. The cooperation with BMW has naturally given us a clear mission from the start and also a certain public impact, which we knew how to use wisely.

Wirtschaftsforum: How has your golf club developed since its founding in 1989?

Wolfgang Michel: From a business perspective, certainly the merging of our golf club with the operating company and the consequent professionalization was an important milestone. Many other golf clubs have not taken such a step with similar consistency, but remain caught in voluntary structures, which stand in the way of far-reaching professionalization – in a selective market like ours, this can be a major obstacle. With me serving as the full-time managing director, supported by five board members in their respective areas of expertise, a more precise leadership is possible, thus we can probably implement important projects a bit more stringently.

Wirtschaftsforum: What exactly are the projects involved?

Wolfgang Michel: After our golf course had previously grown from 18 to 27 holes, we have since 2017 subjected our entire area, including all greens and tees as well as the driving range, to a sequential complete renewal and are now just in the final construction phase. This measure was indispensable in order to maintain our quality promise in the future and to offer our new and existing members an even more attractive golf course. However, it had to be done extremely carefully to avoid disrupting ongoing play. In my view, this comprehensive quality improvement clearly holds the key to a successful future – because for a golfer looking for a club, the course is usually the central decision criterion.

A well-designed and interesting course along with an attractive clubhouse with appealing aesthetics are thus also from a business perspective the most important distinguishing features. Here, in Eichenried, we can score points with a fair yet challenging golf course and a sustainably designed landscape park - not only with our female members but also with all other stakeholders. Because we do not want to make the mistake of being regarded as a sealed-off estate for the super-rich, but rather aim to integrate into the local community, such as through appealing nature maintenance of our facilities. This is particularly close to my heart personally, as my great-great-grandparents lived on this land in the Erdinger Moos, which is why I have always felt a special connection to this region.

Wirtschaftsforum: How is it going with the younger generation in your club?

Wolfgang Michel: Youth development is of great importance to us. Children who are allowed to learn a sport are fortunate, in my opinion, because they get to do something else with their hands instead of just playing with smartphones. However, our aim is not to breed the next generation of competitive players. Instead, we want to instill in children and teenagers the joy of sports and important values such as commitment, willingness to perform, and perseverance. The youngest start with us at the age of 3 in the Bambini group, and many of them remain loyal to us for years – in this context, we also organize camps and training camps in spring and summer. In the age cohorts of students and young professionals, we have also experienced a significant influx in recent years, which of course pleases us greatly. After all, golf is a sport that can be played by generations from grandparents to grandchildren, thus promoting connection within a family or community. We are delighted to be able to continue this tradition under particularly attractive conditions in Erdinger Moos.