“We operate the office with an open-door policy.”
For Michael Braidwood, CEO of Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, this mindset is at the core of how the club operates. With a history dating back to 1761 and a reputation as one of the finest private golf clubs in Edinburgh, Bruntsfield’s legacy is rich. But its leadership is firmly focused on the future.
Listening as a Strategy
When Michael joined the club in 2022, one of his first objectives was to refresh their five-year strategic plan. But instead of guessing what members wanted, he went straight to the source.
“We're pretty close to our members. Members can come in at any time and give their feedback to me and my colleagues,” he explains. That’s when Bruntsfield turned to Players 1st for help gathering comprehensive member feedback.
With over 750 responses in their first survey—a remarkable 72% response rate—the club received both affirmation and direction. “I'm delighted not to be surprised,” Michael says. “Because if you're surprised, then you're probably out of touch with your members and your operation.”
From Insight to Action
Michael and his team didn’t just collect feedback: they used it. By putting hard numbers behind member sentiments, they created benchmarks and set tangible goals for improvement. “The Members think the Greens are 73. So next year let’s try and get it to 75,” he notes. “The stats don't really lie. And it's been really interesting looking at one year to the next.”
One surprising pattern that emerged?
Members who played more often tended to be slightly less satisfied: likely a product of familiarity. This insight reminded the team at Bruntsfield Links to keep the experience fresh and continually evolving. “We have 1200 members”, says Michael. "And the ages of our members range from 7 to 102 years old.”
And when it came to new members, especially the club’s newly welcomed female members, satisfaction levels were the highest across the board. Michael smiles, “Quite a wide variety of different members to look after”.
A Culture of Continuous Improvement
The club's NPS score went from 49 to 57 in just one year.
For Michael, feedback isn’t a one-off effort, but a cultural pillar. “We operate the office with an open-door policy, because we don't have a door on it”, he jokes. “Members can come in at any time and give their feedback to myself and my colleagues.” But formalizing that openness through structured surveys adds another layer of value, especially when supported by national benchmarks.
Beyond members, Bruntsfield Links has also extended its survey efforts to include staff and is now exploring visitor feedback tools as well. “Our members are happier than our staff,” he jokes, “but that’s useful to know— So we just need to put some things in place.”
Advice to Other Clubs
Michael’s message to other clubs hesitant about diving into member surveys? “Just do it.” With Players 1st, the process was easy, customizable, and above all, actionable. “You can ask extra questions which are great. And the other feature is it gives you a comparison against the other survey contributors in the country.”
Putting Players First, Always
At Bruntsfield Links, legacy and tradition go hand in hand with innovation and openness. By making member feedback central to their strategy, they’ve created more than just a historic club, as they’ve built a modern community of satisfied, heard, and valued golfers.
Because in Michael’s words, the importance is to “see how we can keep this journey of continuous improvement and high member satisfaction.”