A CORNISH golf course manager has been named Superintendent of the Year at the first-ever 59club Global Service Excellence Awards, beating competitors from 22 countries to take the prestigious title.

Mike Bush, course manager at St Mellion Estate in South East Cornwall, received the accolade at a glittering ceremony attended by 300 guests at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, near Birmingham.

The award recognises outstanding service, operational excellence and leadership within the golf industry on a global scale.

Mike’s world-renowned Nicklaus Signature Course at St Mellion was at the centre of the judging process. Each nominee underwent a rigorous assessment including mystery shopping, benchmarking, and a detailed course presentation. In the final round, St Mellion was measured against top golfing venues from Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Canada, the USA, the UAE and Thailand - achieving an exceptional near-perfect score.

Accepting the award, Mike said: “St Mellion is in my blood. I’m a proud Cornishman and grew up in St Mellion village, so I feel a deep personal connection with the estate here.

“I’m so proud to receive such a prestigious award, and I am hugely grateful to 59club for this rare accolade, but I see this as much as a win for my dedicated team and for the glorious St Mellion landscape which we have cultivated in this corner of Cornwall, as it is a personal accomplishment.”

Mike joined St Mellion in 1995 after working in golf course construction and has since overseen course preparations for European Tour and Senior Tour events. He earned BIGGA Master Greenkeeper status in 2011, becoming one of fewer than 100 people worldwide to achieve this distinction. In 2014, he expanded his role to group course manager across Crown Golf, St Mellion’s parent company, where his wife Regan also works in management.

Since St Mellion joined 59club in 2022, Mike won the UK & Ireland Superintendent of the Year titles in 2023 and 2024, paving the way for his global recognition.

Simon Wordsworth, founder and CEO of 59club, said: “To be recognised as Global Superintendent of the Year is no small feat. Mike’s achievement reflects not only his agronomic expertise but also his ability to inspire his team to deliver exemplary performance day in, day out.”

The St Mellion Estate, which is located between Saltash and Callington, is ranked among the World’s Top 100 Golf Resorts by Golf World, featuring two championship courses, an 80-bedroom hotel, fine dining, leisure facilities and self-catering cottages.

“You need a world-class course manager to fully realise the potential of a world-class golf course, and Mike is that man,” said David Moon, director of golf at St Mellion Estate. “He is our own multi-star Michelin chef of the golf industry – and in The Nicklaus he has his signature dish.

“This global award is a fine validation of his achievements here. Mike sets a shining example not just for his team, but also for his peers in the global golf industry. His work is one of the main reasons why St Mellion is such an extraordinarily rewarding place to visit.”