Stalwart looks forward to focus on coaching

Otago Daily Times

20-07-2025

Shelley Duncan is leaving — but she is going nowhere.
Duncan will tomorrow sign off as general manager of the Otago Golf Club after four years in the role.
But she will clock in again on Saturday as the guest of honour at the appropriately named "Shelley's Stableford" tournament followed by a farewell function at the clubhouse, and she will be back at Balmacewen on Monday to begin the next stage of her golfing career.
Duncan is returning to being a self-employed coach. She will still be based at the Otago club, alongside coaching professionals Mike Henderson and Callum Patrick, and she will continue to run the successful She Loves Golf programme on Tuesday nights and business house golf on Thursdays.
"So I'm still doing stuff, but mainly for myself," Duncan said yesterday.
"And there will be a lot less paperwork."
Duncan has spent nearly 20 years at the Otago club — after starting her apprenticeship at Balmacewen then spending three years at Taieri Lakes — in the roles of coaching professional, director of golf and general manager.
Her passion for coaching had simmered in the background while handling managerial duties but was reignited when she started working with a promising junior girl.
"I think it's taught me that it would be nice to be able to coach, but actually not have to worry about any of this other stuff.
"Just to be able to focus on my coaching and do some more learning ... and the other thing is I'll go and spend some time with other coaches like I did probably 20 years ago, where I just go and sit and observe and watch. Because that's probably the way I learn the best."
It was April Fool's Day in 2021 when Duncan became general manager at the Otago club.
Covid was no joke, obviously, but it had a silver lining when the club's 150th celebrations were delayed, allowing the new boss to really get her feet under the table.
She had a ball at the celebrations, and hosting special guest Clive Brown, the captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, as well as other prominent faces.
"Given that I've been here as sort of a member on and off since 1977, I felt like a big part of it, and it was exciting.
"We had our old golf pro come back from Australia, and all sorts of people travelled. It was a lot of fun."
Duncan will also treasure memories of a dinner that raised $50,000, driven by former prime minister John Key, a big supporter of the club.
Covid, funnily enough, led to surging numbers at many New Zealand golf clubs, though Duncan said there were signs of a slowdown.
A general manager role was challenging with the amount of paperwork and compliance, but she treasured the support of the governance at Balmacewen.
"One of the best pieces of advice I had was from one of our members, a smart man in business. He said you don't know what you don't know when you take on a new role.
"And it's so true. There's all these things that pop up all the time. 'I didn't know' was what I said for probably the first couple of months. And I'd been here forever.
"GM in a club environment can be difficult because you have a board of governance, as we have at our club, and you have your staff layered underneath that and then your members as well.
"It's just that balance between those dynamics. But I think at Otago we've been very fortunate with the board members that we've had and the member support."
As well as the general manager, the Otago club has four greenkeepers, a fulltime chef and bar manager, a part-time administrator and casual staff.
Duncan grew up in a house on the sixth fairway and had her first whack at Balmacewen in 1977.
She played at the University of Oklahoma and was a touring professional in the United States from 1998 to 2000, a spell that included an appearance at the US Open.
Playing as well as coaching more golf lies ahead.
"In 20 years, I've probably averaged, I'd say, 15 rounds a year, which is ridiculous. So I am looking forward to getting back to playing some golf.
"I was going to go and try and qualify for the US Senior Women's Open. But I got Covid-ed out about four years ago.
"There's still a wee flicker in the back of my mind that I'd be quite keen to have a run at that.
"All my college mates are doing it.
"We'll see. Yeah, it could be quite fun."
Drew Butcher is replacing Duncan as Otago Golf Club general manager.