CMAE member Marc Tarrago Freixa has recently joined Costa Daurada Tarragona Sports center as the General Manager. We caught up with Marc and asked him a few questions about his new job.
CMAE member Marc Tarrago Freixa has recently joined Costa Daurada Tarragona Sports center as the General Manager. We caught up with Marc and asked him a few questions about his new job. 
Marc CMDip, great news to hear about your new job – tell us about it (nr of members, nr of staff etc):
Costa Daurada Tarragona Sports center is located in the town of Catllar, in the province of Tarragona. The club was founded in 1983. The initial route of Costa Daurada Golf Club, a 9 holes design by Pepe Gancedo, was widened by Green Project between 1989 and 1999 until the current 18 holes. The new holes ’construction began in July 2016 and has finished in June 2017. This innovative design will host the “Mediterranean Olympic Games” in June 2018.
We currently have 1,200 members, although the growth forecast for the company will increase during this coming year. The club staff it´s 25 workers in total.
The club is called Golf Costa Daurada Tarragona Sports centre, so it more than just golf. Where do you see the biggest challenge in being the GM?
The club has the following facilities: Golf, Pitch & Putt, Paddle & Tennis, Dir Fitness
and Bike point and restaurant, so it is not only a golf club, it is a multi-sports center. On the other hand, there is a residential and hotel project that is under development.
Of course, managing a club of such dimensions is already a great challenge in itself.
We fear a very active social mass and we organize more than 300 events per year.
On the other hand, managing staff and creating good teams is also a difficult task.
The main challenge is to create a brand and position the club as a reference center in Catalonia and as a great resort in southern Europe.
What is your background before coming into this position?
I am a professional with a multidisciplinary background. I became PGA professional with 18 years and very soon I decided that what I really loved was course management, so I kept training. At the same time, I have a law degree and a master’s degree in Management and Direction of Sports Companies.
I have worked within the golf sector in 11 different countries, including Switzerland, Greece, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
On the other hand, I have also worked in various law firms.
You have taken almost all steps of the MDP, you are a CMDip, how has this benefitted your aim to become a GM you think?
Currently I have already done MDP 1, 2, 3 and Golf Operations. Of course, the final objective is to obtain the prestigious CCM.
The specific training of the MDP has been essential to achieve the position of GM. It is undoubtedly an added value to the curriculum of someone who intends to manage a golf club and an increasingly demanded requirement within the sector.
The MDP on the other hand are not only training is to be able to share knowledge with other colleagues in the sector and create an international network. To this day I continue to have a lot of contact with most of my colleagues
When do you start?
I took over the leadership on March 2. Unfortunately, the situation of COVID-19 forced us to close the club.
I have had to carry out and apply a contingency plan to contain the negative effects that this situation has had on our club.
We are currently in the reopening phase and I am preparing the different action protocols in order to communicate them to our partners and visitors.
Congratulations once again, we hope it will be a successful match for both you and the Club. Any final comments?
I want to take advantage of the situation to thank and congratulate the CMAE for its work and the added value it brings to the golf sector in Europe and particularly to all its members with the training programs.
