
In many professions, a successful career is marked by an appropriate degree of professional development, verified by a credible certification program and recognised by both the public and one’s peers. The Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation has been the hallmark of professionalism in club management since 1965 and is the cornerstone of CMAA’s/CMASA’s certification programme. It is a valuable and widely respected mark of a manager’s commitment to professional development and the Club Industry.
The Certified Club Manager (CCM) is a professional certification recognising the unique skills and special knowledge required of today’s Club Manager. It has opened countless doors of opportunity for managers as it communicates their knowledge and ability to serve as a key player in a club’s success. Candidates who have earned the designation have completed a programme enriched with education experience, applicable knowledge, and business tools that can deliver a positive impact.
Whether you are seeking a promotion, exploring a position outside of your current club, or simply pursuing professional development opportunities to help you tackle increasingly complex responsibilities while preparing for future challenges, the CCM designation can
- Help you gain credibility and respect in the field
- Enhance your skills and knowledge
- Demonstrate your commitment to the profession
As with its education programmes, CMAA’s certification program is a dynamic, continuing process. It includes two levels of further recognition: CMAA’s prestigious Honour Society and the Master Club Manager (MCM) designation.
The entire certification programme is under the jurisdiction of the Certification Committee with oversight provided by CMAA’s Board of Directors. It is the Certification Committee’s responsibility to consider suggestions from the members and to ensure that the certification program adapts to the ever-changing club management environment.
Criteria
- Individuals are required to attain 300 credits from either tertiary education or industry accredited courses.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the industry before they are able to qualify to write the certification examination.
- The CCM examination contains 400 questions (multiple choice) taken from a central databank on a random basis.
- Only those who achieve above 70% aggregate are accredited as “Certified Club Managers” (CCM).
- The certification is valid for a 5 year period, in which time their education is required to be maintained by attending additional courses related to their development. Currently the points required for maintenance is 120 credits in 5 years (this equates to 1 credit per hour of CMASA approved education).
CMASA currently has 12 qualified CCM Managers in South Africa and they are:

Paul Leishman
The Bryanston Country Club

Sue Smith
Helderberg Village

Neels Gerber
Mogol Sports Club

Sandra Lennox
George Golf Club

John Bold
Kuilsrivier Golf Club

Peet de Wet
De Zalze Golf Estate

Pam Maybery
Kloof Country Club

Francois Swart
Atlantic Beach

Paul Stoner
Clovelly Country Club

Vian Schoeman
The Bryanston Country Club

Chris van der Merwe
Stellenbosch Golf Club

Charl Coetzee
Durbanville Golf Club
Important for Our Club Industry
For our industry to prosper and clubs to continue to flourish in a very competitive leisure industry, the leadership required will be better served through a robust programme of education and training. Our programme will educate tomorrow’s leaders and managers today!
With a benchmark qualification recognised throughout the world (CCM), club managers can demonstrate their credibility in the job and ensure cross-fertilisation of skills, knowledge and ideas as they manage ever more successful clubs around the globe.
BMI (Business Management Institute) Programmes
CMASA currently delivers all of the required BMI programmes which were developed by Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) and are used by seven Club Associations worldwide as the framework for their education programmes. Specific material is adapted to suit local conditions. (See below for more information)
Certification
Education, by itself, is important and an essential tool for an individual’s personal and professional development, but to be able to prove that the manager has understood the subject matter and retained what has been taught, CMASA provides a credible certification programme which is recognised throughout the Club Industry.
The club management industry is now setting the standard whereby their own qualifications and certification benchmarks become the accepted industry standards of knowledge required to do the job.
What is the CMASA education programme?
In order to supplement the existing skill sets of Club Managers, four classroom-based courses, each of which will be 4 days (Monday to Thursday).
These courses are:
BMI I Club Management
BMI II Leadership Principles
BMI III General Manager/ Chief Operating Officer
BMI IV Food & Beverage
This pathway therefore will lead club managers from the point at which they enter the profession with some knowledge, through to the outcome where they are well-informed and well-educated club managers.
In short, this is a structured and comprehensive education programme for club managers. We foresee club managers perhaps taking one course a year, fitting in with the demands of their job, and it will be possible therefore for a manager to complete the programme of the required four courses over a period of 3-5 years.
Click here for BMI programme brochure and application form
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