Mr Whitechurch is a former Federation Council deputy mayor and was appointed in the new board of directors’ first major decision since the August 6 AGM.
He takes over the role on August 31 after outgoing general manager Ashley Boyd stepped down.
Mr Boyd helped to steer the club through one of its darkest periods, avoiding a potential closure and successfully navigating a period of voluntary administration.
Mr Whitechurch has been a member of Corowa Golf Club “all of his life” and said that with 30 years’ experience as CEO at various clubs, it was the logical step to apply for the position to help guide the club through its next stages.
He said Corowa sits in a very good golf region, with wineries and the Murray River at its doorstep, and just needed to entice people to come and enjoy their experience at the club.
“The three things I always say in the club industry is ‘get bums on seats’, ‘if you make change, you'll get change’, and’ if you build it, they will come’,” Mr Whitechurch said.
“We've got to create an inviting and welcoming club that gives people a good experience they want to return for.”
He said that while the club has had good golf patronage in the past, that alone didn't support the club.
Now he sees the opportunity ahead.
“The club's been given a lifeline, so we're going to look at it as a reset,” he said.
“That reset will be to change the direction, change the way people perceive the club, and have a lot more offerings to suit a wider area of the community and golf fraternity.”
His priorities include the cinema operations, food, and accommodation scenarios for play and stay packages.
New golf club president, Mark Fraser was part of the hiring process, along with the newly elected board.
Several applications were vetted by the board, with Mr Fraser and vice-president Michael Hepburn determining the successful candidate.
Mr Fraser said Mr Whitehead was the most appropriate candidate for the job with his experience in golf course operations at Howlong and extensive relevant gaming experience.
“We're excited to get the strategy and vision moving forward to get the club back on its feet,” Mr Fraser said.
“Shaun’s a local, and he's been a member of the Corowa Golf Club all his life with an enormous amount of passion for this project.
“He’s prepared to put in the hard yards and long hours to make the golf club succeed, and that's exactly what we need right now.
“This is the most critical decision the board can make; it's the only appointment we make, so we have to get this right.
“We’ll work closely with Shaun from a governance perspective to make sure it goes well.”
