The Laguna General Manager says his team bring experience and expertise to the Asian resort
Stephen Chick has a team full of enthusiastic PGA Trainees and Professionals under his wing at Laguna Golf Phuket in Thailand.
Trainees George Ounstead and Asmitha Sathish and PGA Professional Kieren Beauchamp all play a role in different departments, from managing operations, building relationships with visitors and members and coaching.
Having transitioned into a team full of those already qualified, or going through training, with The PGA, Chick believes the team has achieved a level of cohesiveness where everyone is aware of the direction they would like to take the resort.
“We play on the fact that we are the only PGA-branded golf academy in Southeast Asia,” Chick said.
“It’s massively around the Principal Partnership with The PGA. There’s an opportunity for Laguna Golf Phuket. There’s a logic to having your professional team going through the British PGA since we have the collaboration with The PGA.
Pictured: Stephen Chick
“For young trainees coming from the UK, Laguna Phuket is an amazing opportunity to get through your training and to work on the job.
“Each of them fully understand the club's current position and the vision of where we want to take the club.”
He added: “They’re totally on board with the vision that Paul (Wilson – Managing Director) and I have for the club, of where we want to take it.”
Before being appointed as GM in September 2025, Chick worked in various roles in golf management in the UK, Middle East, China, Myanmar and elsewhere in Thailand.
Chick’s international experience and PGA roots help to provide mentorship to his team, and he is perfectly placed to advise trainees how to thrive when stepping into a new job overseas.
“It’s a willingness and a desire to personally improve yourself but bring a certain level of standards to the club and take it further as well, to build upon that and contribute, to bring something to the team,” he said.
"You've got to be willing to travel and attend things and understand the power of making connections in person" - Stephen Chick
“The five of us here is very much a team effort with our local staff as well.
“You’re looking for qualities and expertise and bringing that to the team to add something, to add value. There’s a good blend,” he added.
“We’re definitely pulling in the same direction. There are a combination of different skill sets which complements different requirements.
“You need to be active. My career is a case in point for that. You’re not going to do it from behind the keyboard sending emails – you’ve got to be willing to travel and attend things and understand the power of making connections in person.
“I can’t explain the power of that.”
Meet Laguna’s PGA Professionals and Trainees
Pictured: PGA Professional Kieren Beauchamp
Kieran Beauchamp
Kieren is a PGA Professional who joined Laguna Golf Phuket after a stint working at Royal Troon in Scotland.
Stephen says: “He's done a very good job at integrating and getting to know members, which has been key and they've really appreciated that, especially from how we found the club and how we're driving forwards to manage the club.”
On working in Thailand compared to Scotland…
It's a culture shock! Thailand was completely different to the place I was in before. Royal Troon is a private members club. They do accept visitors, but only on certain days. Here, it's more of a resort style, they're trying to increase the revenue.
The role I was in previously wasn't just coaching. When I went through the PGA and did my training, it was similar to Asmitha and George. I wanted a role that involved everything, so that I knew what avenue I wanted to go down.
I thought I'd explore the teaching role. You don't know if you like it until you try it. I've been enjoying it so far. It's good to work with people from all around the world.
Before, I was greeting them, chatting to them, being that person to put the arm around them when they're traveling, but now you get a closer connection with them, because you're helping them with their golf.
On advice for other PGA Professionals thinking of working abroad…
Don't wait too long. The reason I was looking for opportunities abroad is that the situation I was in at Royal Troon, there was not much room for development. There wasn't much room for me to grow personally. That's why I just wanted to put myself out my comfort zone, try something new and that was probably going to be abroad, and I was fed up with the Scottish winters!
“I wanted to put myself out my comfort zone and try something new” - Kieren Beauchamp
Pictured: PGA Trainee Asmitha Sathish
Asmitha Sathish
Asmitha is a second-year PGA Trainee who joined Laguna Golf Phuket in October 2025. Asmitha works on the operational side, and also coaches using her experience at the Leadbetter Golf Academy.
Stephen says: “Asmitha has got really good skills online, with what we’re posting on our social media, and handling our Google reviews, and admin work. She’s created a lot of programmes and posters for us and coordinated those.”
On finding the opportunity at Laguna Golf Phuket at the International Members Meeting…
I attended the conference at Laguna and got a chance to network with all of the international PGA Members. I realised while I'm going through my training, I can work in a role like at Laguna, where I'm exposed to operations and management and teaching.
I connected with Paul and Darren (Robson, previously of Laguna Golf Phuket) – which I'm very grateful for. I'm enjoying the aspect of learning so many things on a day-to-day basis. I feel with a lot of trainees, your role can be one dimensional, but over here, you're very hands-on, and you have mentors, Stephen and Paul.
On growing professionally in the last two years…
Previously, it was purely a coaching role. That was a very good foundation for me from the coaching perspective, working for Leadbetter and going through the certification and being able to apply it with different golfers.
As I went into my second year of the programme and got to attend the conference, that's when I realised that if I want to work in this industry, there are more skills I need to have than just coaching.
That's when I got this opportunity to work at Laguna to be hands on with many different things. That was very attractive to me, and would shape my whole training process for three years.
The development I've had in the last three months are definitely more than what I've had in the year I spent teaching. That's the key aspect for me in my growth.
“I'm enjoying the aspect of learning so many things on a day-to-day basis. I feel with a lot of trainees, your role can be one dimensional, but over here, you're very hands-on” - Asmitha Sathish
Pictured: PGA Trainee George Ounstead
George Ounstead
George is a Year One PGA Trainee and had been playing golf professionally in Thailand before starting work at Laguna Golf Phuket.
Stephen says: “His people skills are an asset, which is important in a club like this, where it's easy to talk to people, greet people. That's a big part of it at golf clubs, greeting people and listening – being the sounding board of what they want to tell you about how bad their game was or how they're trying to blame the greens!”
On how he secured his role at Laguna Golf Phuket…
My main connection through the PGA was with Wayne Johnson. He set me up and connected me with Laguna Phuket.
I've been in Thailand for about four years playing and the reason I actually came to play is because I was caddying for a friend of mine who plays on the DP World Tour.
It was his advice to come out to Thailand to experience playing different conditions, different grasses and a different culture – and also get used to traveling around the world.
That was a really positive experience for me. After that, I wanted to transition into coaching. Through the connections I built in Asia, I had the chance to reach out, and then I managed to get some offers.
On balancing work with PGA training…
It's tough when you're in a time-zone difference like this. The way I do it is dedicating an hour every day when you get home to your PGA training. I start early in the morning, 6.30am to 3.30pm. I normally teach after that, especially during the high season, but I would dedicate an hour every day, because it can build up quite quickly if you don't do that. You can have a lot to catch up on. You have to be quite organised with all your timings, your lectures, and learning your lecture notes.
