Peter Owen
Peter Marchant, the renowned Sunshine Coast sommelier who has travelled the world judging fine wines, has made a dramatic career change and taken up a new role as Noosa Springs’ Golf Operations Manager.
He began his new job this week, heading a new-look team in the resort’s Golf Shop, alongside former tournament professional Tamara Johns and effervescent Gabriella Latham-Callcott, who now has a full-time role.
Mr Marchant, who worked for Spicers Retreats for six years, including a stint as general manager of its Clovelly Estate property at Montville, rekindled his love of golf during a Covid-enforced break from the hospitality industry.
“I was based at Peregian and began playing regularly at Peregian Springs,” he said.
Then, when a position was advertised for a casual golf attendant at Noosa Springs a few months ago, he decided the time was right to follow a new career direction.
“I thought it might open up some opportunities in the future,” he said.
It did. When the role of Golf Operations Manager became vacant in early September, Mr Marchant’s colleagues encouraged him to throw his hat in the ring.
“I don’t have a PGA background, of course, but my past experiences have given me the skills to do the job,” he said. “And I have the greatest respect for Tamara Johns, who has a strong professional golfing background.”
Promising to ‘spend a lot more time in front of people’, Mr Marchant said members will find him working behind the counter, putting carts away and, when he can, playing with members in competitions.
“I’m looking forward to the development side of the role, and you can’t do that sitting in an office,” he said.
Mr Marchant describes himself as an ‘Excel spreadsheet nut,’ and a manager who relies on statistics, operations and establishing effective systems.
“The Noosa Springs Golf Shop is an exceptional operation,” he said. “But I believe we have a great opportunity to build on what’s already been achieved and, where necessary, to challenge tradition.
“I respect tradition and I don’t plan to change things for the sake of it,” he said. “But you should always assess performance and consider what things can be done better.”
Mr Marchant’s working life began helping his mother in her Brisbane catering business when he was nine. He worked in a local fish and chip shop at 12, became a waiter at Bardon’s Avanti restaurant at 17, and travelled Europe, where he developed a career in food and beverage.
He managed and owned a number of Brisbane cafes and restaurants and won numerous state and national awards. More recently he was resident sommelier at the upmarket restaurant Market Bistro in the Maroochydore CBD, where he curated a collection of more than 1000 wines.
For a man who was certified by Australia’s Court of Master Sommeliers in 2007, served as state chairman and a member of the national executive of Sommeliers Australia for five years and was selected as a scholar for the world’s most exclusive wine school, the Len Evans Tutorial, Mr Marchant is remarkably down-to-earth.
He claims he doesn’t really know much about wine except that it promotes happiness and joy, insists his favourite beverage is a cold beer and admits he has a lot to learn about his new role.
But he pledges to listen to the views of people, tackle the task with enthusiasm and a sense of fun – and play as much golf as the job allows.
