From Fairways to Front Office: Paul Riley’s Journey to Magenta Shores
When Paul Riley steps onto the first tee at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club, he’s not just the General Manager – he’s the living embodiment of every role he’s ever held, from a raw junior golfer, PGA trainee, national coach, director of golf to country-club manager.
Nine months into his tenure at this coastal course with a gated community north of Sydney, Riley is quietly transforming one of Australia’s top 30 courses into a holistic lifestyle destination – all while drawing on a globe-trotting career that began as a junior at the local Sydney suburban golf course, he grew up nearby.
He knows that even though the original drawcard is golf, it’s hospitality, and he insists,
“We’re not just pigeonholed into golf. What we offer is so much broader.”
A Family Affair
Golf was never an after-school hobby for Riley; it was the family business. “My brother was a pro golfer by the time he was 15, and I was only eight,” he recalls. Watching Wayne Riley win the Australian Open, Air New Zealand Open, Portuguese Open and Scottish Opens—and then become a Sky TV commentator jet-setting around the globe – set the bar impossibly high. Yet it was that early immersion that sparked Paul’s own professional dream.
“Since I was about 12, I wanted to be a pro-golfer. Like every youngster, we want to win The Masters, The Open… but only 0.0001% actually do.”
By his mid-late 20s he’d climbed to about 950th in the world rankings. It wasn’t enough to pay the bills, so he “flipped” from touring player to golf professional – “luckily” bolstered by a three-year Australian PGA apprenticeship at Concord Golf Club under the watchful eye of PGA Life Member, Kyle Francis that opened doors across Asia.
Coaching in Singapore & Beyond
Paul’s pivot landed him in Singapore as a coach. “I coached for about three years and saved enough to chase the dream again,” playing mini tours in Asia, Australia and the U.S. When that second playing stint still didn’t pay, he returned to coaching – this time as National Coach for Singapore’s men’s, ladies, boys and girls squads and teams. Along with being the Director of Golf at Orchid Country Club.
That success led to a 12-year chapter at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Kau Sai Chau) as Head Golf Professional and Tournament Director. As a department head and under Riley’s watch, three courses hosted up to 600 rounds a day – “possibly one of the busiest golf facilities in the world.”
Turning Around Horsham Golf Club
In 2017, Riley accepted his first General Manager post at Horsham Golf Club in rural Victoria—an insolvent club “in $1.4 million debt.” He credits a new, energetic board for driving the turnaround: renegotiated loans, halved debt in a year, and restored community confidence.
“I told my wife, ‘The new Board are ambitious people and will rescue this Club,’ and they did.” all Riley’s had to do was operated the day-to-day business of the Club and grow membership numbers, in which was fairly straight-forward and easy to achieve. As Horsham Golf Club is a very good course and surrounding golfers were keen to support the Club’s reinvigoration and next chapter.
However, within 1-year an opportunity arose at The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Hong Kong—a private marina, golf and country club, where the offer was too good to refuse. Riley led five-and-a-half years as the Country Club Manager, overseeing 3,500 members and facilities from tennis courts, pickleball, badminton, squash, gym, swimming pools, spas, a wellness centre to teppanyaki kitchens. Paul acknowledges the CEO, Peter Downie, who mentored him and passed on wisdom that was priceless.
It was an incredibly busy time, but he loved every minute. And it also taught him that even the super wealthy clients are just regular people, wanting a good experience and to be treated with common courtesy, friendliness, professionalism and empathy.
Homecoming: Magenta Shores
In August 2024, Paul returned to Australia as General Manager of the Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club. This isn’t just a golf club—it’s a gated residential community with 270 homes, three pools, gyms, saunas, wellness centre, a Pullman Hotel and a championship course ranked #33 in Australia. Members enjoy dolphins surfing just beyond the second hole, a reminder that “golf first, coffee & sight-seeing second”—but exceptional service in both.
Key early moves:
- Rebranding & Relogo: A fresh identity logo rebranding was launched December 2024.
- Management Company Handover: April 2025, the Magenta Shores Golf Management harmoniously handed back the overall operations to the Golf Club. In which all staff now work directly as a traditional style Club and report to the Board, Committees and Members.
- Membership Growth: From 940 to 1,030 members within 7-months. With the drive to the constitutional cap of 1,200 in order to gain a waiting-list, exclusivity and financial viability.
- Course Quality: Working and supporting the Superintendent (James Newell) to continue with the conversion from Legend Couch to Santa Ana Couch grass fairways and surrounds (the “Ferrari of golf grasses”).
“People come to play golf first and foremost and Riley believes all head superintendents are the most important person on a golf centric property.”
The overall experience of a golfer from A to B, from when a member/guest comes out of the car park, into the pro-shop. Followed by playing the golf course, then into the clubhouse after their round, then back to their car again. We want that entire journey to be a wow factor. And it’s hard because wow factors are hard to come by now.”
“What are we offering? Unparalleled service – so our members, guests and visitors are feeling like it’s a home away from home. Whereby, they play Magenta Shores and can fully appreciate how special the course is. Also, great merchandising is important, so that everyone who visits can carry our logo with them. And it represents…. Quality.”
Leadership by Example
Paul’s ethos is simple: No task is beneath him. “If I ask staff to collect range balls, I jump in the range cart and collect golf balls to ensure that I also understand that particular operational challenge as well,” he says. He insists on working in the direction of understanding every role—from cleaning toilets to running tournaments—so he can lead with empathy and integrity.
His 33-person team may be small compared to Asia’s mega-clubs, but Riley leverages partnerships—most notably with Jody Redman, GM of the on-site Pullman Hotel under Accor—to create a seamless member experience.
What’s my secret to running a huge multi-faceted business?
“There’s no secret. Be honest, have integrity, led by example – and do the right thing by people. They might be clichés, but that’s because it’s true. And as a GM, I do all the nasty little jobs too. And so I should. That’s the example I set every day.”
Looking Ahead
With the club now wholly Australian-owned and operated, a new logo which has been well received, Riley’s focus is on “a thousand little areas” that collectively deliver a “wow factor”—from pro-shop merchandising to mahjong afternoons that engage non-golfers.
Paul Riley’s path – from his neighbouring golf course as a kid to global coaching, rural rescue missions to luxury country-club management – has equipped him with a rare combination of technical expertise and human touch. At Magenta Shores, he’s not chasing headlines; he’s quietly raising standards, one perfectly manicured blade of grass at a time.
“I go to work knowing I’m replaceable. That keeps me on my toes.”
