The golf industry is shit

SMT · 2023-03-29T15:30:35+00:00

Here is a new job opening for an Assistant Professional at a very nice Chicagoland Country Club. The place is and has been viewed as "prestigious" in my time...

Sneakylong

Here's an example of the opposite end of the spectrum. When the town owned semi private course (Cranberry Valley) in my home town on Cape Cod, MA. opened in 1973 the golf committee hired their first head pro. One of the perks was free housing. Yup, they rented a house for him to live in for free.

I remember this because a member of the committee came into my father's sports shop and mentioned this. For some reason that stuck with me and I thought that was a great deal.

Fast forward till about 15 years ago and the head pro at that time was fired for some reason or another. Then it became public what the head pro's deal was. He made a great salary. I want to say it was ~ $100,000. Plus he was a town employee meaning he got a nice benefit plan including health insurance and pension plan.

He also made money from lessons and here's the best part. He made all the money from selling merchandise in the pro shop. This guy had it made. But he took it for granted and ended up screwing it up for himself by getting fired. Needless to say the pro hired after had no such deal.

Here in Florida I've gotten to know a few head and assistant pros. Seems there's quite a disparity in pay between head and assistant pros. Where the assistant pros could make up some of that disparity was in lessons. I've also known some pros who just to get their foot in the door at a good course would take a menial job like in the cart barn and then move up when a position opened up.

KCee

Sneakylong Seems there's quite a disparity in pay between head and assistant pros.

I only have my own semi-private course to go on, but that's true. A very large different for us. I'm glad our pro makes good money as he does a great job, but the asst pro was paid next to nothing and now we haven't had one for awhile.

IMO we pay some other positions poorly as well. The newer membership have been starting to make headway, but the old (cheap) guard is still in control of many things.

Ynotgolf

KCee When you guys are talking your pros, are you insinuating that they are also in charge of course maintenance?

KCee

Ynotgolf Our pro is not in charge of maintenance. He makes suggestions, but we have a board member and head groundskeeper that are in charge of course condition.

SMT

Ynotgolf No.

Ynotgolf

KCee OK, some of the talk had me confused as talking about your head pros and complaining of course conditions.

sdandrea1

Ynotgolf OK, some of the talk had me confused as talking about your head pros and complaining of course conditions.

The scope of a head pro's responsibility varies from club to club. Some head pro's run the whole show, some don't.👍

LBlack14

Some of us do what we do, not because of money. My Pop, rest his soul, always told me, "do what you do out of love for it, not for the love of money".

Ynotgolf

LBlack14
You mean I wasted 50 years of my life?

Weirfan

LBlack14

Ideally, there is both.....a job you love that rewards you with both pride and satisfaction as well as the various other benefits ( a decent wage, respectful and welcoming environment, social connections etc)

If you aren't happy at what you do, find something else, no amount of money is worth that.

LBlack14

Ynotgolf You mean I wasted 50 years of my life?

what you consider "a waste" and what I consider a waste, may be 2 different things.

Ynotgolf

sdandrea1 Some head pro's run the whole show, some don't.👍

How do they have the ability and know how of what a courses needs are. It's not that easy on a high end course. One screw up and you could be gone.

Rickochet

sdandrea1 The scope of a head pro's responsibility varies from club to club

As do their abilities. I think the title "Pro" can be misleading. Perhaps calling them "Managers" might be more appropriate.

Weirfan

sdandrea1

Often decisions on course changes involve a team approach, who is on that team depends on the structure of the management group. Probably not something a head pro would get involves with much. In some cases that is the membership group in a full equity situation.

my course is a public access facility with an ownership group of 10 or so and a majority Managing Partner who oversees it all. He's managed courses for over 30 years so not many with his knowledge base. He's on site 7/days a week all year and out working on the course most all the time.
Budgets for expenditures are approved/disapproved by the group based on the recommendations presented by the Managing Partner, with input from the Super of course.
Depending on the magnitude of the change to the course it might not need to go to the board. Basic day to day course maintenance and improvements are at the discretion of the Super. He'll replace a culvert etc on his own but a decision to change as we have ingoing this year for installation of a new irrigation system , is above his pay grade ( so to speak). He'll advise and help with the installation plan. Another friend is a member at an equity, private course that is also installing a new irrigation system, that decision was determined by vote by members.

As a pay as you go facility that relies mainly on revenue from green fees, any changes need to minimally impact play and service delivery. That can be a challenge.

We got lucky with our new Super (he's fantastic) who came from an ultra exclusive, private club down the road with $100,000 entrance fees. Of course his operating budget is way, way less....but he's adjusted well.

Par4QC

Weirfan Ideally, there is both..

Unicorn positions today. Rare as turtle feathers, perhaps.

Par4QC

Rickochet I think the same.
Typically a "Pro" has to have the schooling/certificate/etc. from the USGA, as far as I know from seeing job listings. These are the fellas that get a chance to play in the PGA Championship Tournament(thru qualifying).

Ynotgolf How do they have the ability and know how of what a courses needs are

As far as course maint. managers go, the job postings I've seen require a degree in turf management/agronomy.
Around here, someone like Landon could not get that job, even with all the years of experience he has, without either of those degrees/certificates. And they pay crap for wages here.

sdandrea1

Ynotgolf How do they have the ability and know how of what a courses needs are.

In my case, the course superintendent reported to the head pro. In some cases, they just learn what they can and try to figure it out.
Our public course in VA is owned by the county but they lease it to a course management company. The head guy is running it all, taking classes, doing his best. Risky business. We lose the greens every summer about mid July.🤬

Weirfan

Par4QC

Perhaps. Sometimes, a job is what you make it as well. As they say, attitude is everything.

Ynotgolf

sdandrea1 We lose the greens every summer about mid July.

That's what I'm talking about. With someone who knows what they are doing, that wouldn't happen. If on a high end course you would be fired. My son in California knows what he is doing, he has been known to go to some well known courses as a consultant when an unknown condition arises and advise them of what to do about it before it gets out of control.
At his course it is a 24/7/365. Depending on weather conditions, he may go to the course every day and visit each green for a look over.

Weirfan

sdandrea1 Our public course in VA is owned by the county but they lease it to a course management company. The head guy is running it all, taking classes, doing his best. Risky business.

Some munis around here have a similar structure, run by Head Pro, maintained by City workers. The downside is city workers probably make twice what summer labourers make. My daughter who is in Uni, cuts greens at a private course as a summer job for $17.50/hr.....unionized city labourers will make $30 -$40 and get time and a half for OT. The plus, no Super Salary to pay....We pay ours ~$120k but he has a number of years experience. Private course supers do better, lower end publics will do worse

Weirfan

sdandrea1 The head guy is running it all, taking classes, doing his best. Risky business. We lose the greens every summer about mid July.🤬

When you say lose, do you mean they burn out with the wind and heat or do they have to be completely reseeded and regrown? Not a super, but the former seems an issue with proper maintenance ( water ) and soil composition and or grass type.
The latter makes no sense as it would cost way more to have to redo one's greens every year than what it would cost to pay a super.

sdandrea1

Ynotgolf That's what I'm talking about. With someone who knows what they are doing, that wouldn't happen.

I know......🤬

Ynotgolf

sdandrea1
Surely they could afford to have someone come in and tell them what to do to prevent that from happening. It may not cost much to prevent it. A lot of it is timing.

« Previous Page Next Page »