The three legs of a well-crafted property: the golf course, operations and hospitality

One of the more difficult areas of the leadership role is investing time in finding and hiring talent. The ability to recruit, hire, coach, and retain key people is essential and it is hard. It is hard because it can feel like an extracurricular activity as often the effort is about tomorrow, while today, you are knee deep in hosing down a stream of fires. Hiring talented people is a skill developed over time through experience and the mistakes of days gone by. Every leader responsible for attracting talent feels the same stress and angst that often land on your desk.

Finding talent is a job unto itself. Although noted as just another line item on the job description, experience shows it is challenging, time-consuming, and fraught with land mines. No matter, it requires your specific time and attention. In a time when fewer people want to work while for those interested candidates the home is the workstation of choice, hiring talent in hospitality is hard. It is just plain hard. This In My Opinion post will focus on three important hires. These are people who make the property go. This post will provide thoughts on the superintendent, the director of food & beverage, and the director of golf. They each lead an important segment from course conditions to the F & B experience to the level of service on the operations side. While every hire is important, getting these three positions right is essential for stability, growth, and long-term success.

The golf course is your product. It is what draws the golfer to play, to join and build your story. It all begins with course conditions. Golfers demand great conditions. They expect tournament conditions on a Tuesday morning, just as for their Saturday morning nassau. Hiring and supporting an excellent Superintendent goes a long way to creating great conditions as well as building reputation and branding for stability today and growth tomorrow. The strong Superintendent commands a solid pay package. For that they work long hours, do anything that is required, and love the course as if it were their own. Locate the best candidate, hire them, and allow them the space to create the story.

It’s so much more than a sandwich and a beer. Great atmosphere: you either feel it or you don’t. Any place serving food has a feel, a personality. No matter the menu, you have people coming through the door who expect to continue to find fun in their day. Hire a happy leader, a people person. Find the Food & Beverage leader who will spread good times as well as good food. This manager puts the icing on the day. After 18 holes your members want to sit around, eat, and drink while talking about that (one) solid drive. This location should be bright, fun, and open for good times. This manager must treat the members as family and the staff as members. This role is so much more than a good burger or colorful plate presentation. Hire the person who will add to the fun. The person who wants to be front and center in the crowd. Wallflowers need not apply.

The golf shop is the hub, the place where daily hospitality begins. Hiring the Director of Golf is another tough mission. The Golf Professional wears hats, lots of hats. From merchant to instructor to manager to sales leader to tournament official, the Director of Golf not only has to keep several balls successfully in the air but also maintain a smile through even the busiest of days. The Director of Golf is the maestro. They begin the day, churn up the fun, and energize the team. This hire has to have the adrenaline flowing all day long. This leader is responsible for the golfers, the staff, and the timely flow of the day. The Director of Golf is the conductor, ensuring all operational activity moves on pace, and on time.

A well-crafted stool requires three sturdy legs. Three legs to support and maintain the weight of anyone resting above. These three positions anchor the key areas of the property: the golf course, operations, and hospitality. All are essential to building a strong club. If any one of these legs weakens, the stool is in jeopardy of collapse. Every hire is important. These three, however, manage the areas that make the day for every golfer. Look for people who want to make your club experience like no other. Be relentless in your approach. Hire the smile, with talent attached.

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Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion posts. Jack is an author, speaker, and golf consultant. Jack offers a free Zoom meetup to talk about your club, your shop, or the service operation. You can schedule a meeting at www.youdontknowjackd.com. You can also call Jack at 407-973-6136. Jack is ready to listen. He lives in Orlando.