The road ahead

Golf course superintendents have several career paths within golf

After being a superintendent for 20 years, what are career options? Some are happy as superintendents at well-respected private clubs. Some go on to work for management companies, overseeing several superintendents. Others might get bored and wonder where to go from there. Well, there are several career paths golf superintendents can take.

The career development committee of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has been talking about alternative careers, according to Hannes Combest, managing director of member programs at the GCSAA. She says the g.m. position is the most likely position into which superintendents would move.

“After the age of 50 or so, superintendent want other options,” she says. “In the 2005 compensation and benefits survey, 8 percent say they hold general manager responsibilities that regular superintendents don’t. And 14 percent would like to pursue the g.m. route. We know superintendents are interested in becoming general managers. We’re seeing more numbers in this area.”

But Combest says continuing education at the GCSAA is based on the superintendent position.

“It’s not our intention to develop continuing education for superintendents to become general managers,” she says. “However, the GCSAA has an agreement with the Club Managers Association of America so superintendents can attend CMAA seminars at the Golf Industry Show at its member rate.”

A shoe in
Scott Schukraft, the g.m. at Huntsville Golf Club in Shavertown, Pa., is one example of a superintendent who became a g.m. He joined Huntsville in 1991 after eight years as the superintendent at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, Conn. He was the superintendent at Huntsville from 1992 to 1999 and then took over as g.m. and director of grounds after the club manager resigned.

“It wasn’t until that point where I thought I could be a g.m.,” he says. “I called [consultant] Jim McLoughlin to see if I had what it takes to be a g.m., and with his encouragement, I approached the president of the club. The president had more confidence in me about the position than I did. He was excited about my interest in the g.m. position and was willing to provide me with what I needed to be successful.”

Schukraft explains the reason for wanting a change.

“I’m a perfectionist,” he says. “I had 600 acres and was working 10 to 12 hours a day year round. I was always trying to get better. It got frustrating working weekends because I wanted to spend more time with my family. I needed more of a balance. I also was becoming reluctant to do certain things. Additionally, I had an assistant who was with me from day one. He was aggressive and was ready and willing to step up. I knew he could take over the superintendent’s position. I made the move for my family, myself and to provide an opportunity for a deserving individual, my assistant.”

To be a g.m., one needs to manage a staff and be able to hire certain people to cover one’s weaknesses.

“I needed to hire a food-and-beverage manager, golf pro and a strong controller,” Schukraft says.

According to Schukraft, to be a g.m., superintendents need to:

1. Be proactive and rise up out of the foxhole, market themselves and their abilities, as well as gain respect from owners.

2. Acquire skills they might not need in their current jobs, such as membership, marketing and financial skills, as well as knowledge about the pro shop and restaurant.

3. Develop relationships they might not want, such as with the golf pro, chef and food-and-beverage manager. “It might not be important now, but it could be three to five years from now,” he says.

4. Stay involved in professional associations.

5. Step away from the profession and volunteer.

At Huntsville, the chef, controller, superintendent and golf pro report to Schukraft, who says they’re effective managers of their departments, which makes his job easier. However, it hasn’t always been easy. Schukraft has had to replace a golf pro and chef.

“The last three years have been more difficult than the first four,” he says. “As I grew in the position, I saw problems and a need for a change.”

As the g.m., Schukraft spends less time working seven days a week than when he was a superintendent and can take one or two days off more easily.

“Communication methods have made it easier and make me more accessible,” he says. “There is more balance between work and family with this job than when I was a superintendent. It has worked out the way I thought it would, but it hasn’t always been great.”

And Schukraft doesn’t plan to move on anytime soon.

“I have a young family, and they need to remain settled and stable, so I plan to be here for the next five to 10 years; but I’m not so sure I want to be a g.m. forever,” he says. “Ownership or consulting might be possibilities. I haven’t given it a lot of thought, but I know I don’t want to manage another club.”

An association exec
Becoming an association executive is another route superintendents can take. In 1997, Jeff Wendel left Clarinda (Iowa) Country Club and moved to Ames, Iowa, to be a superintendent at the municipal Homewood Golf Course while earning his horticulture degree from Iowa State University, which he received in 1999.

In 2000, Wendel then became the communications director for the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association because the job was open and he had a desire to tell people what superintendents do.

“I got to know hundreds of superintendents and felt like I knew what they needed,” he says. “It seemed like the right thing to do. My motivation was to help those who do great jobs but are in tough situations.”

In 2002, Wendel became the executive director of the Iowa Turfgrass Institute. His position includes c.e.o. of the Iowa GCSA and chapter executive for the Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association and Iowa Professional Lawn Care Association. The Iowa Chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association also is managed from his office. Wendel says all of the associations feed off each other because of their similarities with turf.

Even though Wendel likes his job, he misses being a golf course superintendent from time to time, though there are things he doesn’t miss.

There are three main goals Wendel works on:

1. Let people know what superintendents do, and let golfers know why courses are the way they are. Soils, budgets, practices, land … everything is different.

2. Work with legislative issues, keep an eye on negative legislation, work on improving the public perception of superintendents and golf courses, and promote the environmental benefits of turfgrass.

3. Grow the associations and increase participation.

Wendel also plans the institute’s conference and show, summer field days and any fund raising, as well as deals with vendors.

Wendel says he doesn’t know if he would recommend his job to other superintendents but says superintendents need to spend time working on communication skills, both written and oral.

“As a superintendent, you need to be part of building the game,” he says. “You need to communicate to your staff, the owner, the pro and committees. I encourage superintendents to challenge themselves. I admire them because they work hard, and most guys have huge pride.”

The rise of a salesman
In addition to general manager and association executive, another occupation in which golf superintendents can be successful is in sales.

“Superintendents automatically have great rapport with other superintendents,” Combest says. “They know the business, they just need to know the sales.”

One of those who has done it well is Dave Fearis, a sales representative for PBI Gordon. In 1982, Fearis left his job as the superintendent at the Country Club of Peoria (Ill.) after 12 years to work for Scotts Professional Turf Division. For four years, he had a territory in the Midwest with 250 to 300 accounts.

“I was in a rut and wanted a change,” he says. “Nothing was wrong with the course. I had a good friend who was a Scotts sales representative who got promoted, and I filled his position and did it for four years. That job made me a better superintendent. All of my people skills and communication improved with that job.”

After four years with Scotts, Fearis went back to being a superintendent at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo., and was there for 16 years.

“I had a young son and was tired of being on the road,” he says. “I had an opportunity at Blue Hills. Blue Hills took a big chance. I interviewed and came in second. The club opted to go with a local superintendent, but he didn’t want to move, and the country club he was working at made him a better offer.

“But I became tired of the same routine and wasn’t having fun. It wasn’t fair to the club or me, so I retired and started consulting.”

Fearis spent a year consulting, including with PBI Gordon, and did that on and off. At PBI, he originally was a product manager and recently moved into sales. He covers Iowa and works with management companies and buying groups.

Fearis says the transition from superintendent to sales rep isn’t that difficult, especially if the company provides a lot of training.

“You have to be a communicator, can’t be shy and need to be a people person,” he says. “There’s a misperception that salespeople don’t work as hard as superintendents. They do, but the timing is different. Superintendents do put in a few more hours, but with sales, there’s a lot of prep work. It’s a good choice. Do I miss being a superintendent? In some ways, yes, in some ways, no. I don’t miss the 100-degree temperatures.”

Top dog
Superintendents also can be directors of golf. Paul McGinnis, director of golf operations at Pebble Creek Golf Resort in Peoria, Ariz., is an example. McGinnis had built his career working as a superintendent for several Phoenix-area private clubs: the Wigwam Golf Resort, Palm Brook Country Club, Union Hills Country Club, Moon Valley Country Club and Alta Mesa Golf Club before arriving at Pebble Creek.

“I’ve built a reputation in the Phoenix area,” he says. “Each move was a step up in prestige. Running 18 holes was nice, but it wasn’t a challenge anymore. An opportunity came up to run a multicourse operation (two 18-hole courses), and I took it.”

When McGinnis joined Pebble Creek, he was hired as the golf course manager. Then the board wanted to reorganize the golf operation and put him in charge of all golf operations including maintenance, the pro shop and driving range.

“When I was the golf course manager, my responsibilities didn’t include the pro shop,” he says. “I thought I could always fill the director of golf role and was ready. I wasn’t interested in being the g.m. with the food-and-beverage responsibilities. It’s a big job. It’s hard to see both golf courses every day like you would if you were the superintendent.”

To be a director of golf, McGinnis says a superintendent needs experience and respect through his reputation.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work in Phoenix my whole career,” he says. “People knew me. You need the respect of the pros. The hard part was getting the pros to be on my side. We’re peers, but I’m higher on the management ladder.

“The worst part is that I’m not as hands on with the golf course,” he adds. “I still want to ride the course in the afternoon, but purchasing, budgeting and personnel issues take up my time. I go to more committee meetings, luncheons for the ladies and men’s club, and member/guest dinners. I do miss ‘getting into it,’ but when you climb the ladder, that’s what happens. When I got into this position, I looked at it differently than as a superintendent. I asked questions such as ‘Why can’t we have more shotgun starts to generate more revenue?’”

Options abound
Ownership is another avenue for superintendents, Combest says. Bland Cooper of the Charlotte, N.C.-based Sulstone Group and Cleve Cleveland of the Newark Valley (N.Y.) Golf Club are examples of that.

“There are loads of opportunities if they choose to stay in a golf-related field,” Combest says. “There also are opportunities for younger superintendents. You don’t have to have 20 years of experience. The thing about the turf and golf industry is that people in the industry have a lot of options, and students are hearing about them.” GCN