Self-Care Day. Sounds fantastic even without further explanation, right?
“The idea was mine, but the concept reflects the mindset of the owner and manager,” says Greg Austin, superintendent at Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club. Located in Kelowna, British Columbia, and owned by the hands-on Jhajj Family, who “give 100 percent to their businesses,” according to Austin.
Sunset Ranch demonstrates an excellent top-down work culture. Jeff Richard, the general manager, “gives me the freedom to make decisions. He provides the direction but how we get there is my call,” Austin adds. Hard work, leading by example, trusting each other and caring for one another is a recipe for success and Self-Care Day is one ingredient.
As winter approached, the forecast filled with rain and the course closed, rather than send everyone home, Austin turned the time into Self-Care Day. With two mechanics leading the way, the maintenance crew worked together to maintain personal vehicles. Brakes were checked, head lights and taillights were aligned, oil was changed and snow tires were put on. At that time of year, “the staff is putting in long hours for the course. Fitting in car care is harder because personal time is limited,” Austin says.
The offer was extended to and gratefully accepted by spouses and some other employees on property. Everyone covers their personal expenses for oil and parts, but the labor is donated. Taking it one step further, the mechanics became instructors if someone wanted to learn to do the work, cultivating capability. “Our hoist and the shop are always available as long as people leave it the way they found it,” Austin says. “There’s a risk to that,” he adds, but they trust one another.
With vehicles cared for, people are more likely to be able to get to work when the weather turns. With some of those personal errands checked off the to-do list, there is more time for rest or activities with family and friends. Self-Care Day helps ease pressure on local garages, which are extremely busy at this time of year, helping the community. Word gets around and this aids retention and recruiting. Plus, working for and with each other is also good for team building and creating loyalty.
In peak season, there are 14 team members on the maintenance crew, with four being salaried, full-time positions (including Austin, the irrigation technician and both mechanics). The business is doing well even with minimum wage increases but costs are also increasing. Self-Care Days, benefits like free rounds of golf with carts, and weekends off leading into an extra physical week of work are cost-effective ways to show staff you care and foster productivity. There are retirees on staff and students, too. Austin works with the local junior hockey team to provide summer jobs for athletes (until they hit the ice again in mid-August!) and to round out his crew. It’s a win-win.
He attributes his management style to a few things, including emulating the success of his friends and mentors, Brian Youell and Tim Kubash. “They have inspired me to do more for others at a professional level,” Austin says. Early on, Austin was also heavily involved with the provincial and national superintendent associations. He traveled frequently and rarely missed a show or conference.
“Participation as a director with the professional associations exposed me to network opportunities with many of the best in the business,” he says. “I had access to speakers, educators and leaders that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’m grateful and credit a lot of my current success to those experiences.”
Austin also credits his parents with a balanced upbringing, his mother being especially influential. She was always teaching him to “do the right thing” and acknowledged that someone can be the best in a profession but not necessarily be a good person. Excellence and thoughtfulness are not mutually exclusive.
“With local fast-food places sometimes offering higher wages than what our business is offering, we want to find ways to accommodate employees and let them know they are valued,” Austin says. Paying attention to how the staff is feeling and caring about their personal well-being is part of that. “Self-Care Days are when we make sure personal lives are addressed without crossing professional boundaries,” Austin says. “We try to do the right thing all the time. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to turn self-care ideas into action.”
Lee Carr is a Northeast Ohio-based writer and frequent Golf Course Industry contributor.
More about Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club
Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club was built in 1990 and designed by landscape architect J. Bruce Carr with current renovations and improvements being executed by Austin-Young (Greg Austin, superintendent, and Chris Young). The 18-hole, par-72, semi-private golf course plays 6,500 yards. Design alterations are being implemented with the intent of reducing inputs and related maintenance costs. Alterations will also improve playability and create interest from a playing perspective. In fall 2020, a full bunker renovation was completed, reducing the number of bunkers from 21 to 17. In fall 2021, nine new bunkers were added; a 10,000 square foot turfgrass nursery was built; and two new green sites were constructed.
New turf on the greens is being converted to Pure Distinction creeping bentgrass, the fairways sport Kentucky bluegrass and the roughs are Rhizomatous tall fescue. The capital improvement plan calls for rebuilding two greens to USGA specifications at the close of every playing season (March through October) until the work is finished. Tees are being renovated, too, and not coincidentally, Austin has a strong background in construction. Golfers will contend with Scotty Creek throughout this well-regarded Kelowna course and especially lucky golfers may see a baby moose in addition to breathtaking foothill vistas.
