Derive your satisfaction from within

In case you didn’t notice, September 12 was “Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day.” And you probably didn’t notice because, despite the hashtags (#thankasuper), ad campaign and whatever else the GCSAA and other organizations might have done in promotion, I’ll bet no one did, indeed, thank you.

I am not against recognition — when it is justly due — but you and I entered this profession knowing that while it requires time, dedication and hard work, it is, for the most part, a thankless job. As I’ve written in this space many times — and many of you have reminded me again and again — most NARPs (non-agronomic real people) don’t thank us when conditions on their courses are perfect. But if they see one weed or patch of dead grass, or if green speeds are just a little too fast or too slow for their liking, they are quick to point it out.

And, as I’ve also said many times before, most of the golf world believes we have the easiest job at the club. Once done mowing the grass, we ride back to the shop, drink coffee and play cards. Must be nice.

One (ignored) day a year to thank a superintendent; 364 days a year to “yank” a superintendent. Note to the GCSAA: Maybe the message isn’t getting through?

Or maybe it isn’t really necessary to declare a special day to thank ourselves. Our police, fire and military do things to protect us and our country that nobody else sees, and we are safer for their efforts. But I don’t see them vying for attention: They do their jobs and go home. Their satisfaction comes from within.

You know what it takes to deliver a well-conditioned golf course: a team of dedicated people, sufficient budget, inputs of chemicals or fertilizers, cultural practices, organization, and the cooperation of Mother Nature. Can you derive enough satisfaction from turning those ingredients into a golf course that’s in good shape and fun to play? Or do you need that extra pat on the back?

Sure, it would be nice if the golfers we strive so hard to please took notice and said thank you once in a while. But for that to happen, they would need to know the challenges we face every day. They would have to understand that we can’t control the two most important factors of our job: people and weather. They would have to acknowledge that they are the biggest enemy of their own satisfaction. (“Hey, Mr. Jones, the course would look a lot better if you ever raked a bunker, fixed a ball mark or kept your cart on the path.”) They would have to look beyond the dirt under our fingernails and give us credit for years of studying fields of science that they don’t even know exist.

That said, we waste too much time in defense mode. People don’t care about our excuses or reasons; they just want to play golf. That’s what they paid for, and they expect conditions to be good. We can’t blame them. If anything, we should use what they take for granted as a baseline and always try to exceed it. Which all of you do — daily!

It would be nice if someone said thank you, but we shouldn’t expect it. More important, we shouldn’t need it! As my father always said, right or wrong, if someone pays you a compliment, say thank you and move on. We don’t need to declare a day to ask for thanks. Only we know what a good job really is. Our satisfaction should come from taking the resources we have, fighting the elements and producing a course that golfers keep coming back to. #trustme

Work hard, set your own goals and have the self-confidence to know when you’ve got it right. Or not.

Far more important than any single day, our industry is there to help all year long. We have the data, the research and the resources to diagnose and fix any issue. We have the information and tools to do our jobs well.

We also have an extensive network of professionals to draw on, whether you’re dealing with an on-course issue, a family matter or employee relations. Call the superintendent down the street, or your local chapter, or national headquarters. If anyone should be thanking a golf course superintendent, it should be another golf course superintendent. We support each other.

We’re never going to be the stars of the show. General managers mingle with members and have an office in the clubhouse. Golf professionals sell cool merchandise and help golfers play better. They interact with their customers every day. Our work is done out of sight, early and late, and is only noticed when something isn’t right. We are rarely seen or heard from, but what we do is the reason people play where they play. It’s that we don’t need to be thanked that makes us special.

We are the jewels in the crown of the golf industry. We should be proud of this no matter whether anyone else notices.

Your job is simple: Focus on yourself, your team and your golf course. Do the best with what you’ve been given. Appreciate the sincere and honest thank yous, but don’t come to work looking for them. If you can do that and not worry about the praise, it will come.

#selfreliance #selfconfidence #teamwork #leadership