Control the story

Months ago, I observed a veteran superintendent control a complete hot mess of a political battle in the boardroom surrounding course conditions and the direction of agronomic operations.  Numerous members had voiced concerns over grassing selection in a transition zone golf course off a significant episode of winterkill damage, and a lot of finger pointing occurred.

Swiftly and diplomatically, the golf course superintendent provided a factual, unbiased and objective presentation on current course conditions, a timeline with decision making, and research-backed recommendations that were a polar opposite viewpoint of the arguing party.

By the end of the meeting, consensus was built, trust was earned and a clear direction forward with unified commitment was established.

If you don’t communicate, people will make up their own narrative. Frequent, thoughtful updates let you control the story.

That’s the line I keep coming back to with every club I advise. It’s not about being polished—it’s about being present, proactive and clear.

Treat communication like an agronomic discipline: systematic, intentional and essential. You can’t operate in a vacuum. The best superintendents communicate up as well as out — ensuring their GM, board, and department peers are aligned and advocating for them.

Weekly one-on-ones with the GM or club manager help you shift from daily chaos to strategic clarity. More importantly, it drives conversations beyond surface level weekly updates.  Getting your GM in your area of expertise (on the course) will help better inform him/her to articulate your challenges, goals, while also creating a level of cohesiveness and unity at the top. The more they understand your world, the more they will invest in it.

If you’re discussing bunkers or tree removals, go see them. If your equipment is constantly malfunctioning, show them the graveyard.

Don’t wait until there’s a problem to speak up. Establish a regular cadence of updates—so when issues do arise, credibility is already built.  We’ve continued to see a variety of modern communications.

Weekly or bi-weekly emails, blog posts or inclusion in club newsletters become predictable touchpoints that reduce hearsay and speculation. Stick to current course and weather conditions, upcoming projects, behind-the-scenes education, team member highlights.

Use before/after photos, GPS maps and turf data to add depth. Numbers are one thing—but showing a member how dry a green is with a moisture map hits different.

Presence matters

When the proverbial sh*t hits the fan, your influence doesn’t come from a podium, but by showing up—on the first tee, at member-guest, during the holiday cocktail hour.

Make time for casual interactions — those conversations often do more to defuse tension and build advocacy than a dozen committee meetings.  Make it routine to drive the golf course backwards during regular member play. 

If you can walk nine or 18 with a group, do it. You’ll learn more about their values, and they’ll gain a deeper appreciation for what you do. One member might care about turf science; another wants to know how maintenance impacts their pace of play. Customize your narrative.

Make education a core theme

Today’s members don’t want to be lectured. They want to feel informed and involved. The good news? You can do it without writing essays.

No one wants to read a novel. A 90-second clip on why you’re sanding greens or closing the range resonates far more than a long-winded email. Use your smartphone. Done is better than perfect.

At this stage in golf course maintenance history, you can predict the normal seasonal talking points —spring greens recovery, summer stress, winter projects—and chip away at them over time.

Lead with why. “We’re aerating” is information. “We’re aerating to protect the rootzone and preserve firm greens into summer” is education.

Leverage club communication platforms. Post to the app, embed in newsletters, upload to the member portal. Make it easy to consume.

Leveraging your green committee

Lastly, a well-managed green committee isn’t a threat—it’s an asset. But that only happens with a strategy. These meetings are high-leverage moments to showcase your bench strength, distribute ownership and position your team as a united, capable leadership unit.

Over the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe how green committees function at a wide range of clubs across the country. While the formats, personalities and outcomes vary, one club has stood out consistently for its intentional and effective approach: The Ford Field and River Club, located just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

At Ford, the green committee doesn’t operate as a passive group that simply listens to reports and rubber-stamps decisions. Instead, they’ve created a dynamic, high-functioning model rooted in proactive engagement, shared purpose and education. Their monthly committee meetings go beyond status updates. They are structured touchpoints for collaboration that include formal sit-downs, course walkthroughs and deep dives into key data sets—weather patterns, labor metrics, soil moisture readings, project timelines and playability trends.

These gatherings serve as much as a learning hub as they do a governance function. The superintendent is not only expected to present facts – they are empowered to lead the conversation, provide education and reinforce the "why" behind agronomic decisions. There’s a healthy expectation for committee members to come prepared, ask informed questions and understand the broader context of course management.

This approach fosters alignment, trust and long-term thinking. It also raises the bar for what it means to serve on a green committee: it’s no longer a vanity seat or a forum for personal opinions. It’s now a space for stewardship, collaboration and shared accountability.

Assigning roles to your assistant superintendent or equipment manager during committee or leadership meetings is more than just a gesture—it's a strategic move to build their exposure, develop their confidence, and reinforce their credibility in the eyes of decision-makers.

It’s disappointing—and frankly short-sighted—that many superintendents still choose to fly solo in these critical conversations. When assistants or key staff are left on the sidelines, it reinforces the perception that the operation hinges on one individual. That’s a liability waiting for disaster.

Give your senior team members a voice in the room. Let them present project updates, discuss equipment needs or walk through maintenance strategies. Not only does this deepen their understanding and accountability, but it sends a clear message to club leadership: you’re building an organization, not just running a department.

Follow each meeting with a written summary of what was discussed and what’s next. This prevents “he said, she said” narratives. You don’t have to agree with every opinion, but welcoming diverse views earns buy-in and often helps you see around corners.

In today’s golf environment, your ability to lead isn’t just defined by how you grow grass—it’s how you grow trust. Communicate clearly, often, and with purpose. Control the story, or someone else will write it for you.

Tyler Bloom is a workforce and leadership consultant and principal owner of Bloom Golf Partners. He previously worked more than 15 years in the golf industry, most recently as golf course superintendent at Sparrows Point Country Club in Baltimore.