Teen thinking

Golf course maintenance is a quality employment opportunity. As a teen who knows a little about the industry, I decided to investigate further. Why aren’t more teens working these jobs? I wanted to determine what teens like, dislike, or simply don’t know about working a job on the course. By reviewing ads and talking with my peers, including two high school golfers who have worked course maintenance, I learned more.

One of my classmates, Charlie DeCapua, has worked a part-time job in golf course maintenance. DeCapua is a varsity golfer at our school, was a top recruit, and will play in college. His passion for golf contributes to his positive experience in this field. “Being in my element all day and getting paid for it makes the work enjoyable,” he says.

Teen golfers may be drawn to a job on the course because as golfers themselves, they have an enhanced understanding of how important their work is. “Having an impact on other golfers’ games made me want to do my job as well as it could be done,” DeCapua says.

Another fellow student, Mark Pillar, who placed fourth at the Ohio state tournament last season, worked limited hours on a course so he could focus on practice and competition. DeCapua and Pillar are both multi-sport athletes. Athletes are disciplined, fit, punctual and accountable – all ideal characteristics for a worker.

This proves to be a double-edged sword as committed athletes may prioritize sports over summer work. Teenage golfers may be the best candidates for working in course maintenance but flexible schedules, particularly as the high school fall sports season nears, are necessary.

I chose some peers for a dedicated discussion (yes, snacks were involved!) because we worked hiking trail maintenance together last summer. Our common experience included long workdays, seasonal conditions and labor-intense tasks that parallel some of the work found on a golf course. None of them had much experience with golf besides occasionally playing for fun.

The group’s initial opinions reflected conventional impressions of the golf course industry, intoning that golf course work included a lot of mowing and managing golf carts. The group also mentioned that pesticides, deforestation and water requirements had negative environmental impacts. There are many prevalent negative stereotypes and perceptions about golf, even within the thoughtful, outdoorsy group of people I selected for my study. These negative stereotypes make hiring difficult.

Everyone in the group was surprised to learn of the potential environmental benefits provided by golf courses. Golf courses can prevent industrial development; help filter polluted water; can serve as sanctuaries for butterflies, raptors and wildlife; and provide a recreational green space where people can improve their health.

Most people in the group were keen on continuing to work outdoors. Chloe Firrell indicated that completing tasks at an outdoor job is rewarding. “I like seeing a physical representation of your progress while you’re working,” she says. “I like going home feeling like I have done something.”

Another talking point was the early hours golf course maintenance requires. Everyone in the group liked the idea of watching the sunrise every day and breathing that crisp morning air. Many individuals also liked the idea of getting a day’s work completed by early afternoon.

They also felt that the early start time would lead to being tired for the rest of the day. Someone mentioned that having the whole day on a different schedule than everyone else’s would make it more challenging to spend time with friends over the summer. This argument can be mitigated by encouraging interested teens to recommend the job to their friends. 

Wages were the most significant factor considered by the group. Most people felt that the high wages of golf course work made the early hours and work worth it. We reviewed three hiring advertisements from golf courses in northeast Ohio. Job A consisted of a flexible schedule, four-hour shift option and wage of $15 to $17 per hour. Job B consisted of a less flexible schedule, but higher earning potential with a wage of $12 to $20 per hour. Job C consisted of a full-time position paying $20 to $28 per hour but with a less detailed job description.

Job A, with the most flexible schedule, had the most support. People were willing to sacrifice on pay in exchange for more flexible part-time hours. The group liked that Job A guaranteed pay of at least $15 per hour, preferring this to Job B with a lower starting pay ($12 per hour) even though the potential was more ($20 per hour). Would their experience working outside be enough to warrant higher pay?

Comparing Job A to Job C, individuals still supported job A on the basis of its flexible hours. Even though Job C had a much higher guaranteed starting pay and the potential to pay 186 percent as much as Job A, the group was definitively less interested in full-time work.

Teens are willing to sacrifice on pay in exchange for more flexible hours, even if work starts before sunrise. For summer employment, these teens also seem to prefer jobs with a guaranteed starting pay of around $15 an hour, even if such a job has less future earning potential when compared to others.

Additionally, people agreed that 20 minutes was the longest they would want to drive for their commute to work on a golf course. When discussing that many course maintenance teams included multiple generations, the group was indifferent to this. No one viewed working with retirees or people from a wide age range as a drawback. Everyone was willing to use power tools and learn to use new machines and technology to do the job well.

After some discussion, there was generally a positive reception to the golf course industry. Teens are willing to work maintenance jobs, but the negative stereotypes need to be overcome so they can understand, earn and enjoy the benefits.