Conforti: I have had the privilege of being at the helm of Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club since the fall of 2023. It is a full-service club in the heart of Silicon Valley, with an 18-hole golf course, practice tee, three short game practice areas, racquets, aquatics, wellness, spa, youth center and ballroom for both member events and non-member functions. The clientele is a who's who of the tech industry and there are several other high-end clubs in our vicinity, so we need to be on-point every day to not only meet the expectations of our current members and future ones but also to keep pace with the service and presentation levels of regional clubs.
In my role, no two days are quite the same. The scope of my position is such that I lean heavily upon department heads and their staff. The footprint alone of the facility dictates that they be given much leeway in the day-to-day running of their respective operations. In a nutshell, I see my role as a leader, motivator, thought partner, coach, a champion of their initiatives and efforts and a go-to for any issues that require my attention.
While I strive to be as visible and energetic as possible for staff, I strive for the same with the membership across departments - from playing in casual member events, touching tables during dining service, being on the sidelines at home and away swim team meets and cutting a rug or dressing thematically for member social events. Arguably, the biggest thing I strive for with members is transparency. I communicate often through e-mails, push notifications, surveys and through monthly gatherings I call Inside the Ropes to provide first-hand updates of operational initiatives and results. From there, I take the extra step of sending a report to the entire membership as a summation of items discussed.
Conforti: My first career was that of a diplomat. After I graduated from Virginia Military Institute, I was a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State and served 2-year tours in Bolivia and Barbados. I started golfing when I was 11, and as much as I enjoyed the Foreign Service, I was so passionate about golf that I decided to pursue a career in hospitality, and that came in 1998 when I started working in outside services at TPC of Tampa Bay.
I’ve been fortunate to have a few mentors in the business; top of mind is Steve Nile, who has since retired but whom I befriended when he was Director of Golf at Sandy Lane in Barbados. He gave me my first opportunity at TPC and was instrumental in helping me get my first head pro gig with Troon at the Copperhead Golf Course at Innisbrook.
I would be remiss in not mentioning Mitch Harrell as well, who just retired after a 25-year run in various senior corporate executive positions with Troon. I worked for him at some Troon facilities, and he’s one of the best humans I've ever known. Come to think of it, with my mentors retiring, I must be getting long in the tooth myself!
Conforti: I take the entire calendar year to observe the operation, ideate, gather best practices from other facilities, network and attend the PGA Merchandise Show and CMAA World Conference to not just inform what should be, but what CAN be. It’s the latter that motivates me; that is, while the team is doing a very good job already, what can we reach for? How do we get incrementally better? What ideas and best practices have we seen that inspire further ideas and help us push the envelope from a service and presentation standpoint? I take that rough formula, input from department heads as to what they would like to accomplish, input from the Board of Directors on things they would like to see and craft all of this into annual goals for both myself and the team.
Conforti: The things that come immediately to mind is the stunning growth and popularity of golf, the increasing role of technology in golf and the club industry (simulators, improved mobile app platforms such as Pacesetter, software for pin placements such as EZLocator), the pickleball explosion, the ongoing difficulty - at least in my region - of finding and retaining good staff and the continued zest in the private club sector to invest capitally in large projects.
Conforti: I’m like a sponge when it comes to listening and learning; these principles enable me to best contribute to the operation, to my staff’s growth and to the Association at large. The number of ideas, best practices and initiatives in the industry seems innumerable, so I try to position myself to learn as much as possible. If I am to learn, then participation is critical, and this starts with networking. From there, the best opportunities to participate and network are attending educational sessions, Section and Chapter meetings and national shows and conferences.
I marvel that the PGA Show continues to improve with each passing year. The education has improved exponentially over the past several years, the Show floor continues to expand and there are growing opportunities on the expo floor and through education for topics that aren't only golf-centric, but also relate to HR, communication, coaching, career advancement and more. Interestingly, it was a mix of learning, networking and participating that helped me attain a spot on the National Employment Committee - it is a special opportunity to give back to the Association and helps me learn and grow even more as a golf professional, specifically, and as a club professional in general.
Conforti: Fortitude and passion are key. If just starting, it can seem a long journey to become a general manager, but if you’re passionate about the game and enjoy being in the service of others, then the journey is full of joy, discovery, wonder and accomplishment. My 25 years in hospitality have flown by, primarily due to my passion for the game and for service; from there, being part of a team - and now ultimately being responsible for a team - is the cherry on top.
The PGA is in a very healthy place, and we are part of the greatest sports association in the world - education, career opportunities and playing opportunities just skim the surface of what the Association does for all of us. It is important to leverage how the Association can support your career path, starting with connecting with your Career Consultant and fully understanding how Career Services and ExecuSearch can help further your professional goals.
I’m inspired that the PGA has chosen executive management as one of their three career tracks for those who wish to pursue career goals beyond a lead golf professional or lead teaching professional. There has been a growing trend in all categories of facilities of preferring a PGA of America Golf Professional as their GM over, say, a CCM or non-certified club manager. While we PGA of America Golf Professionals know that golf is the showpiece of any club, it is refreshing that more boards of directors, corporate golf offices and individual facility owners recognize such and the importance of having as much oversight as possible on that aspect of a club operation. The key is not to pigeon-hole yourself into being a “golf person” at a full-service club. Your golf operations acumen will get you in the door, but your well-rounded abilities across departments, starting with F&B, and your ability to lead effectively will keep you in the good graces of the board, the corporate office or an owner for the long term.
David Conforti is the PGA of America General Manager at Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club in Palo Alto, California.