I recently wrote a story with a PGA Professional in the Southern Ohio PGA Section who detailed the benefits of building a new learning center on the practice range at his facility, a private club. In addition to the added revenue seen in F&B due to members booking tee times to use the Trackman simulator (and the camaraderie developed through that engagement), the PGA Professional-owned golf shop has seen a boost in hard goods sales thanks to the many custom club fittings that he and his golf operations team have been conducting.
He also cited a very important long-term benefit - added value to the members. After all, they used to shut it down come winter at this Ohio golf club, but now serve members year-round, teaching, fitting, engaging and developing relationships. They’re retaining members and consistently adding to their membership roster. They’ve also been able to keep the club’s staff on board all year long, leading to more reliable employees and a happier team.
The conversation I had with him got me thinking about other ways our fellow PGA of America Golf Professionals are serving their members and satisfying their employees to keep both groups at the facility. It’s very often about the environment and atmosphere created that make a workplace worth staying at and a country club one that members want to enjoy often.
How are you keeping your members happy in their recreation and your employees satisfied in their work? Are you implementing new programs or proposing new projects with this idea in mind? Is work/life balance a perk at your facility? From chatting with many PGA GMs and industry leaders, it seems it should be - your employees are thinking about it.
Derrick Dixon is the PGA of America General Manager at Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas, a private facility with 300 members locally and 2,300 total members as part of the Dormie Network. Dixon recently earned the Bill Strausbaugh Award in the Southern Texas PGA Section, which put together a fantastic video that documented the sentiments of his colleagues in the section, members at his club and individuals on his staff.
Michael Frost, the PGA of America Head Golf Professional at Briggs Ranch says, “Sometimes at clubs, you feel separated from F&B and golf and the different departments - Derrick brings us all together and lets us all work as one unit. It enhances the member experience.”
Another colleague at the club says Dixon walks in with a smile every day and says hello to every single employee, making them feel valued, welcome and excited to come to work. She says Derrick respects his employees.
Another colleague highlighted the sense of teamwork Dixon brings to the club every day. He enables his staff to enjoy what they do while keeping the big picture of excellent service foremost in their minds.
Dixon gets involved in all aspects of the club to endear himself to his staff. “Engagement is one of the biggest components of leadership,” he says. “Personally, no matter what kind of day I’m having before work, I leave that at my car and make sure the smile is on when I walk onto the property. I have a genuine care for our team and they can feel it.” Dixon sets high standards and ensures he is away from his desk to help his employees attain their goals. He creates growth opportunities that all employees desire as they seek advancement in their careers.
He’ll play golf with members and socialize with them in the clubhouse, creating a hospitality experience with every encounter.
Even at semi-private facilities, going the extra mile for members and staff is vital for success - but at these clubs, it’s important to consider your public golfers as well. Jay Larscheid, the PGA of America General Manager at Apache Wells Country Club in Mesa, Arizona is a Past President of the Southwest PGA Section. He knows all about serving others. Now in his fourth year in the GM role at Apache Wells, Larscheid oversees 50 employees during the peak golf season and a slightly smaller crew of 35 during the summer.
“From November to April, we’re as close to private as you can get,” Larscheid says. “We have member shotguns every day during the winter and member events all the time. In fact, we always say playfully that if you’re bored at Apache Wells, it’s your own fault.”
This extensive engagement helps endear Larscheid and his team to their members as they see each other a lot and create great memories together. The brisk event schedule ensures that his team has hours to work, and as such, they know they’re going to be busy but still fulfilled in their work.
“We prepare our staff to manage an experience for our members,” Larscheid explains. “Our members are mostly retired and have chosen to spend this time in their lives with us at Apache Wells. We make sure their beer is cold and their burger is good. We interact with the membership, and that responsibility is placed upon every member of our staff.”
Larscheid takes pride in leading by example by tending bar, waiting tables or jumping in wherever needed. He cross-trains his staff to be able to help in any area but makes sure they have their time away from the facility as well. His management team engages with their employees every day and wear several hats in their responsibilities. He says it’s important for everyone to understand the job responsibilities and duties of their peers at the club.
Not far away from Mesa, Jesse Mueller is the PGA of America General Manager at Grand Canyon University Golf Course, a public facility in Phoenix, Arizona, and according to Larscheid very hands-on in his operation. Fortunately, Mueller was already on my agenda to call for this piece. Fresh from participating in the PGA of America’s defeat of Great Britain & Ireland in this year’s PGA Cup, Mueller strives to present a great public golf experience for his customers.
Mueller says they do about 58,000 rounds per year with 70 employees - half of them being GCU students. They look for students with positive attitudes and good work ethic.
With staffing being a concern since the pandemic, GMs must be careful to create a welcoming, growth-oriented culture that helps retain team members.
“I treat everyone at our course like I want to be treated,” Mueller says. “I expect everyone to work hard and take pride in their work, but I understand that family is important. I want them to have time to spend with their families.”
He gives all team members two days off in a row each week with one of those days being a weekend day. He says they’ll be fresher when they come to work and happier when they’re on the job. He doesn’t want anyone working 50+ hours per week.
“It’s important to create a hierarchy where each department has a strong leader and everyone knows what their defined role is and who to report to,” he explains.
To ensure his employees feel valued and appreciated, Mueller follows the university’s employee performance review procedures to keep his staff members abreast of their current performance evaluations and areas of improvement.
Whether you’re running a private club, a semi-private facility or a public golf course, it’s important to create a stellar customer experience, as well as a welcoming and comfortable work environment for your employees. When one group is happy, the other will be as well, and they’ll all have your leadership to cite for such success.