A standout GM understands that each team member contributes to the club's overall success regardless of his or her role. They foster a culture of open communication and mutual respect, encouraging staff to voice their ideas and concerns. This inclusive approach ensures all team members feel valued and motivated, enhancing productivity and morale.
In talking recently with PGA General Manager Ryan Lanzen, who leads the way at Pinetop Country Club in the Southwest PGA Section, we got a glimpse of what a great leader looks like and what he does to create a great team.
Ryan Lanzen has been playing golf since he was very young. He would go to the golf course with his father, who still has a single-digit handicap at 70 years old.
After playing golf in high school and winning a Nebraska State Championship, Lanzen played golf at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
"After graduating college with a business degree with an emphasis in finance and playing four years of golf, I tried to play professionally,” Lanzen explains. “I moved to Las Vegas, turned pro and spent time playing on the Gateway Tour, Butch Harmon Vegas Tour and Dakotas Tour, to name a few, in addition to some PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour-sanctioned events, as well as various State Opens and Pro-Ams. While attempting to make a career playing professionally, I got a job working in Guest Services at The Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada where I would work when I wasn't traveling and playing."
When Lanzen decided he was done playing, he realized he loved coming to the golf course to work every day.
"At that point, I moved into the golf shop as an assistant golf professional and shortly after began working towards my PGA membership, completing the PGM Program in 2011."
In November, Lanzen will start his 21st year with Troon, working at seven different facilities during that time.
"Like many PGA Members, I found my way to the business of golf via my love for playing the game of golf, especially competitively,” Lanzen says. “When time permits, I still love to get out and get the competitive juices flowing. I love testing myself under the unique pressures of competing in a tournament."
Pinetop Country Club is an 18-hole equity-owned private club in the White Mountains of Northeast Arizona. A summer getaway for those looking to escape the triple-digit heat of Phoenix and Tucson in the summer, the club boasts an outstanding 18-hole championship, par 71 golf course designed by Milt Coggins, Sr.
In addition, the club offers practice facilities that include a well-maintained practice tee, a newly remodeled putting green and a freshly constructed short game facility. There are multiple active men's and ladies' groups, tournaments for friendly member competition and fun and unique golf experiences throughout the season. Pinetop offers all types of instruction for members, including junior clinics throughout the summer.
The club boasts four pickleball courts, a tennis court, a well-stocked golf shop with the latest in fashion and technology, a full-service restaurant with an active social event calendar and its newest addition, Annie's Perch. This fast-casual outdoor eatery sits on the hill behind the 9th and 18th greens and serves as a "snack bar" when turning from the 9th green to the 10th tee.
"I believe our team environment is driven by our employee culture at the club,” Lanzen states. “As a team, our common goal is to continue pushing our membership experience to higher satisfaction levels. I have a philosophy that I impress upon our team that we hire for personality and teaching skills. We want to hire the people that fit the team, and then we work hard to train and teach them the skills they’ll need to be successful. We invest in our team and work hard to figure out how we can make their employment at Pinetop help them get where they want to go. Ultimately, we are fortunate to have many wonderful, personable, friendly team members with the skills necessary to continue pushing the member experience forward."
He continued, “As a management team, we work hard to be in the trenches with the rest of the team. I am a big believer in managing by walking around, meaning we are there with the staff, shoulder to shoulder, working for the common goal of exceeding member expectations and driving the membership experience to new heights. As the club's general manager, my job is to make sure the team - front-line staff and department managers - have the support and tools needed to succeed. If they don't have what they need to be successful, I'm not doing my job, which is to foster and support their success. When all these items come together, we get high approval scores in our Employee Engagement Survey and a high NPS from the membership.
Lanzen says that all staff members are vital, filling different roles within the team. He manages from the mindset that he won’t ask anyone to do anything that he’s unwilling to do.
“Throughout the club and team, we all have roles and responsibilities,” he adds, “but ultimately, if something needs to be done, it's our responsibility to ensure it gets done. I make the budget, review financials and report to the Board of Directors of the club. But, I’ll also help in the kitchen if needed, plate a wine dinner or bus tables.”
He'll vacuum and take out the trash but says he is fortunate to have a staff full of other like-minded individuals who operate in the same manner. As a result, he operates under the 10-foot rule. If it's within 10 feet of you and needs to be done, it's your responsibility to do it.
“This philosophy creates a great team environment in which we all support each other,” he concludes. “Through that, we support the membership and can exceed their expectations.”