OT. Interview for a new super: second round.

[Tommy Williamsen]

We are beginning the process of hiring a new superintendent. What are some questions you think are good to ask. We have the interpersonal and and personnel questions covered. What are some maintenance questions that are helpful to ask candidates? What kinds of things would a candidate like to know?
Sorry to be off topic.

[Pat Burke]

Go to the course where candidates worked, and look at the conditions, work area, etc.


Does your course have a clear, concise plan or goal moving forward.
Assuming it does, what are his/her thoughts and plans to reach those goals.


I’ve been involved with a couple different course that changed superintendents and the entire path going forward changed.  Bent greens became infested with poa, playing conditions went from reasonable lean and firm to higher fertilization and “greening up”


What kind of budget and staff has the candidate(s) been accustomed to?

[David_Tepper]

Tommy W.-

At the risk of stating the obvious, I think the committee interviewing any candidate should express a clear vision of how they would like to see the course maintained and presented.
I would hope that any (or at least most) supers can manage a course according to the wishes of the club, whether it be firm & fast or green & lush.

The important thing would be to make sure both parties are on the same page going forward.

DT

[Thomas Dai]

If the current incumbent is 'on-side' and leaving on good terms ask him/her for a list of questions to ask his/her potential replacement or things to check on a site visit to the candidates current course/facility. Poachers and gamekeepers and all that!
atb

[JMEvensky]

"How do you like the golf course to play--as a golfer,not as a Superintendent?"

[Tommy Williamsen]

Go to the course where candidates worked, and look at the conditions, work area, etc.


Does your course have a clear, concise plan or goal moving forward.
Assuming it does, what are his/her thoughts and plans to reach those goals.

What kind of budget and staff has the candidate(s) been accustomed to?

Tommy W.-At the risk of stating the obvious, I think the committee interviewing any candidate should express a clear vision of how they would like to see the course maintained and presented.I would hope that any (or at least most) supers can manage a course according to the wishes of the club, whether it be firm & fast or green & lush. The important thing would be to make sure both parties are on the same page going forward.

As a matter of fact, we don't have concise agronomic plan. It is pretty obvious but we had our last super so long we let him determine playing conditions. I do know we need a plan for drainage. The last super did not attach enough importance to it[/size].

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Tommy,


Review this, it's a "Golf Course Quality Standards and Objectives" document from Huntingdon Valley.  I think every course should have one of these tailored to their budget of course:


http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/feature-interview-with-scott-anderson-part-i-august-2005/feature-interview-with-scott-anderson-part-ii-september-2005/


Once you have a standards document, a lot of your interview questions will flow off of that.


Approximately where are you located geographically?  If I were in charge of your search I would contact some of the superintendents in the area or a similar climate and see if they have anyone they would recommend.  Like a 1st assistant ready to make the jump to head man.  A lot of superintendents actually want their assistants to move on to head positions and want to help younger guys in their career progression.

[Kalen Braley]

I'd gather up the worst, most pain in the ass members of the club and lock em in a room with the candidate for an hour or so.


If they still want to the job after that, that's a huge check mark in thier favor.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Very helpful guys. Thanks

[Thomas Dai]

I'd gather up the worst, most pain in the ass members of the club and lock em in a room with the candidate for an hour or so.
If they still want to the job after that, that's a huge check mark in thier favor.

Then let the candidate out but quickly lock the door again before the pain in the ass members can escape!
Atb

[Wade Whitehead]

If the interview is on site, I'd go out onto the golf course with the candidate.  Let him or her talk about some ideas and respond to others.

Ideally, the candidate could have an hour or so to drive unaccompanied on the course, then come to the interview with a few suggestions for immediate, mid-term, and long-range improvements.

WW

[Anthony_Nysse]

  Make sure to interview candidates that come from a course of similar level or slightly above. Nothing positive comes from a hiring someone who is used to a budget that is 100s of 1000s of dollars more, annually.
  Look at candidates that are truly "hungry" that don't just look at the position as a job, someone that has a level of passion and understanding that the course is the MEMBERS course.

[Mike_Young]

Tony is right above.   I was at a prominent course a few weeks ago and they are in the process of searching and in doing so are looking at some guys who have been at similar top clubs.   Meanwhile, the guy who has been the asst supt for years has been in charge and the statement was made of how much better the place looked.  I basically stated " it seems to me you may have your guy right here. "  Often that is the case but the board or the manager may think he has to cover his ass by going to some other big club.  Nope...a smart hungry young guy will work. 

As for questions...I would ask how many assistants he needed  and how they would work, and then I would ask to see him walk a straight line with a walking mower.  And my final question would be what kind of product does he use on his hair when he attends the national meeting?  How he answers the last question would be my biggest determining factor assuming he was able to mow a straight line.

[Don Mahaffey]

If the interview is on site, I'd go out onto the golf course with the candidate.  Let him or her talk about some ideas and respond to others.

Ideally, the candidate could have an hour or so to drive unaccompanied on the course, then come to the interview with a few suggestions for immediate, mid-term, and long-range improvements.

WW

I would actually be concerned if a candidate spent an hour on the course and came back with that many suggestions.   I just don’t think it’s that easy to have all the answers right off the bat like that.
Check references, all of them.  I’m amazed at how many course don’t do in-depth background checks.
Interview questions I like don’t have right answers, just allow the candidate to share what he/she likes about the game and golf course.


What’s the best golf course you’ve ever played- explain why it’s your favorite.
What’s the best golf turf you’ve ever seen in person? Why was it the best?
Favorite architects? Why?
Describe your mentors.


I’d want some passionate about the game, golf courses, AND golfers.  It’s not hard to find someone who knows grass. Find someone who know Golf turf and loves the game.

[mike_malone]

Don,


 You stole my question I asked our candidates. What is your favorite course?


I don’t think amateurs can learn much by answers about conditioning or practices because we are clueless.


Having candidates answer in written form the same  “Work” questions helps.

[Joe Hancock]

Also ask if the candidates if there’s anything the members could ask for that he/ she couldn’t provide.....if the answer isn’t yes, move on....You’re best off with someone commited to their own philosophies of what a great golf course is, which leads back to Don’s post.....

[Tommy Williamsen]

  Nope...a smart hungry young guy will work. 

We are thinking the same thing. The resort at which I live can only function because of skiing. Golf loses $200,000 a year. We need a guy willing to get on a mower if needed.

[Anthony_Nysse]

  Nope...a smart hungry young guy will work. 

We are thinking the same thing. The resort at which I live can only function because of skiing. Golf loses $200,000 a year. We need a guy willing to get on a mower if needed.

Look for some dirt under their nails and callus' on their hands.

[Jonathan Mallard]

  Nope...a smart hungry young guy will work. 

We are thinking the same thing. The resort at which I live can only function because of skiing. Golf loses $200,000 a year. We need a guy willing to get on a mower if needed.

Likewise, you may want to be prepared to answer questions from your perspective candidates...


Such as:


"I've done some research and noted that this golf course loses money every year. Why do I want to move here to take this job with such an uncertain future given the number of courses that have closed of late?"

[Stephen Britton]

Name the last 3 golf course architecture books you've read and why.


It's sad but true, there's a good number of Superintendents out there who don't play the game, and have made architectural changes to courses in-house, usually in the form of mowing lines, tree planting & bunker work, without fully understanding the design intent of the holes.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Name the last 3 golf course architecture books you've read and why.


It's sad but true, there's a good number of Superintendents out there who don't play the game, and have made architectural changes to courses in-house, usually in the form of mowing lines, tree planting & bunker work, without fully understanding the design intent of the holes.

Well said.

[RDecker]

If at all possible ask the super candidates to play the course, I've always found that the course always looks and feels different if you ride/walk around versus experiencing it the way the golfer does.  If possible have them avoid playing with a member that would potentially influence the round with their opinions or agenda.

[Tommy Williamsen]

So, we have three candidates coming for a second interview. Three different ages (30, 40, 50) and experience. All three want to come for various and different reasons. All three have driven the course with me and the GM so they know the problems on the course, which are many.


Any second round questions we should ask? We covered most of the questions that were suggested.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Go to the course where candidates worked, and look at the conditions, work area, etc.


Does your course have a clear, concise plan or goal moving forward.
Assuming it does, what are his/her thoughts and plans to reach those goals.


I’ve been involved with a couple different course that changed superintendents and the entire path going forward changed.  Bent greens became infested with poa, playing conditions went from reasonable lean and firm to higher fertilization and “greening up”


What kind of budget and staff has the candidate(s) been accustomed to?

[Kalen Braley]

Tough one Tommy,

The younger guy may want to "prove" himself more and have the energy to work longer days at the course.

But then again the older guy may have all the wisdom and do twice as much with half the effort...

If they're all equally qualified, I'd go with some of the intangible kind of questions to determine which one is the best fit for the club culture..