Staff recruitment for golf courses maintenance crews

[Thomas Dai]

Seems like it’s getting harder to recruit staff to work on golf course maintenance crews.
Is this a fair statement? If so is it country dependent?
Just curious.
Atb

[Ken Moum]

A record 4.3 million Americans quit their job in August.


And there isn't an industry I know of where the labor supply equals the need.

[Tommy Williamsen]

At the resort where I live in western Virginia, we are having difficulty finding folks to work on the golf course, in the restaurant, in the bike park, etc. We are having volunteers staff the fairway mowers at times.


On the other hand when I was interviewing for the superintendent job we had more appilations than we could handle.

[Bernie Bell]

Based on my reading, the post-War architects faced a situation somewhat similar to today.  Heavy play and a shortage of workers.  Consequently, some trade journals encouraged them to design to minimize hand labor to the greatest extent.  Whether they did so, others can judge better than I.  But my hypothesis is that this contributes to some of the characteristics of courses of that era.  There was some emphasis on streamlining maintenance by using the best machinery available and finding fewer but perhaps better trained and higher paid workers capable of operating it.  I think the focus was on playability and the lack of ornamentation was a conscious decision.  Maybe there's something to learn there. 

[Jerry Kluger]

Problem is that with the shortage of workers those that you can hire are costing more so what happens to your current employees - many employers don't want to give across the board raises but that is what is necessary.  Fact is that golf is booming and courses are getting more revenue than ever yet they aren't of the mind to share the wealth.  In other instances they have to use that revenue increase to support other parts of the operation which aren't doing so well such as banquets, etc.

[John Emerson]

While a overall shortage is definitely true, the real issue is shortage of quality labor, and/or money to pay them accordingly.

[Mike_Trenham]

Tyler Bloom is a GCSAA member building a practice advising clubs on how to better recruit and retain staff/labor level employees.


He has a lot of creative ideas.  If in need check him out.


https://tylerbloom.online/tyler-bloom

[Tom Bacsanyi]

I'm not sure why this is so surprising. The job requires hard working, dependable, passionate, adaptable people willing to get up well before the butt crack of dawn 5-7 days a week definitely inclusive of weekends in all weather conditions. It is also unlikely that you will be year-round, which makes it unlikely that you'll receive full benefits. The pay, while pitifully low before and immediately after the GFC, has increased rapidly this decade, but only to "halfway respectable." Fact is, the job at the experienced level is every bit as nuanced and challenging as other skilled trades (plumbing, carpentry, electrical), but the pay still lags those careers. It is on par with fast food worker, I know this because we've lost decent people to Wendy's FFS. Greenkeeping tends to be lumped in with other landscape trades (one of the lowest paid industries) when it comes to compensation analysis, when it really needs to be off on its own.


It is certainly true that there is no shortage of applicants for head superintendent jobs. The problem there is, a lot of these guys end up being the superintendent plus the spray tech plus the mechanic, plus the irrigation tech. At a very high-end place those would all be separate positions. Meanwhile, the shortage of assistants is acute, and when those guys get hired, they end up doing far less leadership related tasks because they become the mechanic/spray tech/irrigation tech etc. So those in leadership get spread very thin, because the likelihood of walking into a situation where all those tech positions are filled is remote. So while salaries for superintendents look pretty decent, it's a decent salary for about double the work that would be reasonable. This also causes training and development to be lax, as the superintendent and his assistant(s) are often bogged down with daily labor tasks instead of training/mentoring junior crew members. Still it's a career where those who make it to the head spot will have a "get 'er done, whatever it takes" mentality, so the system sustains itself...for now. Meanwhile, the guys I know that have left the industry have never looked healthier.


But by far the hardest position to fill on the golf course is that of mechanic or equipment manager. Specifically a guy who's a good wrench who also gives a shit about quality and height of cut. We have not had a good one in 3-4 seasons now with no end in sight.

[Brian Marion]

Very difficult and agree, mechanic/tech is proving to be the hardest to fill.


We’ve seen that “ just pay more” isn’t the solution either.

[Thomas Dai]

I'm not sure why this is so surprising. The job requires hard working, dependable, passionate, adaptable people willing to get up well before the butt crack of dawn 5-7 days a week definitely inclusive of weekends in all weather conditions. It is also unlikely that you will be year-round, which makes it unlikely that you'll receive full benefits. The pay, while pitifully low before and immediately after the GFC, has increased rapidly this decade, but only to "halfway respectable." Fact is, the job at the experienced level is every bit as nuanced and challenging as other skilled trades (plumbing, carpentry, electrical), but the pay still lags those careers. It is on par with fast food worker, I know this because we've lost decent people to Wendy's FFS. Greenkeeping tends to be lumped in with other landscape trades (one of the lowest paid industries) when it comes to compensation analysis, when it really needs to be off on its own.
It is certainly true that there is no shortage of applicants for head superintendent jobs. The problem there is, a lot of these guys end up being the superintendent plus the spray tech plus the mechanic, plus the irrigation tech. At a very high-end place those would all be separate positions. Meanwhile, the shortage of assistants is acute, and when those guys get hired, they end up doing far less leadership related tasks because they become the mechanic/spray tech/irrigation tech etc. So those in leadership get spread very thin, because the likelihood of walking into a situation where all those tech positions are filled is remote. So while salaries for superintendents look pretty decent, it's a decent salary for about double the work that would be reasonable. This also causes training and development to be lax, as the superintendent and his assistant(s) are often bogged down with daily labor tasks instead of training/mentoring junior crew members. Still it's a career where those who make it to the head spot will have a "get 'er done, whatever it takes" mentality, so the system sustains itself...for now. Meanwhile, the guys I know that have left the industry have never looked healthier.
But by far the hardest position to fill on the golf course is that of mechanic or equipment manager. Specifically a guy who's a good wrench who also gives a shit about quality and height of cut. We have not had a good one in 3-4 seasons now with no end in sight.

Thank you for this Tom. Very insightful.
When golfers moan about or just char about golf course conditioning it’s easy to forget that there are a multitude of factors involved and staffing is an extremely important one, indeed likely the most important element.
Atb

[Ian Mackenzie]

Sounds like the same issue that the restaurant and hospitality sectors are facing.
[/size]Sure, on a crew of 10-20, there are skilled jobs like mechanic, etc.
[/size]
[/size]But, arent the majority of them low-wage, low-skill "landscape-like" jobs that are - dare I say - regularly filled by "seasonal workers" that are, for the most part, Hispanic?
[/size]
[/size]Not going to open up that box of topics on a Thursday am...;-)...

[John Emerson]

I'm not sure why this is so surprising. The job requires hard working, dependable, passionate, adaptable people willing to get up well before the butt crack of dawn 5-7 days a week definitely inclusive of weekends in all weather conditions. It is also unlikely that you will be year-round, which makes it unlikely that you'll receive full benefits. The pay, while pitifully low before and immediately after the GFC, has increased rapidly this decade, but only to "halfway respectable." Fact is, the job at the experienced level is every bit as nuanced and challenging as other skilled trades (plumbing, carpentry, electrical), but the pay still lags those careers. It is on par with fast food worker, I know this because we've lost decent people to Wendy's FFS. Greenkeeping tends to be lumped in with other landscape trades (one of the lowest paid industries) when it comes to compensation analysis, when it really needs to be off on its own.


It is certainly true that there is no shortage of applicants for head superintendent jobs. The problem there is, a lot of these guys end up being the superintendent plus the spray tech plus the mechanic, plus the irrigation tech. At a very high-end place those would all be separate positions. Meanwhile, the shortage of assistants is acute, and when those guys get hired, they end up doing far less leadership related tasks because they become the mechanic/spray tech/irrigation tech etc. So those in leadership get spread very thin, because the likelihood of walking into a situation where all those tech positions are filled is remote. So while salaries for superintendents look pretty decent, it's a decent salary for about double the work that would be reasonable. This also causes training and development to be lax, as the superintendent and his assistant(s) are often bogged down with daily labor tasks instead of training/mentoring junior crew members. Still it's a career where those who make it to the head spot will have a "get 'er done, whatever it takes" mentality, so the system sustains itself...for now. Meanwhile, the guys I know that have left the industry have never looked healthier.


But by far the hardest position to fill on the golf course is that of mechanic or equipment manager. Specifically a guy who's a good wrench who also gives a shit about quality and height of cut. We have not had a good one in 3-4 seasons now with no end in sight.

I am surprised, but also not surprised that now there are now mechanic head-hunters.  Good ones are invaluable and I’d argue they’re the most important piece of the puzzle.

[Rory Connaughton]

I second Mike's comments on Tyler Bloom.
He is extraordinarily knowledgeable and driven and is bringing real creativity to staffing and training.

[John Emerson]

I’ll share a little of how I used to recruit my seasonal help.  Seasonal for us was a couple high schoolers, couple college kids, and a couple retirees.  Retirees always seem to be home-runs on the crew, but many of them are not very versatile.  They are relegated to a couple jobs.  Mostly mowing, filling divots, and various task that are fairly benign on the physical labor end of the spectrum. They typically are very thorough at the jobs they can do and they show up on time. Retirees also will help with trainings.


High schoolers and college kids require tons of initial hands-on training which required me or my assistant to spend a lot of time away from other tasks.  It was a crap shoot as to what kind of work ethic the kids would have. I like to think I helped build some decent work ethic for those who had never worked a job like this before.  Some just don’t have it in them and never will.  It is tough as Tom mentioned.  Getting younger folks to get to school on time is difficult much less getting them up at 430am….and on weekends!  One thing I have noticed over the years is that reaching out to local HS athletic coaches has ALWAYS landed me a couple recruits.  The quality as I said is a crap shoot.  But, my experience is that if you find one or two who you would invite back the next year, they’ll bring a friend at some point.  The friend is almost always a grade or two below them so in essence a pipeline is formed.  The key is getting the right kid starting the pipeline. If that initial group of good workers learns quickly and does good work, it allowed me to let them train their friends or incoming peers.  Getting a good group of people who understand the importance of the work and the detail needed to produce a good product is difficult, but it can be done.





Before I left my last job I was in talks with the local penitentiary that allowed some inmates work release.  Talking with a couple guys who did this in the past with great success said those people are the best workers and are delighted to be there.


The end of the day quality guys deserve quality pay.  High end clubs can usually afford to pay somewhat decently.  The vast majority of clubs cannot, so the proverbial revolving door never stops.

[Daryl David]

I’ll share a little of how I used to recruit my seasonal help.  Seasonal for us was a couple high schoolers, couple college kids, and a couple retirees.  Retirees always seem to be home-runs on the crew, but many of them are not very versatile.  They are relegated to a couple jobs.  Mostly mowing, filling divots, and various task that are fairly benign on the physical labor end of the spectrum. They typically are very thorough at the jobs they can do and they show up on time. Retirees also will help with trainings.


High schoolers and college kids require tons of initial hands-on training which required me or my assistant to spend a lot of time away from other tasks.  It was a crap shoot as to what kind of work ethic the kids would have. I like to think I helped build some decent work ethic for those who had never worked a job like this before.  Some just don’t have it in them and never will.  It is tough as Tom mentioned.  Getting younger folks to get to school on time is difficult much less getting them up at 430am….and on weekends!  One thing I have noticed over the years is that reaching out to local HS athletic coaches has ALWAYS landed me a couple recruits.  The quality as I said is a crap shoot.  But, my experience is that if you find one or two who you would invite back the next year, they’ll bring a friend at some point.  The friend is almost always a grade or two below them so in essence a pipeline is formed.  The key is getting the right kid starting the pipeline. If that initial group of good workers learns quickly and does good work, it allowed me to let them train their friends or incoming peers.  Getting a good group of people who understand the importance of the work and the detail needed to produce a good product is difficult, but it can be done.





Before I left my last job I was in talks with the local penitentiary that allowed some inmates work release.  Talking with a couple guys who did this in the past with great success said those people are the best workers and are delighted to be there.


The end of the day quality guys deserve quality pay.  High end clubs can usually afford to pay somewhat decently.  The vast majority of clubs cannot, so the proverbial revolving door never stops.

This post has confirmed my feeling that we are doomed in the future if we are relying on retired baby boomers to show up for work. Actually “we” aren’t doomed as I will be dead by then so I guess I shouldn’t care. 

[Jeff Schley]

Could this niche be filled with a "Artisans" club as found in some of the UK clubs? Volunteering to do basic maintenance work on the course X # of hours a week for reduced fees when playing? They take pride in their course for sure.

[Steve Kline]

Sounds like the same issue that the restaurant and hospitality sectors are facing.
Sure, on a crew of 10-20, there are skilled jobs like mechanic, etc.

But, arent the majority of them low-wage, low-skill "landscape-like" jobs that are - dare I say - regularly filled by "seasonal workers" that are, for the most part, Hispanic?

Not going to open up that box of topics on a Thursday am...;-)...

For the "regular crew" jobs are club uses the H1B visa program to bring guys up from Mexico. We've had the same crew for almost 7 years or so (except 2020 when the visas were too limited or not allowed). So, the crew really knows what they are doing and has a good relationship with our supper.


Also, we usually have an intern or two. This year we have a women from Morocco who is studying turf grass. She worked on courses there, but was never allowed to use the mower or other heavier equipment. She was excited that she got to do that here.


Our super also does a really good job bringing those who are studying turf grass for tours this time of year.


Basically, it seems like it takes a heck of a lot of work from our super to have solid, dependable crew.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm curious, without calling any specific ones, has anyone noticed any courses in their area that have had a significant dropoff in experience this year? Whether it be shaggy greens and fairways, closed grill/other facilities in need of attention, or reduced hours?

We have some friends who own a local restaurant that is very popular and on occasion they have to close for dinner service due to staff shortages.

[Craig Disher]

Does a skilled grounds crew have more impact on someone's enjoyment of a course than the staff in the pro shop? At some of the clubs I'm familiar with, the grounds crew is paid a wage that is unlikely to attract those willing to put up with difficult hours, hard work outdoors, and lack of appreciation from the golfers who play the course.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

When I first started half our crew was migrant workers from Mexico. It's definitely an attractive career for guys that come up north, work 6-7 months straight (and I do mean straight, most of the guys didn't take a day off) and then go back down to Mexico for winter. With their stockpile of USD they could pretty much chill all winter. Most of those guys are retired now, we only have one guy on staff that does that move. Our best guys from down south were two brothers, one moved to the US full-time so got a job year-round as a building maintenance guy, the other is still seasonal but got a job as a plumber for a significantly higher wage. They are both now US citizens. Their father started at our course when it was all dirt, just a cattle ranch. He's now retired. The nice thing about migrant workers from Mexico is they tend to bring their friends and family up to fill roles after they work with us for a season or two. But with advancing age and better opportunities, it seems that that pipeline has dried up.

[Thomas Dai]

I'm curious, without calling any specific ones, has anyone noticed any courses in their area that have had a significant dropoff in experience this year? Whether it be shaggy greens and fairways, closed grill/other facilities in need of attention, or reduced hours?
We have some friends who own a local restaurant that is very popular and on occasion they have to close for dinner service due to staff shortages.

Lack of something in course maintenance often doesn’t become visible for a year or two, sometimes longer. Down the line deficiencies usually say something about what’s happened or not happened in previous years.
Atb

[Jerry Kluger]

The first thing to accept is that the folks who work on the golf course are not simply manual labor - they are skilled and the quality of their work is reflected in the condition of the course and also can have an affect on the cost of operating the course.  There is a great deal of competition for workers to simply cut and edge grass but working at a golf course means far more than that.  If the course recognizes this they will come to realize that they should be paying more than some local landscape company, town, etc.  My course offers health insurance to full time workers after a training period which attracts workers who have left or retired from a job but aren't old enough to go on Medicare.  Although they still have a difficult time finding staff.  Offseason payroll is always a consideration but there is a great deal of work done in the offseason and you need to keep these folks on the payroll to be certain you have a staff when the season begins.  Many clubs have spending minimums in the clubhouse which helps keep the staff during the offseason and they should take the same position with keeping staff on the grounds crew via the monthly dues.

[Jeff_Brauer]

When I first started half our crew was migrant workers from Mexico. It's definitely an attractive career for guys that come up north, work 6-7 months straight (and I do mean straight, most of the guys didn't take a day off) and then go back down to Mexico for winter. With their stockpile of USD they could pretty much chill all winter. Most of those guys are retired now, we only have one guy on staff that does that move. Our best guys from down south were two brothers, one moved to the US full-time so got a job year-round as a building maintenance guy, the other is still seasonal but got a job as a plumber for a significantly higher wage. They are both now US citizens. Their father started at our course when it was all dirt, just a cattle ranch. He's now retired. The nice thing about migrant workers from Mexico is they tend to bring their friends and family up to fill roles after they work with us for a season or two. But with advancing age and better opportunities, it seems that that pipeline has dried up.

Tom,


I put myself through college working golf maintenance, and they had a similar arrangement, where an extended family brought 4-5 workers each year.  If one retired or found another job, they brought in another cousin, or whatever.  If one proved unsuitable for the work, they fired him and brought in yet another relative.


Back in 2016, I was back consulting in Chicago, and stopped by the course, explaining I had worked there, am a gca, and wanted to tour, which they refused (one of only 3 ever to refuse me my request).  They questioned if I had really worked there, and then one of the maintenance staff walked in the pro shop, and the pro asked him if he knew me.  Turns out, he started well after I was there, but asked who was on the crew back then.  When I rattled off Jose, Ricard, Mario.....he said, "Mario is my grandfather!"  So, apparently, the system is still intact.


As to the OP, I was with a superintendent recently, and he was yet another who confirmed that it is harder than ever to find staff, although I have been hearing that since 2015.  His take was that in "our generation" golf jobs were considered great, paying a bit more than most, offering outdoor work.  Now, kids really don't view it that way (outdoors?  I play video games, etc. (to generalize) and like kids of all generations, really don't want to arise at 4 AM to get to work.  Add in that they can now get easier work running a cash register for more than golf courses typically pay, and it gets close to the crisis stage.


Perhaps a silver lining is that courses might find out just how many fewer workers it might take to maintain the course at less than perfection as is so often demanded.  He thought golfers were a bit more understanding of good, but not perfect conditions than they had been in the past.  If that is a trend, many here would applaud, I'm sure. 

[Niall C]

As to the OP, I was with a superintendent recently, and he was yet another who confirmed that it is harder than ever to find staff, although I have been hearing that since 2015.  His take was that in "our generation" golf jobs were considered great, paying a bit more than most, offering outdoor work.  Now, kids really don't view it that way (outdoors?  I play video games, etc. (to generalize) and like kids of all generations, really don't want to arise at 4 AM to get to work.  Add in that they can now get easier work running a cash register for more than golf courses typically pay, and it gets close to the crisis stage.

Instead of tipping your caddy, who is overpaid anyway, how about giving the ground crew a tip instead ? When you walk down the fairway and you see them hard at work, go over and give them a couple of bucks. If the caddy frowns at that just tell him to do something useful. 

Niall