"I'm fine. Howzitgoin Dave? When are you taking that golf trip to San Diego?" Mike asks.
"We've kind of put it off until next spring. Things just didn't quite work out as we had planned." I shared.
"That's too bad, San Diego is a great golf destination. Who is playing with you Dave? your normal group?"
"Yep, same group." was my response.
"You're fourth up on the tee, so you might want to get out there." Mike said.
Who is Mike, you may wonder? Is he the gnome that works the cash register and sends golfers out to the starter to tee off? Far from it, as Mike is the commanding general of this particular golf facility. He is the PGA Head Pro. Why is he behind the counter running the cash register checking in golfers? Is this a good thing? I think it is for a number of reasons.
In my opinion, the Head Professional sets the tone of the golfing facility. How the Head Pro views his or her role is crucial to what the facility is going to be like. Is the pro a people person, making golfers welcome at the facility and putting out front a face and a personality to the facility, or are they just an executive who crunches numbers and is only concerned with course profit and loss. Don't get me wrong, the financial aspect of a course and how healthy it is very important, but creating a welcoming atmosphere is just as important. Golfers truly want to play where they play, and part of that comes from how they are treated and the social feel of the facility.
How committed is that professional to growing the game of golf? Are they concerned about the needs of new golfers or just those of experienced golfers? What programs are in place for juniors? What about women's programs and programs for couples? How committed to creating programs for these groups is the pro. Are these programs important to the pro, or is he or she just interested in running the facility? The "Bean Counter" pro that only is there to run a facility loses site of those very crucial aspects of the game and the course. The course is more than just the course, pro shop, range, giving lessons and running the restaurant. The pro is very much responsible for setting the "feel" of the facility and creating a welcoming environment for players. That includes hiring cordial staff, including course assistants.
Golf is a "People" business. They must have their finger on the pulse of the facility. That means they must be visible and available to customers. Being holed up in their office going over last month's restaurant receipts is not being available. Those receipts are important, but even more important are the people playing the course. Those receipts should be the domain of the food and beverage manager, not the pro. The pro needs to know the bottom line numbers, but does he have to know how many hot doge were sold last month? That pro needs to be out of their office, dealing with golfers. They need to be saying hello to players and welcoming them.
We have strayed from the people part of running a golf facility and have forced pros into this unfortunate role. With the coming of course management companies, there is a greater focus by these companies on profits. The pro becomes an accountant, not a golf professional.
Before you run me out on a rail for writing this, I have to say that I am a big fan of golf professionals. It is a very tough job and they put in many long hours to make sure a facility is run properly. I haven't even mentioned how they have to deal with course conditions and other challenges. We need to thank them. Could you do me a favor though? Could you come out of your office and say hello every once and a while? I want to tell you how good a job you are doing and it would be great to talk to the person who is running the place.
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| There is more to running a golf facility than just the profit/loss statement. |
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