Selecting a professional superintendent to manage your golf course investment
Clarifying your needs
The golfers who play your course may never realize the complexities involved in providing a playing field that delivers the right mixture of challenge and fun, pleases the aesthetic senses, harmonizes with the surrounding environment, and is maintained within a budget.
Your goal is to select the right individual for your unique operation. The following is a list of classifications to help you understand a superintendent’s level.
- GCSAA Superintendent Members are actively employed in the profession and have access to all the great information and resources for managing golf facilities that GCSAA offers. They may be newer superintendents (less than three years' experience), or may not have recorded the education and service points, and pesticide licensing to meet Class A requirements.
- GCSAA Class A members actively demonstrate their commitment to professional development, community service and environmental stewardship. To maintain their membership status, these members must participate in continuing education; provide service to their communities, local chapters and/or association; and hold a pesticide license or pass a GCSAA exam.
- Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) members, roughly 25 percent of GCSAA Class A superintendents, have achieved the highest designation in the profession. In addition to more stringent experience and education requirements, these members must present a portfolio of work samples, skill statements and case studies, as well as pass a comprehensive exam and have their golf course operation evaluated and reviewed.
For a successful fit between the person and the job, you need a formal position description for the superintendent’s job. A good position description:
- effectively clarifies the role and functions of the golf course superintendent
- explains your expectations to candidates during the hiring process
- serves as a point of reference during interviews
- serves as the standard by which to measure each candidate’s qualifications
- provides a groundwork for performance evaluations after hiring
The following sample position description describes the typical functions, duties and responsibilities for a golf course superintendent. This is a good place to begin when creating or updating a position description for the superintendent position at your facility.
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