Head Golf Course Superintendent

Property Description:

Swansea Country Club is a semi-private golf and recreational facility located in Swansea, Massachusetts. The property features:

• 18-hole Geoffrey Cornish-designed, Par 72 Championship Golf Course
• 9-hole Par 3 Golf Course
• Driving range and practice facilities
• Private Pool Club
• Tournament and outing operations
• Extensive grounds and landscaped recreational areas

Position Summary:

Swansea Country Club is seeking an experienced, motivated, and hands-on Head Golf Course Superintendent to lead all aspects of golf course maintenance, grounds, agronomy, staffing, and property improvement.

This position represents an opportunity for an experienced turf professional to take an active leadership role in the continued improvement and long-term development of the entire property.  We are looking for more than someone to simply maintain the property. We are seeking a strong team leader with vision, pride of ownership, and the ability to continually improve course conditions, presentation, operational efficiency, and the overall appearance of the facility.

The ideal candidate will be highly visible, hands-on, organized, and comfortable leading from the front while recruiting, developing, and retaining a strong maintenance team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Course Conditioning Expectations

Swansea Country Club has developed a reputation for providing golf course conditions that compare favorably with other public and semi-private facilities throughout the region. Maintaining and continuing to improve those standards will be a major priority of the position.

• Putting Greens: Maintain near-private-club-quality putting surfaces that are healthy, smooth, consistent, and faster than those found at most public golf courses in the surrounding market.
• Fairways: Maintain tight, consistent heights of cut and fairway conditions that compare favorably with, and exceed, the standards of most competing public golf courses in the area.
• Maintain strong overall presentation standards throughout tees, rough, bunkers, green surrounds, practice areas, and the remainder of the property.
• Develop agronomic programs that balance exceptional playing conditions with long-term turf health, staffing resources, budgetary considerations, and environmental stewardship.

Key Responsibilities

• Daily maintenance and conditioning of the 18-hole Championship Course and 9-hole Par 3 Course
• Maintenance of greens, tees, fairways, rough, bunkers, practice facilities, and surrounding property
• Development and execution of comprehensive agronomic programs
• Fertilizer and pesticide applications and oversight
• Irrigation system operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and long-term planning
• Equipment maintenance oversight and development of preventative maintenance programs
• Recruitment and hiring of a qualified golf course mechanic
• Daily golf course setup, including cups, tee markers, bunker preparation, and playing conditions
• Maintenance and appearance of Pool Club grounds and other landscaped areas throughout the property
• Development of short- and long-term property improvement plans
• Identification and prioritization of capital needs
• Oversight of drainage, turf improvement, tree management, landscaping, and course enhancement projects
• Coordination with outside vendors, contractors, consultants, and service providers
• Management of departmental budgets, purchasing, inventory, and labor
• Management and monitoring of payroll and seasonal staffing levels
• Compliance with all applicable environmental, pesticide, workplace safety, and regulatory requirements

Leadership Expectations

A major component of this position is the ability to develop and lead a successful team. The successful candidate must be able to:

• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, and retain maintenance team members
• Establish clear expectations and accountability
• Communicate effectively with staff, management, vendors, contractors, and ownership
• Develop seasonal staffing plans appropriate to the needs of the property
• Create an organized and professional maintenance operation
• Lead by example and be willing to work alongside the team when necessary
• Maintain a positive, respectful, and productive workplace culture
• Develop written operating procedures and preventative maintenance standards
• Develop and communicate daily, weekly, and seasonal maintenance plans
• Mentor and develop existing team members
• Identify staffing needs before they become operational problems
• We are looking for someone who takes pride in the entire property and consistently identifies opportunities for improvement rather than simply maintaining the status quo.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience as a Golf Course Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, or in a comparable turf-management leadership position
• Strong knowledge of golf course agronomy and turfgrass management
• Experience applying and supervising the application of pesticides and fertilizers
• Massachusetts Pesticide Applicator’s License, or the ability to obtain one within the first 90 days of employment
• Experience managing irrigation systems
• Knowledge of golf course equipment and preventative maintenance programs
• Supervisory experience managing staff members, vendors, and contractors
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Ability to develop and manage departmental budgets
• Ability to manage labor and payroll effectively
• Ability to prioritize projects and develop short- and long-term improvement plans
• Strong understanding of workplace safety and regulatory compliance
• Golf course turf education, certification, or equivalent professional experience is preferred.

What We Are Looking For

• A strong team leader
• Hands-on and highly visible
• An effective communicator
• Organized and accountable
• Proactive rather than reactive
• Capable of recruiting and developing a strong staff
• Focused on continuous improvement
• Proud of course presentation and property appearance
• Comfortable developing and presenting recommendations for capital and operational improvements
• Able to balance agronomic needs, budget realities, staffing levels, and golfer expectations
• Capable of developing a legitimate three-to-five-year vision for the continued improvement of the property

Classification:

Full-Time, Year, Round, Exempt, Salaried

Salary Range:

$100,000 to $115,000 annually

KemperSports Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer