A golf manager is typically in charge of a golf course’s or country club’s day-to-day operations. This person will frequently double as the course pro, in which case he will be responsible for both sets of duties. These responsibilities may differ from one course to the next, and will be largely determined by the size of the facility. Some golf managers are in charge of the club’s finances, personnel, grounds, member or customer relations, and other responsibilities. A variety of assistant managers will work under the golf manager at more expensive courses and exclusive country clubs.
When a club has a separate general manager and head pro, the golf manager is usually in charge of the club’s financial health as well as various daily operations. Financial directors or accountants may be employed by some clubs to handle accounting, with the manager in charge of the overall financial picture. In order to accomplish this, the manager will frequently be required to create a business plan. A club’s goals and operational directives may be laid out in such a plan, which the manager will then use to track the club’s performance over time.
In many clubs, the roles of golf manager and head pro are combined. In these cases, the manager will need to have the necessary qualifications to be a head pro, and will frequently serve as the primary point of contact between the general public and the club. The golf manager is essentially in charge of ensuring customer satisfaction and good relations between the club’s customer base and the golf manager. In membership-based clubs, the manager is often in charge of keeping track of membership retention and attrition. This is a critical function because, in these cases, the club’s operational funds are entirely derived from membership dues.
In larger clubs, the golf manager will frequently take on additional managerial responsibilities. Rather than handling every task himself, he may delegate authority to a number of subordinate managers. Assistant managers in charge of groundskeeping, finances, marketing, or sales may fall into this category. While the general manager must be familiar with all aspects of the business, in these situations, he will also need strong managerial skills to set goals for his assistant managers while keeping an eye on the club’s overall progress.