Even though winter weather seems to be lingering like an uninvited party guest, the calendar tells us that spring is upon us… and with it, the beginning of the golf season for most. Granted, a swath of the country is blessed with temperate weather year-round, but those in the northern and eastern regions are ready to celebrate rising temperatures, longer days and the return of patrons to the golf course.
When I was working in golf course management, my friends thought that I had the fall and winter months off, kind of like the summer for teachers. But the truth was that the cold weather months were maybe the most critical of the year for me. It was during that period that the performance from the previous year had to be assessed and determinations made about what was successful and what wasn’t. Player development programs would need to be evaluated and either extended, adjusted or scrapped altogether. Our management team would debate late into the night over every nickel in the budget, trying to combine practical austerity, investment in innovation and the flexibility to account for the unexpected. Evaluations of current employees and recruitment of new ones, purchasing inventory, confirming the food and beverage offerings, designing and printing signage… the list goes on and on.
Much like a quality golf shot happens because of a good pre-shot routine, a golf season for operators is dependent on doing the right things before the season comes hurtling at you. Add to that the new challenges and opportunities that emerged during the COVID era; operators are saying, ”Hello, friends” to millions of new golfers who came to the game in the last 18 to 24 months. At the same time, owners are scrambling to replace staff that have hit the exits for a variety of reasons. While we may have seen the rise of the virtual workplace, we are not at the point where a golf course can be run via Zoom. A quality experience requires quality staff and they are increasingly hard to find.
And while more customers means more work – and less staff means more work – lingering in the mind of every operator like background music in the elevator is the phrase, “This is the year that I get balance in my life.” While others plan their golf vacations, operators look wistfully at travel websites and try to figure out how to wedge personal time into schedules that are less forgiving than Sunday pins at the U.S. Open.
Sure, there are long hours of planning and preparation in every off-season. And there is the prospect of more of the same during the busy season. But there is a moment of magic at the beginning of every season, when the course is in pristine condition, all the range balls are shiny and everything is ready to welcome in a new season of friends, family and fun. I am a confirmed mushball, so I always got a little misty seeing a group meet for the first time after a long winter hibernation… stocked with all smiles, hugs and high hopes for low scores.
So, here’s to the 2022 season and all the good things that it will bring. Like a round of golf, it will no doubt have ups and downs, but for those who choose the calling of operating a golf facility, it will leave you with a deep sense of satisfaction and desire to do it all again next year.