Golf Course Superintendent Job Description
Golf course superintendents interact with almost everyone involved with a golf course, from the golfers to management to entry-level workers. Golf course superintendents are also known as greenskeepers, supervisors or turf managers. There are many different areas of work involved as a golf course superintendent including hard labor, management and business planning.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
A golf course superintendent oversees the maintenance, management and operation of a public or private golf course. This includes supervising the construction and maintenance of the golf course, providing professional advice or assistance to the course's board of director or management and attending all planning meetings. Depending on the type of course he oversees, the golf course superintendent reports to one of the following: General Manager, Green Chairman, Owner or Director of Golf/Director of Parks and Recreation.
Major Responsibilities
-
The golf course superintendent is responsible for maintaining and overseeing the maintenance of the course, the maintenance equipment and the golf cart fleet. They also oversee the maintenance of other recreational facilities including tennis courts, swimming pools, RV and picnic areas. Golf course superintendents oversee any construction projects on the course. They also make sure the proper fertilizer, sprays and pesticides are used as needed throughout the course. They may conduct soil tests to ensure proper soil nutrition.
-
Background Knowledge
-
Golf course superintendents must have a thorough understanding of agronomy, which is applying soil and plant sciences to land management. This is gained through either a degree in agronomy, plant science or horticulture or at least four years of experience. They also must understand the rules of golf and be up-to-date on federal, state and local laws on golf course operations. This may include employment, safety and environmental standards and may require attending classes or seminars to further their education. Golf course superintendents also are familiar with landscaping equipment including tractors, irrigation systems, sprinklers and edgers.
Management
-
Golf course superintendents are responsible for interviewing, hiring, training and supervising employees to maintain the golf course. Overseeing maintenance employees includes scheduling and designating specific jobs to the employees. The golf course superintendent also prepares the annual budget for maintenance and any improvements to the golf course. They also must keep records for payroll, inventory, weather and pesticide use. They must use weather data to determine grass height and frequency of mowing of playing areas.
Salary
-
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2008 the middle 50% of groundskeeper supervisors, which includes golf course superintendents, was between $15.22 and $24.90 per hour. A golf course superintendent's wage depends on the size of the golf course he or she manages, the location and whether it is a public or private golf course.
-
References
- Photo Credit Golf cart on golf course image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
