General Managers

nuts86

Afternoon Ladies and Gents,

Just looking for an opinion from people on general managers jobs in golf clubs..

Does your club have one??

Is he/she good?

Is a GM necessary?

I've been toying with the idea of looking into this area of work but I'm worried that a lot of these jobs are one of the first things to go when the pinch comes on financially.

Any relevant feedback is more than welcome

Thanks

shane0007

Our club has one & has had one for as long as I can remember. He has been there also for as long as I can remember.
He does a great job, very well liked by all & is very involved with every aspect of the club. He also plays golf with the members every weekend.

I'm only entering my 3rd year as a member there but I know the club for long time.

decko11

its not for everyone - its tough

essentially you have - 20 bosses - the current council

also every member is your boss

also captains come and go but they are your boss

also you have to make sure you avoid all the cleeks and are seen as fully independent etc

based on what i have written above its easy see why for the first 50 years or more of golf in this country the holder of the office was almost always an ex senior military person. Eg his word was law and authority never challanged and above any captain of the day


As a new captain once said to the long standing Sec Mgr with an Army rank

Captain :How shall I address you ?

Sec Mgr : You shall call me Major and I shall call you captain, captain

nuts86

Thanks for the responses,

Interesting, they are two different descriptions on people, obviously I realise the second description is a more old fashioned type.

I do acknowledge the fact that you are answering to the whole club and I can only imagine the workload is huge,

Decko, I do realise as well that it's not a job for everyone however I don't think there is a job out there that is for everyone (pro golfer aside for this forum) and it's the individual himself who must decide he/she is ready to take on the responsibility..

Does anyone know what kind of qualifications would be required to be considered for a GMs position?

GreeBo

One thing to note is that I believe the days of the highly paid gm are long gone or at least much much less likely.

golfwallah

To answer you questions:

Does your club have one?? - No, not for the last 12 years or so. We simply couldn't afford it and decided that committee would do it (with help from a part time admin person).

Is he/she good? - Not applicable.

Is a GM necessary? - Not for most clubs, IMO, yes for some of the bigger / more prosperous ones. Like everything in life, it's down to choice of how members want to spend their money and what they want / expect for it. But the activities undertaken by a GM are necessary to ensure club policies are implemented. Many clubs delegate these activities to responsible committee members, but being volunteers, results can be patchy, unless there is a very strong committee chairman managing overall club performance.

I've been toying with the idea of looking into this area of work but I'm worried that a lot of these jobs are one of the first things to go when the pinch comes on financially. - Good luck with the job search. I'd agree that GM jobs are vulnerable in these difficult economic times, when club membership and casual golf revenues are falling. A big factor in justifying a GM position could be the cost / benefit one (e.g. measured by growth in membership, revenue, etc.). But human factors come into it too .... committee could decide they don't want you anymore because they don't like what you are saying or because you are not at their beck and call 24 hours a day, etc. A clear job spec and clear reporting lines (you don't want to end up with 14 bosses giving you countermanding instructions) might help here. That said, I've looked at one and it looked like it was made for 2 rather than 1 persons.

Any relevant feedback is more than welcome - hope this helps & good luck - you'll need it.

GreeBo

My dad was a GM for 13 years or so in a Dublin club.
While the hours could be flexible, that worked both ways, if there was something on in the club he would be there, naturally most committee meetings are after normal working hours also. The big club nights he would be there making sure it all ran smoothly.

Also, working with people who are not professionals in the area you are working with them in can be very hard and frustrating. They are also fleeting, leaving you to deal with whatever decision they made or worse, did not make.

Anything thats wrong will be your fault, from phone calls about not liking the way the hedge was cut, to complaints about catering, visitors etc.

I think its a pretty thankless job that can be quite stressful.

In the end the club made the position redundant for financial reasons and added junior manager positions coupled with the committee running the club.

In the boom times it was a great job, now I'd have to advise against it personally.

FixdePitchmark

Lads,

Is there a chance people look on jobs at golf course jobs a bit romantically. We are golfers here.
As far as I see - the GM at our place has very little involvement in golf at all. He does what it says on the tin.

Manages - finance - diary - staff - maintenance - societies - pays bills - partial accountant - keeps place clean - in stock - all members paid up - security issues.

He work in an office that hasn't even a view of the course. Imagine having to driving into work every day and look at lads going out playing golf.

If it is well paid - go for it. But it is an industry in contraction in Ireland. There are still great opportunities abroad in it.

Again - do your research.

I would worry that most GMs have a link to the course - there is somebody a member with managerial skills who if in for the job - will get it over an outsider.

http://www.igcma.com/