I had just pulled into the driveway of my in-laws on Mother’s Day 2015 when I received an email notification from a Board member. Given the progress our team had made in less than a year on the job and a recent joint Golf/Green Committee meeting, I suspected it was a vote of confidence.
Within two sentences, a few off-hand comments, and a few exclamation points, I got my first scathing email from a Board member. The email centered around golf course conditions: I had done too good a job growing the rough to U.S. Open conditions, the greens and bunkers were too firm, and pin positions felt like it was Masters Sunday.
I forwarded the email to our General Manager and Green Chair to seek guidance.
Mind you, we had set up several internal communication strategies, including a Twitter account, a golf course maintenance blog, and email blasts to communicate daily conditions to our members.
Through a series of conversations, the individual became more enlightened about the challenges within the golf course and our operations.
It was also a great self-reflection point to assess our strengths and weaknesses as an operation and recognize where we needed to improve. Most importantly, it was a good example of how effective communication, active listening, and collaboration can go a long way in building relationships and aligning member expectations to deliver great experiences.
As I say to many young and new superintendents, most individuals get themselves in trouble for not communicating rather than over-communicating.
When considering your communication programs, think about how you can change the minds of influential yet critical voices within your club. While you may not change everyone’s mind, you can influence the broader membership who might support your initiatives, like maintaining greens at an optimal speed for all members, increasing staffing, implementing native or environmental areas, or ways to improve the pace of play.
Understand what communication channels are appropriate for your specific club culture. A social media account may not be well received given the privacy and security concerns of club cultures.
Here are some tips and insights from highly accomplished superintendents to improve your communications and leverage networking effectively:
Communication Strategies
- Establish consistent communication with the Golf Shop: Leverage the golf shop as a conduit of information.
- Open Houses: Show members firsthand the conditions and needs of your maintenance facility. This can foster understanding and support for necessary upgrades and better working conditions.
- Member Surveys: Use surveys to understand member preferences and align your practices accordingly.
- Collaborate with marketing specialists: Many clubs now have marketing or communication specialists. Leverage their skills to enhance your communications, whether through polished brochures or engaging videos created using tools like Canva.
- Utilize blogs and visual content: Keep your communications concise. Use images and short captions to tell stories. For example, document the process of rebuilding a bunker, explaining the benefits and what members can expect to see.
- Short, targeted videos: These can effectively communicate key messages to decision-makers.
All the technology and communication channels that exist do not make up for the lack of visibility. Whether being at the first tee, knowing the tee sheet, periodically playing with various member groups, riding around the course with a General Manager or key stakeholder, being present during the golfing season is still one of the most important communication tactics.
Develop your communication skills and those of your internal management team to not only communicate course programs but actively seek feedback to address any potential gaps.
Clubs increasingly value good communicators who can effectively advocate for their programs. It’s essential to market yourself professionally and share your achievements and goals..
If you’re in need of further insight and best practices, set up a FREE Talent Strategy Call with our team.
About the Author
Tyler Bloom is the founder of Tyler Bloom Consulting. A former golf course superintendent and turf professional, Tyler’s love of all things golf began at the age of six when he stepped onto the course for the first time.
Tyler has an Executive Certifacte in Talent Acquisition fro Cornell University and a degree in Turfgrass Science from Penn State University. With 20 years of experience in the golf and turfgrass industry, Tyler has worked directly with reputable club leaders at some of the most prestigious clubs to place over 300 professionals in executive and management level positions throughout the United States.
Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States.