It goes without saying that the golf course superintendent plays an important role at any golf course. He or she is responsible for the maintenance, condition and appearance of a large property and managing the crew that makes it happen. Tyler Bloom of Bloom Golf has made it his business to help clubs find the right person for the job. A Penn State Turf graduate (4 year) and former superintendent with a Human Resources certificate from Cornell, Bloom understands the challenges clubs face. Recently, I had the opportunity to pose some questions to Bloom about how he goes about helping clubs find the right one for the job – and how he helps superintendents find the right landing spot.

The first thing I asked Bloom was what skills, besides turf expertise are necessary for success as a golf course superintendent. He answered: “The best superintendents I place are business managers who happen to know agronomy. They run a P&L, lead a team of fifteen to forty people through a labor shortage, and translate agronomy into the language a green committee actually speaks – member expectations, not soil science. Communication and financial fluency separate the top ten percent far more than turf knowledge does. Every finalist can grow grass. The one who gets hired can stand in front of a board and command the room.
They are intuitive with nature, and know where to be on a Tuesday morning as much as Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., and have trained their staff to think the same. Extremely observational and have a high attention to detail. They don’t drive by small items – whether that be trash, low hanging limbs, or grass clippings.”

In addition, he listed the following as critical traits:

  • Highly observational
  • Attentive to Detail
  • Systematic & Program focused
  • Resourceful
  • Leadership

Bloom also indicated that different skill sets are required for private, daily-fee, resort & municipal facilities. At private clubs the superintendent needs to be a politician, dealing with membership and committees. The daily-fee and municipal segments reward operational efficiency and resorts require the skill to enhance guest experience, often over multiple courses. As Bloom says, “The pattern underneath all of it is simple: the higher the expectation-to-budget ratio, the more the job becomes about managing people and perception, and the less it is about turf. At every level, the fundamentals of what “great golf conditions” looks like is imperative to their success.”

When I asked about educational background, Bloom shared that a (strong) two-year turf program is one of the strongest credentials in the industry and has produced superintendents at the very highest level. It is absolutely sufficient. Clubs that filter for a four-year degree are usually using it as a proxy for maturity and communication ability, not agronomic competence. That said, he emphasized that the best form of education is hands-on in the field learning from a great mentor.

I asked how clubs can attract the best candidates and how they can avoid discouraging the best from applying. Bloom said:

“Clarity and respect win candidates more reliably than an extra few thousand dollars. Strong candidates read a search for signals: does the club invest in the property, is the leadership structure stable, will there be autonomy and a real budget, and is the GM or committee someone they can actually work with. A defined vision, a funded capital plan, and a professional search process tell a top candidate this is a place to build a career, not just fill a job. With that said, money talks. We’ve seen an increase in salaries over the last five years anywhere from 15-40% in some geographic and club demographics. What is surprising to me is the delta between the golf course superintendent and director of golf. I am blown away by the discrepancy between the two, and the last I checked without great golf conditions, there’s no golf course.”

Conversely, to avoid discouraging the best candidates from applying, Bloom cited a history of high turnover, committee micromanagement, deferred capital investment and a GM who treats the superintendent like labor. Bloom advocates a market analysis comparing clubs’ maintenance budgets, programs and expectations to select the right candidates for interview.

Unfortunately, lots of clubs do not have written maintenance standards established but encourages candidates to ask about a club’s budget, capital investment history and to ask (after review) what can be done more efficiently and cost effectively. Bloom’s searches for clubs often includes a property analysis.

In my travels I’ve noticed a wide disparity in maintenance budgets. According to Bloom, “The cost-effective operators are ruthless about matching agronomic inputs to what members actually expect, not the tournament conditions no one asked for. The importance of a unified maintenance standards to me is a lost art, and I learned this as an intern. They invest in soil health, water management, and cultural practices that lower long-term costs, and they use data to defend those decisions to the committee. The skill isn’t spending less. It’s spending on the right things, and telling the committee the trade-offs before conditions slip instead of after.” Bloom enthusiastically encourages including written maintenance standards in any open job offering so everyone knows what’s expected.

Next month, Part 2 will include Bloom’s insight on superintendents in dual roles, technology skills, geographical experience and more.