Are you GM material?

Besides seeing old friends, looking at new equipment and gathering ideas for columns, one of my favorite activities at the winter industry shows is witnessing the “job watch.” Stand anywhere on a show floor and you’re sure to observe others with their eyes wide open, watching for their next employment opportunity.

If you’ve made it to the superintendent level, it’s not unusual to wonder at some point, “Is this all there is?” You feel bored, or stuck, or underpaid, or underappreciated, or just antsy for something else. And if you’re not interested in doing the same thing at another club — be it bigger, smaller, more prestigious, less taxing, or just different — you may very well fall into a common mindset among superintendents: I should be the GM!

This step up is also understandable. You’re already responsible for the most important, and expensive, asset at the club, so how hard can it be to add the dining room? The only other similarly important job is golf pro, but it demands a very different skill set. And you already know the club and the people, so it’s a natural move up, right?

Maybe right, but also maybe very wrong. The grass may look greener — along with a greener salary — behind a desk in the clubhouse. But before you think you’re a natural, make an honest self-evaluation and see if you possess (or can easily acquire) these five skill sets.

Financial knowledge

Yes, you know how to manage a golf course budget, but what do you know about the other departments the GM oversees — including, but not limited to, culinary, clubhouse, amenities, capital expenditures and personnel? Each department head is an expert in their field, so if you’re going to be their boss, you need to be versed in their operational areas.

Plus, you’ll need an understanding of club income and debt to balance the budget while ensuring a cushion for emergencies. I’m not saying it’s unlearnable, but I don’t know many superintendents who went into agronomy for the chance to work on spreadsheets. So, if you don’t already love the money-management side of things, you may be in for a lot of headaches.

Availability

A club’s GM needs to be available to address any problem at any moment, day or night, in season or out. From marina to mahjong, fitness to filets, you’ll be dealing with meetings, committees, members, member groups, vendors, staff, municipal codes and, at every level, politics. You can’t hide on the golf course or in the maintenance facility. You need to always be visible and available, with a calm and steady hand on the tiller. No attitude, no temper, no outbursts.

Communication

I know many superintendents who love explaining themselves and what they’re doing to different constituents. Well, that only gets harder at the GM level, where you need to speak several different languages — member, committee, staff, vendor, etc. Written and oral communication skills are necessary.

As superintendent, you could always hide behind science, explaining your actions as being “for the good of the course.” There’s no science that will explain to Mr. Smith why you’re out of his favorite bourbon.

Situational management

You think every golfer is an expert on their golf course? They’re just as much of an “expert” on food, furniture, pool water conditioning, party planning, hiring and firing, brands of toilet paper, and everything else. Non-golfers, spouses, social members and guests, too. The GM is a walking “suggestion box,” with no issue too insignificant to get stuck in someone’s craw. And, again, that’s 24/7, 365 days a year.

Managing means educating, keeping members and players constantly informed about everything from wine pairings to hours of operation, course closures to maintenance issues. Plus, more and more of this is done online — email, text, website, social media — so you’re going to need to be on top of those skills, too.

Time management

General managers don’t get to work under cover of darkness and leave in mid-afternoon. In fact, there are days they don’t go home until very late, if at all. They’re there for mealtimes, special events, committee meetings and just about everything else. Holidays off? Not if the club is open. That means a lot less time with family.

If you’re still interested in becoming a GM — and trust me, I’m not trying to talk you out of it, just being realistic — ask yourself these questions. I’ll let you judge the answers yourself.

Are you really just doing it for the money? Is it enough money to overhaul your lifestyle (to say nothing of your wardrobe)?

Would you be comfortable doing all the above at another club? It’s one thing to make the move up at a club you know among people you know. Want to take on all these new responsibilities and learn an entirely new membership?

Are you really interested in other aspects of club management besides the golf course? Can you get as excited about ordering linen? And do you want to give up being in charge of the club’s most important asset? If you become GM and the club hires another superintendent, will you be able to stay out of their way?

Are you comfortable saying “Yes, sir” and Yes, ma’am” all day — and meaning it?

How flexible and patient are the members and board at the club you’re talking to? Will they give you time to “learn on the job?” You’re going to make mistakes. Are they going to tolerate them?

Do you really want — and can you handle — the added responsibilities, stress and need to rely on others that comes with being a GM? And by the way, consider your family time as well.

I honestly don’t think there is anyone at most clubs besides the superintendent who could successfully become the GM. But that doesn’t mean it’s a shoo-in — and that doesn’t mean it’s you.