The modern assistant

What defines an assistant golf course superintendent? Well, that would depend who you ask. Certainly Old Tom Morris would have a different definition, if he even had one at all, than that of a golf course superintendent today. Perhaps past superintendents would define an assistant as a person who is proficient with machinery and could fill in for anyone on the crew. In the industry today, we wear many more hats than that. We are agronomists, teachers, coaches, people managers and, in a way, you could say we‘re politicians.

In my career, I have been lucky enough to work at some great courses. I have been from New York to Virginia and Las Vegas to Chicago. In that time I have seen a lot of things, and am grateful for the experiences I have had. But one thing always seems to remain the same: An assistant superintendent is much more than a glorified crew leader. More accurately, he is an important piece of a management team, and the responsibilities he has continue to grow. Yes, the industry is evolving, and with those changes come alterations and additions to the “hats” we wear every day.
 

Agronomy
It has been said, “The presentation of a golf course is a direct reflection of its assistant superintendents.” With transformations in the industry and the development of new job responsibilities for superintendents, we are becoming the eyes and ears of the golf course. We work countless hours to ensure the appearance of the property meets today’s high standards. Nevertheless, making sure the presentation of the course is up to par, no pun intended, is not as simple as cutting grass. We must work congruently with the course superintendent to develop and execute an elaborate agronomic program. From spray and fertilizer applications to budgeting for products and hours, we must continually scout for disease, identify weeds and insects, all the while ensuring the day to day details are being attended to. Additionally, continuing education is more important than ever in order to keep up with today’s new technology, chemicals, plant science and regulations. This not only helps us in our current capacity as an assistant, but helps us transition to the next juncture in our career. Year after year, the golf industry is becoming increasingly competitive and more demanding, and to keep pace in these economic times, we are relied on heavily.

Teaching and coaching
We all understand that we need to be proficient in agronomics, but what about some of the other responsibilities that can’t be learned in the classroom? Teaching and coaching have become a principal part of our job, and our proficiency in these areas continues to develop with experience. We have all heard the old adage, “Give a person a fish and they will eat for a day, but teach a person to fish and they will eat for a lifetime.” The same principle holds true in our industry as well. Our staff members don’t learn machines from just watching someone use it. They need to be taught. This requires us to be proficient in all categories of golf course maintenance. From machines to chemical applications, we need to know what we’re doing, and at the same time, be able to teach those skills to staff members so they too can develop their skills and make our team stronger as a whole.

Our work is never finished, however. After a staff member has been taught, they need continual coaching to develop and grow their potential, thus making our team better. Do you remember the saying “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link?” The same concept is accurate with our crew. We, as assistants, need to develop our crews through our teaching and coaching to make the entire operation stronger. What does this boil down to? A subject that is touched on in every seminar: communication. Tell team members why something is important, not just what to do. I am a firm believer that people are naturally proud, and if you set goals mutually and explain the importance of meeting them, the team member will work to accomplish that benchmark. The intrinsic reward of meeting the objective, in my experiences, is what drives them to do their best work. The bottom line is: Give them the tools for success and set targets that are mutually agreeable and your team will be encouraged by meeting their short-term goals while making great strides in the long-term development of their skills. Finally, after they have met the goals you have set, give them positive feedback. Remember, everyone likes a pat on the back every now and then.

People management and politics
This hat is still “new with tags” as far as an assistant superintendent is concerned, but it is becoming increasingly more common. For many, our interaction with club officials, public play or resort guests may be limited, but when we have face time with these people, we need to know how to handle ourselves and act as a representative not only of the course, but as the industry as a whole. Keep in mind, this industry is, in a sense, a service industry and we need to provide that service with professionalism and poise. People management and politics, however, are not limited to our guests, but rather, extend to our crew and our peers. For example, learning and understanding how to approach a tough situation or an underachieving employee is becoming a standard in the life of an assistant. No matter what the situation, having a diplomatic management approach, holding yourself professionally and having the ability to adapt to change will go a long way in this industry. Our position is becoming one that requires some extent of extraversion, charisma and quick wits.

Any assistant who has been in this industry for any length of time understands that these are just a few of the “hats” that an assistant wears on a day-to-day basis. It really validates our position and demonstrates that we are a very important entity not only to the way a golf course looks, but how it is run. In the bigger picture, we are developing our skills to climb to higher heights in this industry. For now, however, we will continue to adapt and remold in the hopes to one day attain the goals we have set for ourselves.
 

Brian DeVries is the assistant superintendent at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove, Ill.