One superintendent’s job search

As the ink dries on the accepted job offer, I sit and reflect on my journey over the past two years. I could simply describe it as the stereotypical rollercoaster of whatever emotion you can think of. What I’m thinking is that mine is probably not a typical story of a superintendent looking for the next step in their career — at least not one that I’ve heard. Despite the many other unique journeys into the golf maintenance industry, we just don’t hear about enough of them, so here I am, again, sharing my story with you in hopes that it helps some of you understand this confounding industry a little bit better.

Here we go …

The beginnings

We left South Dakota in the summer of 2021 and ventured out in the true American spirit of adventure, exploration and hopes of a new place to call home. Our wagon train (a 40-foot Fifth Wheel) was headed East, maybe a little North, and for sure South and West. The expedition was tied to my job search. We had a long list of places we wanted to visit and would consider making our home should the right opportunity arise. This expansion of territory gave me some reassurance that I would easily find a job, mainly because South Dakota isn’t exactly brimming with open superintendent positions. Good for the stability of our local golf industry, not so good for me.

So the stage is set — my unrealistic expectations along with a pandemic, inflation, skyrocketing housing costs and an industry that was transforming in many ways — for what would be one of the most challenging periods of my life.

The first thing I realized heading down the road was that over the course of my career, I never experienced an actual grown-up job interview, as every position was either handed to or created by me. But I had handled several job interviews, plus people get jobs every day and facilities were begging for experienced employees. How difficult could it be? I was brimming with confidence, thinking that along with my carefully crafted résumé, it would be my charm, wit and personality that would put me over the top in any situation. What an ego, right?!?! Seriously, though, I was ready and eager for the next step in my career.

As the applications and résumés started to hit the desks of general managers and hiring directors around the country, I cleared my schedule of full-time dadding and RV renovations to prepare for an onslaught of calls and interviews. But over the first few months the expected roar of response was more of a whisper. The few callbacks I received were unproductive, unpersonal, uninspiring and just about any other “un-” you can think of. I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening, and doubt and disappointment began to cloud my cockeyed optimism.

After a long winter filled with more than 40 applications, a handful of first and second interviews, and mostly rejections or silence, an offer finally came the following April of 2022. That day also happened to be one day before my mother unexpectedly passed away. Crushed and saddened, I reluctantly turned down the offer and we planned to return to my hometown of Watertown, South Dakota, for a month or so to regroup and help my family transition to life without our matriarch, the woman who took care of everything and everyone and who was, as all mothers are, the biggest cheerleader I had.

As divine intervention would have it, an opportunity arose at my home course, and I was offered an interim superintendent role the day before we arrived in town. (Mom, is that you?) I worked the summer in Watertown while my family regrouped for our next voyage. While I was offered the position full-time, we had no plans to settle back home quite yet, so on the road again we went, this time with the intention to make our way back to Arizona, where our last visit was interrupted by my mother’s passing.

Not having been able to soak in the full Arizona experience left us wanting more, and so after a couple stops in Arkansas and Texas, we arrived back in the desert. As we traveled, more and more résumés went out, and more hurdles were put in my path. This time, though, it felt different, like something was right around the next cactus-covered corner.

I thought that “something” came in December 2022, when a week after two good interviews, two offers arrived within two days — ironically both located within an hour of each other in the Great Lakes region. While we enjoyed our travels throughout that gorgeous area of the country, the offers just didn’t work for my family and me. As I reluctantly declined both, it hit me that sometimes you can’t see the sum of the parts until they’re all laid out in front of you, until every possible angle is examined. I tried to remain optimistic that something else was materializing. But, damn, this was really starting to take a toll.

After settling in Arizona, it felt good. No not just the weather … the “feeling.” Regardless of any job offer, we wanted to stay here as we quickly were drawn into the lifestyle and the surrounding scenery. Not long after hitching the wagons in Scottsdale, an offer finally materialized and was received with an almost-instantaneous YES. The wagon train sold, back in sticks and bricks … happy, relieved and thriving as we begin the next chapter in our family story — and mine as a desert superintendent.

Now that we’ve reflected, let’s get to the substance of this story and the valuable bits of information I’ve gleaned through this process that should help others prepare for a job search. Here are the highlights and lowlights, expectations versus reality, and uncomfortable truths about a career in the golf maintenance industry.

The path matters

The typical career path we see a lot goes like this:

• Get a degree
• Become an assistant
• Work 12-plus-hour days for a few years
• Hopefully not burn out
• Wait in line until it’s your turn here or at a nearby course
• Stay there and bring up the next person in line
• Repeat

This was not my path. The first obstacle I realized was that while I was experienced and successful at my one and only course, I had been a superintendent at this one and only course. I was an assistant for less than one year before being promoted. I spent formidable years outside of golf — and a few of those years outside of the industry altogether. Unfortunately, I think this worked against me, as I was often up against candidates with seamless careers in turf from day one.

I will add that there’s nothing wrong with the aforementioned career path, and also that every single person who got jobs I applied for was absolutely deserving of the role.

Reputation over experience

“Experience,” I realized, mainly refers to the size, location, budget and reputation of the course or courses where you have previously worked. In many of my experiences, these factors seemed to carry more weight than my actual tangible and intangible skills and achievements.

Yes, I’m from South Dakota. What could I possibly know about running a major facility in Texas, Tennessee or New Mexico? How would I be able to maintain warm-season grass or manage a budget or staff four times the size of my last one without any experience doing so? Why would I want to move from South Dakota to Illinois just for a job? How can I, a middle-aged man with a young family, commit to the long hours required for these jobs? Yes, these were all questions I was asked — and subsequently answered with confidence and ease to no avail. I couldn’t seem to convince anyone that I was ready for the “big time,” or so I thought.

Is certification worth it?

The most rewarding job is probably going to be with the company that wants YOU, not simply your degrees, achievements and certifications.

Obtaining CGCS status — or any other certification — has benefited me in many ways. It can bring great value and recognition for you and your facility, and for those of us who feel compelled to prove our worth, it can be the ultimate measure of turfgrass knowledge and field experience. Naturally, one would think certifications would benefit the job search as well. But …

Surprisingly, this title did not garner any perceived recognition or mention during interviews, particularly when the job description listed certification as a preference. It did not elicit red-carpet treatment for any position, as I was under the impression that it would. To the contrary, I learned that some recruiters are skeptical — or, at the very least, unimpressed — by those four little letters after your name. This may be difficult for our associations and members to comprehend, and my opinion here is not an indictment of the title or process at all. But in my job search experience, certification was never mentioned.

I’m sure as part of the “total package,” it may have given me an edge, but any edge was unbeknownst to me. In fact, the only mention of certification was from one recruiter who told me after the fact that “those résumés go into a separate pile, usually because they always want the most money.” Ooof. I’m sure this doesn’t speak to everyone, but tough to hear nonetheless.

I still would recommend certification for anyone on the fence and will always proudly display those four letters. We as a membership body can use this and others’ experience to better shape the message and purpose of certification, not only to our colleagues, but to club owners, managers and recruiters. Just temper your expectations regarding the job search. Many times your first contact will be someone who has no idea what those letters stand for, let alone the grueling process of achieving them.

Find out if a club has a prepared assistant

Most clubs, when all is said and done, are likely to promote their assistant to the head role.

I always chuckled as I combed the job boards and noticed assistant superintendent openings at courses where I had just interviewed for a head position the week before. Look, I get it, having a sense of familiarity and facility knowledge can be advantageous. But — this isn’t conjecture, as I was told more than once by others who have been in my shoes — many courses either promote their own assistant or find other assistants who are young, single and ready to sprinkle.

It feels like a waste of everyone’s time, but I understand the process and, in some situations, companies are required to post the position. Testing the market while prepping the ideal candidate in the wings is a common and ideal situation, but full disclosure in these situations would be nice. It is rarely, if ever, offered by the interviewers.

Not one and the same

There’s still strong regional and ageist bias in golf.

One interviewer came dangerously close to openly admitting their bias by questioning my “hunger” because of my age and family status. Or, as they put it, “this stage in your career.” Cue the eye roll. I was also questioned whether I thought I’d be able to learn how to manage warm-season turf and plants. Um, yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ll get the hang of it. But I digress. This is another topic altogether.

Don’t expect updates

Most facilities and companies are horrible at updating applicants on the status of the process.

More than half the positions I applied for garnered nary a response, not even a “we have received your résumé and will be contacting you soon” notice. It comes across as lazy, unprofessional and a poor way to present yourself to potential hires.

A cold process

As already stated, most of the time your first impression is going to be made on someone who knows little to nothing about golf, or on a computer that decides how well you fill out an online form or generic personality test. This also explains the lack of attention that certification might bring, in that the first person to see your résumé probably isn’t up on the industry acronyms.

The impersonal aspects of the process can get in the way, especially with larger facilities and management companies. I’m sure it’s time-consuming to sift through dozens of résumés and read every line, so why not have an algorithm sort them out? Well, all I can say is, good luck. This leads to my last point:

Seek help!

Get professional career advice, have your résumé reviewed and know your audience.

In December 2022, I reached out to Erin Wolfram via the GCSAA website for advice and a résumé review. I did have a peer-reviewed résumé, but I was running out of patience and wanted a fresh perspective. She helped me realize my résumé was good, but it wasn’t perfect. After a few minor tweaks and repositioning of career highlights, three offers came in within my next few applications. Was it the result of Erin’s guidance? I can’t be 100 percent sure, but all signs point to “yes.”

Here are a few final tips:

• Apply for every job that appeals to your curiosity, whether you are under- or over-qualified.
• Prepare answers for general questions that will be asked of you, including:
  • What is your leadership style?
  • Describe a challenge you overcame.
  • Explain your approach to difficult customers or employees. Ask a career advisor for more examples, as this is where most interviews begin.
  • Every interview is a chance to better yourself. Some won’t go very well and some will go better than you think. It’s important to be honest and to be yourself – that is what will ultimately determine your success.
  • Every interview is also a chance to expand your network. My address book is much larger now, and I have made contacts that I’m certain will help me in the future.
  • If you’re relocating for a position, do research on the housing market. I was asked in more than one interview if I had seen the housing prices in the area, as companies are starting to get burned by new hires who leave because of a lack of affordable housing.
  • You don’t have to accept an offer. If you are in a fortunate position to wait it out, don’t be afraid to counter, or simply say, “thanks, but no thanks." If you’re already thinking of your next job after this one, it’s probably not for you.
  • In the end, it was my communication skills, leadership qualities and authenticity that won me the job offers. How do I know? I asked!

  There we have it, a totally subjective, arduous, exhaustive, soul-crushing … and ultimately rewarding search for a job. An unconventional route? Sure. I wouldn’t know any other way to do it.

  Why share this story? Because others have shared with me and that’s where the good stuff is. It’s the personal interactions and everyday connections with our co-workers and colleagues that really shape and define leaders in our industry. Is the golf maintenance industry perfect? Far from it. But it’s improving, and there’s plenty of room for everyone and anyone to step into the fray of making a career in golf course maintenance.

  Greg Brandriet is a 14-year member of the GCSAA who currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, via Spearfish, South Dakota. He and his wife, Cori, have two boys, ages 7 and 10. He currently serves as a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador and on the GCSAA Government Affairs Committee.