Shifting roles

With nearly 200 years of experience, the Transit Valley Country Club crew is most easily described as overqualified. Or incredible. Efficient. Industrious. Harmonious. Productive.

Transit Valley superintendent Adam Mis has strengthened the crew by hiring several former superintendents and assistants, all based near East Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Rather than leave the industry, many people are taking a position that doesn’t have the intense responsibilities that rest with the superintendent.

Bryan Culver is an example of an experienced worker who joined the Transit Valley crew. Mentored by Don Holmberg and working in the industry since he was 15, Culver has been a general manager and held the position of superintendent for more than 22 years. Culver will do any task requested of him. Nearing retirement, Culver was “weary of leading people and dealing with club officials and committees.” He has known Mis for a long time. “You never lose the superintendent mindset,” he says. “When I see some of the day-to-day challenges, I sometimes get that old stress feeling but I find that I am still learning. I enjoy being part of the team.” Dialing back allows Culver to spend the off-season somewhere warmer and sunnier than New York.

“The staff are great and they work hard,” Mis says. “I show them what we are doing and they say, ‘OK.’ A lot of these people have known each other for years and everyone gets along. I’m very fortunate.”

It’s a testament to his leadership that when Mis took the position at Transit Valley, people started calling him, wanting to be part of the team. With all that experience, it becomes even more attractive to join the crew.

While some superintendents might feel insecure about their position with so many qualified crew members, Mis knows that his career depends on his actions. Good communication keeps everyone on the same page. Everyone is respectful of each other and the work that needs to be accomplished. The support at the club indicates how well the team is performing.

The membership at Transit Valley is growing quickly and recently voted to invest in a new irrigation system. That’s a large capital expenditure and disruptive to the course in the short term, but the vote passed by a wide margin. It’s a vote of confidence for the grounds staff, who are constantly complimented by the members. “We hired architect Mark Mungeam to lay out a master plan and we have the right staff to move swiftly and competently through a host of renovations,” Mis says.

Members are noticing. The abilities of the “overqualified” staff are parlaying into on-course improvements that are sowing dividends in membership and inspiring further investment.

“The membership and leadership at the board and greens committee level have been helpful,” Mis adds. “People love to see the improvement and they are supporting everything we do. It has just been super exciting. I can’t say enough about the people here.”

The Ploetz family would agree with the value that qualified superintendents add to the staff, even if they are “officially retired.” Gail and Don Ploetz own Concord Crest Golf Course in East Concord, New York, a small town 35 miles from Buffalo. Don helped plan and develop the course and was its original superintendent, starting with nine holes. There are now 18 holes and 14 retired people on the staff during the peak season, balanced by up to five high school and college students. As the best fit for the job — and also being his son — Trevor Ploetz was Don’s natural successor. It’s a family business, with Trevor’s wife and daughter both working, and his brother-in-law and two of Trevor’s sisters involved in varying capacities.

“We have a tremendous support system and we all have the same goal in mind,” Trevor says. His parents remind him to “never ask an employee to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.” Trevor adds, “If the crew sees you working hard, and doing even the lousy jobs, everyone can tackle the day together.”

“I like to tell everyone that I am retired,” Don says, though it is not unheard of for him to take a few employees and go and dig a ditch. The land that became Concord Crest was originally part of his family’s farm. “This will be our 22nd year,” Don adds. “We are still a developing course and it’s always been a work in progress.”

Trevor handles the daily course maintenance and no one worries about titles. Having the former superintendent around expedites problem-solving through shared course knowledge. It also bolsters the leadership, because there are more people to look up to.

The retirees work well, they enjoy it and the free golf is a bonus. Another superintendent joined the crew last year. “It has been a tremendous experience to have another superintendent, from somewhere else, to learn from, and observe, and from whom to absorb all the information that I can,” Trevor says. “He came in with many, many stories.”

Former superintendents can contribute massively with helping the operation run smoothly, but they also help with training.

“You save so much time and money with an experienced staff,” Mis says. “We are stronger across the board. When there is a new employee on property, the staff are watching to see if the new person is struggling or has a question. If necessary, an experienced employee is there in a minute and the question is answered. It doesn’t have to be me or the assistant because we have skilled people working throughout the property. The efficiency is amazing. Do I pay more for that experience? Yes, and it’s worth every dollar. We get way more done.”

There are a variety of reasons people might take a role with fewer responsibilities — to reduce stress, work fewer hours, stay connected with the industry, retire comfortably or because they need a change. Embrace the possibilities. With strong leadership, keeping experienced turf workers in turf makes this a comfortable arrangement and will strengthen the crew, regardless if anyone is officially retired. Experience supersedes titles and the results can be amazing.

Lee Carr is a Northeast Ohio-based writer and frequent Golf Course Industry contributor.