What does it mean to be a golf course superintendent?

Golf course businesses can be summed up as follows:

• Golfers say the No. 1 criteria for playing one golf course over another is playing conditions.
• Research shows 65 percent of people take their business elsewhere after one poor experience.

If that doesn’t cement the importance of golf course superintendents, what does?

Indeed, high-quality superintendents must possess technical skills combining art and science. Perhaps the most important competency, though, is that of purpose and passion.

As Thank A Superintendent Day nears — mark your calendar for September 12 — Landscapes Golf Management asked some of its corps of field generals two key questions. These are their responses.

Josh Budds, River Run Country Club, Davidson, North Carolina

What does it mean to be a golf course superintendent? Waking up each day doing what I love, collaborating and coming together as a crew to create a strong team environment, and providing personalized experiences for members and guests.

What does golf mean to you? Nostalgia. It is a game I grew up playing with family and friends that allows me to combine my passion with my career. It’s about constantly learning, improving, and adapting to be a better version of oneself.

Peter Danaher, Lexington Golf and Country Club, Lexington, Virginia

What does it mean to be a golf course superintendent? It provides me with a platform to be innovative, solve problems, and develop new practices. As a person who thrives on changing environments and problem solving, I’m able to be the best version of myself on the golf course. It also allows me to mentor and coach team members — not only through our daily work, but as they navigate life — and provide them with a stable job where they can learn and grow.

What does golf mean to you? Golf is a great sport that teaches dedication, hard work, ethics, and personal responsibility. It’s the only sport that is self-governed and where a person’s ethics matter. Growing the game of golf is important for developing America’s youth.

Andrew LeBlanc, The Short Course at Mountain Shadows, Scottsdale, Arizona

What does it mean to be a golf course superintendent? It is a great honor to call myself a golf course superintendent. To be the leader of a group of individuals able to produce a product and atmosphere that people enjoy daily means the world to me.

What does golf mean to you? Time well-spent with friends and family. Golf can be frustrating and euphoric all within the same golf hole. Most of all, golf is an opportunity to provide for my family.