Every January, the coaching carousel starts to spin.

As a diehard Penn State fan and State College native, I watched it up close this year. The speculation. The rumors. The waiting. And then—the recruits started decommitting.

That’s when the real frustration set in.

The search dragged on longer than anyone expected. Every day without a decision was another day of uncertainty. Fans were restless. The message boards were on fire. And while the committee deliberated, the program was losing ground in real-time.

When Matt Campbell was finally announced, the reaction was mixed but pragmatic. Relief that direction was restored. Frustration that it took so long. Most of the negativity wasn’t aimed at Campbell—it was aimed at the process.

Here’s the thing: the hire was credible. Stabilizing. It stopped the bleeding and restored credibility.

But the damage from the search itself? That had already been done.

And that’s when it hit me: this is exactly what happens at private clubs.

Every year, clubs enter their own version of “search season.” A superintendent leaves—or is pushed out—and suddenly the GM, the board, and the green chair are scrambling. Opinions fly. Timelines slip. And while the search committee debates what they’re looking for, the best candidates move on to other opportunities.

Sound familiar?

Because just like college programs, clubs don’t rise and fall on facilities alone. They rise and fall on leadership.

One thing is clear:

The clubs that win aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the flashiest job postings. They’re the ones who get aligned—before the search even starts.

Here are the four critical areas where alignment matters most.

1. Expectations

Most clubs don’t have an expectations problem. They have a comparison problem.

Here’s what I see all the time: A board member plays a member-guest at a top-tier club, comes home, and asks why their course doesn’t look like that. The green chair agrees. The complaints pile up. And the superintendent is left defending conditions against a standard that was never realistic in the first place.

Here’s the hard truth: You can’t judge your course against a club you visited once. You need to judge it against your true peers—clubs with similar budgets, similar member demographics, and similar regional challenges.

Before you start a search, get aligned on this question: Who are we actually competing with?

If your expectations don’t match your budget and your market, no hire – no matter how talented – will ever feel like enough.

2. Budget

I see this constantly: A $5M club offers compensation expecting to attract candidates from $8M operations – and wonders why the search stalls.

The math doesn’t lie. Your compensation signals the caliber of candidate you’ll attract. If your pay doesn’t match your expectations, you’ll end up hiring someone from a different demographic—someone who may be talented but is in over their head at your level of operation.

And the consequences show up fast: a constant learning curve, performance gaps, and the same search conversation happening again in 18-24 months.

Before you post the job, ask this question: Does our compensation match the club we say we want to be?

If you’re expecting top-tier results on a mid-tier budget, you’re not running a search. You’re setting up your next superintendent to fail.

3. Culture

Skills get someone hired. Culture determines whether they last.

I’ve seen technically excellent superintendents flame out because they weren’t prepared for the environment they walked into. They stayed in the shop when the club expected them on the course. They waited to be asked instead of proactively updating the GM. They’d never navigated committee politics—and it showed in their first board meeting.

Here’s the problem: candidates don’t know what they don’t know. A superintendent coming from a smaller operation may have never presented a capital plan, never managed green committee expectations, never been the face of agronomy to a demanding membership.

That’s not a character flaw. It’s an exposure gap. And it’s the club’s job to identify it before the hire – not after.

Before you start the search, get aligned on this question: What does leadership look like at OUR club?

Do you need a communicator or a technician? A visible presence or a behind-the-scenes operator? Someone who can manage up—or someone who just needs to manage turf?

If you don’t define culture fit before the search, you’ll discover the mismatch after it’s too late.

4. Gaps

Every club has gaps. The question is whether you’re honest about them before the search – or whether your new superintendent discovers them on day one.

I’ve seen it too many times: A superintendent arrives, walks the property, and realizes the irrigation system is 20 years old, the equipment fleet is held together with duct tape, and the maintenance facility hasn’t been updated since the Clinton administration. The job they accepted isn’t the job they got.

And here’s what happens next: Capital requests that blindside the board. Agronomic issues that take years to correct. A superintendent who burns out trying to meet expectations with infrastructure that can’t support them. Turnover in 24 months – and another search.

The hard truth? Clubs often don’t realize the level of inputs they’ll need to put in before they can expect outputs.

Before you start the search, get brutally honest about this question: What are we actually handing the next superintendent?

Deferred maintenance. Staffing shortfalls. Aging equipment. Irrigation headaches. If you don’t name the gaps upfront, you’re not hiring a superintendent—you’re hiring a scapegoat.

The Bottom Line

The Matt Campbell hire worked—not because he was the flashiest name, but because he was the right fit. Credible. Stabilizing. A foundation to rebuild on.

Your next superintendent hire can work the same way. But only if you do the work before the search starts.

Get aligned on expectations. Make sure your budget matches your ambitions. Define what leadership looks like at your club. And be honest about the gaps you’re handing over.

The clubs that win searches aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the most prestigious names. They’re the ones who know exactly what they’re looking for—and why.

Search season is here. The question is: Are you ready for it?

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

Millennials and Gen Z now make up the majority of the workforce at clubs and golf facilities—and they’re reshaping what “a good job” looks like. Our latest national research confirms what many leaders feel on the ground: flexibility, growth, and belonging are no longer perks; they’re baseline expectations that drive both attraction and retention.

Across roles—from shop attendant to superintendent to GM—flexibility has moved from “nice to have” to “must have.” Both generations value control over when and how they work, and Gen Z is notably more likely to leave if they lack control over their schedule or can’t continue their education. If you’re rigid with shifts or slow to accommodate school, caregiving, or commute realities, you’ll hemorrhage promising talent.

Pay matters (more on that below), but culture keeps them. A disrespectful manager is the #1 reason people leave after the first 90 days—an expensive hit to morale and operations. Train managers on communication, coaching, and accountability; your first-line leaders are your retention engine.

Gen Z and Millennials rank an annual salary increase among their top motivators to apply or accept a job. Combine that with transparent pay bands, bonus opportunities tied to outcomes, and early eligibility for benefits (health insurance and PTO) to reduce first-year turnover. Consider the signal value of pay progression: it proves your club offers a career, not just a seasonal role.

What wins? A visible training pathway that leads to certifications, advancement, and more responsibility. Gen Z in particular wants soft-skills development (communication, leadership, customer service) alongside technical training. Map the first 24 months for each role: onboarding, milestones, certifications, and pay steps. Make the path real, time-bound, and celebrated.

You don’t need to boil the ocean—just align with what these cohorts value most:

• Transparent compensation – performance-based incentives + pay progression
  
• Flexible scheduling (swaps, compressed weeks, exam weeks)
  
• Education support (tuition or certification reimbursement; study time during slower periods)
  
• Well-being (access to mental-health resources)
  
• Childcare support where feasible (stipends, partnerships)
  These targeted benefits punch above their cost because they speak to real life, not optics.

A majority of workers believe most golf roles don’t require a college degree, and 60% see golf as a stable career—yet outdated perceptions (seasonal, limited growth) still suppress interest. 

Five quick wins for clubs this season

1. Post pay ranges and pathways on every job ad.
   
2. Pilot flex: offer two alternative shift patterns in at least one department.
   
3. Manager micro-training: 30-minute monthly sessions on feedback and recognition.
   
4. Education credits: small, fast-tracked reimbursements for relevant courses or licenses.
   
5. On-ramp mentorship: pair every new hire with a peer mentor for the first 60 days.

These moves directly address what Millennials and Gen Z value—and they’re feasible at any club size.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

Competition for top talent is fierce. Compensation and benefits will always be factors, but the clubs that consistently win in recruitment understand something deeper: culture is the true differentiator. When candidates evaluate opportunities, they’re not just looking for a paycheck—they’re looking for alignment with values, lifestyle, and purpose.

Embedding your club’s culture into every step of the recruitment journey, from the moment a job is posted to the first day on the job, ensures not only stronger hires but also longer-term retention. Here’s how clubs can make culture a cornerstone of their search process.

A job description should be more than a list of duties—it should be a reflection of your club’s identity. Too often, clubs copy-paste generic postings that fail to capture what makes their culture distinct.

Instead, think of the job post as the first impression of your brand. Highlight not only the responsibilities but also the values and traditions of your club. What does “member experience” mean at your club? How does the staff collaborate and celebrate successes? What kind of professional thrives in your environment?

For example, rather than simply saying, “We are seeking a Director of Agronomy who will oversee all golf operations,” consider, “We are seeking a Director of Agronomy who shares our passion for creating memorable moments, values a collaborative team culture, and thrives in an environment where innovation and tradition are both celebrated.”

When candidates see themselves reflected in your story, you’ve already begun building cultural alignment.

Interviews are not just for assessing skills—they are opportunities to showcase your club’s personality. Every interaction, from the tone of your emails to the professionalism of the scheduling process, communicates what it’s like to work at your club.

Go beyond standard questions. Ask candidates about how they’ve embraced organizational culture in the past, how they’ve built teams, or how they’ve navigated challenges while staying true to values. Encourage conversations about your club’s mission and long-term vision.

Equally important, let candidates see your culture firsthand. A tour of the facilities, a brief introduction to key staff, or even observing member interactions can paint a vivid picture. Candidates often remember how a club “felt” more than what was said in the interview room.

Many clubs invest significant energy into recruiting but miss a crucial step: reinforcing culture during onboarding. The first 90 days are where new hires decide whether they truly belong.

Clubs can set the tone by creating an intentional onboarding program that introduces not just operations but also people and traditions. Schedule coffee chats with department heads, provide a cultural “playbook” that outlines core values, and share stories about how those values are lived out day-to-day.

Consider pairing new hires with cultural ambassadors—seasoned staff members who exemplify the club’s values and can model expectations. This personal touch builds trust and accelerates integration.

When culture is embedded throughout the recruitment journey, clubs see measurable results: lower turnover, higher employee engagement, and stronger alignment between staff and membership expectations.

It’s no longer enough to hire for technical expertise alone. Private clubs thrive when leaders and staff embody the values that make their club unique. Candidates who feel connected to the culture from the start are more likely to stay, grow, and contribute to a positive workplace environment.

The recruitment process is not a transactional exchange—it’s the beginning of a relationship. By weaving culture into every step, from job posting to first-day onboarding, private clubs can position themselves as employers of choice in a competitive landscape.

At Bloom Golf Partners, we believe the best recruitment outcomes happen when culture and strategy align. The right candidate isn’t just qualified on paper—they are the person who fits seamlessly into the story your club is telling.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

Every club talks about raising the bar. Few talk about raising the floor.

That difference defines whether an operation is chasing greatness or sustaining it.

At Bloom Golf Partners, we’ve seen this across hundreds of clubs: the ones that achieve long-term excellence aren’t just defined by talent or budget — they’re defined by consistency. 

Their floor is higher than most clubs’ ceiling.

The best superintendents don’t just chase high standards—they redefine what “average” looks like. That’s what it means to raise your floor.

In most clubs, everyone talks about the ceiling. The ceiling is the pursuit of perfection: lightning-fast greens, flawless bunker sand, new equipment, or that next major renovation. 

But the true difference-makers focus first on the floor—the baseline level of performance they will never dip below. They build systems, people, and habits that ensure operational excellence even on the toughest days, when weather, labor, or budgets aren’t cooperating.

The best leaders in agronomy start by asking harder questions. 

What is our true minimum standard, and are we living it every day? 

What distractions or legacy habits are pulling us below it? 

What needs to stop—not what needs to be added—to simplify our operation and deliver more consistently?

When a superintendent raises their floor, firefighting turns into foresight. They move from reacting to conditions to proactively shaping them. They stop accepting mediocrity disguised as “seasonal challenges.” They create a department that runs above standard regardless of external pressures.

Great superintendents have learned that clarity beats activity. They don’t equate being busy with being effective. They strip away everything that doesn’t connect directly to course conditioning, playability, and people development. The weekly meeting agendas get shorter, not longer. Reporting gets smarter, not thicker. Every initiative ties back to one of three outcomes—better turf, better people, or better experiences.

This kind of simplification isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing the right things more often. Fewer moving parts, tighter systems, and cleaner communication create a rhythm of predictability. That rhythm, repeated over time, compounds into excellence.

Too many superintendents try to raise their ceiling by rebuilding when they just need to sharpen the blade. Raising your floor is about precision, not overhaul.

The most elite superintendents don’t think about the future as something far off—they operate from it. They define exactly what success looks like three years out and begin making every decision through that lens today. They plan their budgets, staffing models, and infrastructure improvements not as isolated line items, but as pieces of a larger, strategic vision. They know that if they wait to plan for the future, they’ll always be catching up to it.

That future-first mindset reshapes how they communicate. When the superintendent operates from the future, their Green Chair and General Manager begin thinking that way too. Budget conversations become less about justification and more about investment. The relationship evolves from “maintenance” to “stewardship.”

But raising the floor doesn’t come from one person—it’s cultural. The best superintendents multiply leadership. They give their assistants, equipment managers, and foremen real authority within clear boundaries. They coach instead of control. They set expectations but give freedom in how those outcomes are achieved. A raised floor happens when every team member knows their role, feels trusted, and is held accountable to the same standards of excellence.

This is also where measurement matters. Great superintendents know that what gets measured gets improved. They track labor efficiency, equipment readiness, staff development, playability metrics, and member satisfaction—not for reports, but for learning. They look for trends, not one-offs. They use data to anticipate problems instead of reacting to them.

When a superintendent raises their floor, everything in the organization changes. The conversation with the Green Committee shifts from survival to strategy. Planning becomes proactive. Budgets become living documents rather than once-a-year fire drills. The team works with purpose, not panic. 

And the membership starts to notice something deeper than conditioning—they feel the confidence, and professionalism of a world-class operation.

If you want to seriously raise your floor, reflect on these questions:

• What am I tolerating today that I wouldn’t accept in a top-tier operation?
• If my operation ran at 80 percent efficiency without me for two weeks, what would break first?
• What can I stop doing that doesn’t move the needle on conditioning, playability, or people?

Our work with clubs, committees, and superintendents is centered around creating alignment, clarity, and leadership systems that produce lasting performance — both on the course and in the culture.

If you are ready to raise your floor, let’s start the conversation.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

Every great club has an impossible goal. 

It might be achieving championship-level conditioning, rebuilding a maintenance culture, retaining top-tier agronomic talent, or completing a major renovation without losing momentum. 

Whatever the vision, the truth is that most clubs aren’t actually solving their impossible goal—they’re solving smaller, safer, short-term versions of it.

The difference between good clubs and great ones is how they think about the future. 

The most successful boards and Green Committees we have worked with don’t work toward the future; they operate from it. They don’t talk about “someday” or “in five years.” 

They define exactly what “great” looks like within a clear, near-term horizon—usually three years—and start making decisions through that lens today.

When a goal is too far away, it feels abstract. People start optimizing for maintenance, not mastery. 

But when the timeline tightens, clarity emerges. Questions sharpen. Priorities simplify. 

The conversation shifts from “how do we get through this season?” to “what does it take to become one of the top operations in the region by 2028?” That shift changes everything.

Most maintenance departments aren’t broken—they’re bloated. Over time, layers of programs, reports, and subcommittees pile up. 

Once that focus is set, everything — from capital projects to staffing to communication — aligns behind it.

The superintendent spends more time explaining the budget than developing their team. 

The communication loop between board and maintenance becomes reactive instead of strategic. 

Simplification is not about lowering standards; it’s about aligning people, processes, and resources around what truly matters: playability, consistency, and experience. When a club removes unnecessary complexity, performance accelerates.

Another reason clubs struggle to scale their results is a lack of clear focus. Many try to be everything at once—tournament-quality greens and low-cost operations, sustainability accolades and high-heat bentgrass perfection. It’s not realistic. 

The best Green Chairs and boards help their superintendent define what the course stands for. What is your agronomic identity? What are members really buying with their dues? When that focus is clear, every project, hire, and decision aligns. Without it, every meeting becomes a debate.

Clubs that solve big goals don’t do it linearly; they find leverage. They think in terms of pathways and partnerships. They look for opportunities that multiply progress—technology that reduces waste, university relationships that produce interns and research support, consultants who align agronomy and leadership, or industry partners who bring scale and insight. 

The key question becomes, “What relationships or systems could make our goal inevitable?”

Every club also has strategic partners or allies. These are the individuals or partners who create exponential results. It could be a superintendent with vision, an assistant ready to step up, a trusted vendor who sees opportunities others miss, or a committee member who builds alignment instead of friction. 

Great leaders identify these people early and give them room to lead. The best committees don’t run agronomy—they resource and amplify it.

The most forward-thinking boards act as if the future has already arrived. They ask, “If our course were already operating at the level we aspire to, what would be true? How would our superintendent communicate? How would we measure success? How would members experience the product?” Then they behave accordingly. You can’t lead the future from the past.

That mindset is why high-performing clubs don’t wait for annual reviews to assess progress—they solve monthly. They meet with their superintendent not just to review tasks, but to evaluate alignment: Are we closer to the three-year goal? What progress did we make this month? What’s obsolete? What partnership, system, or decision could make next month’s progress faster? Over time, this rhythm compounds clarity.

Great clubs aren’t lucky; they’re deliberate. They simplify. They align. They empower. 

They solve their impossible goals not through bigger budgets or louder debates, but through cleaner models and bolder thinking. 

The superintendent becomes the CEO of the club’s largest physical asset, and the Green Chair becomes their strategic partner in shaping what’s next.

Your course already has championship potential. It’s not about adding more—it’s about thinking bigger and simpler at the same time. 

The clubs that reach their impossible goals are the ones that stop reacting to the present and start operating from the future.

Here are three simple reflection questions to ask:

• Current State: What is the current state of your club? Identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Future State: What does “great” look like for your club in three years? Define key attributes (e.g., member satisfaction, financial stability, staff retention).
• Vision Statement: Craft a concise statement summarizing the future state vision.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

I was genuinely stunned when a committee member unapologetically stated they didn’t believe an executive leader should need coaching-‘that’s why we’re paying them premium dollars,’ they said. 

The comment revealed a common but deeply flawed perception: that the very people entrusted with leading organizations at the highest level somehow arrive fully equipped, immune to blind spots, and without need for growth. 

In reality, executive leadership comes with immense complexity, isolation, and pressure. The best leaders in the world-those who sustain peak performance—understand that coaching is not a sign of weakness but a strategic investment in staying sharp, adaptable, and effective. To dismiss coaching is to ignore the truth that leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about continuously evolving in order to inspire and deliver at the highest level.

Let’s be honest: we’re setting up leadership positions in the golf and private club industry to struggle. We expect them to operate at elite levels—managing multi-million dollar facilities, navigating member politics, building strong teams—but we give them little to no structured leadership development, coaching, or succession planning.

It’s like handing someone the keys to a Ferrari and telling them to win a race without ever giving them driving lessons.

Here’s what I see over and over again: an assistant superintendent grinds for years, finally gets a shot at the top job, and then… nothing. No mentorship. No structured development. No one helps them build the leadership tools they actually need to succeed at that level.

Same thing with General Managers. They get promoted after showing promise or because someone left unexpectedly. They step into a pressure cooker—balancing board expectations, staff issues, capital planning, agronomics, and guest experience—with zero support system around leadership.

And the kicker? Everyone just assumes they’ll figure it out.

Leadership doesn’t just happen because someone gave you a title. It’s a skill set that needs to be developed-just like agronomy, finance, or golf course architecture.

I work with some of the best up-and-coming and veteran Superintendents and GMs across the country. And you know what makes the biggest difference in their growth?

Coaching.

It’s not a luxury. It’s not a “nice to have.” It’s the missing link between good and great. Between reactive and strategic. Between turnover and retention.

Look around-top athletes, CEOs, even elite chefs-they all have coaches. Someone to challenge them, offer perspective, and help them navigate the blind spots that come with leadership.

So why is our industry so far behind on this?

We’ve built this “figure it out” culture in golf. It’s old-school, and honestly, it’s burning people out.

We need to stop pretending leadership development is something you pick up through osmosis or by staying in the job long enough. That mindset is outdated, and it’s costing clubs real money-through mistakes, staff turnover, and missed opportunities.

If you’re a GM or Superintendent, ask yourself: who’s helping you get better? Who’s in your corner, pushing you to think bigger, see farther, and lead stronger?

If you don’t have an answer, that’s a red flag.

Another issue? There’s almost no succession planning in most clubs.

If your Superintendent, Director of Golf, CFO or GM left tomorrow, do you know who’s stepping in? Is that person ready? Have they been coached, mentored, or exposed to leadership responsibilities?

In most cases, the answer is no. We scramble. We throw out job postings. We hope someone with the right title applies. And that’s when mistakes get made.

We need to start thinking long-term—building the bench, giving high-potential staff leadership reps, and investing in the next wave of club leaders before we need them.

It’s not fluff. It’s not corporate jargon. It’s about giving talented people the tools they need to win-without burning out or plateauing.

If you want elite performance at your club, you need elite development systems in place. It’s that simple.

If you’re in a leadership role at a club—Board Member, GM, Director of Grounds-take a hard look at your people strategy. Are you coaching your top leaders? Are you grooming your next ones? Or are you just hoping they figure it out?

Hope is not a plan.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

By Meredith Otero, Director of Marketing, Bloom Golf Partners

For decades, conversations around women in the golf industry have centered on the idea of “breaking the glass ceiling.” It’s a powerful image, but it also implies that success is rare, that women must push through something invisible yet impenetrable to make it to the top.

The truth is, most women in golf aren’t trying to shatter anything. They’re trying to build something: better systems, stronger teams, and more inclusive workplaces. The real opportunity for progress lies not only in putting women in the highest roles but in building a more supportive foundation at every level of the industry.

Where My Story Started

When I graduated college, I didn’t have a clear career plan ahead of me. My first “real” job was at the front desk of a private golf club — answering phones, greeting members, and soaking up everything I could about an industry I barely knew.

Within a few months, I was hooked. Golf wasn’t just a game; it was a community, and I loved being part of the engine that made that community run. I was fortunate to work alongside an incredible mentor early on, an extremely intelligent, driven woman with deep roots across several sectors of the golf industry, and someone who saw potential in me long before I saw it in myself.

With her guidance, I moved into membership and communications, learning that every interaction, including every event, every conversation, and every follow-up, could strengthen or weaken a member’s sense of belonging. Those lessons gave me the confidence to step into two Director roles over the next eight years, first in Membership Sales, then in Marketing, Communications, and Event Planning, positions I never would’ve envisioned for myself when I first sat behind that front desk.

Eventually, I took a step back to start a family, but that decision didn’t pull me out of the industry. It redirected me toward the work I do now: helping clubs and professionals build stronger systems, better communication, and more intentional cultures through the services Bloom Golf Partners has to offer.

What I’ve Learned Along the Way

Looking back, what stands out most isn’t the ceiling I had to break through, it’s the foundation that was built underneath me. A supportive mentor. Leaders who listened. A culture that valued ideas over titles. That’s what made advancement possible, and it’s the kind of support so many women in golf still hope to find in their corner.

When we talk about “women in leadership,” we often spotlight the outliers: the first female superintendent, the first woman GM, the one who made it through. But progress doesn’t only happen at the top. It happens in the middle – in the quiet spaces where women are building skills, growing confidence, and influencing culture every day.

The middle is where clubs are made stronger. It’s where women develop the operational insight, communication skills, and emotional intelligence that shape the member experience.

What We Heard in the Women in Golf Series

Through our Leadership on the Links Women in Golf podcast series at Bloom Golf Partners, we’ve had the privilege of hearing dozens of women share their stories, from those just starting out to those leading at the highest levels of the industry. Despite their different paths, a common thread emerged: almost no one “planned” their way into golf.

Many fell into it by accident, whether it was a summer job, an internship, or a mentor who saw potential they hadn’t considered. That alone points to the challenge: for too long, golf hasn’t presented itself as a visible or viable career path for women. The path exists, but it’s narrow, unclear, and often discovered by chance.

If the industry wants to attract and retain more women, we can’t just focus on helping them rise, we have to make it easier to start. That means better visibility into golf careers early on, from marketing and HR to agronomy and operations, and investing in mentorship and sponsorship programs that provide guidance and advocacy at every level.

Building Better Foundations

The clubs that are thriving today aren’t waiting for ceilings to break. They’re intentionally building better foundations, creating environments where women see long-term careers, not just short-term jobs. They’re rethinking hiring practices, reviewing pay equity, and celebrating contributions across departments, not just from the GM’s chair.

Every club has a choice: build a culture where talent must fight to be seen, or one where potential is cultivated early and often.

Looking Forward

If you had told me 15 years ago that a front desk job would lead me to a career in golf, I probably would’ve laughed. But that’s the beauty of this industry… the people who stay, stay because they care deeply about what they’re building.

For me, it’s no longer about breaking through. It’s about helping others see what’s possible when the foundation is strong, when we create space for more women to grow, lead, and thrive in golf careers they didn’t even know existed.

Because when that happens, it’s not just the ceiling that shifts, it’s the entire structure of the industry.

Book a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how leading clubs are aligning culture with strategy—and see how your operations can get there too.

From the team at Bloom Golf Partners

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About the Author

Meredith Otero leads the strategic marketing efforts for Bloom Golf Partners, as well as, providing marketing support for golf and country clubs and industry professionals to strengthen their brand, culture, and communication strategies. With over a decade of experience in membership, marketing, and operations, Meredith brings a deep understanding of what drives engagement inside the walls of a club, and what connects people to the game beyond them.

Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

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Walk into most club boardrooms today and you’ll hear some version of the same refrain: “Why is the maintenance budget going up again?”

The truth is, golf course maintenance budgets aren’t “going up” so much as they’re catching up. They’re adjusting to the market realities that every superintendent and club leader faces: higher wages, increased input costs, and infrastructure that demands more—not less—attention.

This isn’t a matter of indulgence. It’s a matter of survival.

According to the GCSAA’s 2024 Maintenance Budget Survey, labor costs have risen 17% since 2022. That jump is staggering when you consider that labor already makes up 55–60% of most golf course maintenance budgets.

Think about it this way: if your course spent $2.5 million in 2022, that same level of staffing and service now costs closer to $2.9 million in 2024. And that’s without hiring additional staff or upgrading your service standards.

Why? Because the market for entry-level workers has shifted. Jobs that once paid $12 an hour now demand $18–20 an hour in many markets. Superintendents aren’t inflating wages—they’re competing with construction, landscaping, and even fast-food employers who pay more for less demanding work.

It’s not just labor. Fertilizer, fuel, parts, and pesticides have each seen 20–40% cost increases since 2020. Supply chain volatility hasn’t gone away, either. Clubs that hesitate to adjust now face a double hit: higher unit costs and unpredictable availability when demand peaks.

Even capital projects—like new irrigation systems or drainage upgrades—often lead to higher operating costs, not less. Sophisticated infrastructure requires specialized maintenance and higher-skilled labor. 

Each of these cycles runs on its own clock, but together they create a constant baseline of capital pressure. Pretending they don’t exist doesn’t change the timelines—only the cost of addressing them.  Here are some common issues we have seen in our recruitment and business consulting projects:

• Deferred bunker rebuilds mean more hand-raking, more washouts, and more complaints.
• Aging greens demand more inputs just to maintain baseline conditions.
• Old irrigation systems don’t just fail—they waste water, energy, and staff time.
• Deteriorating cart paths causing more cart traffic to turf 

The biggest mistake boards and general managers make is treating course maintenance as a fixed cost line item. It’s not. It’s a dynamic operating budget that flexes with:

• Regional labor markets
• Agronomic input costs
• Infrastructure lifecycles (greens, tees, fairways, bunkers, irrigation, drainage, and equipment)
• Member expectations for course quality

Instead of thinking about these as “budget increases,” boards should frame them as market adjustments. Every business adjusts to market forces—clubs aren’t exempt.

Failing to make these adjustments isn’t neutral. It leads to deferred maintenance that becomes more expensive capital work down the road.  Declining playability, which members notice immediately.

If you’re seeing annual maintenance costs spike, part of the reason is your infrastructure has aged past its efficient lifecycle.

Not surprisingly, these increased operational pressures put a strain on staff, as workers leave for better-paying, less demanding jobs. Peer clubs keep pace with market rates and your course falls behind.

Clubs should stop asking, “Why are we spending more?” and start asking, “How do we stay competitive in today’s market?”

Superintendents and GMs can help by shifting the framing:

• Replace “budget increase” with “market adjustment.”
• Benchmark against peers using GCSAA and regional data.
• Link investment directly to member experience: faster greens, healthier turf, more reliable playability.

The golf course is your club’s most visible and valuable asset. Treating its maintenance as a static cost center ignores the economic reality of today’s labor and supply markets.

Adjusting isn’t optional. It’s strategic. It’s how you ensure your course remains playable, competitive, and aligned with member expectations.

The question isn’t whether budgets should rise—it’s whether your club is willing to make the market adjustments required to protect the experience your members demand.

Ready to align your maintenance budget with market realities? Bloom Golf Partners helps clubs build smarter budgets, optimize staffing, and make strategic investments that protect course quality and member satisfaction.

Sign up for a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how to take your operations to the next level.

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About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the leading expert on workforce development in the golf and private club industry. He has worked with hundreds of leading golf and private clubs in the United States including The PGA of America, Top 100 golf courses, public, municipal to professional sports teams, universities, and national historic landmarks.

As a talent management and consultation executive, he leverages deep relationships locally, regionally, and nationally to help businesses secure and develop premier talent.

His insights have been featured by Golf Digest, USGA, Boardroom Magazine, Club+Resorts, GCSAA, SFMA, PGA of America, CMAA, and British International Greenskeepers Association.

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Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

Book a Talent Strategy Call

As featured in Golf Course Industry Magazine

Let’s talk about a phrase I hear way too often in the golf and private club world: “People should just be grateful to work here.”

Every time I hear that, I cringe.

It’s a dangerous mindset. One that’s rooted in entitlement, out of touch with today’s workforce and almost guaranteed to drive your best people, especially young talent, straight out the door.

For decades, golf maintenance and club operations have run on this unspoken rule: if you work hard, keep your head down and put in your time, you’ll move up. Eventually. That system worked when career paths were linear, opportunities were limited and loyalty was a given.

Here’s the truth: people aren’t grateful to “just” have a job anymore. They want to be part of something bigger. They want growth, purpose and the ability to make an impact. Gratitude flows when leadership invests in people, not when they are guilted into silence or obedience.

The game has changed.

Today’s workforce, especially younger professionals, has options. They can take their skills to sports fields, landscaping, construction, tech, or go completely outside the industry. They won’t wait 10 years for a promotion that might never come. They won’t sacrifice their health or family for an employer who thinks a paycheck should be thanks enough.

Clubs that cling to the old “be grateful” mentality are setting themselves up for turnover, staffing shortages and reputational damage. The ones that will thrive? Those that flip the script — showing employees why working here is worth it, not assuming gratitude will come automatically.

They’re not chasing jobs just for the paycheck. They want growth. They want purpose. They want mentorship. And they want to feel like they’re part of something that matters.

If your only pitch is “you should be lucky to work here,” don’t be shocked when your best assistant takes another job, or leaves the industry entirely.

Let’s get real: no one is loyal to a job just because it exists. Especially not in 2025, when opportunities are everywhere and the labor market is more competitive than ever. Gen Z, millennials and even mid-career switchers are showing up with a different mindset, and it’s not about being entitled. It’s about being intentional.

Loyalty is earned through leadership, development and a culture that makes people feel valued. If you’re not offering a clear path for growth, not giving feedback, not showing appreciation, and not helping people understand why their work matters, you’re going to lose them. Full stop. And no, the “old school” way isn’t coming back. People aren’t staying 20 years in one place just because that’s what their parents did.

Here’s what top young talent actually wants:

• Growth: A path forward. What skills will I develop here? Will I be more valuable a year from now?
• Impact: Am I doing something that matters? Or am I just filling a spot?
• Mentorship: Is someone investing in me? Do I have a leader who’s willing to teach, guide and challenge me?
• Flexibility: Not just in hours, but in mindset. Are we open to new ideas, new tools, new ways of doing things?

None of that means they’re lazy. It means they have options and they’re choosing the environments that meet them halfway.

If you want talent to stay, you have to give them a reason beyond money. Pay matters. But it’s not enough.

You want to retain and attract top people? You need to build an environment that feeds their professional growth. That doesn’t mean coddling. It means coaching. That means giving regular feedback. Helping them set goals. Asking about their career aspirations. Giving them a seat at the table on projects not just a shovel and a clipboard.

We’ve helped dozens of clubs build retention strategies that actually work. Not gimmicks. Not pizza parties. Real career development, leadership coaching and structured talent pipelines.

And here’s the thing: it works. When people feel seen, heard and supported, they stay. They give you more. They develop faster. They become your next wave of leadership.

If you’re still clinging to the idea that “they should just be grateful to be here,” take a step back and ask yourself: Would you stay in a job where no one invested in you? Where leadership assumes your loyalty without earning it? Where you’re expected to grind for years without clarity or growth?

You wouldn’t. And neither will they.

The next generation of club professionals isn’t looking for handouts. They’re looking for leaders. And the clubs that win in the next five to 10 years will be the ones that stop blaming “kids these days” and start building environments where talent wants to grow.

Gratitude goes both ways. If you want it from your team, you better be giving them something to believe in.

Looking for new and innovative ways to enhance leadership within your team? Sign up for a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how to take your operations to the next level.

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About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the leading expert on workforce development in the golf and private club industry. He has worked with hundreds of leading golf and private clubs in the United States including The PGA of America, Top 100 golf courses, public, municipal to professional sports teams, universities, and national historic landmarks.

As a talent management and consultation executive, he leverages deep relationships locally, regionally, and nationally to help businesses secure and develop premier talent.

His insights have been featured by Golf Digest, USGA, Boardroom Magazine, Club+Resorts, GCSAA, SFMA, PGA of America, CMAA, and British International Greenskeepers Association.

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Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

Book a Talent Strategy Call

For decades, “promote from within” has been celebrated as a hallmark of strong company culture. It shows loyalty. It rewards tenure. It signals to employees that there’s room to grow.

Working Americans are most interested in a training pathway that results in advancement, certifications, and promotions according to our 2025 Workforce Trends in Golf Study.

On the surface, it feels like a win-win. But beneath that shiny surface, this “best practice” often backfires—and it’s quietly killing teams.

When organizations promote from within without preparing employees for leadership, what they’re really doing is:

• Promoting technicians into leadership with zero training
• Rewarding tenure over capability
• Elevating people who were great at doing the job, but aren’t equipped to lead others doing it
• Creating fragile leadership pipelines built on hope, not design

And when these internal promotions fail—as they often do—the damage is bigger than a single role. You don’t just lose productivity; you burn trust, lower morale, and reinforce the myth that “nobody wants to work anymore.”

Promoting from within can be a best practice—but only if it’s paired with the right support. Without it, you’re not scaling leadership. You’re scaling dysfunction.

The difference-maker? Structured mentorship to guide new leaders. Leadership coaching to build confidence and capability. Clear performance expectations that outline what leadership success actually looks like

If it’s so costly, why do companies keep making this mistake? Because it feels:

• Safe: “They know the culture.”
• Fast: “We don’t have time to search.”
• Cheap: “We can pay them less than an external hire.”
• Easy: “We don’t have a bench, so let’s just move the next person up.”
  

But safety, speed, and savings are short-lived if the promotion derails the team.

The real consequence? Poorly prepared internal promotions carry heavy costs. 

High failure rates among new leaders. Stalled or regressed departments as teams struggle under weak guidance. Micromanagement, conflict avoidance, and burnout from unready leaders. Crushed morale (“He got promoted just because he’s been here longest?”. Attrition of top performers who no longer trust the systems

Sounds familiar, right?

What great leaders do instead isn’t abandoning internal promotions. It’s redesigning them:

• Create a Leadership Readiness Scorecard → not everyone is promotable; filter for readiness.
• Pair promotions with coaching & onboarding plans → don’t just promote, prepare.
• Build a pipeline, not a backfill list → identify and invest in future leaders early.
• Normalize external leadership hires → you’re not betraying your team by upgrading leadership.

When done right, internal promotions are powerful. When done poorly, they’re toxic.

Promoting the wrong person to the right role is worse than not hiring at all. You don’t just inherit their gaps—you scale them.

Companies don’t fail because they promote from within. They fail because they treat leadership like a reward for loyalty, instead of a responsibility that requires preparation.

The bottom line: Don’t just fill seats. Build leaders.

Looking to enhance your succession and leadership development programs? Sign up for a FREE Talent Strategy Call to learn how to take your operations to the next level.

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About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the leading expert on workforce development in the golf and private club industry. He has worked with hundreds of leading golf and private clubs in the United States including The PGA of America, Top 100 golf courses, public, municipal to professional sports teams, universities, and national historic landmarks.

As a talent management and consultation executive, he leverages deep relationships locally, regionally, and nationally to help businesses secure and develop premier talent.

His insights have been featured by Golf Digest, USGA, Boardroom Magazine, Club+Resorts, GCSAA, SFMA, PGA of America, CMAA, and British International Greenskeepers Association.

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Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

Book a Talent Strategy Call