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. 

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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

Landing a leadership role at a top-tier private club is one of the most competitive—and rewarding—career achievements in our industry. Positions at an elite club don’t come open often, and when they do, the candidate pool is filled with accomplished leaders who have strong résumés, references, and reputations.

So how do you break through?

Over the past five years, our team at Bloom Golf Partners has had a front-row seat to hundreds of recruitment projects, from management training programs to executive-level searches. While every club brings unique needs, a few common lessons consistently emerge among candidates who successfully step into elite club leadership.

The phrase “who you know” is often tossed around with a cynical undertone, but in the private club world, relationships aren’t just helpful—they are essential. Unlike other industries where résumés or certifications might carry the most weight, advancement in clubs often hinges on the trust, familiarity, and visibility that come from authentic connections. A single relationship can open doors that might otherwise remain closed, offering opportunities that skill alone cannot secure.

In my recent conversation with Colin Burns, the longtime GM/COO of Winged Foot, he reflected on how his own career trajectory was shaped by this reality. Burns explained that his path was accelerated not just by technical competence, but by deliberately building awareness among key members and guests at club events. 

By showing up, engaging meaningfully, and fostering genuine rapport, he earned the credibility and sponsorship that propelled him forward. His story underscores a broader truth: in elite club leadership, success often comes as much from who knows you as from what you know.

Every guest day, invitational, or cross-club outing is a chance to make an impression. Whether you’re an assistant manager, clubhouse leader, or superintendent, treat those interactions as live auditions. A reputation for professionalism, presence, and hospitality can travel quickly across club networks—and may be the reference that gets you from résumé stack to interview shortlist.

View every outside guest as a potential board member somewhere else. Their recommendation can open doors your résumé alone might not.

Boards and search committees are increasingly sophisticated in how they vet candidates. Beyond polished résumés and prepared answers, they are looking for the person who will show up consistently—day after day, year after year. Affectation and rehearsed personas wear thin quickly.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare. It means you should prepare stories, not scripts:

• Share real examples of how you solved challenges or built culture.
  
• Be honest about gaps in your experience instead of bluffing.
  
• Let your personality and sense of humor come through.

Once you’re sitting across the table in an interview, the playing field shifts. Technical skills and experiences may earn you the invitation, but it’s presence, personality, and authenticity that often seal the opportunity. Colin Burns recalled a piece of advice that became a cornerstone of his career: “Bring yourself.” 

What he meant was simple but powerful—don’t try to manufacture a persona or recite a script. Candidates who connect best with boards and search committees are those who allow their true selves to come through—honest, confident, and genuine. For Burns, that authenticity not only differentiated him from others but also established the trust that leaders of elite clubs require. In a world where polish and preparation are expected, sincerity remains the trait that leaves the lasting impression.

Authenticity builds trust. And trust is the ultimate differentiator in elite club searches.

Don’t Forget the “Fun Metric”

Private clubs are serious businesses, often managing multimillion-dollar budgets and iconic facilities. But at their core, they are in the hospitality and enjoyment business.

One of the best questions Colin remembers from a boardroom was simple: “Does this candidate make the place more fun?”

It’s easy to get caught up in operational metrics—food cost percentages, payroll, capital projects. But culture fit matters just as much. Clubs want leaders who not only work hard, but also elevate the experience for members and staff.

That doesn’t mean being an entertainer—it means being present, approachable, and aligned with the club’s unique culture.

Elite club searches aren’t just about the final interview. Boards and members often do years of informal reference-checking. A 60-day sprint of extra effort won’t outweigh a track record of consistent leadership, integrity, and results.

Every touchpoint matters:

• How you treat frontline staff
  
• How you communicate during challenging moments
  
• How you represent your club to peers and vendors
  

Think of your reputation as a long-term résumé. It’s being written every day.

Final Thoughts

Breaking into an elite club role isn’t about luck alone. It’s about relationships that open doors, authenticity that wins interviews, and consistency that builds trust over years.

For candidates, the key is to be intentional about how you show up—at your club, in your network, and in every interaction with members and guests. For boards, the takeaway is to look beyond résumés and dig into whether a candidate authentically aligns with your culture and can make your club “more fun” while delivering operational excellence.

At Bloom Golf Partners, our Executive Search & Recruitment Services are built on this dual perspective. We help clubs identify leaders who fit their culture and future vision—and we guide candidates on how to position themselves authentically for those rare opportunities at the top of the industry.

Interested in preparing for your next career move or executive search?

👉 Visit bloomgolfpartners.com/services to learn more about our Executive Search & Recruitment Services.

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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.

---

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