Golf Course Management

[alockrem]

How can I get into Golf Course Management if I already have a full time job? If I wanted to become a nurse or hotel manager I could take online courses or night courses. I can't find anything similar for Golf Course Management.

BTW - I live in Orlando.

[TourSpoon]

How can I get into Golf Course Management if I already have a full time job? If I wanted to become a nurse or hotel manager I could take online courses or night courses. I can't find anything similar for Golf Course Management.

Not to sound obvious, but you should get a job at a golf course in the department that you would like to specialize in. To land a good job you will need experience so you might as well get it now while you make up your mind if this is really what you want to do before you go investing money in classes. Good luck.

[golfchief]

You don't say which side of management you wish to get into. you have the course side, which a normal business degree will get you in the door or the maintenance side where you need degrees in all the chemicals and green care for keeping the course healthy and playable.

[alockrem]

Thank you both for your replies.

TourSpoon - I am thinking about working at a golf course for fun. I will retire from my career before taking a job at a golf course. I am hoping to learn about the different job possibilities at a golf course while taking some classes.

Golfchief - I don't know which type of course management I want. I would assume the business side is more stressful on a daily basis while the chemical side is more of a time consuming process. Is that accurate?

[TourSpoon]

Any work at a golf course would give you greater insight. To answer your questions would also depend on if you were talking municipal, semi-private, private or exclusive. Having worked at a course, know plenty of people on both sides of the house, you could say that both sides are stressful, but yet different.

[golfchief]

Hiring good people takes a lot of stress off both side of the business, from the starters,rangers cashiers,mowers and the green superintendent.
Find a part time job or play in the mornings during the week and observe how many people it takes to keep the course in good condition and running pretty smoothly. Most of the customers will have their ideas how to make it better, usually to fit their game. Haha. Two somes will always complain about slow play from the three foursomes in front of them even tho they played 18 in four and a half hours an a weekend, foursomes will complain about the old people in front,looking for balls,not hitting the ball very good not letting them play through even though their right behind the group in front of them, and then you have the groups that should not be on a course but they over heard how much fun golf is from you so they paid their money and want to play, (in front of you). stress what stress,just keep smiling and tell them you'll get someone to take care of it.

[TourSpoon]

A lot of the stress that I see down here is how easy it is to walk out of a management meeting without a job. If you want the inside, go find the person who has the job you want and talk to them about it. I find that most people have no problem talking about what they do as long as you are respectful. Sometimes these conversations come in real handy when the time to get a job comes around.

[NM Golf]

You want a job after you retire. So are you looking for a second career or just somewhere to work so you can play for free and make a couple bucks in the meantime.

I work at a course to support my golf habit. Its by no means a career, but its a fun side job and you can't beat the benefits. If thats what your after just go to a course and apply. In the springtime most courses are starting to look for people to do all sorts of jobs from working in the proshop to working in the cart barn.

If its a second career you're after then you will probably need a business degree and some good experience at the behind the scenes workings of a golf course. Or there are some colleges that offer a PGM (Professional Golf Management) program, but most places its a 4 year bachelors degree. I have heard there are other programs around that offer an associates degree as well. Here is a link to one: http://www.sdga.edu

Good luck, its a tough business.