Working at a golf course......what is your experience?

[golfday]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:44 PM, BG5 said:

 

Great points...it really is narrowed down to 3 courses and all are top 25 in the state.

 

Course # 1 is the nicest and they are well known for outstanding customer service.  The course is always in amazing shape and as of now they are the group that appears to want me the most as 3 different people have reached out to me.  I am curious how the golf will work and how strict they will be with letting me play.  

 

Course # 2 is part of a golf resort with 6 courses and I would be working at the best course which is cool.  The resort is run pretty well but it does get a lot of groups of party groups so that make my job a little bit more interesting 🙂  I would assume this course would be easy for me to play whenver I want as its an upcharge to play and tee times are more wide open that one would think.  Its a great track.

 

Course # 3 is probably my favorite of all the courses.  its 10 minutes from my house but its run by a local government so its not run super well.  But again I think I could play a lot of golf at it as it appears its pretty laid back.

 

All 3 would be great so we will see what happens

I've been cart staff and caddied at a few places over summers when I was younger. Loved all of the jobs. I was always at private clubs and the members were almost always nice, the pros were nice to us too, we got free lunch and sodas while working, and free golf. We got no prioritization on the tee sheet, but weekdays it was very easy to play after the morning rush and weekends in the evening. I could see getting tee times at a resort to be harder as they will be more concerned on turning a profit - they could have a more crowded tee sheet during the week. I never worked maintenance, those guys always had to be up super early and I did not want to do that.

 

One thing to consider, if you'll be in a cart staff or caddie type role, don't forget to factor tips in. Course 1 and 2 you might be picking some extra cash up even in cart staff for stuff like cleaning clubs, putting bags on carts at the bag drop, driving to members (or resort guests) cars to pick them up etc. At #3 I doubt you'll be getting as much of those but the work might be way more laid back. On that front - also think about who your co-workers will be, the more laid back the course the more "interesting" your fellow cart staff might be. Even at two nice clubs I had some co-workers that occasionally got arrested, showed up super hungover, one even got caught stealing clubs out of bags in the bag room. 

 

As long as you show up on time, are friendly, work reasonably hard, show some/any initiative, and don't have an ego about your role (you may have to do some not-fun things from time to time), then your course will love you. Once you're in good the pros will be happy to do favors for you, our would occasionally get us free tee times at other nearby courses.

 

I'm not surprised they're jumping to hire you. Given you're a teacher I imagine they view you as someone who's going to be intelligent and responsible. For seasonal and PT work it's hard to find people, there's a lot of turnover, and people that will be professional in those roles is tough to find.

 

One of my old cart staff managers was actually a retiree. He took the job to do something part-time but in a year was managing the cart staff due to all the turn-over and lack of qualified people that wanted to do it. Courses go to a skeleton staff in the winter so anyone wanting to come back year after year or work all year with very low hours in the winter is a premium.

 

 

[BG5]

UPDATE AS I HAVE STARTED MY JOB 🙂

 

I have always planned to retire early and work at a golf course for 2-3 days a week to keep things exciting.  I was hired by one of the top courses in the Mid-West and my experience so far has been fantastic.  A big part of that is the way the course is run and the entire place is very classy, well organized, well staffed and we have AMAZING golf perks that are to good to be true.

 

I have done a handful of different jobs so far but most of the time I am working with the cart staff, wiping down players clubs when they are done and cleaning carts.  I also do a bit of starter, and bag drop along with doing basic range maintence.  Soon I will have the opportunity to do a few other things but its been really fun and I cannot believe the tips that I am getting.  Most nights I work I bring in around $100 in tips and that does not include my hourly wage.  So far I am making around $25 a hour which was way more than I was thinking.

 

The best part is the golf perks as I can golf for free and bring a friend as well for free.  If I bring a few other guest its very cheap and there have been plenty of openings so far and I have not had an issue playing when I want to.  So far I have been out 10 times and brought quite a few friends and this seems to be the norm with staff as I see alot of staff members bringing buddies etc.  The management is fine with it as long as we use common sense and its one of the reasons I think they have such a professional staff.  Its a win win for everyone involved.

 

I also get to use their amazing practice facilities whenever I want which is also awesome.  I now know when I retire I want to work at a large golf resort.  Maybe Bandon, Streamsong, Whistling Straghts etc.  The people I work with are great.....very professional and everyone works hard.  Maybe I will get burned out but I have a feeling I will get in alot of free golf and that fact that I can use the practice facilties and bring buddies makes this a special place to work.  It almost seems to good to be true 🙂

[BG5]

Update after working my first golf season

 

I am a teacher who was looking to work 2 days a week and get some free golf 🙂  I am lucky enough to live close to a top 100 public course that has hosted multiple championships.  So I applied last February and was offered a job mowing in the morning but was also offered a job in the "guest service" team where I would be working at the bag drop, wiping down clubs and cleaning carts, doing some starter jobs, working a few forcaddie loops, and helping on the range.

 

I ended up going with the "guest service" team and had an absolute blast because the course is run so well.  All the people are very educated and professional.  I worked 2 days a week from May until November 1 and made about $10,000 in total compensation.  Not bad for only working two days a week.  I averaged about $20-$30 a hour most days

 

The golf perks were insane as I could golf anytime I wanted for free and also bring a guest for free.  If I added a 3 or 4th guest they paid $20 a man which is crazy because the course charges $200 a person during primetime season.  I was always respectful about when I made my tee times and used commone sense but I was able to log in about 50 rounds of golf and i added up my total free golf fees of myself and buddies and it was pushing $20,000 🙂

 

Best news is they love me and I have a job there as long as I want.  I plan to get my kids jobs there because its a great opportunity for a young kid to be networking with high net worth people.

 

Bottom line is I know someday I will go get a job at a place like Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Streamsong etc just for the golf perks.  All of these places are dying for prof people to add to their staffs.  I have watched the job postings at all of these places and they need workers like crazy  The amount of cash tips I got was just insane and our team of people easily brought in about $700-$1000 a day as a team.  Guests, members etc were so generous and paid ya really well if ya give them first class service.  These types of places would be great for any college kid because with the amount of money you make plus the golf perks its to good to be true

[ChipNRun]

On 3/30/2023 at 12:44 PM, golfday said:

I'm not surprised they're jumping to hire you. Given you're a teacher I imagine they view you as someone who's going to be intelligent and responsible. For seasonal and PT work it's hard to find people, there's a lot of turnover, and people that will be professional in those roles is tough to find.

 

I caddied during my high school years circa 1970, and after I got out  of the Marine Corps in 1978 then tended bar at a mid-level club near where I was going to college.

 

This was a 30-hour a week job, meant to earn money and get golf benefits as a secondary perk.

 

Turned out out the club manager was a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who had run officer's clubs later in his career. We got along great, and he had me help out for more managerial things than just tending bar.

 

A few things that stood out:

• The members are your employers, not your pals. Getting overly friendly will get you in trouble. Be gracious and professional. The more high end the club, the more this applies.
• Look for a club that has a distinct chain of command. Member complaints on policies of how the club is run should be handled by the managers, not by members beating on the rank-and-file employees.
• A few of the female members will be divas. They will be upset that the chicken salad was made the night before, rather than at 9 AM that morning. IF a complaint is legit, try to rectify it. If it is frivolous, respectfully acknowledge it and wait for the mini-storm to pass.
• Try to build teamwork with the other employees, especially the outdoor crew (golf ops, greens crew). Help out beyond your job category when time permits.
• When you play golf, note the condition of the course. If a cart path on Hole 4 is starting to crumble, let the greens crew know so they can repair it before an elderly couple runs their cart over the side of the hill.
• Be cautious about romantic relationships with other workers at the club, especially if you are an adult. I've seen these go sideways and disrupt the work unit.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, BG5 said:

Update after working my first golf season

 

I am a teacher who was looking to work 2 days a week and get some free golf 🙂  I am lucky enough to live close to a top 100 public course that has hosted multiple championships.  So I applied last February and was offered a job mowing in the morning but was also offered a job in the "guest service" team where I would be working at the bag drop, wiping down clubs and cleaning carts, doing some starter jobs, working a few forcaddie loops, and helping on the range.

 

I ended up going with the "guest service" team and had an absolute blast because the course is run so well.  All the people are very educated and professional.  I worked 2 days a week from May until November 1 and made about $10,000 in total compensation.  Not bad for only working two days a week.  I averaged about $20-$30 a hour most days

 

The golf perks were insane as I could golf anytime I wanted for free and also bring a guest for free.  If I added a 3 or 4th guest they paid $20 a man which is crazy because the course charges $200 a person during primetime season.  I was always respectful about when I made my tee times and used commone sense but I was able to log in about 50 rounds of golf and i added up my total free golf fees of myself and buddies and it was pushing $20,000 🙂

 

Best news is they love me and I have a job there as long as I want.  I plan to get my kids jobs there because its a great opportunity for a young kid to be networking with high net worth people.

 

Bottom line is I know someday I will go get a job at a place like Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Streamsong etc just for the golf perks.  All of these places are dying for prof people to add to their staffs.  I have watched the job postings at all of these places and they need workers like crazy  The amount of cash tips I got was just insane and our team of people easily brought in about $700-$1000 a day as a team.  Guests, members etc were so generous and paid ya really well if ya give them first class service.  These types of places would be great for any college kid because with the amount of money you make plus the golf perks its to good to be true

 

You've designed a nice gig for yourself that will nicely take you into the future at some fantastic golf course resorts.  And your golf game should be seeing a lot of improvement, too.

[BG5]

Update on year #3 working at golf course

 

Man....people who love the game of golf should work at a course a few days a week in retirement because its flat out awesome.  I was lucky enough to impress my bosses and they invited me into the locker room of a major PGA event this year....worked 4 days in the locker room and the pros really took care of us.  The one thing I underestimated was how much money one can make at a golf course even in the outside services crew.  I work at a top public course in the Mid-west and they give us amazing golf privledges which includes bringing one free guest with us at anytime.  My bosses could not be better and the entire place is run very well.

 

Well....the golf story continues to get better.  I still will be working at the public course a few days a week but my wife has family in another location in our great state so I decided to send some resumes out to some of the top courses in the nation both public and private and I was getting blown up with interview requests.  These golf courses are in desperate need of great workers so if anyone is bored you should def get a resume out.  I got a call from a top tier private clubs who wanted to meet and since I was gonna be in the area a few days a week in the summer I took them up on their offer.  Wow.....the private industry is flat out awesome......treat me so well.....gave me great golf perks and are some of the nicest people I have ever met.  I will be working at both courses a few days a week this summer in the same outside services department.  The thing that shocked me about the private place is we can golf it 7 days a week as much as we want in afternoon and most days I have played it the course is wide open.  It's honestly an even better golf opportunity than the public track I work at and that says a lot.  The owner and staff are such great people and they take great care of their staff which makes you want to run through a brick wall for ya.  I even got a buddy a job at the private course with me and also got another friend a job at the public track.  I will keep you updated but pretty sure I will retire from teaching at 49 and work at a golf course until I die.  I def want to work at Bandon Dunes someday even if its only for a few months just to take advantage of the golf perks plus you will meet some amazing people.  I think that is the best part of working at a golf course is the amazing people you meet.  Only in America!

[Double Mocha Man]

Thanks for the update.  Sounds like things are working out quite well.  I bet you'll be missed as a teacher.

[unskinnybop99]

BG5: sounds awesome.

 

Retired teacher here:

 

Does anyone know of any nice courses that will accept Canadians for work/volunteer in exchange for golf? I contacted Bandon and Pinehurst. They said I need to be "legally" eligible to work in U.S.

 

Heck, I don't need to get paid........would work/volunteer in exchange for accommodation/food/lots of golf.

Edited September 11, 2024 by unskinnybop99

[DArnie]

On 9/10/2024 at 8:48 PM, unskinnybop99 said:

BG5: sounds awesome.

 

Retired teacher here:

 

Does anyone know of any nice courses that will accept Canadians for work/volunteer in exchange for golf? I contacted Bandon and Pinehurst. They said I need to be "legally" eligible to work in U.S.

 

Heck, I don't need to get paid........would work/volunteer in exchange for accommodation/food/lots of golf.

"They said I need to be "legally" eligible to work in U.S."

 

That's funny actually, there are millions and millions of illegals working in the U.S.

Go hang out at a hardware store and you can get all your "legal" papers there cheap.😉

 

What are you looking to do? Caddying? Course Maintenance? Janitorial? Pro Shop? Starting or Marshalling? Carts? The most turnover is usually with course maintenance but I am sure that most resort type places have a lot of hidden or different type jobs, not just with the course(s).

I have worked at public, private and resorts. Starting in carts, PGA professional to GM. For me, the resorts were probably the best. Not seeing the same patrons/members everyday is worth a lot and resort guests are usually happy to be there. Makes for a good work environment unless you are mowing or weed eating then not much difference. 😁

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[st1800e]

On 9/10/2024 at 8:48 PM, unskinnybop99 said:

Heck, I don't need to get paid........would work/volunteer in exchange for accommodation/food/lots of golf.

Paid in goods and services is the same as cash in the eyes of the govt.  

I believe you’d need a green card.  

[act0fgod]

On 9/10/2024 at 8:48 PM, unskinnybop99 said:

BG5: sounds awesome.

 

Retired teacher here:

 

Does anyone know of any nice courses that will accept Canadians for work/volunteer in exchange for golf? I contacted Bandon and Pinehurst. They said I need to be "legally" eligible to work in U.S.

 

Heck, I don't need to get paid........would work/volunteer in exchange for accommodation/food/lots of golf.

Look into H2-B visas.  I know of a number golf clubs around the country that use the program for seasonal employees.  Some have on site housing for the employees.  Not sure it's the type of experience you are looking for.  You probably aren't the type of employee they are looking for either.

 

When I was in school I sent resumes to all the top private clubs in the city looking for part time work with playing privileges.  None of them would hire me.  I've since played some and think they didn't want me because they may not have had the same sort of leverage they had over their more typical employees.

[BG5]

UPDATE ON WORKING AT GOLF CLUB IN YEAR #3.5

 

Gents, - this thread is meant to inform anyone who may be interested in working at a golf course in retirement or semi-retirement.

 

About me - I started working at a top 100 public golf course 3 years ago and I was not sure how I would like it.  I ended up just loving it and thought it would be cool to share my story as I think alot of guys on this forum would enjoy the work and golf privledges etc.  I started working at Harbor Shores (top 100 public) in Benton Harbor Michigan.  I worked 2-3 days a week (honestly they would probably let me work 1 day a week if I wanted) and I mainly worked in outside services which consisted to working bag drop, starter, catching and cleaning carts, ranger and some caddying.  The leadership at this club is outstanding and they have high expectations for staff.  With that being said as long as you do your job and are professional they give you really amazing golf perks such as playing the course as much as you want (use common sense and go during times that are not busy) and they also allow you to bring a guest for free.  The bosses are amazing at Harbor Shores and I know that place will be successful for a long time.  I enjoyed being around the club, working with people from all different age brackets from 18-80.  Its really cool how the game of golf can bring all different people together.  2024 was great because they let me work in the locker room of the Senior Pga Championship and it was cool to rub elbows with guys like John Daly, Steve Stricker, and so many others and not to mention the money to pro's tipped out was crazy.  I honestly never felt I would leave Harbor Shores but my wife wanted to buy a summer place in Traverse City Michigan so I started to inquire about golf courses in Northern Michigan because they have some of the best public and private courses in the world.

 

I was also amazed at the amount of money you can make while doing something you love.  It was not uncommon for me to make $25-$50 a hour with the tips etc you are making.  This is not life changing money but pretty good for a laid back job at a course.  You have to work hard, look the part and be willing to do whatever they need but the money is flat out fantastic.

 

I ended up starting to work at one of the top private courses in the country doing similar things.  I was not sure how I would like the private golf world but I soon fell in the love with the club I currently work at.  It starts with the ownership and staff as these are some of the best human beings I have ever been around.  They are generous, appreciative, honest, loyal and just great human beings and that is so important to me.  They have extremely high expectations but they also care about their employees and give us amazing golf privledges as well.  The weird thing was going from a golf factory like Harbor Shores where we were doing hundreds of golfers a day from open to close to going to a private club that can get busy but is a lot slower pace.  I do outside services at the club and do everything from bag drop to filling coolers, caddying or anything else they need done.  I dont ever plan to leave this place as they just treat us really well.

 

As I get closer to retirement I realize that places like Pinehurst, Whistling Straights, Sand Valley, Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes and every other high end club or resort is in dire need of really good employees.  Many of them will let you work 1-2 days a week and play a ton of golf on top of it.  I know guys who work at Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straights, Arcadia Bluffs, Pinehurst, Tree Farm etc and these courses give free access to their employees.  You are not gonna take a 1:00 tee time but as long as you are flexible you will be able to play a ton of free golf and be around some amazing people.  I plan to fully retire in 5 years at the age of 50 and will work at a golf course 2 days a week until I die.  I enjoy being around the game and others who share the same love and on top of that you get to play free golf and some of the best courses in the world.

 

So if you are on the fence I think you should consider looking at some jobs at courses in your area.  Especially the high end places as they almost all have huge amount of jobs that are posted and they will work around your schedule while giving you free golf.  Many of these places let you bring 3 free guest etc which is so crazy.

 

[Tyrus Webb]

1 hour ago, BG5 said:

UPDATE ON WORKING AT GOLF CLUB IN YEAR #3.5

 

Gents, - this thread is meant to inform anyone who may be interested in working at a golf course in retirement or semi-retirement.

 

About me - I started working at a top 100 public golf course 3 years ago and I was not sure how I would like it.  I ended up just loving it and thought it would be cool to share my story as I think alot of guys on this forum would enjoy the work and golf privledges etc.  I started working at Harbor Shores (top 100 public) in Benton Harbor Michigan.  I worked 2-3 days a week (honestly they would probably let me work 1 day a week if I wanted) and I mainly worked in outside services which consisted to working bag drop, starter, catching and cleaning carts, ranger and some caddying.  The leadership at this club is outstanding and they have high expectations for staff.  With that being said as long as you do your job and are professional they give you really amazing golf perks such as playing the course as much as you want (use common sense and go during times that are not busy) and they also allow you to bring a guest for free.  The bosses are amazing at Harbor Shores and I know that place will be successful for a long time.  I enjoyed being around the club, working with people from all different age brackets from 18-80.  Its really cool how the game of golf can bring all different people together.  2024 was great because they let me work in the locker room of the Senior Pga Championship and it was cool to rub elbows with guys like John Daly, Steve Stricker, and so many others and not to mention the money to pro's tipped out was crazy.  I honestly never felt I would leave Harbor Shores but my wife wanted to buy a summer place in Traverse City Michigan so I started to inquire about golf courses in Northern Michigan because they have some of the best public and private courses in the world.

 

I was also amazed at the amount of money you can make while doing something you love.  It was not uncommon for me to make $25-$50 a hour with the tips etc you are making.  This is not life changing money but pretty good for a laid back job at a course.  You have to work hard, look the part and be willing to do whatever they need but the money is flat out fantastic.

 

I ended up starting to work at one of the top private courses in the country doing similar things.  I was not sure how I would like the private golf world but I soon fell in the love with the club I currently work at.  It starts with the ownership and staff as these are some of the best human beings I have ever been around.  They are generous, appreciative, honest, loyal and just great human beings and that is so important to me.  They have extremely high expectations but they also care about their employees and give us amazing golf privledges as well.  The weird thing was going from a golf factory like Harbor Shores where we were doing hundreds of golfers a day from open to close to going to a private club that can get busy but is a lot slower pace.  I do outside services at the club and do everything from bag drop to filling coolers, caddying or anything else they need done.  I dont ever plan to leave this place as they just treat us really well.

 

As I get closer to retirement I realize that places like Pinehurst, Whistling Straights, Sand Valley, Arcadia Bluffs, Forest Dunes and every other high end club or resort is in dire need of really good employees.  Many of them will let you work 1-2 days a week and play a ton of golf on top of it.  I know guys who work at Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straights, Arcadia Bluffs, Pinehurst, Tree Farm etc and these courses give free access to their employees.  You are not gonna take a 1:00 tee time but as long as you are flexible you will be able to play a ton of free golf and be around some amazing people.  I plan to fully retire in 5 years at the age of 50 and will work at a golf course 2 days a week until I die.  I enjoy being around the game and others who share the same love and on top of that you get to play free golf and some of the best courses in the world.

 

So if you are on the fence I think you should consider looking at some jobs at courses in your area.  Especially the high end places as they almost all have huge amount of jobs that are posted and they will work around your schedule while giving you free golf.  Many of these places let you bring 3 free guest etc which is so crazy.

 

 

Man, I just want to say that I really dig your vibe.

[DifferentKinda]

I did valet / golf attendant at Trump National Los Angeles when I was in community college - was a fun experience. Free range time was a huge perk though I did not take as much advantage of that as I should have. Can't remember what the discount was either but never played since I was not good back then (still not that good lol.)