Mike Coker and son Troy work on golf courses ... - Backed By Bayer
Mike Coker and son Troy work on golf courses ... - Backed By Bayer
Mike Coker and son Troy work on golf courses ... - Backed By Bayer
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<strong>on</strong>e another out. “If it is a superintendent I<br />
know, I might go further <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> talk a little more<br />
in-depth about the applicant’s strengths <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
weaknesses.”<br />
Some superintendents will take an additi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
step. “Usually the types of applicants<br />
who are looking for references from a head<br />
superintendent are people moving <strong>on</strong> to become<br />
assistant superintendents or head superintendents<br />
elsewhere,” Latshaw says.<br />
“Those types of people you usually want to go<br />
out of your way to promote. If they were <strong>on</strong><br />
your staff for a while, they should be deserving<br />
of a reference. I’ll call the per<str<strong>on</strong>g>s<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> they are<br />
applying with <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> offer to go through a per<str<strong>on</strong>g>s<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>’s<br />
qualificati<strong>on</strong>s, tell him he is a good c<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>idate<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> capable of doing the job.<br />
“What is surprising to me is how many<br />
clubs interview superintendent c<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>idates<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> never check references. You would think<br />
for a major positi<strong>on</strong> like that, they definitely<br />
would,” he says.<br />
Real-life references<br />
If CourseCo’s Davies is unable to obtain a reference<br />
from a job applicant’s former superintendent<br />
or co-<str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g>er, he turns to another resource:<br />
He often relies <strong>on</strong> informati<strong>on</strong> from<br />
equipment <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> supply representatives who<br />
travel from course to course <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> can provide<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> about applicants who may <str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
at other facilities in their territory.<br />
“Most superintendents <str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g> closely with<br />
key employees, such as mechanics, spray techs<br />
or irrigati<strong>on</strong> people,” Davies says.“They have<br />
occasi<strong>on</strong> to talk to their Toro or John Deere<br />
reps, for example, about those staff members.<br />
Reps have been to those facilities, seen the<br />
kind of shops they keep <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> operati<strong>on</strong>s they<br />
run. They have probably heard the superintendent<br />
express frustrati<strong>on</strong> or admirati<strong>on</strong> for<br />
particular people.”<br />
CourseCo encourages its superintendents<br />
in this sort of “looking outside the box” when<br />
it comes to seeking references,Nort<strong>on</strong> says.Trying<br />
to get a per<str<strong>on</strong>g>s<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>al reference or a reference<br />
from a former supervisor who no l<strong>on</strong>ger <str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g>s<br />
at the applicant’s current place of employment<br />
can be productive because those reference<br />
sources are not tied to the limitati<strong>on</strong>s of a<br />
course with a neutral-reference policy,she adds.<br />
For assistant superintendent, mechanic,<br />
irrigati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> spray technician positi<strong>on</strong>s, preemployment<br />
exams with specific questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
applying to those positi<strong>on</strong>s help weed out inappropriate<br />
c<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>idates, Davies says. A 90-day<br />
probati<strong>on</strong>ary period also shows whether a<br />
new hire is up to the task.<br />
Latshaw oversees the PGA Tour’s annual<br />
Memorial Golf Tournament <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> generally<br />
takes <strong>on</strong> four to five interns every year.<br />
“I make it a policy to check references <strong>on</strong><br />
potential interns,” he says. “Before I even call<br />
references, I try to screen resumes to make<br />
sure they <str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed in compatible organizati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
In this business, probably more so than<br />
with a major corporati<strong>on</strong>, there is a lot of net<str<strong>on</strong>g>work</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing.<br />
Usually when you call for a reference<br />
you know the superintendent you are calling<br />
or are familiar with the club.”<br />
As l<strong>on</strong>g as people c<strong>on</strong>tinue to be a major<br />
part of <strong>golf</strong> course operati<strong>on</strong>s, checking the<br />
references of job applicants will c<strong>on</strong>tinue to be<br />
a key part of a successful course manager’s job.<br />
“Superintendents are very dependent <strong>on</strong><br />
the staff they assemble every year,” Latshaw<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cludes.“And every year a third of their staffs<br />
are probably new. They need to really analyze<br />
the type of c<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>idates they want, because the<br />
staff can make or break a superintendent.” <br />
CourseCo’s David Davies<br />
notes that allowable<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>ses to questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
are often limited by law.<br />
Davies is superintendent<br />
of CourseCo’s Callippe<br />
Preserve Golf Club.<br />
CourseCo encourages its<br />
superintendents to look<br />
outside the box when<br />
it comes to seeking<br />
references.<br />
www.bayer<strong>golf</strong>advantage.com Golf Advantage 25