Another season is about to begin in the Northeast and seasonal staff recruitment is underway. In a recent Green Section survey, the highest-ranked current concern among golf course superintendents across the country was “lack of qualified/skilled labor.” This is no surprise, and while the pain of finding staff has eased at some facilities, it remains a concern.
During USGA Course Consulting Service visits, labor woes are often discussed, but it has been encouraging to see superintendents getting creative by offering flexible schedules and increasing nonmonetary benefits such as providing quality uniforms and employee recognition programs. Upgrading maintenance facilities is another trend that gives employees a sense of pride and has positively impacted staff recruitment and retention. Evaluating current benefits and constantly trying to improve aspects of the employee journey will increase employee satisfaction and make hiring and retention easier.
The 2024 GCSAA Maintenance Budget Survey shows average labor expenditures across the country have increased 17% from 2022 to 2024. Facilities have increased the investment in their staff for several reasons. Higher wages in other industries have drawn many potential employees away from golf course maintenance, which means increasing wages is necessary. Every golf course is unique and it takes time for new employees to learn the ropes – even in the rare case they have golf course maintenance experience. Investing in your staff so you can retain and develop an experienced team that can handle the constantly changing needs of maintaining a golf course will lead to greater productivity and better results. Not having to constantly train new employees allows managers to focus on quality control and attention to details that will give the best possible playing conditions.
Nearly all maintenance expenses have and will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, so plan for cost increases and look for ways to get the most impact from the resources you have. Data-driven decision making will help, so consider golf course management tools such as the DEACON® management system, the GS3™ ball and the USGA Moisture Meter to optimize your programs. Look for every opportunity to make working at your facility appealing to current and prospective employees as this will have a big impact on your ability to provide the best possible playing conditions.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott L. Dowling, regional director, East Region – edowling@usga.org
Brian Gietka, agronomist – bgietka@usga.org