Superintendent's Forum

what is your best source of part-time or seasonal employees?

John Anderson, Superintendent • Bay Hill Club • Orlando, Florida

Anderson finds that many of his best people were hired based on a referral from a present staff member. Occasionally he places newspaper ads, which generate some inquiries. College and turf school interns are another very good source of seasonal employees.

“It’s fun to work with young people who are energetic, knowledgeable and want to learn,” Anderson says. “In any job candidate, I’m looking for someone who is willing to learn, follow directions and wants to do their best. Our emphasis here is more on quality than quantity. However, we typically find that people who are interested in quality also give us quantity. We like to think that our success with referrals is because Bay Hill is recognized as a great place to work. We offer very competitive pay, good benefits and golfing privileges.” 

Cross training is an important part of Bay Hill’s training program. Anderson says staff members who can perform multiple tasks find their jobs are less monotonous and have a greater sense of accomplishment. Great effort is taken to make maintenance staff members feel important.

“We recognize that our crews put out a lot of effort and we let them know that,” Anderson says. “The club has a program called ‘Bay Hill Bucks,’ so when someone does something above and beyond they get a certificate that has a cash value. They can take it to our human resources department and trade the certificate for real money. Periodically there are parties with the entire club where we have drawings for TVs, VCRs and other nice prizes.”

When the staff completed overseeding last fall, everyone was given a Bay Hill Buck.

“The crew realized the importance of the task, worked long hours and did a good job,” Anderson says. “We had pump problems awhile back and people came in to monitor them throughout the night. That’s worth a Bay Hill Buck. The certificates are not given frivolously. When someone gets one it means something.”

 

Bob Bittner, Superintendent • The Club Pelican Bay • Naples, Florida

The retirement community is a steady source of part-time employees for this 27-hole private course. There are four part-time individuals on the staff that numbers 33 full-timers. “Initially we put an ad in the newspaper and received several responses,” Bittner says. “Since then we’ve hired people through referrals. We even have a waiting list.”

The part-time staff works at least three mornings a week, up to a maximum of five. They start at 6:30 a.m. and mow fairways and roughs and spot-spray landscape areas.

“These are generally older workers, so we try not to give them jobs that are too strenuous,” Bittner says. “Because they aren’t eligible for the club’s benefit package, we can pay them a very competitive hourly wage. They usually stay around for the lunch the club provides to the entire staff. Also, we’re very flexible if they need to be off for a week or two.”

There are several factors that make working part-time on a golf course attractive to retired individuals. They are able to get out of the house for a few hours a day and work outside on a piece of riding equipment.

“These are dedicated people who take pride in their job and pay attention to their equipment,” Bittner says. “I wish I could hire 100 of them."