Golfdom, October 2012

From the Back Tees OPINION T he fact that the golf industry is in trouble from a growth perspective given the declining participation numbers and annual course closures is nothing new But the fallout from that trend often isnt discussed I wonder whats happening at the turf schools that used to graduate a steady stream of aspiring golf course superintendents The numbers of potential positions and career opportunities have declined because of golf course attrition so are students considering alternative majors and professions If ever there was a golf course industry safety net for terminated or displaced superintendents it too has shrunk because opportunities to go to the dark side have become scarcer as sales of equipment fertilizer and chemical companies have declined And weve all heard stories about former superintendents getting hired by a course as an assistant a spray tech or an irrigation tech so they can earn a paycheck Those positions also are less abundant because of the cuts to labor budgets Individual terminations can be absorbed by the overall industry but when a course closes its doors and an entire crew becomes unemployed not everyone will find a safety net in the golf industry Superintendents whether terminated by job performance ownership change management or member conflicts have a more difficult time finding another home in golf Several superintendents Ive talked to during the past few years are transitioning into lawn landscape or nursery businesses to keep their green thumbs green Other superintendents have burned out with the business and have opted to go into completely different lines of work depending on their skill sets interests and educational backgrounds During the past few years a few superintendents transitioned into turf or superintendent association management positions folks such as Jack Mackenzie in Minnesota Bob LaChance in Ohio and Monroe Miller in Wisconsin I made my conversion about 15 years ago Thankfully it was my choice not someone elses Those opportunities and others 14 Golfdom October 2012 Career Detours and Roadblocks unrelated to the golf industry are enhanced by an individuals willingness to join volunteer participate network and engage in continuing education and learn skills that will make them better leaders and communicators Another side to the job loss dilemma with its loss of income is the state of ones emergency rainy day fund A superintendent friend recently lost his job and wrote an article about learning to cope with the anger and frustration of the situation One section of the article explores the need to have sufficient funds to meet his familys needs and obligations He talks about having to change his spending habits and make sacrifices in the wake of the termination but more importantly he urges superintendents to adopt a budget that embraces more moderation one that includes reserves for emergencies during economically flush times That same advice applies to retirement planning Setting aside regular monthly contributions to a mutual fund or an IRA when one is younger will yield a comfortable retirement when the time comes The same advice applies if one is beginning to save later in life The monthly amount just needs to be larger Ive become more conservative with my investments since the 2008 2009 crash Recently I put some of the money back into a mutual fund for diversity since CDs are yielding squat right now If you lose your job dont hunker down Continue to attend chapter meetings and network Be strong for your family Keep the faith and your sense of humor Youll find another road to your future Certified superintendent Joel Jackson is Executive Director of the Florida GCSA BY JOEL JACKSON WHEN A COURSE CLOSES ITS DOORS AND AN ENTIRE CREW BECOMES UNEMPLOYED NOT EVERYONE WILL FIND A SAFETY NET IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY