Executive Search

General Manager, Clubhouse Manager, PGA Director of Golf, Membership Director, Golf Course Superintendent

GBA has significant experience in conducting executive searches for General Managers, Clubhouse Managers, Directors of Golf, Membership Directors and Golf Course Superintendents for private, daily fee and municipal clients. Using our understanding of the golf and club business, as well as the responsibilities of these key positions at successful clubs, plus our vast network of industry contacts, we have been very successful in attracting top candidates and assisting the owners, Board Members and/or Selection Committee in making the right decision for their unique situation.

Our Executive Search services include:

  • Meeting with Board/Committee to understand position and assisting with development of position description and compensation
  • Posting positions on CMAA and/or PGA Career Links and sending to our industry contacts
  • Actively soliciting interest from those we know that are currently working at Clubs
  • Receiving all resumes and calls and conducting phone interviews with top candidates
  • Keeping Committee updated and recommending top candidates for in person interviews
  • Setting up interviews and attending/assisting Committee with questions and scorecard
  • Providing input on best candidates and conducting reference checks
  • Communicating on behalf of Club with candidate selected and those not selected

 

Case Studies

Select a case study below to expand the content and learn more.

Leatherstocking Golf Course | Cooperstown, NY

The Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown, New York contracted Golf Business Advisors in 2018 to assist them in conducting a Search for a top Golf Course Superintendent for their historic Leatherstocking Golf Course. The Otesaga Resort and Leatherstocking Golf Course, designed by Devereux Emmet, are both overlooking Lake Otsego and were developed by and are still owned by the Clark family and opened in 1909. The Clark family also developed and still owns the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

GBA developed a new Golf Course Superintendent position description, helped them understand salary comparables in that New York area and posted the position in various places to attract candidates. After numerous phone calls, resumes, interviews and background checks, the Committee selected Mike O’Neil, who has done an outstanding job getting the course into the best condition in the course's history. 

In the Spring of 2019, Otesaga Resort again engaged GBA to assist them in conducting a Search for a top Director of Golf. Using similar techniques, we attracted a large pool of candidates and the Committee selected Tim Quirk, who is doing an excellent job going into his second season at Leatherstocking. In both cases, it was their experience and their engaging personality that matched the position at Leatherstocking plus their overall interest in making improvements that led to the Committee’s decision to hire them—and so far, it is working extremely well for all.