Job Description
DIRECTOR OF GOLF PROFILE: SHADY CANYON GOLF CLUB IRVINE, CA DIRECTOR OF GOLF AT SHADY CANYON GOLF CLUB Shady Canyon Golf Club (SCGC), one of the premier golf experiences located in Southern California is in search of their next Director of Golf to direct the golf program at this very active club. The new DOG will be following a retiring golf professional of over twenty-three years, making this an exceptional opportunity to lead a club with a great history in golf and a membership that understands the game and the profession. This individual must demonstrate impeccable leadership skills while energetically promoting team member growth and engagement, and consistently delivering an exceptional member experience.
The ideal candidate will have a high golf IQ and should excel at interacting with all members, guests, and club staff. Visibility, a true desire to serve the members, excellent communication, and overall leadership skills will be important in this role, along with the ability to relate to club leadership, fellow department heads, the golf committee, and the Board of Directors respectfully and diplomatically.
This leader will oversee the performances of all golf operations and services and will promote a positive, proactive team environment that excels in delivering daily what the membership at Shady Canyon has grown to expect and deserve.
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SHADY CANYON GOLF CLUB AND COMMUNITY Established in 2001, Shady Canyon Golf Club is one of the finest private equity clubs in the country.
Scenic, rugged, and unspoiled, Shady Canyon is blessed with unparalleled natural beauty. The clubhouse and golf course, set on 300 acres, are artfully shaped within the contours of the land.
Shady Canyon is a golf club that epitomizes the game at its best and provides a venue where families gather, where friendships are made, and where camaraderie endures. The Tom Fazio course has been hailed as nothing short of a "golfing masterpiece," winning rave reviews nationally. The club is ranked #42 among Platinum Clubs of America and holds the Distinguished Club Elite designation, reflecting its exceptional standards in service, facilities, and member experience. Like so many memorable courses, Shady Canyon is a golf course that offers a different experience each time it is played with 5 different sets of tees and stretching to 7,012 yards from the back, it allows golfers of all abilities the opportunity to challenge themselves.
The 42,000-square-foot Clubhouse provides a rich array of activities - from sophisticated service in the elegant dining room or a light lunch on the lanai. The Club is an active hub for its members and their families with significant and innovative activities occurring year-round. Its kitchen was recently totally renovated, and F & B operations have seen a tremendous increase in participation and satisfaction since that occurred.
The 6,700 square foot Spa and Fitness Center offers everything from state-of-the-art fitness equipment to spa treatments and allows members to enjoy a luxurious and healthy lifestyle. Daily exercise classes, specialized instruction or whole body, wellness-inspired, spa treatments are just a few of the amenities available. A variety of programs and special events are planned for adults and children throughout the year. Youngsters may find themselves in an instructional game of golf, joining the swim team, or attending the Club's Annual Camp Out. Monthly wine dinners and themed pop-up events like the Annual Car & Wine Show are some of the favorite activities of adult members.
An extremely active club, Shady Canyon was created to be nothing less than the finest private golf club in the country, a club devoted to the tradition and highest standards of the game; a sanctuary where members could relax, recharge, and enjoy themselves with their friends in an atmosphere of natural and formal beauty.
SHADY CANYON GOLF CLUB BY THE NUMBERS - Approximately: 430 Golf Members (CAPPED) and 170 Social Members
- Initiation Fee: $225,00- $250,000
- Annual Dues: $31,500/Regular Membership + $4,800 in Capital Dues
- 18 holes of Tom Fazio design
- Approximately 38,500 rounds of golf annually
- Hard Good Sales 2023: $364,730
- Soft Goods Volume 2023: $600,414
- Golf Department Payroll: Approximately $1.6M
- Instructor Volume: Approximately $259k
- Approximately 151 full-time employees and 65 part-time/seasonal
- Golf Employees: 26 (FTE)
- The Club is organized as a CA not-for-profit, mutual benefit corporation
- The average age of members is 61
- There are 9 Board Members, each serving three-year terms
- The Club uses the Jonas system for POS and accounting operations
- Golf Booking: ForeTees
SHADY CANYON GOLF CLUB WEBSITE: DIRECTOR OF GOLF - POSITION OVERVIEW The Director of Golf will oversee the performances of all Golf Operations and Services. The position will promote an exceptional "Golf Experience" and provide excellent services and programs for all Members and Guests. They will oversee the practice facility, the teaching and coaching program, valet, car wash, cart fleet and barn, club repair, merchandizing, bag storage, golf shop and tournament operations, golf course, and locker room. Must communicate with all Golf Employees regularly to keep them informed.
The Director of Golf must embody the highest levels of integrity, professionalism, and diplomacy, and be a highly active, engaged, and visible presence with both members and staff. They will be a "go-to" individual who takes ownership and control of the golf experience. The ideal candidate will be a visionary for SCGC's golf operations and beyond. The new DOG will be asked to evaluate staffing levels, professional standards, and all golf operations policies and procedures for consistency with today's "best of the best" clubs, bringing energy and creativity while respecting the existing traditions and major golf events. Additionally, the position requires developing and overseeing innovative tournament and instruction programs that foster member engagement and skill development.
A core aspect of the role involves communication and coordination; the leader will ensure timely, accurate messaging across all Golf Operations platforms-including newsletters, the website, and bulletins-and will collaborate with the Food and Beverage Manager to coordinate successful golf tournaments. While building relationships with every constituency within the Shady Canyon membership, the DOG is someone who needs to be everything golf at SCGC and have his or her finger on the pulse of all operations besides golf.
The DOG must be an exceptional leader, motivator, and mentor of their team who recognizes and respects the contributions of volunteer members and staff of all levels.
They will be a person known for their intellect, vision, planning, and knowledge of the game and business including strong business acumen, as well as personally setting the standard for behavior, assertive hospitality, and daily performance. They will directly lead areas of the golf operation and work closely with the Golf Course Superintendent and other department heads while reporting to the General Manager/COO. The position will promote an exceptional golf experience for all members and guests and provide creative services and programs to enhance and improve the existing golf program. The DOG is expected to be a strategic leader of the golf experience at Shady Canyon and therefore a person of intellect, vision, planning, business acumen, and tact, all while being able to laugh a little.
Financial oversight is a critical responsibility, involving planning, budgeting, forecasting, and monitoring to ensure that Golf Operations meet or exceed fiscal targets. The leader will also enforce club policies and manage inventory and resources to safeguard assets while overseeing operational standards, policies, and fee structures to drive efficiency. Quality assurance of the golf course is vital, requiring close collaboration with the Golf Course Superintendent to maintain course standards and promptly address member feedback.
While the Club is looking for the "consummate golf professional" in all aspects of competencies and experiences, the successful next DOG will be a "generalist," excelling as a player, coach, instructor, merchandiser, innovator, tournament host, and marketer, but above all, a great communicator!
He/She directly supervises all inside and outside Professional Staff, and recruits, hires, trains, and supervises all Professional Staff to ensure that a high level of service is consistently received by the membership. Special emphasis is placed on member relations and the ability to interact with members genuinely, properly, and regularly, and truly enjoy doing this daily.
INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW DIRECTOR OF GOLF - Secure high levels of membership satisfaction with a positive, respectful, inclusive, interactive, and highly visible presence.
- Develop and build a golf operations team with a strong focus on mentorship and growth of the individual team members.
- Be consistently innovative and visible. Ensure the same level of engagement from the team, especially when absent, setting performance management standards/expectations and executing at a high level.
- Ensure the Club maintains an active Coaching and Teaching program to provide extended value to the golf membership through various offerings.
- Keep a close working relationship with the Golf Course Superintendent, focusing on member-guest experiences, playing conditions, pin locations, pace of play, rules and hazards issues, and partnering on tournaments to ensure course setup and playability.
- Fully engage with the Club's Management Software system to analyze sales trends, golf rounds, and member demographic utilization of golf operations.
- Full ownership of all golf events including marketing, tee prizes, billing, and partnering with food and beverage leadership to ensure successful execution.
- Assure all standard operating procedures for sales and cost controls are in place and consistently followed.
- Ensure labor standards are set to the desired business volumes and within the budgeted parameters.
- Ownership of the Golf Operations budget which includes all tournaments and golf-related events.
- Full responsibility for the Golf Shop inventory and success of the merchandising program to elevate the member experience.
- Maintain a premium caddie program including responsibility for all staffing, the member experience when using, and oversight of ClubUp that assists in managing the caddie program.
- Supervise, coach, and counsel staff per the Shady Canyon Golf Club employee manual and code of conduct.
- Recruit, conduct interviews, hire, and train needed staff. Work with Human Resources Manager to ensure proper hiring and termination procedures are followed.
- Conduct annual reviews with the assistance of the Human Resources Manager and under the approval of the General Manager for all golf department personnel.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS - A strong accomplished PGA professional with "gravitas" and a proven track record of providing premier services in a dynamic, exclusive membership environment.
- A minimum of 15 years experience in the Golf Business.
- Has extensive knowledge of the rules of golf, merchandising, and managing an active tournament program for men, women, and juniors.
- A strong team leader focused on two-way communication with all team members.
- A highly visible and interactive individual committed to engaging members at every opportunity.
- A team builder who has a history of attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining a high-performance team of professionals to propel the operation forward.
- A verifiable record of working closely and successfully in a private club with an active Board and committees, while providing visionary leadership and partnership to the General Manager.
- Financially astute with fiscal operations and budget development.
- A strong golf community network and knowledge of best practices of top-performing and high member satisfaction operations across the country
- Exceptionally strong communication skills with members and staff, creating an open exchange environment where genuine input is welcome to move the golf operations forward positively and passionately.
- NOTE: Those current 1st or Lead Assistant Professionals, or Head Golf Professionals under a Director of Golf at well-recognized clubs with a strong history of excellent mentorship of the professionals that have worked there along with verifiable records of achievement will be considered for this role.
EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS - Preferred Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or Golf Management, but not required.
- In lieu of the degree, substantial golf professional and private club experience will be considered.
- A PGA/LPGA member in good standing with a minimum of 5 years of Head Professional or Director of Golf experience in a like or similar type of facility is required.
SALARY AND BENEFITS Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package including association membership. Salary Range: $250,000 - $400,000 plus additional incentives for the successful candidate.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.
Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to the
Shady Canyon Golf Club search committee/attn: Marty Hoeffken, General Manager/COO . Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why SCGC and the Irvine, CA area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.
You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Candidate selections will occur early February 2025 , with the first Interviews expected later that month, and the second interviews a short time later. The new candidate should assume his/her role in June 2025. IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
"Last Name, First Name - Resume" &
"Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Shady Canyon"
(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)
Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.
If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor: bethany@kkandw.com
Search Executive: Paul K. Levy, PGA
Search & Consulting Executive
760-417-9048 (M) - Pinetop, AZ
paul@kkandw.com Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace
Job Tags
Full time, Part time, Seasonal work,