Golf Course Managers are the heart beat of a golf course operation. We can sometimes work 60-70 hours per week depending on the weather and events that take place. We love to get up and leave in the morning when it still dark, it’s the early bird gets the worm mentality. There is something about driving on a dark road in the morning that has a calming effect. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm depending on what we walk into. As we are driving it also gives us the time to think about our day and what we need to accomplish. You see, there are a lot of times we are our own boss because of the distance from the club house or because of the early and sometimes late hours that we work, hence the discipline. We have to be prepared for the good the bad and the ugly.
We can be our worst enemy and critic but it’s only because we want, more than ever, for people to play a well-manicured golf course that plays very well and is challenging yet fair. Each and everyday day can be seen as repairing turfgrass playing surfaces, mowing, watering, setting up the course for play, creating a plan for the day and leading the staff. We need to be disciplined enough to get the job done, know when to stop or keep going. But that’s the art of self-discipline. We often are the only ones that push ourselves to do great things. We get a sense of pride and valuing the fruits of your own labor when things are looking good.
Golf Course Managers where many hats and some examples are Managers of turfgrass, wildlife, daily course set-up, irrigation, electrical, fertilizer, plant protectants, ponds, native areas, cart paths and small roads, landscaping are just a few. The Golf Course Manager is required to be extremely knowledgeable on many things and needs to exercise the self-discipline when managing all aspects of a golf course. It takes a certain amount of dedicated discipline to stay on top of everything from just a few acres to well over 1000 acre properties.
Self-discipline in our business is like the sense of urgency on the stock market floor. You have to act fast and be diligent with our time. We typically conduct business with Mother Nature and Mother Nature always wins. This can create setbacks and having the proper discipline will keep your focus so that you will be able to achieve your goals (Northhouse 2016). Golf Course Managers are hardworking and for us to be successful in our business, we need to have self-discipline, because at times, we are the only ones pushing ourselves for more.
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.