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How to hire a golf course manager

Golf course manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring golf course managers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a golf course manager is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new golf course manager to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a golf course manager, step by step

To hire a golf course manager, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a golf course manager:

Here's a step-by-step golf course manager hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a golf course manager job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new golf course manager
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The golf course manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a golf course manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a golf course manager that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of golf course managers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Golf Course ManagerDescriptionHourly rate
    Golf Course ManagerTop executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.$14-44
    Night ManagerA night manager is a professional employee who is responsible for all hotel operations during the night. Night managers must assist the front office manager in all areas of the department, including managing front desk staff, payroll, and enforcing financial control... Show more$13-28
    Unit ManagerUnit managers are responsible for managing the nursing unit. They primarily supervise the daily care of patients and ensure quality patient care... Show more$18-46
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Pro Shop
    • Course Maintenance
    • Mowing
    • Instructional Materials
    • Course Management
    • Customer Service
    • Golf Courses
    • Mowers
    • Financial Statements
    • Golf Carts
    • Payroll
    • Irrigation Systems
    • Course Operations
    • Course Materials
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Develop and manage all pesticide, weed, fertilizer, and cultural programs for turf grass and landscape plants.
    • Locate, excavate, and repair buried PVC and metal pipe.
    • Operate greens and fairway mowers, sand trap rake and other associate maintenance duties.
    • Implement POS and club billing system increasing efficiency, and eliminating extra cost from off site billing.
    • Summer duties include mowing greens, tees, and fairways, irrigation system repair/operation, and fertilization of a golf course.
    • Direct nationwide operational programs including, shipping freight and logistics, inventory management, and contract negotiations.
    More golf course manager duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your golf course manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A golf course manager salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, golf course managers' average salary in montana is 61% less than in district of columbia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level golf course managers earn 67% less than senior-level golf course managers.
    • Certifications. A golf course manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a golf course manager's salary.

    Average golf course manager salary

    $52,858yearly

    $25.41 hourly rate

    Entry-level golf course manager salary
    $30,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025

    Average golf course manager salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$69,935$34
    2California$67,289$32
    3Massachusetts$66,609$32
    4Virginia$64,483$31
    5Maryland$60,806$29
    6Wisconsin$60,800$29
    7Nevada$56,877$27
    8Minnesota$56,608$27
    9Colorado$52,852$25
    10Washington$52,838$25
    11Michigan$49,284$24
    12Texas$46,547$22
    13Florida$46,155$22

    Average golf course manager salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Harvard University$90,782$43.651
    2TPC Group$84,127$40.452
    3Udacity$83,984$40.38
    42U$73,562$35.37
    5Leidos$65,433$31.4619
    6Raytheon Technologies$57,408$27.6022
    7NANA$56,866$27.341
    8Landscapes Unlimited$56,409$27.12
    9BrightView Landscape Development Inc$56,396$27.1119
    10City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)$56,081$26.96
    11Sodexo Management, Inc.$52,809$25.39239
    12BrightView$51,008$24.5213
    13Sycuan Casino Resort$50,308$24.19
    14University of Wisconsin System$50,116$24.09
    15Spartan Race$48,904$23.51
    16City of San Diego$42,554$20.46
    17Metroparks Toledo$41,371$19.89
    18Coast Guard Exchange System$39,836$19.152
    19City of Boise$37,874$18.21
    20Prince George’s County Trap & Skeet Center$37,213$17.89
  4. Writing a golf course manager job description

    A golf course manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a golf course manager job description:

    Golf course manager job description example

    1.Able to perform Ropes & Zipline Course along with activities that correspond to the course. Must be able to show staff the best way to perform, and help them understand that as servant leaders, we will walk with you to help you succeed.

    2. Able to perform rescue operations in the event of an emergency. Give safety briefings, instruct self-rescue procedures, and manage / implement the Emergency Response Plan.

    3. Must be certified or have the ability to obtain an ACCT Challenge Course safety certification.

    4. Performs the role of “Standard Bearer”, ensuring that each criterion in Bear Country, Inc.’s core values are communicated, understood, achieved, and maintained by property staff.

    5. Creates an operating environment that assures consistent guest satisfaction. Respond to guest inquiries and feedback

    6. Is responsible for guest satisfaction related to group activities, schedules, employees, and events. Schedules, organizes, trains, and monitors staff to make sure they are giving an exemplary customer experience in all facets of the Ropes and Zipline Course.

    7. Manage staff of up to 50 employees including scheduling, timecards, and payroll.

    8. Prepare financial and guest satisfaction reports for management that clearly explain operational effectiveness, trends and variances as related to the Ropes & Zipline department.

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Typically, directly supervises 2 to 50 employees including full time, part time, and seasonal employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Company’s policies, training programs, and applicable laws.

    EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: · Absent extraordinary prior on-the-job experience, the Ropes & Zipline Manager position requires a High School diploma or general education degree (GED) and preferably either a two-year degree or a four-year degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience). Experience managing a staff of more than 10 people.

    LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ropes & Zipline Course Manager must have developed language skills to the point to be able to:

    · Read and interpret documents in English such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals, newspapers, periodicals, journals, and manuals. · Write routine reports, correspondence, business letters, summaries, and reports in English using prescribed format, and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. · Ability to write and speak effectively in English before groups such as customers or employees.

    COMPUTER SKILLS: The Ropes & Zipline Course Manager must have sufficient computer skills that will allow them to be able to use, in a proficient manner, including but not limited to the following: · Microsoft Word · Microsoft Excel · Property Management System (PMS) programs: Campspot · Point of Sale program: Center Edge · ADP payroll and scheduling programs.

    PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee must be able to see differences in widths and lengths of lines such as those on graphs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    COMMUNICATIONS WITH GUESTS: Bear Country’s philosophy is to ensure that all dissatisfied guests are favorably impressed by the Company’s concern for their dissatisfaction. Management and employees must be trained in handling guest dissatisfaction and rectifying any environment for dissatisfaction before it is expressed in the form of a formal complaint. The Ropes & Zipline Course Manager must have in place a customer service training program in addition to the required Orientation programs for the resort to ensure guest satisfaction and to handle any issues guests may have. A system should be established to ensure the Ropes & Zipline Manager is immediately informed of all complaints. Action is to be taken as soon as possible to try to ensure guest satisfaction. Any complaints from guests must be responded to immediately, and communicated with the guest that their complaint was received and action is being taken to resolve or correct.

  5. Post your job

    To find golf course managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any golf course managers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level golf course managers with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your golf course manager job on Zippia to find and recruit golf course manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with golf course manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new golf course manager

    Once you've selected the best golf course manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new golf course manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a golf course manager?

There are different types of costs for hiring golf course managers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new golf course manager employee.

You can expect to pay around $52,858 per year for a golf course manager, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for golf course managers in the US typically range between $14 and $44 an hour.

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