How to hire a golf professional

How to hire a golf professional, step by step

Here's a step-by-step golf professional 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 professional job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new golf professional
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a golf professional job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The golf professional 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?

   Yes

   No

   A golf professional's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, golf professionals from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents golf professional salaries for various positions.

   Type of Golf Professional	Description	Hourly rate
   Golf Professional	Coaches teach amateur or professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. Scouts look for new players and evaluate their skills and likelihood for success at the college, amateur, or professional level... Show more	$11-31
   Scout	There are different types of scout based on the organization or workplace. There are sports scouts, talent scouts, and athletic scouts... Show more	$13-56
   Cheerleading Coach	A Cheerleading Coach teaches cheer and dance routines among cheerleaders, encouraging safety, discipline, and teamwork. In learning institutions, they are primarily in charge of overseeing a cheerleading team while coordinating with teachers to make sure that they keep up with their academic obligations... Show more	$12-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Instructional Program
   • POS
   • Private Lessons
   • Payroll
   • TEE Sheet
   • Beverage Operations
   • Membership Sales
   • Group Clinics
   • Pro Shop Sales
   • Member Events
   • Private Facility
   • Cart Fleet
   • Business Plan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Handicap chairperson responsible for managing, upgrading and maintaining the USGA user database.
   • Schedule and manage golf matches pursuant to CIF and PLHS rules and regulations.
   • Manage operations including employee scheduling, payroll, vendor relations and inventory management.
   • Provide instruction to youth -work with other PGA professionals
   • Obey NAIA scholarship boundaries and Ashford athletic budget.
   • Monitor and assist all member score posting with the USGA handicap system.

   More golf professional duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your golf professional job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A golf professional salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, golf professionals' average salary in wyoming is 65% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level golf professionals earn 65% less than senior-level golf professionals.
   • Certifications. A golf professional 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 professional's salary.

   Average golf professional salary

   $39,134yearly

   $18.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level golf professional salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average golf professional salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$63,700	$31
   2	Massachusetts	$61,224	$29
   3	Vermont	$51,127	$25
   4	Texas	$48,282	$23
   5	California	$46,019	$22
   6	Minnesota	$45,170	$22
   7	Nevada	$42,491	$20
   8	Arizona	$41,669	$20
   9	Oregon	$41,396	$20
   10	Louisiana	$40,988	$20
   11	Illinois	$40,877	$20
   12	North Carolina	$39,764	$19
   13	North Dakota	$38,264	$18
   14	Colorado	$36,544	$18
   15	Ohio	$36,210	$17
   16	Florida	$34,813	$17
   17	Oklahoma	$33,180	$16
   18	Georgia	$31,708	$15
   19	Kansas	$29,778	$14

   Average golf professional salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Oklahoma	$42,563	$20.46
   2	Club	$42,379	$20.37	66
   3	National Golf Club	$40,362	$19.40
   4	Landscapes Unlimited	$39,595	$19.04
   5	Hyatt Hotels	$37,570	$18.06	5
   6	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$37,250	$17.91	1
   7	Sea Island	$34,708	$16.69	5
   8	Marietta Country Club	$34,358	$16.52
   9	Baton Rouge Country Club	$33,857	$16.28
   10	The Country Club	$33,473	$16.09	2
   11	Troon	$33,341	$16.03	145
   12	JC Resorts	$33,302	$16.01
   13	City of Aurora	$32,293	$15.53
   14	American Golf	$32,076	$15.42	26
   15	Metedeconk National Golf Club	$31,802	$15.29
   16	Alterra Mountain	$31,438	$15.11
   17	Wintergreen Resort	$31,320	$15.06
   18	DICK'S Sporting Goods	$31,048	$14.93	20
   19	Royal Fox Country Club	$30,942	$14.88

4. Writing a golf professional job description

   A golf professional 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 professional job description:

   Golf professional job description example

   Landscapes Golf Management and Pinecrest Golf Club are seeking an individual to join our team in Huntley, IL.
   
   Since 1972 Pinecrest Golf Club has become a fantastic 18 hole course with some of the best greens in the state. We are searching for a Golf Professional who will be responsible for the monitoring and oversight of the golf programming at the club. The Pinecrest associates work in an environment that demands exceptional performance yet reaps great rewards. Whether it's career opportunities, job enrichment or a supportive work environment, if you are ready for this challenge, then we are ready for you. Join the team today!
   Essential Job Functions
   
   The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:
   
   + Hire, train, schedule and supervise instruction. Directs the daily operations of the programming team ensuring accurate records.
   
   + Gives quality golf lessons to include individual and group lessons.
   
   + Works with members and guests; assists them with their golfing needs; handles their requests, complaints and inquires with composure and in a timely professional manner.
   
   + Develops programs to promote the interest in the sport of golf and the use of the course.
   
   + Prepares annual budget for golf programming and strives to achieve sales targets.
   
   + Maintains accurate records of green fees and cart rentals.
   
   + Completes high quality custom fitting and club repairs to customer satisfaction.
   
   + Gathers, processes, and submits payroll information for the golf department timely and accurately; maintains employee files and records.
   
   + Devotes a reasonable amount of time to play golf with members of all skill levels.
   
   + Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround time, streamline work processes and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
   
   + Maintains the confidentiality of company, employee, and member/guest information.
   
   + Attends and actively participates in regularly scheduled staff meetings.
   
   + Demonstrates a commitment to the work and success of the club and the Company by being service- and solution-oriented, having positive interactions with all club staff and members/guests, and meeting established quality, service, and safety expectations.
   
   + Performs additional assignments per the direction of club or Company managers.
   
   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   + Has knowledge of the organization and management of a program team.
   
   + Understands the rules of golf, the equipment used and golf tournament organization.
   
   + Has knowledge of practice facility operation and management.
   
   + Effective communication skills orally and in writing.
   
   + Able to provide a high level of customer service with attention to detail.
   
   + Proficient with common MS Office computer programs and experience with POS systems.
   
   Education and Experience
   
   + High School Diploma or GED
   
   + A member of the PGA or LPGA
   
   + 3 years experience as a Golf Professional
   
   Benefits
   
   + Reduced Meals
   
   + Complimentary Golf
   
   + Salary- $15-$20 DOE
   
   Work hours may include early mornings and evenings on weekdays, weekends and holidays. Subject to inside and outside environmental conditions. FT- Seasonal (March 1, 2023)
   
   Landscapes Golf Management is an equal opportunity/affirmative action/E-Verify employer. All employment decisions at Landscapes Unlimited are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other class or status protected by federal, state or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right golf professional for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with golf professionals they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit golf professionals who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your golf professional job on Zippia to find and recruit golf professional candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting golf professionals requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 professional

   Once you've found the golf professional candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new golf professional. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a golf professional?