DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY PROFILE: BLESSINGS GOLF CLUB JOHNSON, ARTHE DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY OPPORTUNITY AT BLESSINGS GOLF CLUB Blessings Golf Club is looking for a Director of Agronomy who is successfully managing Bentgrass greens in a challenging environment and is experienced with zoysia and native grass roughs. The Director of Agronomy will be a strong, outgoing, energetic, detail-oriented leader with a passion for the game of golf and providing premiere golfing conditions. Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity. ABOUT BLESSINGS GOLF CLUB At the heart of Blessings Golf Club (Ranked 144 by Golf Digest's America's Second Hundred Greatest Golf Courses) is an environment designed to promote a welcoming atmosphere to enjoy time with family and friends, complimented by great golf. The course was designed with the goal of testing championship golfers on every shot. The Club is the home to the University of Arkansas Men's and Women's Golf Teams and was the host site for the Men's and Women's 2019 NCAA Division I Golf Championships, the 2020 Southern Junior, the 2024 Trans-Mississippi Senior and Mid-Master Championship, and the annual Blessings Collegiate Invitational televised by Golf Channel. The impeccably maintained course stretches to over 7,900 yards from the back tees and plays through two distinct landforms-the Clear Creek floodplain and a plateau that rises to 65 feet above the floodplain where it is bisected by a series of ravines. Both the outward and inward nines climb up and down between the two topographies, creating drama and variety on each hole. The course was originally designed by architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. with a redesign recently completed by noted architect Kyle Phillips. The extensive practice areas are unrivaled and provide both indoor and outdoor facilities. The Indoor Short Game Practice and Fitness Facility includes a 9,000 square foot short game practice area with a 3,000 square foot putting and chipping green designed by Dave Pelz. The facility also provides a state-of-the-art 2,000 square foot fitness facility. The Razorback Center houses five indoor hitting bays and one private teaching bay with video analysis equipment. The building also includes locker facilities and a break room for the University of Arkansas golf teams. The outdoor practice areas feature a range with multiple teeing areas and numerous range targets to allow realistic practice sessions. The short game facilities include several bentgrass putting and short game greens as well as a bermudagrass green. A separate three-acre short game practice area features practice greens that are 4,500 and 16,000 square feet in size, sand bunkers and a putting green. The clubhouse, a Marlon Blackwell design, has won numerous awards including recognition by Architectural Digest as one of the top golf clubhouses in the world. Amenities include a well-appointed golf shop, outstanding locker facilities, multiple dining venues and a full-service pool area. DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY POSITION OVERVIEW
- Architects- Original Design (2004) Robert Trent Jones, Jr.; Redesign (2018) Kyle Phillips
- Greens- USGA, Bent, A1/A4
- Fairways- Zoysia, Zeon/Cavalier
- Roughs- Native Blend
- Irrigation System- Toro
- Water source- Clear Creek
- Budget- $2.2M (Not including depreciation, lease payments, taxes or insurance)
- 12,000 rounds of golf annually
- 180 local golf members, 40 national golf members and 100 social members
JOB DESCRIPTION The Director of Agronomy reports directly to the General Manager (GM). The Director of Agronomy will lead and manage his/her team to ensure superb golfing conditions throughout the golfing season, all while creating a friendly, open atmosphere with team members. He/She is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the Club's golf course include the golf course, clubhouse grounds, open spaces, and POA common areas. Frequent, open and transparent communication with the GM and Director of Golf is required. The Director of Agronomy is expected to lead the golf course maintenance team as well as providing information, recommendations, and leadership to the GM to provide superior golfing conditions. The Director of Agronomy is expected to ensure that the golf course is consistently in excellent condition and has a high level of detailing. Continuing education and staying at the forefront of research and technology are necessary for success. In addition, the Director of Agronomy will provide creative leadership and foster a culture of continuing education and development of future turf professionals. The Director of Agronomy must have a natural style of sincere engagement with members and the Blessings Golf Club team along with a love of the game of golf and a passion for surpassing the members' course conditioning expectations. INITIAL AREAS OF FOCUS
- Increased level of detailing on the golf course
- Create an action plan to improve stress tolerance of greens
- Evaluate the course conditions and develop an action plan for the summer maintenance program
- Review soil tests and necessary nutritional inputs to all areas
DESIRED CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate will be a Superintendent with a minimum of five years' experience at a golf course known for providing exceptional golf course conditioning.
- Successful experience with Bentgrass greens in the most challenging climates
- Experience providing smooth, firm, fast greens with an understanding of managing summer stress
- Experience controlling bermuda contamination of Zoysia fairways
- Regular timely communications with the Director of Golf and the Golf Operations Team
- Strong relationship builder with a history of excellent relations with their General Manager and Director of Golf
- Proactive, high energy team builder
- A history of mentoring team members and advancing their careers
- Strong employee training programs
- Strong observational skills and detail oriented
- A history of successful renovations
- Experienced in completing projects and tasks in a timely and high-quality fashion
- Experienced with maintaining the edges of the golf course at a high level
- Strong budget management and forecasting (zero based) skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong bunker maintenance programming
- History of strong organizational skills and orderly maintenance building and yard
- A creative turf manager with strong agronomic skills
- Stays current with advances in turf technology, irrigation management, and equipment maintenance
- Maintains a strong network of industry peers
- Concise and direct communication skills
- Passion for exceptional conditioning
- Provide consistent conditions at the practice facilities that are identical to the golf course conditions
- A golfer
- A high Golf IQ and a love for great golf course architecture
- A strong understanding of daily golf course setup
EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS A degree in turf management or related field of study. GCSAA Certification is preferred. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. SALARY AND BENEFITS Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Club offers a competitive salary, bonus and benefits package including a GCSAA membership for a position of this scope and responsibility. 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 Blessings Golf Club, Eric Slack, GM, and clearly articulate your alignment with this role and why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why BGC and the Fayetteville area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected. You must apply for this role as soon as possible. First Interviews are expected early November. The new Director of Agronomy should assume his/her role in mid-January.IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: Last Name, First Name - Resume & Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Blessings Golf Club (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 Katy Eliades: ...@kkandw.com Lead Search Executive: Armen Suny Search Executive KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE 303-###-#### ...@kkandw.com