DIRECTOR OF GOLF PROFILE: LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUBHOUSTON, TXDIRECTOR OF GOLF AT LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUBLakeside Country Club is seeking an experienced, seasoned PGA/LPGA professional to become their new Director of Golf. Lakeside Country Club is an exclusive private, Member-owned, non-profit, full-service country club. The new golf course at Lakeside Country Club opened for play in December 2023, completely redesigned by Jay Blasi. This is an amazing opportunity to be part of an elite, nationally recognized club with a very mature and active golf operation in one of the country's top golf markets. The new Director of Golf should be the ultimate professional in all aspects and will be responsible for continuing the extremely high culture and service standards the club is known for. Anticipating and exceeding the expectations of both the Club's Members and guests is a steadfast requirement for success. The new Director of Golf must ensure that the overall goals of both the golf department and the Club are being met with a collaborative and proactive leadership style. This individual will be extremely visible and approachable, have a track record of successfully mentoring his/her staff, and approach their duties every day with a servant's heart and empathy-driven demeanor.Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.ABOUT LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUBLakeside Country Club was founded in 1951 by a group of Houston businessmen who were looking to establish a private club that offered excellent golf and social opportunities. The property dates to 1861 and exchanged hands several times in its first half-century before becoming home to the Mooers family who built a Colonial-style mansion that served as the first Clubhouse. Located 12 miles west of the heart of Houston, Lakeside Country Club flourished in its initial offering, quickly growing to 325 members, providing a center of recreation and relaxation for its nearby community. The property has evolved over the years. The original 18-hole course was designed by famed architect, Ralph Plummer, and while always home to traditional country club amenities, the property also features picturesque lakes for canoeing and fishing, and at one time even featured a skeet and trap range, and horse stables. Today, Lakeside Country Club serves as a sanctuary from the city for its 1,000 member families. Hurricane Harvey resulted in a devastating total loss of the original clubhouse in 2017. The new Clubhouse was finished in 2019 and comprised of over 80,000 square feet of member dining, luxury locker rooms and amenities, and banquet space of varying sizes and capabilities. A new golf course, designed by Jay Blasi was opened in December 2023, including 18 holes of championship-level golf, a 5-hole short course, a double-sided driving range, and large practice facilities. Additionally, the Club features 11 tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts, a 10,000 sq. ft Fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool and lap pool, youth programs, and more. Lakeside has seen much evolution in the last decade. With the two largest projects complete (Clubhouse and Golf Course), the Club and its Membership are poised for an exciting future moving forward. Lakeside Country Club will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026!LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUB MISSION STATEMENTLakeside Country Club is driven by its MISSION STATEMENT - Lakeside Country Club will be one of the top tier Country Clubs in the greater Houston area. Lakeside Country Club will be a family-oriented Country Club that will provide outstanding social and recreational services to its membership. LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS:
- Approximately 1002 members in all categories
- $140,000Initiation Fee
- $14,400 Annual Dues
- $550k Approximate Hard Goods Volume (Golf)
- $1.3M Approximate Soft Goods Volume (Golf)
- $1.6M Approximate Gross Payroll (Golf Shop Operations)
- $375k Approximate Instruction Volume
- 44,000 Approximate Annual Rounds of Golf
- 25 Employees Golf Operations (FTE)
- 250 Full-Time Club Employees
- 13 Board Members ? 3-year term
- 57 Average age of members
- Club Accounting and POS systems are Club Essential
LAKESIDE COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE: www.Lakesidecc.comDIRECTOR OF GOLF - POSITION OVERVIEW The Director of Golf at Lakeside is the golf ambassador of the Club. This seasoned professional manages, supervises, and oversees the Club's entire golf operation to provide the highest standards of excellence for both Member and guest enjoyment, as well as plans and coordinates a golf program that is respected and enjoyed by the Membership. The Director of Golf manages the Golf Pro Shop and related services to meet the needs of the Members in a manner consistent with the Club's vision and philosophy. The position requires proper communication between departments, maintaining excellent relationships with suppliers, and keeping Members satisfied and well-informed. The Director of Golf reports to the General Manager. While building relationships with every constituency within the Lakeside membership, the DOG is someone who needs to have his or her finger on the pulse of all operations besides golf.This professional is responsible for ensuring that these operations are consistently managed and run with an especially strong Member and guest focus, and to be highly visible and interactive, leading this operation with enthusiasm and engagement commensurate with the strong golf-centric culture at the Club. This includes all touch point areas of outside operations, range and practice areas, caddy services, shop services, merchandising of the golf shop, and tournament and activity play, among others, as well as being sincerely cooperative and interactive with the clubhouse operation and golf course maintenance, with whom he/she regularly interacts. The Director of Golf is expected to provide motivated and passionate leadership to his/her team, and fellow management team members, relative to key golf events and activities programming. Keeping the golf program fresh, innovative and relevant are critical expectations of the new Director of Golf. The need to ensure that all elements of the golf experience are fun, relaxed and organized is critical, as is the need for someone to ensure that all Members are enthused about the program and their involvement.Additionally, the DOG will oversee the teaching & coaching programs at Lakeside including providing golf lessons and clinics tailored to various skill levels including all junior golf programs, engaging members and guests alike, while generating enthusiasm through regular on-course interaction. This role also involves designing and leading golf clinics and organizing professional development and training programs to enhance the skills and service standards of the team.The Director of Golf is the 'face' of golf at the Club and must be the proactive ambassador of hospitality, committed to service excellence for both Members and guests and ensuring that his/her teamfrom valet, bag and range attendants, pro shop and assistant professionalsconsistently understands and delivers this commitment. The golf experience is one of the strongest element of Member retention and satisfaction at Lakeside Country Club, and as such needs a Director of Golf who is highly visible and approachable, understanding and communicating expectations to necessary constituencies.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, instructor, merchandiser, innovator, tournament host, and marketer, but above all, a great communicator! ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NEW DIRECTOR OF GOLF
- Collects, handles charging fees for golf-related activities, and keeps accurate records.
- Consults with the Superintendent about golf course and practice range operations.
- Cooperates with the Superintendent about maintenance issues that affect the playability of the golf course.
- Supervise and manage the tee sheet and staff governing the start of and pace of play & attends staff, management, golf committee, and other applicable meetings.
- Maintain a close working relationship and meet regularly with the General Manager.
- Able to develop a training and onboarding plan for new and existing staff members so that everyone knows what is expected of them and how to deliver upon that goal.
- Maintains records relating to player and guest rounds and other statistics.
- Select, supervise, train, motivate, and evaluate a high-performance golf department staff including professionals, merchandising, and outside golf operations personnel.
- Develop and build a golf operations team with a strong focus on mentorship and growth.
- Plays golf with members of all skill levels to generate enthusiasm.
- Organizes and conducts club tournaments and related events for both WGA and MGA
- Interprets and enforces club policies, rules, and regulations.
- Full responsibility for the Golf Shop inventory and success of the merchandising program. Attends all staff, management, golf committee, and other applicable meetings.
- Maintains records relating to player and guest rounds and other statistics.
- Schedules staff hours to assure that members are fully served and that labor costs are maintained.
- Attends national and sectional PGA conferences/meetings, and educational and professional shows to encourage development and enhance the quality and image of the club.
- Represents the club in area professional events including local, state, or national events with the approval of the General Manager.
- Always set an example and ensure all staff adhere to the vision and core values of Lakeside Country Club.
- Secure high levels of membership satisfaction with a positive, respectful, inclusive, interactive, and highly VISIBLE presence.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
- A golf professional who recognizes what a premier member and guest golf experience means, and is able to continually evaluate, enhance, and direct others to achieve that vision and deliver service in a positive, energized, and intuitive manner.
- A team builder who has a history of attracting, developing, and retaining a high-performance golf staff, and ensuring that they consistently meet well-defined service standards.
- A natural leader who brings out the very best in those around him/her by setting clear goals and expectations and providing consistent feedback and support.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar, private, well-respected, member-owned club with a verifiably great reputation in golf operations. Experience as a Head Professional/Director of Golf is very desirable. Knowledgeable in best practices in top-performing and high member satisfaction golf operations around the country.
- Good communication skills both written and verbal are a must to promote the game and manage the operation across all constituencies of the Club.
- A confident, diplomatic, and competent professional who is a 'doer' and take-charge person, who also recognizes the importance of accountability.
- A proven leader with a diverse skills and competencies base, encompassing a multitude of critical areas necessary for success, including but not limited to staff development, organizational skills, management and coaching, merchandising expertise, vendor relationships, caddy programs, strong written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, drive, integrity, and respectful diplomacy.
- Financially astute with fiscal operations and budget development, regarding typical golf operations and merchandising issues. He/she is aware of critical benchmarking and financial metrics that lead to proactive responses to trending curves.
- A personable individual with a sense of humor and style that is commensurately appropriate to the culture and expectations of a relaxed but respectful membership group and team of associates.
- A high level of golf-playing ability and true enjoyment of the game.
- A strong golf community network nationally with top clubs and professionals
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 certification 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 benefits package including association membership. Additionally, there will be a significant incentive for the golf shop's success.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 Lakeside Country Club Search Committee/Casey Newman, GM/COO, 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 Lakeside Country Club and the Houston 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 but no later than Tuesday, December 10th of 2024. Candidate selections will occur mid-December, with the first Interviews expected in early January and the second interviews a short time later. The new candidate should assume his/her role by mid-March 2025. IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: Last Name, First Name - Resume & Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Lakeside CC (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: ...@kkandw.comSearch Executive: Paul K. Levy, PGASearch & Consulting Executive760-###-#### - Pinetop, AZ...@kkandw.com