Director of Golf Maintenance/Lead Superintendent

Director of Golf Maintenance / Lead Superintendent

Career opportunity to work with a strong team and lead the golf maintenance programs for two premier lakefront golf courses along the Freshwater Coast of South Carolina.  Savannah Lakes Village is a 4,000-acre master-planned lakefront community located approximately 35 minutes north of the metro aera of Augusta, GA.  The community is bordered by the 71,000-acre Lake Thurmond – the third lake in a chain along the Savannah River that creates the western border of South Carolina.  The cities of Greenwood, SC and Augusta, GA are less than 45 minutes away.  The cities of Greenville, SC, Columbia, SC and Athen GA are all a 1.5 hour drive. The community sits between Atlanta and Charlotte, which are both a 2.5 hour drive in either direction. 

There is a strong focus on community in Savannah Lakes Village.  We exist to provide a strong, vibrant, connected community where people belong – an approach to our team and community culture.  At Savannah Lakes Village our members enjoy golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, fishing, hunting, bowling, exercise programs, dining, and numerous daily activities and social events that bring our community together.  The community currently has over 1,700 homes and is growing at a pace of over 100 new homes per year. 

Savannah Lakes Village’s golf program features two club/community owned and self-managed lakefront 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Tom Clark—Tara Golf Course and Monticello Golf Course.  Both courses offer 419 Bermuda fairways and rough, with TifEagle greens at Tara and MiniVerde greens at Monticello.  The courses are normally open 6 days per week, 12 months a year (each course is closed one day per week, with exceptions for occasional tournaments and events on the closed days).

The ideal candidate and leader will be proven to:

• Effectively lead the overall management of the golf course maintenance program of the golf courses and related activities of Savannah Lakes Village (SLV), ensuring that the overall objectives, policies, programs and fiscal practices of SLV as they relate to the golf courses and related activities are implemented, administered and maintained. 
• Effectively communicate and promote the SLV golf maintenance programs and build relationships/goodwill among all team members, community members, and guests.
• Lead the capital planning and operational budget develop processes for the maintenance and improvement programs to both golf courses, while working with the golf maintenance team and community leadership. Responsible for monitoring monthly budget performance and report on variances to the operational budget plan throughout the year.
• Work with community leadership provide regular updates to the living master plan of both golf courses and develop operational plans for effective implementation.
• Lead and oversee all aspects of golf course construction, renovation, maintenance and operations at the assigned golf courses, assuring a high standard of appearance, graciousness and service.
  1. Coordinate the work of outside contractors for course construction and renovation.
  2. Coordinate the maintenance of the two golf courses, including regular maintenance, fertilization, herbicide and insecticide programs and other functions in a holistic and collaborative manner involving the teams at both courses.
• Collaborate on a regular basis with the team to evaluate how effectively standards are being achieved and foster ideas for continuous improvements.
• Formulate annual agronomic maintenance plans and budgets for golf course greens, tees, fairways and roughs. Maintain liaison with USGA and GCSA.
• Effectively oversee inventory control and equipment maintenance programs.
• Support the overall planning, development, execution and evaluation of the various golf events, activities and programs as scheduled by the Golf Services department by providing a product that enhances the golf program and increases member participation. These programs should build enthusiasm within the membership for golf participation.
• Responsible for overall scheduling of the course maintenance to assure members, guests, tournament functions and other activities do not conflict with maintenance projects/schedules.  Communicate golf maintenance projects that would impact course play through the golf shops and to the membership through established communication channels.
• Work with the golf committee to support the needs of various golf groups and golf related social activities for members, clubs and organizations of SLV, by seeking opportunities to make the experience better—this builds community life and spirit.
• Provide support and leadership to two Golf Maintenance Managers.

Qualifications:

Must have a Class A designation from the Golf Couse Superintendents Association.

Must have the ability, skills and sufficient educational background, normally an associate’s degree in agronomy, turf and/or landscape management or in a related field, and/or actual relevant experience to administer the golf course maintenance department.

Should have a minimum of two (2) years actual experience as a Lead Superintendent or Director of Golf Maintenance.

Requires knowledge in golf facility construction and maintenance principles, practices and methods and a thorough understanding of the rules, playability, and strategies of the game of golf.

Requires knowledge of operation and maintenance of landscaping and irrigation systems.

Requires expertise in planting, seeding, cultivating, pruning and caring for plants, shrubs, trees and flowers.

Requires substantial knowledge and understanding of application of herbicides and pesticides with the ability to acquire a SC Pesticide Applicator License.

Requires a working knowledge of drainage control methods, maintenance of golf cart paths and golf course maintenance equipment.  Have the ability to negotiate and purchase such equipment and maintenance supplies.

Requires knowledge of current federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting the management of golf course maintenance operations.

Must possess inter-personnel skills that will make people feel welcome and reflect favorably on SLV.  This includes public speaking skills as well as human relation’s abilities.

Must have the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

Requires management experience in planning, supervision, financial accountability and personnel.

Must have basic computer skills, including spreadsheet and word processing proficiency.

Must be pleasant, well organized, and a team player.

About the Benefits

As a valued member of the Savannah Lakes Village team, you will be awarded a competitive compensation package in line with your skills and experience, as well as:

• Attainable performance-based bonuses and incentives
• Industry-leading healthcare coverage
• 401K
• Generous PTO structure - 26 days after 1 year
• Endless possibility for career growth and industry experience
• And many more!