Staffing solutions

With U.S. unemployment rates at their lowest point in a decade, and continued job growth, the U.S. labor shortage is reaching a critical point. Golf courses aren't immune to this issue, and many superintendents have difficultly filling open positions with qualified talent.

Some key labor statistics in the golf course management industry:

• 59% of superintendents say it is more difficult to retain employees than it was just two years ago.
• 74% find it more difficult to retain hourly crew members than before.
• In 2012, 19% of superintendents said labor availability was "bad' or "very bad"; in 2018, that number was 63%.
• The average number of days it takes to fill a maintenance position is 70.

Creative staffing tips

During the 2019 Golf Industry Show in San Diego, GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans provided insight into the labor issue during the free session "Help Wanted: Creative Staffing Solutions for Your Golf Course." The session also included tips from GCSAA members Matt Shaffer, retired director of golf course operations at Merion Golf Club in Boalsburg, Pa.; Pat O'Brien, superintendent at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio; and John Thompson, superintendent at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind.