Green Tree Country Club - Golf Course Superintendent

GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT AT GREEN TREE COUNTRY CLUB

Green Tree Country Club is looking for a Golf Course Superintendent with strong agronomic and leadership skills with a passion for providing exceptional golfing conditions.

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GREEN TREE COUNTRY CLUB

Thirty-seven years ago, Jerry Mobley dreamed big. His vision wasn't oil, although Midland's success in the oil industry likely was a key in realizing his dream. What he sought was a golf oasis born of dusty farmland in northwest Midland County. It is now known as Green Tree Country Club. Some scoffed at the idea of the new development. Midland already had three courses - each of them quality tracks. Of those courses, two were private, well-established and loaded with character. Three country clubs in a town Midland's size, even by today's standards, is still considered extremely rare. But Mobley's vision didn't stop with a golf course and premier club. It also included a residential development. In this area, he was also ahead of his time as evidenced as Green Tree's status as one of the premier residential locations in Midland-Odessa. Mobley - then the Head Golf Professional at Ranchland Hills Country Club - believed there was room for another club. He shared his belief with John Wood in the summer of 1977.      

Not long after, Hoyle McCright of First National Bank came forward providing another integral piece. Midland West Corp. was created, and 320 acres north of the original site was obtained from Button Estes. "The site was a sandy old farm with one sickly tree and tumbleweeds," Mobley recalled in a letter. Mobley wrote there were a few hitches in the GTCC development, because of the development's unique design requirements - long cul-de-sacs, no alleys, no curbs. "We didn't even have a road, just a dirt trail to the property as late as February 1980," Mobley wrote. Just as the roads leading to Green Tree evolved, so did the club. Charles Howard of Austin was the architect of an 18-hole, championship golf course, which covered a reported 176 acres and featured Bermuda fairways and bent-grass greens, renown as the largest in the southwest at the time. An additional nine holes were opened in 1985, providing more options for golfers looking to get in a full round. 

When operations began in 1980, under the leadership of President John Wood, Green Tree offered a 36,000 square-foot clubhouse, tennis courts, swimming pool, racquetball courts and a tennis clubhouse. Even before the facilities were completed, Green Tree had 225 members in place. Green Tree remains a second home to many, what is critical to any club's success is knowing what niche you serve and cater yourself to serve that market. Catering to the family atmosphere is what Green Tree will continue to hang its hat on. In the short term, Green Tree will not only focus on its facilities, such as the golf club's extensive practice facilities or the tennis club's covered court, but also its programs and services. Green Tree Country Club boasts an award-winning junior golf league and tennis programs, a family dining restaurant and couples lounge that features a positive dining experience. For Green Tree Country Club, the priority is the family experience, and every year we continue to reinforce that commitment. Green Tree officials believe relying on a broad base will help the club not only survive, but flourish in the future. 

OVERVIEW OF GREEN TREE COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS

• 27 holes
  • The North 9 was renovated in 2015
  • The East 9 is currently being reconstructed
  • The West 9 is scheduled for reconstruction in 2022-23
• $1,820,000 Budget
• 45,000 rounds of golf
• Bentgrass greens (007) with RO water source
• 419 Bermuda fairways
• Currently building a new RO System to irrigate the course wall to wall
• Tripp Davis, retained as consulting golf course architect

Green Tree Country Club Website: www.greentreecc.com

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Golf Course Superintendent (GCS) reports to the Director of Agronomy.  The GCS is expected to provide quality leadership and will lead and manage his/her department to ensure superb golf course conditioning on a daily basis. The GCS is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the Green Tree Country Club golf course and grounds.

Continuing education and staying at the forefront of research and technology are necessary for success. In addition, the GCS will provide innovative, relevant leadership and will perpetuate and foster an educational culture of developing and producing future turf professionals. The GCS must have a natural style of “sincere engagement” with members and staff along with a love of the game of golf and a relentless attention to detail.

INITIAL AREAS OF FOCUS

• Assess growing conditions of greens
• Irrigation system maintenance and programming
• Improve fairway density and quality with a goal of providing full, dense fairways through the season
• Develop standard operating and course conditioning procedures
• Institute a high level of detail work
• Develop team training and evaluation systems
• Create an efficient work environment in the golf course maintenance buildings
• Support and develop assistant superintendents for advancement

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will be a Golf Course Superintendent or the First Assistant at a top tier club with a minimum of five years’ experience.

• Successful experience with managing Bent greens in similar climates
• Familiar with and successful experience managing cool and warm season turfs; including Bent greens, Bermuda fairways
• Experience with poor quality irrigation water
• Experience with Reverse Osmosis is desirable
• Understanding of all pest control techniques
• Solid irrigation management philosophy and practices
• Strong agronomic skills-stays current with advances in turf technology and equipment
• Proven history of providing exceptional golfing conditions and managing all aspects of the golf course and landscape at the highest level
• Subscribes to sustainable maintenance practices (e.g. firm and fast, sound irrigation philosophy)
• High energy, focused leader
• Possesses leadership qualities that have resulted in high employee satisfaction-proven staff retention, low turnover
• Strong relationship builder with a history of excellent relations with their Director of Golf/Golf Professional and General Manager/Chief Operating Officer
• Experience developing standard operating procedures and training programs
• Experience mentoring team members
• Proven success in developing assistants to promotion
• Excellent communication skills-listens to and responds to both club members and team members
• Strong budget management and forecasting (zero based) skills
• Experience developing capital equipment replacement plans
• Strong observational skills, detail oriented
• Highly organized
• Golfer/student of the game with a sound understanding of ideal playing conditions
• High Golf IQ is essential
• Bi-lingual is a plus (Spanish)

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

A degree in turf management or related field of study is required. GCSAA Certification and Pesticide Certification is preferred.  

CLUB COVID REQUIREMENTS

This club does not require staff to be fully vaccinated as a provision of employment.

SALARY & BENEFITS

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club, along with the typical GCSAA benefits, offers an excellent performance bonus and benefit package.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter (in that order) using the link below.  Your documents should be 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 Mr. Wray Crippin, CCM, Chief Operating Officer and clearly articulate why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career and why Green Tree Country Club and the Midland, Texas area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

IMPORTANT:  Save your resume and letter in the following manner:

“Last Name, First Name Resume”

“Last Name, First Name Cover Letter Green Tree 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 Nan Fisher: nan@kkandw.com

CLICK HERE to upload your resume and cover letter.

Lead Search Executive:

Armen Suny, Search Executive

303.570.2741

armen@kkandw.com