Grounds Complex & Equipment Manager

Sand Valley is a Midwest golf destination set among the prehistoric sand dunes in central Wisconsin. Founded in 2016 by brothers Michael and Chris Keiser, this Dream Golf destination offers three award-winning golf courses, Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, and the Sandbox, which were modeled after the heathland golf courses of London and showcase massive, 80-foot exposed sand dunes. Much like other Dream Golf properties, such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and Cabot Cape Breton, Sand Valley showcases golf as it was meant to be.

Sand Valley gives guests a flavor of the region through farm-to-table culinary experiences, year-round outdoor adventures, such as fat-tire biking, hiking, and fishing, unrivaled grass court tennis and one of the very best golf experiences in the Midwest. With 12,000 acres of wide-open space across central Wisconsin, Sand Valley helps guests reconnect with the raw beauty and serenity of the outdoors.

In 2021, Michael and Chris Keiser announced the building of The Lido, a private club whose mission is to restore and preserve the great masterpiece of C.B. Macdonald. The Lido Golf Club opened on Long Island in 1914. Sadly, the course was demolished by the U.S. Navy after they purchased the property for use as a military base during World War II. Ever since it disappeared, the promise of The Lido has intrigued many as one of the great lost wonders of the golf world. We are excited to announce that The Lido will soon be brought back to life on a site near the entrance of Sand Valley and opening in June of 2023.

Construction began on another public course in 2022, for what will be the newest edition at Sand Valley. Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf (Pacific Dunes, Tara Iti) has been selected to design the resort’s 4^th course, Sedge Valley opening in 2024 – a 6,200-yard Par-68 inspired by the likes of Swinley Forest and St. Enodoc overseas.

Position Summary

The Grounds Complex and Equipment Manager should be a proven leader in the industry.  The Sand Valley grounds complex is the main hub for Common Grounds, the Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, and Sandbox golf courses along with the shipping/receiving operations at the resort.  The Valley complex will open in the summer of 2023 servicing the new Sedge Valley and Commons golf courses. The Lido complex opened in 2022 and services the Lido golf course.  The original grounds complex consists of an office and breakroom building, technician’s shop, chemical building, and storage barn. This facility was built in 2016 and is continuing to evolve and adapt to a growing resort. The Valley complex consists of an office and breakroom building, technician’s shop, chemical building, and storage barn. The Lido complex consists of an office and breakroom building, technicians’ shop, chemical building, and storage barn. The Equipment Manager and technicians provide the Superintendents with the equipment and tools needed for the daily maintenance of the golf courses at the resort.  The Grounds Complex & Equipment Manager will uphold the following equipment management responsibilities along with the supervision of several equipment technicians.

Basic Functions

• Responsible for daily maintenance and repairs of all golf course equipment and machines.
• Responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and reporting equipment preventative maintenance procedures and repairs.
• Responsible for monitoring, inspecting and reporting quality-of-cut, after-cut-appearance, effective height-of-cut, and bench settings.
• Responsible for the grounds complex parking control, equipment storage, and traffic flow.
• Works closely with, advises, and coordinates with the Director of Agronomy, Superintendents, General Manager, Resort Controller and Golf Professionals on any issues related to golf course equipment.
• Directs and participates in the construction and maintenance of the grounds.
• Effectively communicates with Architects and associates on on-going construction efforts, new golf course construction, course design and setup.
• Administers and enforces all Sand Valley LLC rules, regulations and policies for staff.
• Works closely with the Owner, General Manager, Director of Agronomy, and Superintendents to operate the grounds complex and equipment management in a fiscally responsible and professional manner.
• Must be able to work independently and be a self-starting problem solver.

   Primary Duties

• Manage and maintain equipment of all types and sizes with gas, diesel, 2-cycle engines, and electric systems.
• Manage and schedule a staff of 5 technicians along with biweekly payroll review.
• Check all cutting units for quality of cut on all greens, fairways, and surrounds mowers.
• Service and maintain equipment to the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Make repairs on machines as necessary to achieve minimal downtime.
• Manage the maintenance of over 200 pieces of equipment using a wireless hour meter tracking system, MyTurf.
• Grind cutting units to ensure the highest quality of cut and turf health.
• Communicate daily with the Superintendents to perform equipment adjustments and have all machines and equipment ready for their course needs.
• Maintain the entire grounds complex and shop areas.
• Organize the equipment and tool arrangement in the storage barn to achieve a fully functioning facility.
• Clean and organize the main shop for a safe work environment.
• Manage the repair and maintenance and fuel and oil budgets.
• Order parts and services for inventory and repairs while staying within the budget.
• Plan upcoming equipment changes and services to allow for needed tasks on the golf courses to still be performed as scheduled.
• Manage daily equipment needs around the grounds complex for truck deliveries or various tasks.
• Work with the Director of Agronomy and Superintendents for equipment purchases as the resort grows to accommodate agronomics and facility needs.
• Communicate with service technicians from the vendors regarding warranty needs and equipment improvements to suit our golf courses.
• Continually look to improve the layout of equipment parking and tool storage to provide optimal function and flow throughout the maintenance buildings.
• Utilize the tools around the shop to make repairs and custom fabrication in house as much as possible, minimizing overall expenses.
• Train equipment operators for proper machine operation, tool use, and safety.
• Teach the Assistant Equipment Manager and Technicians the proper ways to maintain and repair the equipment, organize the facility, and honest communication.
• Mentor technicians to assist them on their journey of becoming an equipment manager.
• During the winter season, perform equipment maintenance, repairs, services, and grinding on over 250 machines to ensure the fleets are ready for the upcoming season.
• Provide tours for various groups of superintendents, founders, and owners of the maintenance facility and golf courses as requested by the Director of Agronomy and General Manager.
• Work with the General Manager, Director of Agronomy, and Superintendents for new buildings or facility needs and provide a strong voice on what will suit the resort and agronomy team best.
• Manage a large workload with the ability prioritize and execute in the order of importance.
• Calculate fuel usage as well as schedule fuel deliveries.
• Assist and coordinate winter maintenance activities, when necessary, snow plowing/blowing/shoveling, winter trail grooming, ice rink maintenance, Zamboni operation.