Los Altos, California
San Francisco, California
Los Angeles, California
Berkeley, California
Davis, California
Posted: 13-Mar-25
Location: Los Altos, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $250,000 - $300,000
Salary Details:
Additional Information:
DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY
LOS ALTOS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
LOS ALTOS, CA
DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY AT LOS ALTOS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Los Altos Golf & Country Club, a legendary Bay Area Club for over 100 years, seeks an innovative, high-energy, team-oriented Director of Agronomy with a passion for consistently providing exceptional golfing conditions. The Director Of Agronomy will have experience with and an understanding of great clubs and classic golf course architecture, along with strong agronomic, organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.
ABOUT LOS ALTOS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
The Los Altos Golf and Country Club boasts a rich history steeped in tradition and community spirit. Founded in 1923, this esteemed establishment emerged as a testament to the vision and dedication of a group of local enthusiasts. The serene, picturesque setting with the Santa Cruz Mountain Coastal Range as a backdrop gives the members at Los Altos Golf & Country Club the ability to get away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley. Golf has always been a core component of life at the Club, with the course originally designed in its founding year by Tom Nicoll. The 18-hole, par 71 course underwent a complete renovation in 2004 by Jackson Kahn Design with a focus on retaining all of its old charm and challenges.
Los Altos Golf and Country Club is a very active family-orientated club that has a diverse, “warm and welcoming” membership with high utilization year-round. The Club is known for delivering one of the finest golf and country club experiences in Northern California and is nestled within the community of Los Altos, California. The Los Altos Golf and Country Club stands as an exquisite haven of sport, leisure, and luxury, with its championship golf course, comprehensive racquets program, aquatics, and wellness facilities, and exquisite social and dining experiences available throughout the year.
Los Altos Golf and Country Club provides a haven for members to relax and mingle with friends.
Members can pursue their favorite sports and recreation including golf, tennis, pickleball, aquatics, and wellness, or just enjoy the lovely ambiance of the beautiful Clubhouse and the finest in seasonal cuisine in the expanded Grill with the addition of a Wine Cellar and outdoor fire pits. The Club is staffed with a dedicated team that serves and enjoys making each visit relaxing, enjoyable, and memorable for the members and guests.
The newer facilities provide world-class amenities for members’ recreation, relaxation, and social enjoyment with their fellow members, families, and guests. A 3,400-square-foot coed state-of-the-art Fitness facility provides the latest in fitness equipment and machines.
LOS ALTOS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS
- 714 Members in total
- Average age of members: 63
- Rounds of golf annually: approximately 35,000
- Cart Rounds: 9650
- Los Altos Golf & Country Club Operating budget: $3.9M
- Greens: Modified USGA Bentgrass (Poa free)
- Fairways: Rye (Poa free)
- Roughs: Rye (Poa free)
- Tees: Rye (Poa free)
- Irrigation System: Toro, Lynx
- Green Chairman Term: 1-2 years
- Green Committee, meetings per year: 12
- Green Speed Expectations: minimum of 12
- First Tee Time in Season: 7:00 a.m.
- Monday Course Closure Policy: employees only starting at 1:00 p.m.
- Maintenance Building, Square Footage and Age: 9,000 sq ft and 100 years old
- # of Maintenance Staff, Full Time/Seasonal/Summer: ft-23, pt-1, seasonal clubhouse 1
LOS ALTOS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE: www.lagcc.com
DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY - POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Agronomy (DOA) is responsible for consistently providing exceptional golfing conditions and the management of golf course maintenance and landscape operations. The DOA is expected to lead a talented, long-tenured golf course maintenance team and to possess strong agronomic, business, and communication skills.
The DOA must be an excellent, transparent communicator with a natural style of “sincere engagement” with both the Club’s management team and members. He/she will have extensive agronomical knowledge and know-how. Embracing an immensely successful golf course maintenance program will be critical along with continuing education, professional development, strong peer group relations, and staying at the forefront of research and technology are necessary for success. The DOA reports to the Club’s General Manager.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will be a Director of Agronomy, Golf Course Superintendent or Senior Assistant at a club renowned for providing exceptional golfing conditions and will have the following qualifications:
- Proven history of providing exceptional golfing conditions and landscape at the highest level
- Successful experience managing USGA greens (variable depth)
- Experience with Poa free bentgrass greens, ryegrass fairways, tees and roughs
- Experience in tree management and shade mitigation to improve the turf growing environment
- Understanding of all pest control techniques
- Solid irrigation management philosophy and practices
- Strong agronomic skills and stays current with advances in turf technology and equipment
- Proven success in Poa annua control
- Experience with “high priority” bunker maintenance
- Attention to daily golf course setup
- Strong knowledge of equipment maintenance
- The ideal candidate will be experienced with master planning and renovations
- 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 Golf Professional and General Manager
- Excellent member relations
- Strong listening skills with an understanding of the value of constructive criticism
- Experience developing standard operating procedures and training programs to onboard new staff
- Experience mentoring team members
- Experience in developing successful intern programs
- 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
- Subscribes to sustainable maintenance practices (e.g. firm and fast, sound irrigation philosophy)
- Golfer/student of the game with a sound understanding of ideal playing conditions
- High golf IQ is essential
- Spanish language skills are preferred
EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Horticulture or Plant Science.
- An associate’s degree from an intensive two-year turf grass management program.·
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package including association membership. Salary Range: $250,000 - $300,000
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 Los Altos Golf & Country Club search committee/Mr. James Shafer, 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 Los Altos Golf & Country Club and the Los Altos, CA 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 Friday, April 11, 2025. Candidate selections will occur on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, with first Interviews expected on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, and second interviews Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The new candidate should assume his/her role in mid-June.
IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
“Last Name, First Name - Resume” &
“Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter – Los Altos Golf & Country Club”
(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.
Click here to upload your resume and cover letter.
If you have any questions, please email Katy Eliades: katy@kkandw.com
Lead Search Executive:
Armen Suny
Search Executive
303-570-2741 (M)
armen@kkandw.com