Three Hiring Trends Every Golf Club Manager Should Know

Here are three hiring trends every golf club general manager should know, and how to act on them:

1. Hire for Personality First, Not Experience

The most successful clubs are prioritising attitude, energy, and emotional intelligence over CV’s. You can teach systems, standards, and technical skills, but you can’t teach warmth, work ethic, or genuine service mindset. Members remember how staff make them feel, not how many years they’ve worked in golf.

What to do: Screen for positivity, communication style, and cultural fit first. Train the rest.

2. Flexibility Is Now a Competitive Advantage

Today’s workforce, especially younger employees, expects flexible schedules, predictable hours, and work-life balance. Clubs that insist on rigid availability or excessive overtime are losing candidates to employers offering split shifts, part-time options, or seasonal flexibility. This is especially true for food & beverage, course maintenance, and golf operations roles.

What to do: Rebuild rota’s with flexibility in mind. Offer compressed workweeks, rotating weekends, and clear time-off policies. Promote these benefits in your job postings - they attract attention.

3. Speed and Experience Matter More Than Ever

Top candidates are being hired within days, not weeks. Long application processes, slow follow-ups, and multiple interview rounds are causing clubs to lose great people. At the same time, candidates are evaluating how they’re treated during the hiring process as a sign of your club culture.

What to do: Streamline your process. Aim for one to two interviews, quick decisions, and same-day follow-ups. Communicate clearly and respectfully at every step.

Bottom line: The clubs winning the hiring game in 2026 are hiring for attitude, offering flexibility, and moving fast. Adapt to these trends, and you’ll not only fill positions, you’ll build stronger, more loyal teams.