5 Hourly Workers Your Golf Course Needs During Busy Season

While some might say that baseball is America’s pastime, there’s a solid argument to be made for golf. And for many, golf isn’t just a sport – it’s an experience.

Maintaining a golf course is a complex job. Across the United States, there are thousands of courses that require a lot of help to keep running smoothly.

Although there’s a team of full-time staff at each course who oversee the day-to-day operations, there are a number of seasonal employees that play an integral role in the overall guest experience. With summer fast approaching, you’ll want to make sure that your golf course is prepared with the appropriate seasonal workers to help you manage the busy months ahead.

Let's review some essential hourly roles your golf course will need in order to manage this busy season.

Golf Cart and Bag Room Attendant

Upon arrival at a golf course, the cart and bag area is likely one of the first stops for many guests. Whether the guest is looking to grab a cart or rent some clubs, an attendant should be at the ready to assist.

At the majority of golf courses, golf cart and bag room attendants are expected to:

• Clean golf carts of all trash, score cards, and pencils left by guests
• Prepare and stage the carts for use by guests
• Stock carts with the necessary supplies, such as towels, scorecards, and pencils
• Assist guests in loading and unloading their bags from the carts
• Collect used golf balls from the driving range
• Clean golf balls and golf towels as needed
• Wash and detail carts at the end of each day
• Return carts to their designated charging spot at the end of each day
• Greet each member and provide excellent customer service
  

Beverage Cart Attendant

Golf is a long game. On average, a round of 18 holes will take anywhere from three and a half to four and a half hours.

Being outside on your feet for that long can be exhausting, so its no surprise that players look for a mid-round pick me up along the way. That’s where another key golf course position comes in.

Beverage cart attendants provide food and drinks to players on the course throughout their round. In addition to serving guests refreshments, cart attendants will:

• Take inventory of the beverage cart at the start and end of each day
• Record daily beverage cart sales
• Become familiar with the menu and be ready to answer any questions guests may have
• Take food and beverage orders from guests
• Mix and serve alcoholic beverages to guests
• ID guests to confirm that they are of legal drinking age
• Practice proper food handling and health and safety protocol
• Identify any necessary beverage cart maintenance
• Maintain a clean cart and ensure that it is operational at the start and end of each shift
  

Server

Although beverage cart attendants are a saving grace out on the course, players will have likely still worked up an appetite by the end of their round.

If your golf course has a restaurant or cafe, you’ll want to ensure that you’re prepared with enough wait staff to meet post round demands.

To effectively manage the influx of patrons, servers will be expected to:

• Greet guests and provide excellent customer service
• Share relevant menu information
• Take food and beverage orders and accurately enter them into the POS system
• Deliver food and drinks to guests in a timely manner
• Check in with each table to ensure that all guest expectations are met
• Clean and clear the table as necessary
• Cross-check the tee time sheet to gauge projected dining volume throughout each meal
• Follow all food safety procedures and comply with food and beverage regulations
  

Line Cook and Prep Cook

It's not enough to just have servers in the kitchen - you need people to prepare the food as well! Line cooks and prep cooks are a necessary component of the kitchen and are essential for quickly getting the orders out to customers.

A line cook is responsible for a particular area of the kitchen, such as the fryer, sauté station, or grill, while a prep cook prepares the necessary ingredients for the dishes that will be cooked.

To keep kitchen operations running smoothly, line cooks and prep cooks should be prepared to:

• Produce dishes that meet the chef's specifications and expectations
• Coordinate with kitchen staff to ensure timely delivery of dishes
• Ensure the workplace is kept tidy and help with the kitchen tidying up duties, such as taking out the trash, scrubbing pots, pans, and silverware, and wiping down counters.
• Assist in stocking and preparing kitchen stations
• Communicate inventory needs to the appropriate supervisor
• Prepare meats, seafood, vegetables, and other items for cooking
• Collaborate with front of house staff to ensure food quality, proper plate presentation, and customer satisfaction
• Practice proper food handling and health and safety protocol
  

Bartender

After a few hours out in the sun, you can expect your guests to make a pit stop at the bar for an ice cold beer, a crisp glass of wine, or a refreshing soda. Equally as important as your wait staff, are your bartenders.

To effectively manage the demands of golf course patrons, you’ll want to find bartenders who:

• Have a solid understanding of classic cocktails, wine, and beer
• Restock the bar as needed with glasses, bottles, kegs, garnishes, napkins, straws, etc.
• Maintain a clean working environment
• Properly clean and polish glassware
• Take guest orders and answer any questions about the menu
• Remove dishes and glasses from the bar counter and surrounding areas
• ID guests to confirm that they are of legal drinking age
• Greet guests and provide excellent customer service
  

Tee Yourself Up for Success

Reliable, high-quality shift workers are hard to come by. And when it’s peak season for your golf course, there are a lot more important things you should be spending your time and efforts on than finding seasonal employees.

So, how you can tee yourself up for success when it comes to finding temporary workers?

Gig economy platforms, like shiftNOW, are a great resource to have in your back pocket. These solutions offer the opportunity to find shift workers fast rather than posting on a multitude of job boards.

When your busy season strikes, don’t let a lack of staff or high-quality shift workers cause your guests to have a subpar experience.

shiftNOW connects the hospitality industry to a network of trusted, pre-vetted shift workers who are ready to work when you need them.

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