Director of Golf
Westmount Golf & Country Club
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

The Club

Westmount Golf & Country Club offers a world-class experience in the heart of Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W).

Westmount is a vibrant community, a premier private club with a tradition of excellence in sporting and social activities for their members, their families, friends and guests. At Westmount, people of all ages come together in a welcoming atmosphere to be active and build longstanding relationships. Westmount is a place to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Westmount has long been regarded as one of the best private clubs in Canada.  The club is based around one of the best golf courses in Canada, ranked 13th in the country by SCORE Golf. The club has award-winning golf, wonderful practice facilities, a history of holding the country’s top tournaments, great tennis in the warm months, curling in the winter, and tremendous dining year-round.

The Golf Facilities

Designed by renowned architect Stanley Thompson, Westmount is one of Canada’s premier golf facilities with a stunning 18-hole championship course. Since its opening in 1931, Westmount has been consistently ranked among the top 15 courses in Canada. The gently rolling terrain of our parkland course guarantees a great golf experience each time.

The Position

Westmount is seeking a well-qualified, dynamic individual to oversee the total golf operation and services offered including the golf shop, golf services areas, golf cart fleet and supervisor of golf operations staff.

The Director of Golf will develop and deliver a consistently outstanding member experience commensurate with specified member expectations and in keeping with a premier Tier 1 private golf and country club.  Although the Director of Golf will rely on the staff to operate the daily activities, the Director of Golf will be responsible for overall performance metrics and service, including and not limited to the following:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Recruitment, training, development, performance management and leadership of golf operations staff.
• Working with the General Manager and Controller, preparation and oversight of all fiscal areas and performance for the golf operations including the capital and operating budgets, annual business plan, forecasting and monitoring.
• Work with the golf operations staff, club management team and various member committees, to develop and implement merchandising, programs, club tournaments, leagues, coaching and lesson programs and outside events.
• Oversight of the purchasing, merchandising, sales and marketing, inventory management, and financial performance of all aspects of the golf shop.
• Oversight of the golf reservation system, starting procedures, tracking and monitoring play on the golf course. Enforce all rules and regulations governing golf course usage.
• Representation of Westmount to members, staff and external agencies.  The Director of Golf is engaged in new member recruitment and orientation as well as experience enhancement for existing members.
• Oversee the development of operating procedures and training manuals for the golf operation in conjunction with the Human Resources Manager.
• Coordinate plans with the Food and Beverage Manager for all on-course food and beverage, banquets, outside events, and catering for all golf functions.
• Foster and support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the Club through adoption of best practices for an inclusive and equitable workplace.
• Develop and oversee an innovative tournament schedule and golf activities program that is appealing to all member demographics and skill levels.
• Develop and oversee golf instruction, clinics, golf schools, and player development programs for all members.
• Play golf with members of all skill levels, demographics and genders as time and duties permit.

Candidate Profile

The Director of Golf reports to the General Manager.  Given the leading role this individual will play in achieving the strategic objectives of Westmount, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following core competencies, experience and attributes:

• Class A member of the PGA of Canada with Director of Golf/Head Professional or comparable experience preferred.
• A dynamic leader with the ability to maintain a strong team by motivation and leading by example.
• Has the ability to provide direction and expectations, performance feedback and recognition that leads to positive outcomes. Excellent communication skills.
• Highly visible leader with friendly and outgoing personality and focus on member service.  A leadership style that lends itself to being the ‘face of the golf experience.’
• An out of the box thinker determined to be innovative in the modern world of golf operations.
• An ability to work collaboratively with the active volunteer base at the club to achieve results.
• An understanding of a private member-owned club culture.
• A demonstrated ability to manage all aspects of the golf retail business.
• Proficient instructor well-versed in the latest club fitting and teaching technologies.
• Ability to organize and oversee annual golf event fixtures and programs including participation in the internal marketing and administration of the events and programs.
• Strong administrator with excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to implement, enforce and maintain all policies, programs and plans as established and communicated through the General Manager.
• Ability to market, schedule and manage any external competitions and events.
• Provide support for prospective member sales, new member integration and membership retention programs.
• Maintain and promote a well-respected and professional image within the Club, the industry and community.
• A keen interest in continuous learning and professional development in the industry.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and related software such as Jonas, Golf Genius, etc.
• A self-starter and results oriented work style combined with excellent communication and interpersonal skills with all the Club’s stakeholders.

Compensation

The Club will offer an attractive year-round compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary and benefits.

Note

The current Head Golf Professional will retire on December 31, 2021.

Inquiries

IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit resumes along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by November 3, 2021.  Those documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, Westmount Resume” and ‘Last Name, First Name, Westmount Cover Letter”) respectively to:

Michael Gregory, Partner and George Pinches, Director

GGA Partners, Inc.

execsearch@ggapartners.com

For more information on Westmount Golf & Country Club, please visit www.westmountgolf.com.

Lead Search Executives

 

Michael Gregory
Partner
GGA Partners

 

 

 

George Pinches
Director
GGA Partners