Working at a country club can be such great fun and of course, a great way to increase your earnings and savings while learning and growing on the go. Whether you are looking for a full-time role or a part-time/seasonal opportunity, a role at a country club is just right for you. Although ‘country club’ is often used interchangeably with ‘golf course’, there are a couple of other activities that standard country clubs offer aside from golf courses. Okay, then How do Get a Job at Country Club?
It does not matter what your interests are; bartending, ground crew services, management roles, golfing, etc., there is always a job available for you.
What Do I Need To Know About Country Clubs?
First, you need to know that a country club is not going to employ you simply for what you have written on your CV or Resume. The standard country club has many activities that they offer, and this means that various people of various backgrounds and with various preferences would be present at the country club doing one thing or another.
Your degree in Mathematics is great but it does not give any assurance that you can handle a member’s pressing need with skill and urgency A country club is an easy place, and its members just want to relax. No one needs or requires that you show up with a suit and tie, saying ‘yes sir’ to all they say. You need to learn how to balance a friendly demeanor with professionalism.
While this may sound quite laid back, you must know when to draw the line. You don’t want a member thinking you are too friendly, or your employer thinking you are too relaxed for the role. Before you apply for just any role, you need to decide and be sure that it is the role you want. Because of how wide the range of jobs is, there’s no single yardstick to measure your suitability for the role.
TLDR: Relax. You don’t need to prove that your college degree is yours. As long as you can create a balance, you are good to go.
Different Jobs at a Country Club
- Maintenance Staff
- Cart Staff
- Club Manager
- Caddie
- Waiter
- Pro–Shop Staff
- Valet
- Pool Attendant
- Busser
- Ground Crew
- Kitchen Staff/Cook, etc.
How to get a Job at Country Club? Steps To Take When Applying For A Country Club Job
- Choose what role suits you best. Deciding what role suits your preference is the first step to getting a job at a country club. Next, you need to get familiar with hiring professionals at the country club. If you want a summer job as it’s the busiest of all seasons, then you should start making moves by spring. You may also want to speak with a few members of the club to ask about any openings or find out if you can obtain the contact details of the hiring manager.
- Drop by the Club. It would show a different level of readiness and availability if you walk into the club to ask for an application or opening than making inquiries over the phone. Reaching the Manager is a step closer to your country club employment. Try to ask for a short meeting, preferably a physical meeting as this would leave a lasting first impression. It does not matter if you are looking to apply for a Caddie role or a Kitchen staff role, you need to dress, talk and look smart. Country clubs usually have a diverse community of people and your employers need to be sure that you can relate well with the members of the club.
- Let your resume do the talking. When you get an application form or details for application, try your best to turn your detailed application in as soon as possible. Your resume or application should not be generalized but very tailored to the role you are applying for. This assures your employers that you are aware of the role requirements and that you have the skills needed to carry out the role seamlessly. Your resume should contain all relevant past experiences. Certain job roles such as the Caddie involve some background knowledge and showing that you have experience in it gives some sort of confidence to your employer that you would be able to handle members and their very diverse needs and requirements.
TLDR: First pick a role that you think works best for you, then visit the club to say hi and show interest in the role. Before turning in your resume, ensure it’s tailored to the role you have applied for.
What Skills are Mandatory for a Country Club Role?
Jobs at a country club often do not require certain levels of qualification whether educational or professional. Many teenagers opt for such roles during summer as a means to make some extra cash while school is not in session. While this is so, employees still need to possess valuable skills that become an asset to the smooth running of the country club.
At a country club, many things can happen. Couples who want to have a feel of a natural landscape can have their wedding vows and ceremonies at the open space in a country club, longtime friends who want to catch up can do it over a drink in the bar, and parents who want their kids to take swimming classes can also do this at the country club. The overall goal of any business is to satisfy its customers and the country club is not any different from this. Because there is such a diverse community of people at a country club, there are skills that your employer will be on the lookout for. Here’s a few of them;
- Friendly People Are An Asset To The Country Club Workforce. Although, there is no exact experience that indicates how friendly you are, showing good people skills is a good start to getting a job at a country club. The members and other visitors of a country club are the ‘blood in the veins of the country club. It is very important to keep them happy and satisfied with the services the club offers. It is important to relate with members in a way that keeps them comfortable, having and keeping their comfort as the overall goal. Whenever an issue seems to arise, your employer needs to be sure that you can handle it easily and properly.
- You Should Be Smart And Knowledgeable. There will be people who would not hide their blasé attitude when they get less than a standard they expect or have set in their minds. For example, a Caddie at the golf course has to be highly knowledgeable of every nit and bit around the golf game. The role of the Caddie cannot be learned on the job, but it can be improved on the job. A caddie needs to be knowledgeable enough to keep scores, make necessary equipment available at the times they are needed, provide information and encouragement for the golfers. The close relationship built between a caddie and a golfer is an important one and will not stand firm if the caddie does not show enough zeal and interest in the entire game.
Other necessary skills that come in handy are as follows;
- The employee should be able to maintain a tidy and professional appearance and always observe personal cleanliness rules all the time
- Individuals should be self–motivated and not lazing around, waiting for some sort of push as that they never come.
- As said earlier, being a member – and visitor – service-oriented is as important as being present at your job daily. The people who are members at the country club are paying fees for services, hence, they should receive these services without any drag.
- You must learn to act and speak professionally, displaying a positive attitude at all times.
- You should be courteous to both members/visitors and your colleagues at work.
- When you see a rising or pressing need for help you can offer, you should not wait to be called, but be ready to demonstrate a willingness to help others.
- Your work ethic should be your watchword every day. It should be at the back of your mind at all times.
- ‘Teamwork makes the dream work!”. Being able to work well with others as a team member and help co-workers as needed is a valuable skill that always comes in handy during work. Your role at the country club is most likely highly defined, which means there are tons of other full–time and part-time workers around you. You need to be able to interact easily in a way that yields progress.
- A good eye for details would take you from bottom to top tier in the list of employees. Every manager, be it a pool manager, golf course manager, facility maintenance, etc. needs an extra eye now and then. They can’t be everywhere at the same time so your attention to detail would be a huge plus for them, and this would be appreciated. Being able to creatively take note of areas that need improvement is also a plus.
- Practicing safety precautions and guidelines is a very important skill that would not be pushed to the side. As a newbie, you may be granted some sort of freedom a few times and your errors may be waived off but not for long. Your employer needs to be sure that members and visitors are safe in your watch and nothing would go wrong. This includes but is not limited to swimming pool safeguards, kitchen staff, maintenance staff, and valets.
- Show up at all times. It must be tiring and undesirable to have an employee that comes to work one day and does not show up the other day. You don’t want to be that worker. Ensure that you are a reliable worker and your presence at work is predictable. Minimize the days you take off as much as possible and when a pressing need comes up, be sure to inform your boss/employer.
- Appear neat and presentable at all times. Different people of different ranks would be at the club on different days. Take, for instance, you are kitchen staff, or a waiter, no member or guest wants to be served by a waiter who looks tacky and unkempt. Wear a neat and well-pressed uniform. This shows an acceptable level of good hygiene.
- Although this hardly pops up, it would be great to have some educational and work history reference lists available upon request. Some managers want to go the extra mile sometimes and it is important you can provide all documentations
- An ability to prioritize needs and effectively manage resources available cannot be pushed to the side. A worker will not always have all he needs to provide a service at a time. He must learn to deliver to the best of his ability and keep the member or guest assured.
- A worker in a country club must be able to work holidays, weekends, and overtime as needed or required. While a country club is visited very regularly by a lot of people, it is a place of leisure for a bulk of other people and they come around during late hours of the day after they must have retired from the day’s work, during the weekend, or during the holiday. As a worker, you should be ready and available to work extra, late, and odd hours. Plus, members who come around at odd hours or days would almost always leave a tip!
TLDR: There are lots of valuable skills that will come in handy. Make use of your people skills and be ready to learn some more on the job.
How Much Money Can I Make As A Country Club Employee?
As mentioned earlier, a job at a country club is a great way to make some extra cash while actively learning on the job. The least paid staff in a typical country club in the US earns around $10 – $25 per hour and this does not include the lots of possible tips that are given by members of the club. Here’s a breakdown of the earnings for various roles at a country club;
- Busser – $10 – $15 per hour
- Caddie – $15 – $30 per hour
- Maintenance Staff – $12 – $22 per hour
- Club Manager – $36 – $46 per hour
- Valet – $9 – $15 per hour
- Cart Staff – $7 – $12 per hour
- Bartenders – $10 – $30 per hour
- Pool Attendant – $9 – $15 per hour
Of course, these are quite lucrative roles, and putting in more time and effort into the job would surely increase income over time. The above-listed average pays does not include the traditional tips that members and guests tend to leave behind for caddies, bussers and kitchen staff, valets, etc.
A part-time or full-time role in a country club is a good way to make money and have a feel of leisure at the same time. Long hours pass by without feelings of the stress of heavy workload and of course, more money made. If you are looking to work hard and play harder, a job at a country club is just about right for you.
