Are You Worried About Losing Your Job?

A few weeks ago, I saw Ken Mangum, certified superintendent at the Atlanta Athletic Club, at an industry event. After talking about the weather and sports, we talked about the state of the golf course industry, especially its economy.

One might think a place like the Atlanta Athletic Club, one of the top clubs in America, would be immune from the economic downturn. But it’s not. While golf rounds aren’t down at the club, golfers are buying less items in the pro shop and some are walking the course instead of riding. Mangum says he has cut back on his staff’s overtime and pay raises have been put on hold.

The Atlanta Athletic Club has it good compared to some courses. I recently received an e-mail from a superintendent in Arizona who had to lay off his star assistant because of budget cuts.

While the economy shows signs of recovery, the unemployment rate continues to climb with unemployment pushing 10 percent. As you’ve heard time and again through the media, the unemployment rate continues to rise even after a recession ends. A lot of people from myriad industries are worried about losing their jobs. I asked Mangum if superintendents were afraid of losing their’s.

“I think everybody is concerned about their jobs,” Mangum replied.

I’m sure the veteran superintendents who make a lot of money are worried they could be replaced by their younger and less-expensive peers. I’m sure younger superintendents are worried they could be fired and their jobs handed over to their assistants.

I’d like to hear from you about your job security. Are you worried you could lose your job? Why or why not? If you are worried, what are you doing about it? And how are you coping with your concern?

It’s a good bet there are a lot of worried people out there. There’s also a lot of empathy. I think it’s a good idea for you to help each other with advice, and I’d like to offer this space to do so.