ClubProGuy: Tips for hiring the perfect golf course marshal

As a working club pro at an elite facility that accepts Groupons®, I wear lots of hats. In addition to teaching the game at a high level, I also vacuum the pro shop, manage beverage-cart operations and handle (let’s just call them) delicate outside services. It’s a big job. Luckily, I’ve been around long enough to know that the key to any successful golf op
is surrounding yourself with the right people. A solid team makes my job a lot easier. More importantly, it makes
me look hella good.

Aside from the cart girls, the most critical hire a club pro makes is the on-course marshal. The right guy sets the tone for the entire place. Unlike most decision-makers in the golf space, I ignore the temptation to select a customer service–oriented individual with a friendly disposition. If you want to keep rounds under six hours and assure all beers are bought on-site, you want a guy with an edge, a hothead who literally dares members to take their cart off the path at a 70-degree angle, a powder keg who patrols the course as if America’s security depends on it, who believes
the mere sight of a member hitting chip shots onto the putting green warrants a physical confrontation.

Impossible to find, you say? Adhere to my four hiring tips and you’ll have your members terrified in no time.

1. Pedigree

A divorced retiree is a must, but be sure to look closely at his employment history. I’ve found that disgruntled union workers — guys with ginormous chips on their shoulders— make great candidates. Also be on the lookout for career high school vice principals who believe that the end of corporal punishment marked the downfall of our public education system.

2. Hobbies and Interests

Heavy drinkers and NRA members often have the proper temperament.

3. Criminal History

Background checks are critical, sure, but don’t shy away from a candidate with a rap sheet. I won’t even interview a prospective hire if he doesn’t have at least one road-rage conviction.

4. Fashion Sense

My current course marshal showed up for his first day in fatigues — but he’s an overachiever. If a candidate interviews in a POW-MIA hat and Members Only jacket, you’ve found your man.

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