Okay so look, I got laid off last month from that warehouse gig. Bills stacking up, needed work yesterday. My buddy Tom mentioned golf courses always need people, but seriously…where do you even start looking? I spent like a whole week figuring this out, felt like running in circles. Here’s exactly what went down.
First Attempt: The Big Job Sites
My dumb butt went straight to those giant job board monsters everybody talks about. You know the ones. Typed in “golf course jobs” expecting magic.
- Saw a million ads for software engineer jobs or retail managers. Not helpful.
- Actual course jobs? Almost zero local stuff. Seriously frustrating.
- Spent an hour trying different keywords. Waste. Of. Time.
Felt like shouting at my laptop screen. Not a great start.
Getting Smarter: Thinking Like a Golfer
Sitting there eating a peanut butter sandwich, it hit me. Duh. Where do golfers hang out? Maybe start there.
- Local golf association websites. Scrolled forever. Some had tiny “careers” sections buried deep! Found ONE opening at a public course for maintenance crew.
- Clubhouse bulletin boards? For real? Yep. Drove out to Maplewood Greens. Walked into the pro shop (felt kinda stupid, honestly), smiled awkwardly, asked if they post jobs. Manager just grinned, pointed at a messy corkboard by the coffee maker. Saw two hand-written notes! Bartender wanted, and “Cart Attendant – Apply Inside”.
Couldn’t believe it. Old school actually worked.
The Big Surprise: Skipping the Middleman
Driving home, I passed Fairway Pines. On a total whim, pulled into the parking lot. Didn’t even know if they were hiring.
- Walked right into the clubhouse office, asked for the Head Pro. Guy was surprised somebody just walked in asking.
- Turns out, their irrigation guy JUST quit the day before! Didn’t even post it anywhere yet.
- Got handed an actual paper application, filled it out on the spot with a loaner pen. My hands were kinda shaking.
Manager took my number, said he’d pass it to Groundskeeping. Crossing fingers.
Final Tactic: Pounding the Pavement
Made a list of every course within 20 miles using a map app. This was my next two days:
- Drove to each one. Every. Single. One. Gas was killing me.
- Went inside or to the maintenance shed, asked to speak to a manager. Got turned down a bunch (“Apply online only”), brushed it off.
- Hit gold at Oak Hollow. Their maintenance superintendent was fixing a mower. Talked shop (well, tried…know nothing about mowers!), showed I was willing to work. He literally handed me a schedule on the spot. “Can you start Tuesday? We need bodies moving sprinkler heads.” Almost hugged the guy.
Lessons learned? The flashy online places sucked for this. Talking to real people, showing up in person, hitting the courses themselves? That’s where the real jobs live. Pounding pavement works when you’re desperate. Now…time to buy some work boots.
