21, 1993: A golden day

Sir Bob Charles won the Bell Atlantic Classic on the then PGA Seniors’ Tour with an impressive three round score of 204, winning by one shot from putting guru Dave Stockton. That would have been something to watch as Charles lost nothing in the putting department.

Then we had Greg Turner on the European Tour also a one shot winner in the Italian Open with an outstanding 267 over four rounds. Jose Coceros (Argentina) was runner-up.

Grant Waite, now a renowned coach, scored a fine victory in the Kemper Open by a shot from Tom Kite with a cracking four round total of 269. He has been working with many fine golfers over the years including Charles Howell and Trevor Immelman. He is making a significant impact in the women’s game with Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Paula Creamer and New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey amongst those benefitting. We may look more closely at Waite’s portfolio in a future issue. Finally, nearer to home, we had Grant Moorhead scoring 269 to win the Western Australian Open. If any readers can remember any similar golden days for New Zealand golf please send your thoughts to Golfer Pacific.

Grace battling with Pereira for the win. Requiring a birdie on 18 to win he duly obliged for 12 under par. Grace was on 11 under par. Periera was third with 10 under and Munoz at eight under. It was another example of the unpredictability of golf in a talented field. The big names were unable to match the top four.

Bryson De Chambeau, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka were ninth on six under while Talor Gooch was 15th on four under. Danny Lee, after a top 10 first round, faded to finish 35th..

Golf course superintendents averaging more than $US100,000 annually, says report

American golf course superintendents and their teams are being recognised for the value they bring to their facilities and communities with salary increases outpacing the country’s average.

According to salary data from the latest biennial compensation and benefits’ report from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the average salary for superintendents has climbed to $US109,621 annually.

More than 3200 GCSAA-member superintendents responded to the survey (for a response rate of 40 percent), providing salary, budget, benefits, and staffing information.

Respondents to the 2023 report reported a $US109,621 average salary, which is an increase of 12.6 percent over the 2021 report. This compares to the national average of all private sector occupations increasing 10.1 per cent over the past two calendar years and continues the trend of increases in every two-year period for superintendents since the GCSAA began tracking the data in 1993.

Superintendents’ salaries have risen more than 146 percent since that first report, when the average salary was $US44,500.

Assistant superintendents and golf course equipment managers saw even higher increases in their incomes since 2021. Average assistant salaries rose 15.3 percent to $US56,299, and equipment managers saw a 14.2 percent increase to $US60,584 from the average salary two years ago.

Certified Golf Course Superintendents (CGCS) saw their average salary rise to $US128,731 in 2023 or 16 percent higher than the survey’s average for a superintendent. CGCS is GCSAA’s highest level of certification recognising a superintendent’s education, experience, and service.

GCSAA chief executive Rhetts Evans said: “Superintendents and their teams bring the essential knowledge and expertise driving the enjoyment of the game of golf and providing environmental, economic and recreational benefits to their communities.

“The substantial rise in their salaries acknowledges golf course management teams for the highly skilled professionals that they are and the essential role they play in golf’s success.”

Another element of the report is the profile of GCSAA superintendents and their operations. The average age of a superintendent is 47.1 years, with 16.6 years in the profession.

The average number of years superintendents have spent in their current position decreased slightly to 10.3 years.