Management

THE POWER OF

PERSISTENCE AND PATIENCE

By Ricky L. Potts, Jr. • Assistant General Manager

Valencia (Calif.) Country Club

NOT THAT LONG AGO (at least I like to tell myself that), I was living in Fishers, Ind., still in school, looking for my first real job. I was studying computer engineering and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. But I hated math, so I started looking at local web-design companies. That’s when I found imavex, a small boutique technology and marketing company. I landed an interview and at the end, the owner asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”

I did, because I’d done my research on imavex. “Troon, the world’s largest golf course management company, is one of your clients,” I said. “Can you tell me more about that relationship and what sort of work you do for that organization?”

A few weeks later, I started as a Content Specialist and Social Media Consultant at imavex, and got the chance to work on several Troon websites, including troon. com. It was a dream come true. But after a few years at imavex, my now-wife and I grew sick of the cold Midwest winters and decided to move even closer to the dream, to Scottsdale, Ariz. We actually rented an apartment next to TPC Sawgrass. And while I continued to work for imavex, I would walk by the Troon corporate office, look up at the sign, and think, “One day.”

That day came not long after, and I got a job with Troon as a Digital Communications Manager. I worked on dozens of campaigns, including some corporate initiatives, for three years. That’s when my boss came to my desk and said, “I think it’s time for your next appointment. You should apply for this position.”

That took us to southwest Florida, where I became Director of Marketing & Communications at Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. While there, I got the chance to work on six LPGA and PGA TOUR events and honed my craft creating strategic marketing campaigns to both members and the general public (Tiburón is semi-private).

A couple of years in, my boss asked, “Would you be interested in spending the summer at a private club in Rhode Island?” Before he left my office, I was looking at flights, and that led to working all summer, seven days a week, at Alpine Country Club, a small private club in Cranston, R.I.

When I got back to Florida, I was ready for my next assignment. A few months later I was on a plane headed to Santa Rosa, Calif. to interview for the Membership Director position at The Fountaingrove Club, a new club in Troon’s portfolio and the only private member-owned club in Sonoma County.

When I started there, the club had 224 golf members. Then came the devastating Tubbs Fire in 2017, when over 5,000 homes were lost, including The Fountaingrove Club’s clubhouse. For almost three years I never saw a clubhouse; my office was in the Athletic Center. But still, we were able to take the club to 368 members and a sold-out status by September 2021.

So I was ready for my next challenge, and it came through connections I had made over the course of my career. A General Manager at a private club in Seattle, Wash., who I had met through the Club Management Association of America, alerted me that a club in Southern California was looking for an Assistant General Manager. That seemed like the logical next step for me, so I reached out to learn more. And at the end of 2021, I joined Valencia Country Club, and am already immersed in duties that will include helping to execute a multimillion-dollar, wall-towall golf course renovation.

So what are the takeaways from my journey that might be instructive for other club managers, as well as those they manage? First, it’s important to recognize that the journey to become a club manager isn’t easy, and no one can do it alone. Here are a few keys to help advance a career, regardless of what stage one might be in: • Have a thirst for knowledge and put a focus on continuing education. And it doesn’t really matter what you set out to learn—if something’s being dished out, be a sponge, and see if you can meet someone worth knowing as part of the process. • Surround yourself with people smarter, faster and stronger than you. If you find yourself to be the smartest person in the room (or at least think you are), go to another room. I strive to surround myself with people who have been where I want to go, and have solved the problems that I one day also hope to take on. • Get comfortable being uncomfortable,

and put yourself in challenging situations.

You aren’t going to learn anything just doing the same thing over and over again.

A lot has certainly changed for me in the club world since I started at Troon in December 2013. But through it all, I’ve continued to grow as a person and as a professional. In my current role I oversee an amazing team of dedicated and passionate people ready to serve our members and guests. It warms my heart coming to work every day, seeing them smile and helping them reach their goals.

It’s an honor working in private clubs, and I couldn’t imagine my life without the people around me. I’m not sure where the road will take me next, but I am prepared for whatever comes my way. I hope that telling you about my journey may help you navigate yours as well—and if you’d like to know more about what I’ve learned and experienced along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Who knows, we may be working together before you know it!