A short time ago, I was catching up with a superintendent friend at an association event. It’s still peak season for us northern turfers, and I could see the fatigue in his eyes. We spoke about the demands of the job, the hours, and the exhausting, never-ending and unobtainable pursuit of perfection.

“I’m tired,” he confessed.
“Then do something else.”
“I don’t know what else I would do,” he shrugged.

I’ve heard the same thing from so many other superintendents over the years. People who are burnt out, ready for something else, but convinced there isn’t anything else they can do. They begin to feel stuck. And so, every season, the cycle repeats.

I’ve got to call BS on that. Being a golf course superintendent is a career choice, and not an identity. Sure, for some, the career seemed to choose us or we decided to embrace the identity as our way of life. But it was still a choice. If you’re tired of the lifestyle, you can choose to live another way.

If you’re a successful superintendent it’s because you’re good at a lot of things: time management, people management, problem solving, event planning, great work ethic, agronomic knowledge, the love of the outdoors, and the ability to maximize your budget.  Look at what you do every day--you’re so much more than a grass grower!

If you’re a successful superintendent it’s because you’re good at a lot of things...

Guess what? These are skills that are valued and marketable in nearly every other industry and profession out there! You could be successful in nearly any field you choose with this set of skills.

It's the actual leap that holds a lot of us back. The financial logistics, the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, or the fear of being judged or doubted or ridiculed. You’re going to have to face these fears eventually—they stand in the way of your success.

It helps to have a dream, or a vision, to guide the leap. Start by looking at your strengths and your passions. What do you really love to do?

Come up with a plan and set goals. Write them down and make them real. Share them with others and get them to hold you accountable.

Create a circle of trust. Reach out to folks in the industry that you respect and ask for some guidance. Measure that guidance and come up with your own plan, and not what someone else thinks is best for you. Remember, this is your dream.

My advice to you: stay the course, believe in yourself, embrace your strengths, and double down on your convictions.

Believe it or not, the leap is the easy part. Next comes the roller coaster of emotions, some good and some not-so-good. My advice to you: stay the course, believe in yourself, embrace your strengths, and double down on your convictions. If you have heart, grit, talent, and a good work ethic, you will succeed no matter where you go or what you do.

It’s been a wild 15 months for the Garr family. 2023 saw me walk away from a salaried position and back onto a golf course making $22/hour, with little more than a dream and vision to guide me, and absolutely no roadmap on how to get there. I just knew that I had more to offer this industry than just growing grass or pushing product.

The only way I got where I am today was by taking that leap. And now that I’m here, I get to live out my dream every day.