Back in the 60s, Dad left the US Army and tried the pro golf tour, but burdened with a family, he soon found himself the patriarch of a migrant golf family in an updated version of "The Greens of Wrath".

In those days, the smaller golf operations relied upon what was then called The Pro/Super.  (Looking back, the title should have been The GCS/Pro, but the inevitable nickname "SuperPro" would have just sounded . . . wrong.)

Dad was an expert Pro/Super, very capable of the simultaneous club pro/Head Greenkeeper role.  As a skilled player, he knew exactly what the golfer wanted, he was an excellent golf teacher, could F&B, CFO, do pool maintenance, ride a spray rig, crank out payroll and fix Bronze Age irrigation.

Yet, the Pro/Super couldn't do it alone.  He needed support, however skeletal and incompetent.  Norm depended upon me, for I was often his entire crew.  I mowed, prepped, sling-bladed, taught junior golf clinics, cleaned and painted swimming pools, served as cart boy/pro shop clerk and Night Waterman.

I got Dad fired at least twice . . . he should have been more careful in his hiring practices.

Lately, I've had this odd feeling that certain levels of golf are drifting back toward those olden times when one person ran the entire operation.  It's a distinct possibility, unless you believe our economy is bouncing back like the business channel cheerleaders keep bleating.  (Of course, they rarely mention the derivatives problem.)

I'm not good at math, so I have a hard time understanding how a global GDP of 80 trillion matches up with 4 quadrillion in derivative exposure. 

I believe in contingency plans.  Whether we inflate, deflate or stagflate, if your course is absorbed by an HOA or a non-golf corporate entity looking to skeletonize--the possibility exists that you may face a situation where you need more than turf wizardry.  You could need multiple skills to stay employed.

In US Army Special Forces, it's called Cross-Training.  Everybody on a team learns other occupational skills, in order to increase the mission's chances of success in the event of losses.

Perhaps we should cross-train.  If somebody has to take over and run the whole dang golf course, it oughta be us, the Golf Course Superintendents.  It's much easier for us to teach golf and run pro shop/clubhouse ops than it is for someone to suddenly learn the turf side.  (I know this to be true because I've had every single job in golf.)

The worst case scenario we might face would only involve a golfer being taught an ineffective swing theory or someone is poisoned by terrible food--but that happens anyway.  If the Pro/GM without GCS battle experience took over turf in addition to their duties, the results could be catastrophic:  Greens might not roll true and could even die.

If my theory is correct, rather than spending money and time adding more letters behind your name, maybe it would be better to add business admin letters like NBA and CPI.  Because, if your club's CFO pulls out the payroll meat axe, the first thing he's gonna ask is "Who can step in and fill this void?"

You might wanna be ready to leap up and shout "I can, I can!"  I can guarantee somebody in your operation will say it.  Of course, some will say, "It's too much stress to take on all that extra responsibility."

It's not as much stress as being unemployed.