Director of Agronomy

ABOUT DEERING BAY YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB

Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club stands as one of Miami-Dade County's most distinguished private clubs — a place where the rhythms of club life, residential community, and natural beauty converge along the southern edge of Coral Gables. Situated on 220 acres bordering Biscayne Bay, the property is a self-contained, gated enclave where approximately 250 residences — estates, townhomes, and Mediterranean-inspired condominiums — are woven directly into resort-quality amenities that members enjoy not as a destination, but as the fabric of their daily lives.

The centerpiece is an 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature golf course — the only bayfront Palmer design in South Florida, and one The King himself considered among his finest. Water engages every hole as the par-71, 6,740-yard layout threads through protected mangrove forests and luminous Biscayne Bay waterways. The limited membership ensures a playing experience that is unhurried, intimate, and reflective of the course's singular character.

The club's broader amenity offerings includes three deep-water marinas, Har-Tru tennis courts, pickleball, a fitness center, and a recently renovated clubhouse — all maintained at the standard of a property where excellence is not an aspiration but an expectation.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club is seeking a Director of Agronomy whose professional identity is inseparable from the quality of the turf beneath their feet — someone for whom a perfectly conditioned fairway, a true and consistent green, and a course that looks and plays like a tournament venue on any given Sunday morning are not aspirational benchmarks but a personal standard.

This is not an entry-level stewardship role. It is an invitation to be the agronomic voice of one of South Florida's most storied golf properties — to own the condition of an Arnold Palmer Signature course in its most technically demanding environment, and to build and lead the team that makes that standard possible every day.

The agronomic footprint here is genuinely complex. Paspalum management under sustained South Florida heat and humidity, disease pressure that rewards discipline and penalizes complacency, salt air and tidal influence on a bayfront layout, and drainage dynamics shaped by protected mangrove corridors — these are not ordinary challenges. They demand a practitioner who reads a course the way a physician reads a patient: with expertise, attentiveness, and the instinct to act before a problem announces itself.

Deering Bay's membership brings a discerning eye and high expectations. They may not always articulate what they notice, but they will always notice. The Director of Agronomy is the person who ensures what they notice is excellence.

Beyond the course itself, this leader will chair the Greens Committee alongside a Board Director — serving as the primary agronomic voice to club ownership and shaping the long-term stewardship vision of the property. It is a seat at the table that demands both technical command and the ability to translate complex agronomic realities into informed, confident governance.

The Director of Agronomy reports directly to the GM/COO and is a full member of the club's senior management team — contributing not only a healthy golf course, but a healthy organizational culture. Troon Privé's agronomy infrastructure, including the expertise of Jeff Cathey, VP of Agronomy, is available as a consultative resource that strengthens independent decision-making rather than constraining it.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Course Conditions & Agronomic Excellence

• Own the agronomic program from soil to surface — developing and executing sound practices that deliver tournament-ready conditions year-round
• Stay current on agronomic research, emerging turf technologies, and South Florida-specific disease and pest management
• Ensure proper calibration, mixing, and application of all chemical and fertilizer inputs in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
• Maintain Florida Pesticide Applicator License compliance and Golf Course BMP certification standards across the team
• Proactively address environmental concerns — including tidal, mangrove interface, and chemical containment — as a steward of a sensitive coastal ecosystem

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, mentor, and develop a full maintenance team including Assistant Superintendent, Equipment Manager, Irrigation Technician, Foreman, and Greenskeeping staff
• Create a department culture built on accountability, hospitality, and craft — where team members grow into the next generation of agronomic leaders
• Conduct effective onboarding and ongoing training programs; manage performance with directness and fairness
• Foster communication that flows freely up, down, and across departments — particularly with Golf Operations and Club Management

Governance & Strategic Leadership

• Chair the Greens Committee in partnership with a Board Director — translating agronomic strategy into board-level dialogue with clarity and confidence
• Contribute to long-term capital planning, major renovation scoping, and environmental stewardship programs
• Provide timely agronomic reporting to the GM/COO and, where applicable, to Troon Privé's agronomy team
• Participate as a full member of the senior management team, contributing to club culture and organizational health beyond the turf

Financial Oversight

• Develop and manage the agronomy department budget, capital expenditure plans, and expense controls
• Make fiscally disciplined decisions that reflect both the property's standards and its long-term financial health

QUALIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Turf Management, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and demonstrated experience considered
• Minimum of eight to twelve years of progressive agronomic leadership experience, ideally at a high-caliber private club or resort property
• Proven track record of delivering and sustaining peak playing conditions at a discerning membership club
• Experience managing a full maintenance team and a meaningful agronomic budget

Required Licenses & Certifications

• Florida Pesticide Applicator License
• Florida Golf Course BMP Certification
• Valid Driver's License

The Ideal Candidate

• Reads a course with the instinct of a practitioner who has seen failure and learned from it — and built systems to prevent it
• Leads from the front: present on the course, known by name to the crew, and respected for teaching as much as directing
• Communicates with equal fluency to a Board Director, a GM/COO, and an assistant superintendent
• Finds the hospitality dimension of the role — member interaction, course presentation, and daily pride of product — as energizing as the agronomic one
• Thrives in a subtropical environment and approaches its challenges as a competitive advantage, not a complication

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a letter of interest and current résumé in confidence to:

Jeff Cathey

Vice President  /  Agronomy / Private Club Management

[jcathey@troon.com]

All inquiries will be held in strict confidence. Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club is an equal opportunity employer.

Benefits & Other Compensation: 
This position includes eligibility for the following benefits, subject to applicable plan terms: 

• Healthcare Benefits – Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage 

• Retirement Benefits – 401(k) with employer match (19 years of age and older) 

• Time Off – Paid time off (PTO) and leaves of absence, in accordance with applicable law and eligibility criteria 

Eligibility for benefits and the specific terms, conditions, and offerings are governed by the applicable plan documents and company policies, which may be amended at the Company’s discretion.