NCGA Bootcamp Part I: The Interview Process

 

The moment occurred during the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, where Suny, fresh out of Penn State, was working as an assistant superintendent under Richie Valentine, who directed him to give a cart ride to a USGA official. During that ride, Suny, now an entrepreneur and search executive for the golf industry, introduced himself to then-USGA executive director Frank Hannigan and asked for a letter of recommendation.

 

Two years later, Suny used that recommendation to secure the head superintendent position at Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver, where he would be the host superintendent during the 1985 PGA Championship.

 

The letter, Suny said, read "I don't know if he can grow grass, but he can host the U.S. Open," Suny told a room filled with aspiring superintendents at the 16th annual Northern California Golf Association Assistant Superintendent Bootcamp in Monterey and Pebble Beach.

 

"That cart ride changed my life," said Suny, now search director at the executive search firm of Kopplin Kuebler and Wallace. "Who knows where I'd be know."

 

The true meaning behind Suny's "back when I was your age" story was simple: "You have an opportunity to impress someone every day with what you do," Suny told the group. "Distinguish yourself as an assistant. Make yourself stand out."

 

The NCGA bootcamp, held annually in Monterey and Pebble Beach, is a career-development program specifically for assistant superintendents and interns. This year was Suny's first time speaking at the event, and he knows a thing or two about standing out in a crowd. 

 

After spending nearly two years at Cherry Hills, his career included being named vice president of agronomy and tournament director at Castle Pines Golf Club and general manager at Shadow Creek. Today, aside from his duties at Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, he is sole owner or partner in two other business ventures.

 

Last year, his firm placed more than 70 professionals in the golf industry, including superintendents, head pros and general managers. With hundreds of job candidates vying for these positions, he sees a lot of good applications - and a lot of bad ones.

 

He warned bootcamp attendees that a poorly written resume can land in the cylindrical file very quickly.

 

"How does your resume start? With a career objective that says 'I want to be a superintendent.' No s***. I already know that. Start with the kind of person you are, your traits, your core values," Suny said. "Search committees see hundreds of resumes, and if they see the same career objective, what do you think they're going to do?"

 

A common mistake among superintendents, Suny said, is to dedicate a lot of space to information other superintendents might find interesting. That, however, is not writing to the correct audience.

 

"You're trying to sell yourself to a committee," he said. "Superintendents talk about renovation experience. Do you know what members think about renovations? It costs them money, and they can't play golf. If the first thing you talk about is a renovation, that's a loser."

 

Instead, steer the conversation to what is important to members of the search committee.

 

"First thing, talk about how you present the golf course in great condition every day," he said. "That's going to get their attention."

 

That was simple advice that Daniel Quinn, assistant at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, California, took to heart.

 

"This was eye-opening. He knows what goes on in an interview," Quinn said. "I've discovered that I have to prepare for an interview more than I thought I did."

 

Making enough of an impact with a resume to get an interview is one thing. What to say - and what not to say - during an interview is another matter entirely.

 

Suny stalked the attendees, firing out hypothetical questions they might hear from club boards and committees in an interview.

 

"How fast are the greens going to be?" he asked the crowd. 

 

After listening to several in the audience struggle for a response that probably would get them jettisoned from an interview, Suny offered some advice.

 

"When you get an interview, it's important to walk the course first," he said. "That will tell you a lot.

 

"You could answer that question with something like: 'Let me talk about the agronomic things I saw on the course. I know you have thatch and black layer, so we need to straighten out those agronomic issues before we start dialing in the putting greens, and here's how we're going to do that.'

 

"Boom! Now you've taken control of the interview. You have to be able to hit these guys with good answers on this stuff. Otherwise, they'll chew you up, spit you out and move on to the next person."

 

That message made an impact on Ben Genest, the second assistant at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, who was attending his first bootcamp.

 

"He pointed out a lot of things you have to accomplish in an interview; simple things that you might look back on and say 'I should have done this, and this, and this," Genest said. "He gave a real-world look at the golf industry."

 

It is important, Suny said, be yourself and be honest throughout the interview process. Many employers conduct background checks, including KK&W, which checks out everyone it interviews, he said.

 

"We have a guy who is a former club manager who worked for the treasury department," Suny said. "If you don't think he can find that you got picked up in college because you were drunk, you're wrong, he'll find you. If you think you can lie about your education, you're wrong, because he's checking. And if you've done something worse than that, he's all over you."

 

Many assistants might be too intimidated to apply for some jobs, thinking they have to start out small and work their way up. That's a misconception, Suny said. 

 

"Every club we work with is looking for a leader; someone who will take them to the promised land," he said. "In half the searches I do, committees want to see the top assistants. It's not about money. It's about who is the best fit for that job."

 

Finally, when the interview is over, above all else Suny said he would like to see more candidates actually "ask" for the job they are seeking.

 

"When a sales guy comes in, does he ask for the sale? Every good salesperson asks for the sale," he said. "If you take away one thing from this, ask for the job and explain why you are the best person for the job. It's powerful, and nobody does it."