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Compensation lately

67 posts
  1. Andy Jorgensen
    Andy Jorgensen avatar
    1 posts
    8/6/2012 6:08 AM
    Matthew Neff said: It does seem as though more assistants have been getting superintendent jobs the last 2 or 3 years but by no means has it been exclusively assistants getting the jobs in my personal experience. I've been an assistant for 8 years and have been getting blanked on superintendent jobs. I've had 4 interviews in the last year and a half and I know that 2 of the jobs went to experienced superintendents and the other 2 went to assistants. While I certainly agree that an experienced superintendent can save a club money and will know and have seen more than a young guy, I think it's a little unfair to assume that a young guy isn't capable of being an effective supeintendent. There's a lot of assistants out there now that are having a hard time moving up and have been in the business for 8 - 10 years or even longer and have a lot more experience than assistants may have had 15 or 20 years ago when it seemed a little more common to move on after 3 or 4 years as an assistant. I want to stress that I'm not trying to disrespect the more experienced guys in this business - most of you guys have forgotten more about grass than I have ever known. I definitely see the argument for hiring an experienced guy over an assistant – 15 or 20 years of doing a job that requires as much knowledge and "feel" as this job does obviously makes an experienced superintendent much more valuable but there's plenty of young guys out there with a lot of strong experience that may not be as green as some might think.


    Ditto.



  2. Keith Lamb
    Keith Lamb avatar
    3 posts
    8/6/2012 6:08 AM
    I've watched as a couple clubs in my area have gone the cheaper route of hiring a "know it all" assistant and they have chewed these kids up and spit them out. One club not far from me went through 2 kids in 18 months and finally hired a "seasoned" Supt. and have heard that it's going great for all parties involved. Another one is currently on their second assistant as a Supt. and the jury is still out.

    Lack of technological skills a issue? Doubtful. Shortsightedness in hiring cheap instead of smart is more the issue. You can't buy experience and I'm sure someone like Greg could run circles around you and save the difference in salary. If you want to go out their and be that guy who undercuts a fellow professional, be my guest. Karma is a female dog that will bite you someday.

    Jeff, about this 100k list? Tell me more.



  3. Steven Neuliep
    Steven Neuliep avatar
    0 posts
    8/6/2012 7:08 AM
    My reply is to Jacob Miller's bold statement that the majority of older superintendent's "have no clue on how to use technology today". I would challenge him to look around our ranks and give some deep thought to the statement he has made. While, I will admit that there are some older superintendents that choose not to utilize some/all of the technology that is out there today, I disagree that this is the majority. In my humble opinion, he obviously is making a very generalized/stereotypical statement that could not be further from the truth! In addition to technology utilization, communication skills that involve tact, team-building and mutual respect are also very important skills involved in being able to run a successful golf course operation. And finally the last time I checked, no computer program can motivate a staff member or build a strong team. At this juncture, I will take a pass on his statement about being willing to take a job for 1/3 the salary!!

    Respectfully and technologically adept,
    Steven Neuliep, CGCS



  4. McCallum David K
    McCallum David K avatar
    8/6/2012 8:08 AM
    I am so sorry I missed the post of Dr. D Lusional before it was pulled. It had to be a classic.....my loss for not checking the forum enough. This thread began as a ho hum mundane read but has certainly developed into a more lively topic of late. Some good comments by all of the participants.

    I must weigh in on the side of the "old guys" as I think I am one. In reading Jakes post it's obvious he is much smarter than myself. As we have all heard many times in our lifetimes (for us old guys we have heard it many more times) you get what you pay for. Be it a car, a TV, a good meal vs a fast food stop and yes often even people. I am sure Jake is not as egotistical as he came across in his post. He is just 26. At 26 you can be very smart but a long way from being wise. Lot's to be said wisdom. Age Jake will change your outlook on life a great deal.

    I began in this business working on a course while in college for something other than turf in 1972. Yea Jake you weren't even a gleam in your daddy's eye back then young man. But be grateful your father has made to be an 'old guy" or you might not be telling us how dumb we all are. But I switched majors and finished in agronomy. Got my first superintendents job in 1977 making the tidy sum of $14,000 a year and a truck. And had to commute 50 miles each way. Well fast forward 35 years and here I am at the end of a career. Along the way came 4 more golf courses, two total constructions from the ground up and numerous re-builds and remodelsand a second wife. And at no time did I have a smart phone or a iPad..........somehow I muddled through it. Some how I survive with an old beat up laptop and PC to get the job done.......and that latest and greatest technology of 10 years ago...push to talk phones.

    At some point in my career I broke the magic six figure barrier and think I earned it along the way. Did not step on anyone's toes getting to where I am, never dissed a fellow superintendent along the way, Just went to work everyday (in the past 15 yrs I have missed 3 days to illness and all surgical related) and did my job to the best of my abilities. Learned early on not to take compliments or criticism personally. The compliments you only had a small part in assisting in and the criticism........they will always be there. Someone always knows how to do your job better than you...........even a young assistant! I had hoped to work another 2 full years after this one but alas it is not to be. In January I will turn over the reins to a very capable young man I hired straight out of college 14 yrs ago and he will do a GREAT JOB. I will spend my last year on this job taking it much slower with someone other than me worrying about no show employees, a 5" downpour or the budget. Other than the timeline it is working out as planned. I hopefully have invested well enough to provide for a much younger wife than myself when I am long gone. But Jake I do not plan on retiring to a rocking chair on my front porch, no long days spent surfing the Internet and definitely won't be wasting my time seeing if I can max out my text message limit. Hopefully I will be afforded the opportunity to return to a golf course just down the street from my home to ride a fairway mower 4-5 days a week for a good young superintendent .It will give me a reason to continue getting up at 4 AM as I have forever it seems. And Scott gave me credit for being in better shape than I am but who knows I may, at the ripe old age of 65, begin running marathons again. Hey Jake those things take a little more effort than that iPad does buddy. And my last piece of advice. As you get older you may lose your smarts but never your wisdom. Good luck to whatver life brings you.

    Good post Steve.



  5. Ashton Alan W
    Ashton Alan W avatar
    8/6/2012 10:08 AM
    Jeffrey Wallace, CGCS said: This post has been removed due to violation of GCSAA's forum policy.


    I'll start the list... please email your post to me... I'm dying here!



  6. Jason Baker
    Jason Baker avatar
    12 posts
    8/6/2012 4:08 PM
    Uhmm.. Well I guess Jacob is partially right, cause I really did not understand most of what you just said.
    Should I be worried ?



  7. McDaniel Gregory B
    McDaniel Gregory B avatar
    8/6/2012 4:08 PM
    Jeff,
    That's boloney Wallace, but very good boloney!! :lol:



  8. Larry Allan
    Larry Allan avatar
    0 posts
    8/7/2012 4:08 AM
    Jeffrey Wallace, CGCS said:
    Alan Ashton said:
    Jeffrey Wallace, CGCS said: This post has been removed due to violation of GCSAA's forum policy.


    I'll start the list... please email your post to me... I'm dying here!


    Alan,

    I can't email you the post, because I can't remember exactly what I wrote. Although I do remember kind of trashing that kid. Deservedly. Hate to sound like Mittens, but whatever I said, If I said anything, I stand behind what I said, even though I can't remember what I said. Damn...I should be a politician!

    And to anyone reading this particular post, I have an alert message. I was at the Phoenix airport yesterday afternoon waiting on a flight....for over 2 hours, so I was responding to mail, etc. What I did not realize, but do now, was that my Droid smart phone in my carry-on was set up to act as a wi-fi access. It was tethered to my laptop. I don't need the wi-fi access, as I was given the ultimate gift from Verizon. I was grandfathered in and have unlimited data access. So I use my smart phone as much as possible, although emails, and commenting on this forum and the others that I use, is a real pain in the backside.

    I'm using a protected USB modem on my laptop, so that's covered. But access through my phone, to my laptop? Not so much.

    This "person" was able to access any sites where I had my username and password saved. And yes, after a complete scan, my software found a keylogger that had been installed at the same time I was at the airport. It's history now. I didn't just quarantine it, I burned it. With 7 overwrites, and wiped my MBR.

    Any, and I mean ANY, posts you see with "This post has been removed due to violation of GCSAA's forum policy." are completely bogus. Our headquarters NEVER did that to me. And I just got off the phone with their IT dept. to confirm that. And......after talking to Verizon and Motorola, I was informed that what this POS did, was in fact possible.

    So.....this jerk decided to have some fun. I'm guessing my history was the first thing he checked, and I had just logged off GCSAA. He was smart enough to find out that any of my posts that hadn't had a response above it, he could delete. And decided that some posts he couldn't delete, he could edit and insert that "forum policy" crap. Gotta give him credit, he stumbled upon that message from other posts and used it. Those multiple "edits"? He was learning. Although I did add an extra edit on one post today where I had been asking why GCSAA was deleting my posts. They hadn't, so I deleted that comment.

    Naturally, I was worried about that jerk writing something really offensive, so I clicked on "View your posts" and spent an hour opening each one and checking. I found a lot of those "forum policy" changes, and I also discovered that any posts that he could have deleted, had in fact been deleted. Yeah.....I remember some of my posts....and they're gone. No big deal, they were just conversations anyway.

    I also found out he accessed my Quicken program, but that was a failure, because I never save direct access information to my accounts. So he couldn't do anything but find out if I was a billionaire. I'm not, so that must have disappointed him. I'm disappointed as well. I'd like to be a billionaire.

    So, I've had to change all of my passwords....just in case. It appears the damage was limited to my GCSAA account. Why "he" chose that one, I'll never know. Maybe he was a "first assistant" that hated old guys. Go figure. I'm only 31, but he might have thought my name sounded old. These kids. What are we supposed to do with them? No...putting them in cars about to be turned into metal cubes is not the answer. Although that image is stuck in my mind.

    There you have it. Make sure your malware and antivirus programs are up to date. And check the settings on your phones. I'm still running scans, and I HOPE I don't need to do a low-level format on my laptop. That's 8 hours at a minimum, plus a couple of days reinstalling software. But hey, I caught it, albeit 18 hours later. Wi-fi on both my laptop and my phone are now disabled.

    And here's a really good tip. Backup your data, emails, and contact lists on a thumb drive. At least once a week. I was able to open my backup email file, and he hadn't accessed that program. Good thing. I'd hate to have to send out apologies to 200 people telling them that I really didn't think their children were ugly.

    You are one tech savvy S.O.B.



  9. Jason Baker
    Jason Baker avatar
    12 posts
    8/7/2012 5:08 AM
    Jeffrey Wallace, CGCS said: Only if you're 32 or older.


    Figures. I'm screwed.



  10. McCallum David K
    McCallum David K avatar
    8/7/2012 7:08 AM
    Hey for an old guy he sure is...........could you call me and repeat what you did s....l......o.....w.....l.......y ?
    Just in case I'm in the Phoenix airport and someone hacks my GCSAA account cause I really don't have 8 hours to waste.....between work and a marathon every other day my schedule is kind of tight.



  11. Sandy Clark
    Sandy Clark avatar
    0 posts
    8/14/2012 4:08 PM
    This is the first time I have gone back to this post since early on. Scott, I wish I still had the body of my youth and the physical fitness of old. Unfortunately, too many years of having fun with everything from surfing to baseball to running marathons have taken a toll on the back, knees and and now damaged shoulders. I wish I was half of what I know you were joking about! Thanks for the compliment anyway. I can understand Jake's comments because I personally feel that I have not kept up near enough with many of the tech changes that happen daily. Where i disagree is in two areas. First, I have given many presentations and have discussed the lack of people and communication skills I am seeing due to dependence on Tech. The younger guys coming into the business still must have strong verbal and presentation skills. Tech skills or not, you will fail without the interpersonal relationship skills. There is no way around that requirement. The second area I tend to disagree is that all the tech in the world doesn't change the field knowledge required. How much of the new tech toys are really necessary. You still need to manage people, schedule maintenance functions observe performance and provide a product. A older supt. can get along just fine with soil probe and a soil thermometer and basic computer skills. You still need to know disease and insect symptoms and life cycles and you plan functions out several months in advance. Yes, the tools may make communication quicker but do they make the job easier? They are convenient for accessing knowledge quickly but certainly not going to hamper a seasoned supt. if he doesn't use all the latest technology. Certain old fashion requirements still exist in our industry and probably always will. By all means, learn the latest technology but don't ignore the old tried and true methods of success! Good communication skills can keep you in this business a long time!



  12. Rick Tegtmeier
    Rick Tegtmeier avatar
    0 posts
    8/15/2012 7:08 AM
    Well I too am like David McCallum, I am an old timer at 52 years young. I still have 13 years to go so I better learn some more technology so I can compete with the young boys that know it all. Having just spent my 40th summer in the golf course maintenance business I have to comment on Jacob's perception of the old guys that have no technological experience and his thoughts about the young guys with the education and "professional experienc" taking the jobs that are being offered.
    First off if you were to ask me what are the biggest changes I have seen in this industry during my career? No doubt it is technology and how we are using it today to manage our properties that we are working at. Every day we now use TDR meters to monitor moisture, we have radio controls of our irrigation system, we post to blogs, Twitter and Facebook from our smart phones. I look at soil temperature, moisture and salinity through my computer to monitor those conditions. With my Ipad I can be looking at the club's web cameras, post to my blog from the golf course, I can mix a load of chemicals in the chemical building while I am out on the golf course, I can roll over in bed to turn on/off the irrigation system if it is raining, I text message, email staff, get reminders for meetings, monitor our sewage lift station to see if it is working, I can look at my pump stations to see if they are running correctly, I manage my ftp site so our weather data can be uploaded to a satellite so irrigation controllers around our city can water correctly, I can access all of my data files while sitting in a Board meeting, I can manage invoices and budgets, I can access the web, I get reminded to go to a meeting, I can look at photos of disease, I can take a photo, and I can go on and on but I think the point is made. Technology is great and but it is only one tool. It still comes down to one simple thing. If you want to be in this business you have to use your tools smartly and to your best advantage. You have to know and use sound agronomic principles to keep your job. You have to know how to motivate staff and the best thing you better be able to do is to communicate.
    I am surrounded by an excellent staff of 26 year old flat bellies who want to become superintendents and they will, once they are confident enough to put in their time and glean all of the information they can from us. They have 2 year degrees, they have 4 year degrees, they have worked PGA Championships, US Opens, Ryder Cups and local events. Why because I send them to these events to experience how they do it at these different places. They learn and I learn from them. Once you think you know it all it is time to get out of the business. I learn something new each and every day, all you have to do is pay attention and it is easier.
    My whole point to all of this is that club's will make changes, they may hire the younger person or they may hired a seasoned veteran. I know a lot of great young people that are coming up in this industry and they will do well. You also can look at the ones that will fail and they are pretty easy to pick out. They want it all right away, they think they know it all, everything to them is disposable, they are poor communicators, and they don't know a heck of a lot about managing turf.
    I was speaking to a very seasoned veteran at a high profile club the other day. He is on the way out and who knows who will replace him. But he told me it was scary to look at GCSAA's statistics on superintendents, only 4% of us are in the 60 – 65 age bracket, meaning not many of us retire from the business. I guess we dry up and blow away because we were not part of the technology age.



  13. McCallum David K
    McCallum David K avatar
    8/16/2012 6:08 AM
    Excellent post Rick. And your last few statements are so very true.



  14. Sandy Clark
    Sandy Clark avatar
    0 posts
    8/17/2012 4:08 PM
    I guess that 4% probably becomes an even smaller number when you are above 65! At 66 my goal is to work until 72. Though I think many of the phone apps we hear about have some merit, I think we sometimes over think what we do in this business. Don't get me wrong, even us old guys are using EC meters, moisture sensors etc. but are we sort of making our jobs more complex than they really are? We are hired to provide quality golfing conditions for our customers or members, not do brain surgery or put a man on Mars. The basics are not going to change. Water management, nutrient balance, equipment management, communication and people skills and doing these things within budget under varied conditions are what we are paid good money to accomplish. The basic fact is if we provide quality turf and excellent playing conditions, nobody but ourselves really cares how we do it! Take advantage of technology where it is helpful but don't ever ignore the good old hands on basics. Take this from a guy who experiments and tests virtually anything new that comes out.



  15. Wahlin Scott B
    Wahlin Scott B avatar
    8/18/2012 6:08 AM
    Sandy Clark, CGCS said: We are hired to provide quality golfing conditions for our customers or members, not do brain surgery or put a man on Mars.


    I am sure you do not disagree that we have to have the same level of diligence as the people who do these things.



  16. Sean Hoolehan
    Sean Hoolehan avatar
    0 posts
    8/20/2012 9:08 AM
    Gregg Rosenthal said: Mr. Wallace,

    Normally I do not comment on these type posts but your reply makes me smile this morning as I prepare to go to work! I who have recovered from epilepsy, and brain surgery, now again loving life back to working on the golf course doing what I do best as an assistant Superintendent at a very fine country club in the Chicago area. I am again loving life having done more in my career than many will ever do built/grown-in 5 new courses hosted the Senior Tour, all of which no longer matter to me, just enjoying life now doing what I do best as a team member is my love of life! I am a lucky person who survived a tough time many do not! I came through brain issues that most never recover from! I have a very positive and different attitude toward life and my future than many, look forward to work on a daily basis! Never complain about anything, speak great Spanish again, during my time of seizures I could not remember my Spanish speaking! I now do any job from changing cups, to spraying, raking bunkers, fixing a sprinkler with a smile on my face!!! I love to talk to members when they ask what we are doing and life is great! Never question what or why one has to do something, just get the job done grow good turf and love life!!! Amen...Here in Chicago we will take it easy when the cold weather comes!!!!

    Gregg R



    Gregg,

    Wow great to hear very inspirational, but i never could find a post from Wallace in this thread.

    No need for me to comment on this other than to say how fortunate for me that we did not have this type of media around when I was 26.



  17. David Gresham
    David Gresham avatar
    0 posts
    8/20/2012 2:08 PM
    If you think for one second you "only worry about grass", you should stay an asst. sup your entire career!

    Wally Gresham,GCS
    Sunset Hills Country Club



  18. Miller Jacob D
    Miller Jacob D avatar
    9/30/2012 8:09 AM
    Well my small post a few months ago sure stirred the pot on this one! Love it guys! Thanks for all the good comments back.

    Clearly some of you are bitter that you cannot pick up the tech side of things, but I know that with practice a number of you will be just as good, if not better then us 20-somthings at it. Technology, no doubt, is not a substitute for good old fashioned hard work. I know this, as i'm from MN and grew up in a farming town. However, some of the practices of old can be streamlined and more efficient with technology, as some of you commented. Take advantage of your smart phones, tablets, and computers! The only thing they can do is help you find answer with higher efficiency. Now, i'm sure you can all make arguments one way or another but no matter what you do.. technology is coming, faster then ever! Apple releases all new lineups every six months. You can deny it as long as you want but at some point you are just denying progress in society.

    I know the original post for this was about compensation and jobs, but it seems a lot of you guys are sour over the "flat bellies" ability to pick up technology and use it with little to no experience. Try not to be bitter towards my generation as we are trying to make a living too in these tough times. The 4% of 60-somethings that refuse to retire until they are 72 make it tough for us to come up with superintendent jobs like you guys did. The reason our age group will take jobs at the drop of a hat for less money isn't because we are trying to put anyone out of a job. Its because we see the hardships our fellow classmates are having finding jobs and have been told that if we want something that we have to go get it on our own. Nothing is given to anyone in this world.



  19. Ronald Conard
    Ronald Conard avatar
    4 posts
    9/30/2012 12:09 PM
    Jacob Miller said: Well my small post a few months ago sure stirred the pot on this one! Love it guys! Thanks for all the good comments back.

    Clearly some of you are bitter that you cannot pick up the tech side of things, but I know that with practice a number of you will be just as good, if not better then us 20-somthings at it. Technology, no doubt, is not a substitute for good old fashioned hard work. I know this, as i'm from MN and grew up in a farming town. However, some of the practices of old can be streamlined and more efficient with technology, as some of you commented. Take advantage of your smart phones, tablets, and computers! The only thing they can do is help you find answer with higher efficiency. Now, i'm sure you can all make arguments one way or another but no matter what you do.. technology is coming, faster then ever! Apple releases all new lineups every six months. You can deny it as long as you want but at some point you are just denying progress in society.

    I know the original post for this was about compensation and jobs, but it seems a lot of you guys are sour over the "flat bellies" ability to pick up technology and use it with little to no experience. Try not to be bitter towards my generation as we are trying to make a living too in these tough times. The 4% of 60-somethings that refuse to retire until they are 72 make it tough for us to come up with superintendent jobs like you guys did. The reason our age group will take jobs at the drop of a hat for less money isn't because we are trying to put anyone out of a job. Its because we see the hardships our fellow classmates are having finding jobs and have been told that if we want something that we have to go get it on our own. Nothing is given to anyone in this world.


    You are still making a gross assumption Grasshopper. Wallace is 75 and look at how tech savvy he is. So then, if the old guys learn how to function with high tech gadgets, are you going to learn how to function without them?

    How efficient is it to check Facebook updates all day? Do you know the meaning of concentration? Do high tech gadgets help or hinder concentration? Let me know when come up with an answer.



  20. Keith Pegg
    Keith Pegg avatar
    0 posts
    9/30/2012 4:09 PM
    Jacob Miller said: Heres the way I look at it. I'm 26. Have been an assistant for nearly 4 years now and will most likely be looking for that pay/position bump here in the next couple years. The reason all the unemployed superintendents out there end up losing the position to guys my age is for a number of reasons. First is because a majority of the older superintendents have no clue how to use technology today... not their fault, just a result of the times they were raised. Second, they maybe dont realize that in this tough time guys my age are willing to do the job for 1/3 less the salary that others are. We look at it as "Well, its this or give up and get paid to flip burgers with no benefits, no bonus, and get paid by the hour." Lets be honest, I'll take a superintendents job or assistant job for less then the next guy before i'll ever go back to getting paid by the hour.

    So, in closing, I would say that the compensation lately is pretty good. And anyone that complains about having a job these days is out of their mind. I was told by my mentor Kevin Breen at Lahontan "Jake, do whatever it takes to get the job done." and that's what I've been doing ever since... so far its worked out pretty good.



    Jacob,
    When I was in my 20's as an assistant I had a younger man working for me who said to me that "when I am your age I will be way above you". Well he is a staff member 40 years later and I am a Superintendent with over 45 years as a Superintendent. I went to school as I hope you did. I have taken over 120 GCSAA one and two days' seminars and feel that I have kept up with technology just fine. You will go no place and with an attitude that you have will be pushing a rake for 40 years. Get an attitude adjustment and fast. Because no one is going to hire you even if you do know everything, PS. you don't.
    Keith Pegg
    Zama Golf Club
    Japan



  21. Wallace Jeffrey V
    Wallace Jeffrey V avatar
    9/30/2012 6:09 PM
    Jake or Jacob,

    Excuse me while I cough up the phlegm that most 75 year old superintendents do while laughing at comments like, "flat bellies ability to pick up technology".

    Keith nailed it, Ron lied about my age, and Wally predicted your career perfectly.

    Good grief son, do you realize how full of yourself you sound? And why would you bring up a thread that apparently everyone has forgotten about, except you? Seriously, it's been a month since anyone commented on it. Are you bored? Has your satellite dish gone out? What?

    I'm sure I've written this before, but as a "tech savvy" 14, 17, 23, or 25 year old, did someone forget to tell you that whatever you write on the Internet will be there forever? Sure, you can delete it, but there are always old "round bellies" that could copy part of it. Kind of like this:

    "it seems a lot of you guys are sour over the "flat bellies" ability to pick up technology and use it with little to no experience. Try not to be bitter towards my generation as we are trying to make a living too in these tough times. The 4% of 60-somethings that refuse to retire until they are 72 make it tough for us to come up with superintendent jobs like you guys did. The reason our age group will take jobs at the drop of a hat for less money...is...because we want something......like....pay/position bump in the next couple years."

    Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly how you presented your position, but all of those words were in your statement. Darn....now your words are out there forever. Bummer, huh? Remember to be.....

    Trustworthy - Loyal - Helpful - Friendly

    Courteous - Kind - Obedient - Cheerful

    Thrifty - Brave - Clean - Reverent


    I think you'll need those Boy Scout Codes of Honor to advance in your career.

    Cheers,

    A fellow flat belly



  22. Clay Putnam
    Clay Putnam avatar
    33 posts
    10/1/2012 6:10 AM
    Jacob Miller said: Well my small post a few months ago sure stirred the pot on this one! Love it guys! Thanks for all the good comments back.

    Clearly some of you are bitter that you cannot pick up the tech side of things, but I know that with practice a number of you will be just as good, if not better then us 20-somthings at it. Technology, no doubt, is not a substitute for good old fashioned hard work. I know this, as i'm from MN and grew up in a farming town. However, some of the practices of old can be streamlined and more efficient with technology, as some of you commented. Take advantage of your smart phones, tablets, and computers! The only thing they can do is help you find answer with higher efficiency. Now, i'm sure you can all make arguments one way or another but no matter what you do.. technology is coming, faster then ever! Apple releases all new lineups every six months. You can deny it as long as you want but at some point you are just denying progress in society.

    I know the original post for this was about compensation and jobs, but it seems a lot of you guys are sour over the "flat bellies" ability to pick up technology and use it with little to no experience. Try not to be bitter towards my generation as we are trying to make a living too in these tough times. The 4% of 60-somethings that refuse to retire until they are 72 make it tough for us to come up with superintendent jobs like you guys did. The reason our age group will take jobs at the drop of a hat for less money isn't because we are trying to put anyone out of a job. Its because we see the hardships our fellow classmates are having finding jobs and have been told that if we want something that we have to go get it on our own. Nothing is given to anyone in this world.


    Jacob,

    You deserve all the credit in the world for letting it all hang out. Your assumption of experienced superintendents is, well, bold. The next time I want to alienate potential employers and insult an entire demographic of my peers, you're my guy.

    It must be maddening to think that relics like a #2 pencil are holding you back from your payday. Hang in there fella.



  23. Wallace Jeffrey V
    Wallace Jeffrey V avatar
    10/1/2012 11:10 AM
    Clay,

    You jerk! I just sprayed coffee through my nose. I'm sending you the dry cleaning bill. This was my favorite filthy shirt.



  24. Clay Putnam
    Clay Putnam avatar
    33 posts
    10/1/2012 3:10 PM
    Sorry Jeffy. I have a lot of old bowling shirts. Want one of them? But there's this one thing though. The shirts aren't mine. I don't bowl. I took them from the neighbor's clothesline. He's an old guy and I took them while he was at work. He's in his 60's and refuses to retire. So I took a cue from Jacob and now I'm taking the geezer's stuff. The old curmudgeon, serves him right.



  25. Wallace Jeffrey V
    Wallace Jeffrey V avatar
    10/1/2012 8:10 PM
    What a great idea. I have a neighbor that refuses to retire. I'm going to let the air out of his tires tonight. When he's late for work, he'll get fired. Then his assistant will finally get promoted.

    I'll take the bowling shirts. What size are they? I'm a svelte flat belly.



  26. Sean Hoolehan
    Sean Hoolehan avatar
    0 posts
    10/2/2012 8:10 AM
    Jeffrey Wallace, CGCS said: What a great idea. I have a neighbor that refuses to retire. I'm going to let the air out of his tires tonight. When he's late for work, he'll get fired. Then his assistant will finally get promoted.

    I'll take the bowling shirts. What size are they? I'm a svelte flat belly.



    I don't know about you Wallace but I'm so fired up I may work until I'm 73 just to show him up.

    Sean



  27. Sandy Clark
    Sandy Clark avatar
    0 posts
    10/2/2012 9:10 AM
    My comment for this young gentleman would be to earn it. Pay your dues and expect it to take several years. I didn't make really good money until my late 50's. Now that my wife and I are both making very good money, I have no intention of giving it up before I am 72. ( I am 66 now). The only ways I would consider differently would be some unforeseen health issue, my employer suddenly deciding I make too much, or the tax burden becomes to punishing for my wife and I to continue working. I will also have a successor in place for my position so don't expect to have an opportunity here!



  28. Clay Putnam
    Clay Putnam avatar
    33 posts
    10/2/2012 9:10 AM
    Sandy Clark, CGCS said: My comment for this young gentleman would be to earn it. Pay your dues and expect it to take several years. I didn't make really good money until my late 50's. Now that my wife and I are both making very good money, I have no intention of giving it up before I am 72. ( I am 66 now). The only ways I would consider differently would be some unforeseen health issue, my employer suddenly deciding I make too much, or the tax burden becomes to punishing for my wife and I to continue working. I will also have a successor in place for my position so don't expect to have an opportunity here!


    Uh-oh. You're in your 60's? You wouldn't happen to live in NW Indiana would ya? I may have...check that...Jeff may have some of your bowling shirts.



  29. Hardy Andrew
    Hardy Andrew avatar
    10/2/2012 9:10 AM
    I'm sure many of you may not be surprised based on some of my previous posts. But, I was a young Jake coming out of school. Funny how 11 years an as Assistant and a lot of growing up finally landed me my first Superintendents position 5 years ago. Did I get that job because I'm web/tech savvy? No it was hard word, learning to listen and putting ego aside for the greater good. Having a wife and a young family (3boys, 2 of them diagnosed with autism) helps a brash, cocky, wannabe Superintendent grow-up and be a man really quick.

    Technology is such a small part of what we do, and until there's an app that helps keep my push-up Poa greens alive in mid-July I'll take out of technology what I can. I see guys with golf cart mounted iPads, TDR 300's and phones that tell them what tree is blocking the sun. Yet I have found that getting off your cart walking around (sometimes in bare feet) with a soil probe and a cup cutter and doing a little digging can tell you more of a story than any tech-toy. I'm 40 this year and my advice to Jake is to use technology as an aid not the end all, be all. I write a blog (to communicate- a lost art with today's tech savvy youth), use Twitter (to connect with my peers) and come on here (to bitch and share experiences). None of these things is going to keep me employed.

    My two cents.



  30. Ronald Conard
    Ronald Conard avatar
    4 posts
    10/2/2012 10:10 AM
    Seriously Jacob, the bottom line is how you interact and relate with your crew. No amount of technology can substitute for your ability to maintain a productive, happy, cohesive staff that has your back when the times are tough. What do you think works better? A tweet or a joke and a slap on the back, and a "thank you, we need you."? Interpersonal skills appear to be eroding not improving as the tech-craze explodes.

    Andrew's post is right on. No matter what, a superintendent has to be in tune with his entire product. Iphone apps, etc. actually are another step removed from the observation process. Every tool is useful including intuition. But are we losing our intuition skills the more we rely on gadgets to do things for us?



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