Tom Doak, famous golf architect, recounts a story of his first high profile job, or least he thought. Hired early in his career by very private club in Philadelphia, Doak believed that this commission would launch his business. Pre-social media, the golf magazine media were the ones deciding if you would become a made man. Doak would find out that not a single rater, visited his new golf course. Other than the 200 people who were members there, no one knew it existed, and no one cared. It was then that Doak understood, if he was going to become a heralded architect, he would have to design public courses. Places that many people would see, not merely 200. I get it.
For the last 23 years of running Royal St. Patrick’s, I have lost every single employee that had a choice between working here or working at local private course. Apprentice pros, bev cart girls, sous chefs, assistant superintendents, all thought it was better to serve 200 than to serve 30,000 to proliferate their careers. You’d be wrong. Tik Tok is a pile of shit, but if there is one thing it has proved is that having 30,000 followers is better for your career than having 200 followers. You will sell more inner thigh weight loss cream if you have more people seeing your ridiculous product. You will get more golf architect jobs if more people can play your courses. You will get better jobs inside golf or grounds and greens if more people see what a fantastic facility you operate. I have accepted that the private clubs will always win. The perception is that privates are the resume builder. If you are reading this and older than 30… you have figured out your resume is nothing, and who you know and how many you know… is everything.
