Job Posting: Superintendent, Little Bennett Golf Course
The Montgomery County Revenue Authority (MCRA) has an opportunity to join a dynamic team! MCRA was created in 1957 as an instrumentality of Montgomery County and a public corporation. The MCRA has two primary functions, one is to operate self-supporting public facilities, and the other is to finance public facilities. On the operations side, the MCRA directly manages 9 golf courses and operates the Montgomery County Airpark and The Crossvines.
MCRA’s Montgomery County Golf (MCG) division has an immediate opening for a Golf Course Superintendent with a COMPETITIVE compensation package. Little Bennett Golf Course, a Michael Hurdzan design that opened in 1992, sits at the north end of Little Bennett Regional Park, and offers several scenic views of Sugarloaf Mountain. The course is quite varied in its topography, with continuous cart paths throughout. Little Bennett’s practice facility features a 2-acre hybrid bermudagrass driving range (Latitude 36 and Tahoma 31) and three practice greens. The golf course is in great shape and has been well cared for by a great team for many years. Several of our seasonal staff have been returning now for as long as 15 years. Our highly applauded outgoing superintendent has recently accepted the superintendent position at a local country club. This golf course was one of the first in Maryland to become a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and MCG Golf has now achieved certification at all 9 golf courses for the first time in 2023 and will continue to work with the program in support of local and national GCSAA environmental initiatives.
The perennial ryegrass fairways perform well overall, with years of overseeding top-performing NTEP cultivars. Trouble spots such as swales and low-lying areas have seen the establishment of tall fescue or HGT bluegrass cultivars that have proven to stand up better to summer stress and disease and blend texturally with the ryegrass. Tees are primarily perennial ryegrass, with quite a few of them being converted to hybrid bermudagrass to better tolerate summer stress. The bent/poa greens are California-style construction and are in excellent shape and predictable in their performance. Three pocketed greens are equipped with permanent fans. The Rain Bird irrigation wire and pipe network is original, but sprinkler heads and field controllers have been updated over the years, as well as the main control panel in the pump house, which communicates wirelessly with the irrigation computer at the shop. Two 300-gallon sprayers were outfitted with GPS systems and have helped fine-tune spray applications nicely in their first season of use last year with outstanding support from the manufacturer.
MCRA emphasizes a team environment, so equipment and staff sharing between the 9 courses can be done during project or aeration season as available. Each course has a truck and trailer to facilitate this. The strength of our team is our people! Great team of supers, assistants, and equipment managers to share ideas and get better. Among the many conveniences of our team also include sharing equipment parts, chem/fert/seed on short notice, and there are some shared resources such as a chipper, stump grinder, trenchers, deep-tine aerators, Redexim Overseeders, Shockwave, flail mowers, mini-excavator, etc. We foster an environment that balances hard work, safety, and fun in creating great playing conditions daily! Operational efficiency and attention to detail are important at Little Bennett in creating a golf experience that exceeds expectations.
The superintendent is responsible for maintaining the golf course property, driving range / practice area, as well as clubhouse landscaping. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; running a safety-oriented operation; overseeing equipment R&M; addressing complaints and resolving problems. We’re starting to dig in pretty deeply on data collection to help understand how our activities affect organic matter development (and playability/turf health) on greens, what factors into clipping yield variability (and thus green speed), and beginning to better understand predictive disease and PGR models, utilizing growth potential, etc. There are lots of opportunities for in-house research to try new things.
MCRA is seeking qualified applicants who reflect and understand our CORE VALUES of a Genuine Smile, Do Anything Attitude and Deliver Excellence. MCRA is a fast-paced, high-energy organization with an ambitious agenda and staff that is highly motivated. Qualified applicants may possess any combination of education and experience enabling them to successfully perform the responsibilities of the position. Preferred qualifications are: successful completion of 2 or 4-year Turfgrass Management or Certificate Program from a recognized institution; minimum 4 years of experience in a golf course management role - preferably at a golf course in the Mid-Atlantic Region; experience with repair and maintenance of irrigation systems, knowledge of disease and pest identification, use of spray equipment and recommended application
practices; management and leadership skills; strong communication and computer skills preferred. Spanish language ability is a plus, but not required.
MCRA offers an excellent County benefits package: Health (3 providers), Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Prescription Plan, Flexible Spending Account, Long-term disability, 401(a) mandatory 4% employee contribution 8% company match after 6 months employment, 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, Employee Assistance Program, credit union, Free meals, Annual sick leave (80 hrs), Annual vacation Leave (80 hrs), 10 paid holidays including employee’s birthday, FREE Golf at 9 MCG courses, GCSAA, MAAGCS, and MTC dues, Local, regional, and national education events, merchandise discounts (cost plus 10%). Company truck and fuel provided.
TO APPLY: Submit your resume and salary requirement to Jon Lobenstine, Director of Agronomy jlobenstine@mcra-md.com. MCRA is an equal opportunity employer.
