Pine Hollow Club | East Norwich, New York
Head Golf Professional

About the Club
Established in 1955, Pine Hollow Club is a privately owned full-service country club with a 75,000-square-foot Golden Age Mansion on 135 acres in the heart of Long Island in East Norwich, New York. From its historical roots as the city escape country mansion for New York Post owner Dorothy Schiff and the luxurious Gold Coast home of Consuelo Vanderbilt, Pine Hollow is a blend of old and new: historic architecture modernized with finesse to deliver a world-class luxury, resort-style experience, and best-in-class service from golf to tennis to cabanas poolside and fine dining. In 2021, the Club came under new ownership and remains dedicated to maintaining the Club’s well-respected reputation and providing excellent service and a world-class country club experience. The Club currently has 395 members, of which 200 are golf members, and the average age of the membership is 52 years.

The Club’s par 71 18-hole championship golf course, originally built by William Mitchell and later renovated by Gil Hanse in 1997, is one of the highest-ranking courses on Long Island. The impeccably maintained course hosts 20,000 rounds annually and features beautiful rolling hills, strategically placed bunkers, and fairways navigating the park-like setting. Golf members of all ages and playing levels enjoy a variety of programs, tournaments, and amenities. Group and private golf instruction is provided for men, women, and juniors; golf practice facilities include a driving range and short-game practice area for putting, chipping, and bunker shots. Other golf amenities and services include the club-owned pro shop and caddie program. Recent golf renovations include a driving range expansion, bunker renovation, multiple tee complex upgrades, irrigation upgrades, and aggressive tree management, upgrading aesthetics while promoting better playability. Bunker work is ongoing using Billy Bunker with Pro White Sand. Improvements have also been made to the tee markers, dry wells, and range mats.

Other sports amenities include a fitness center, aquatics, and racquets. The Club’s racquet program appeals to players of all levels seeking competitive or leisurely play. There are 7-Har-Tru Championship tennis courts, 3 Pickleball Courts, and the first Padel Court in Long Island. Spectator seating is available and nestled between beautiful rolling hills and vibrant gardens.

The Club’s sophisticated and experienced culinary team creates fine dining experiences shaped by top New York restaurants and the comforts of club traditions. Dining service is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with menus constantly changing with the freshest seasonal ingredients. The Club also hosts several private events, including member celebrations, weddings, golf outings for businesses, charities, and non-profit fundraising.

The Club is open to members from March 15th through December 15th. The golf course is available for nine (9) months, from March to November; walking is allowed in winter, weather permitting.

About the Position
The Head Golf Professional provides leadership and operational direction for all aspects of golf operations and fosters a service culture of excellence to provide an exceptional golf experience that meets or exceeds all members and their guests’ expectations while ensuring the policies and best interests of the Club are met and protected. The Head Golf Professional is also responsible for hiring, mentoring, and developing a highly achieving staff that consistently provides anticipatory service throughout the golf operation.

The Head Golf Professional oversees all administrative and fiscal responsibilities and performance criteria for the golf operations, including planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring, and corrective management. He/she collaborates with fellow department heads and staff to exchange ideas and information regularly to deliver “Best in Class” results.

This year-round position reports to the General Manager and leads the golf department staff, including the golf professionals, pro shop staff, outside services, and caddy program. Hiring, mentoring, and developing a high-achieving staff and nurturing a member-focused, high-touch service culture that highly values member recognition, anticipatory service, and the enhancement of the golf experience across all player segments and demographics is an essential function of this role.

About the Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be an engaging and approachable golf professional who demonstrates excellent leadership, communication, team building, business acumen, management skills, and an overriding sense of quality awareness relating to every part of golf operations: member services, merchandising, tournaments, events, and golf instruction. This includes training, mentoring, and overseeing a high-quality, courteous, well-trained, and efficient staff and caddy program.

Candidates with experience and success instituting new and innovative member experiences and hospitality practices are highly desired.

Candidates should have at least ten years or more of professional golf management experience with a minimum of four years as a Head Professional. This experience should have been achieved largely at a respected, full-service country club with a green grass retail operation with a sales volume of at least $500,000, experience and success in recruiting, developing, and retaining an outstanding professional staff and excellent caddie program; experience instituting new and innovative member experiences and hospitality practices; expertise in instruction and player development at all levels; an expert at the Rules of Golf; and a demonstrated love for the game. First Assistant Golf Professionals with progressive career paths and proven records of outstanding service at respected, full-service country clubs will also be considered.

A Bachelor’s degree or higher in a business-related field is preferred, and the candidate should be within one of the following golf professional classifications: PGA Class “A,” PGA Certified Professional, or a PGA Master Professional.

Compensation (Provided pursuant to New York State Pay Transparency Law)

The compensation range is $120,000 to 180,000 base salary commensurate with experience plus incentives.

Apply for This Position
Interested candidates should complete the online golf professional profile form (not the club management form) and submit a compelling cover letter and resume for consideration to newsubmissions@denehyctp.com with the subject line: Pine Hollow Club – 2023 Head Golf Professional.

Please contact Barb McAuliffe at 203.319.8228 or by email at barbara@denehyctp.com with any questions or candidate recommendations. Cover letters should be addressed to:

Ms. Barbara McAuliffe
Search Consultant
DENEHY Club Thinking Partners
501 Kings Highway East, Suite 300
Fairfield, CT 06825