Golf Course Superintendent

Hillcrest Golf Club, located atop the scenic Florida Mesa in beautiful Durango, Colorado, is seeking a collaborative, hands-on, and forward-thinking Golf Course Superintendent to lead all agronomic and grounds operations for our high-traffic, community-centric facility. As one of the region’s most active daily-fee golf courses, Hillcrest hosts more than 45,000 rounds annually, supports multi-purpose winter use, and features an extended tournament calendar including premier events such as the Navajo Trail Open and the Fort Lewis College Collegiate Tournament.

The Superintendent will be a key leader within Hillcrest’s management team, responsible not only for exceptional course conditioning, but also for team development, grounds improvements, irrigation strategy, safety compliance, technology adoption, and cross-departmental collaboration. The ideal candidate is a positive, humble, team-oriented professional who aligns with Hillcrest’s culture, vision, and mission.

This role is an excellent opportunity for a current Superintendent or a highly driven First Assistant who is ready to step into full leadership at a respected mountain-region facility.

• Maintain and elevate turf conditions across greens, tees, fairways, rough, practice areas, native zones, and landscaped grounds.
• Deliver tournament-caliber playing conditions for the Navajo Trail Open, the Fort Lewis College Collegiate Tournament, and Hillcrest’s extended event calendar.
• Lead development and implementation of agronomic programs including fertility, topdressing, aerification, moisture management, cultural practices, pest control, and turf recovery.
• Manage and ensure safe, compliant chemical and fertilizer applications with complete SDS documentation and proper storage.
• Oversee property-wide vegetation care including tree management, shrub maintenance, flower beds, landscaping aesthetics, and beautification projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve course playability, safety, and visual appeal, rather than simply maintaining existing standards.

• Operate, program, diagnose, and repair the Rain Bird irrigation system, satellites, and pump station.
• Implement efficient water-usage strategies aligned with Colorado regulations and environmental responsibilities.
• Maintain records of water use, pump performance, and seasonal irrigation adjustments.
• Support planning, evaluation, and future implementation of Hillcrest’s upcoming irrigation improvement project.
• Collaborate with the City of Durango and Fort Lewis College to ensure proper water allotments, usage compliance, and long-term resource stewardship.
• Train staff on proper irrigation repair, daily moisture checks, and system troubleshooting.

• Recruit, train, supervise, and mentor full-time and seasonal maintenance staff while fostering a supportive, positive, team-first culture.
• Lead by example through a hands-on, hardworking, ego-free leadership style consistent with Hillcrest’s values.
• Create structured training programs for mowing, equipment use, course setup, chemical applications, irrigation, safety, and winter operations.
• Conduct staff evaluations, maintain accountability systems, and promote staff retention and growth.
• Promote clear, respectful communication and strong collaboration with other departments.

• Develop and manage the annual operating budget, labor plan, and capital improvement strategy.
• Forecast equipment needs, justify capital expenditures, and manage procurement of supplies and materials.
• Oversee equipment fleet maintenance and coordinate with the Shop Manager to ensure reliability and longevity.
• Maintain accurate documentation including chemical logs, weather tracking, fertilizer programs, pesticide records, labor reports, and project files.
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations including pesticide laws, stormwater requirements, OSHA regulations, and environmental safety standards.

• Lead course improvement projects including…