Director of Agronomy

Overview

Bloomfield Hills Country Club is seeking an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-thinking professional to serve as its next Director of Agronomy.

Bloomfield Hills Country Club is seeking an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-thinking professional to serve as its next Director of Agronomy.

Reporting directly to the General Manager, the Director of Agronomy will serve as a key member of the Club's Senior Leadership Team and will have responsibility and accountability for all golf course maintenance, agronomy, grounds, and related operations.

This is a unique opportunity to become the next steward of one of Michigan's most historically significant golf courses. The successful candidate will inherit an experienced team, a membership deeply invested in the golf course, and a Club committed to providing the resources necessary to protect and enhance one of its most important assets.

Bloomfield Hills Country Club was founded in 1909 with golf at the center of the Club experience from its early days.

In 1910, noted golf course architect Tom Bendelow was engaged to design and build Bloomfield's first course on the original 115-acre property. As the Club grew, its leadership envisioned a golf course of even greater distinction.

In 1913, renowned English architect Harry S. Colt visited Bloomfield Hills and was impressed by the property's rolling terrain. After the Club acquired additional acreage, Colt developed a new routing that was approved later that year. The new course opened for play in May 1915.

Over the decades, several notable architects, including Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones, and Arthur Hills, influenced portions of the golf course while Colt's fundamental routing was preserved.

In 2021, Bloomfield completed a significant restoration under the direction of acclaimed architect Mike DeVries, reconnecting the course with the strategic character and architectural principles of Colt's original design.

Today, Bloomfield's golf course reflects more than a century of architectural evolution, beginning with Tom Bendelow, defined by Harry Colt, and thoughtfully restored for future generations.

For the Club's next Director of Agronomy, that history represents both an exceptional opportunity and an important responsibility.

The Director of Agronomy will lead all aspects of golf course maintenance and agronomic operations, including turfgrass management, daily course presentation, irrigation and water management, equipment, staffing, budgeting, capital planning, and long-range agronomic planning.

The Director will be responsible for the hiring, training, development, management, and evaluation of all golf course personnel, subject to the managerial oversight of the General Manager.

The position requires close collaboration with the General Manager, Head Golf Professional, Senior Leadership Team, Green's Committee, and Golf Committees.

The successful candidate will continually evaluate existing programs, identify opportunities for improvement, establish clear priorities, and lead the department with professionalism, consistency, accountability, and attention to detail.

The Director of Agronomy is expected to be a visible and engaged leader throughout the Club and to develop strong relationships with employees, members, Club leadership, and industry peers.

• Significant progressive experience in golf course maintenance and agronomic leadership at a highly regarded private club or comparable golf facility.
• A demonstrated ability to consistently provide exceptional playing conditions and course presentation.
• Outstanding agronomic knowledge, including turfgrass management, fertility, plant health, pest management, cultural practices, irrigation, drainage, and moisture management.
• Demonstrated leadership ability with a commitment to recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining a high-performing team.
• Excellent communication, organizational, financial, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience developing and managing annual operating budgets and contributing to long-range capital and infrastructure planning.
• Strong attention to detail and pride in daily course presentation.
• The ability to communicate effectively with Club leadership, committees, members, employees, vendors, consultants, and industry partners.
• A commitment to environmental stewardship, workplace safety, continuing education, and industry best practices.
• A Michigan pesticide applicator license, or the ability to obtain one.
• A degree or certificate in turfgrass management, agronomy, or a related field is preferred.
• Membership in the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and appropriate state and regional associations is preferred. GCSAA certification is desirable but not required.

Previous experience as a Director of Agronomy, Golf Course Superintendent, or Golf Course Manager at a highly regarded operation is preferred. Bloomfield Hills Country Club will also…