Essex County Club

ABOUT ESSEX COUNTY CLUB

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA | Located in a seaside community on Boston’s North Shore, Essex County Club was founded in 1893 and is one of the oldest private clubs in the United States. With approximately 550 members, the club offers a wide range of amenities. In addition to its renowned Donald Ross golf course, Essex features a highly active year-round racquets program, a swimming pool with a snack bar, formal and casual dining, and eight overnight sleeping rooms. The club boasts 11 grass tennis courts, 10 Har-Tru courts, three paddle courts, and three pickleball courts. The course is typically open from mid-April to late November, with approximately 20,000 rounds played annually. Essex is a family-oriented club with an active golf membership that caters to players of all skill levels.

The original 9-hole course opened in 1893, and it was expanded to 18 holes in 1900. In 1909, Donald Ross became the club’s golf professional and oversaw a complete redesign and rebuild of the course. During this time, he lived in a small house adjacent to what is now the 15th tee. The course today remains largely as Ross left it in 1917. The par 70 layout stretches nearly 6,500 yards from the back tees, while the women’s layout offers an equally challenging par 73, measuring 5,500 yards. Essex is a walking course, with an active caddie program in place.

Essex is consistently ranked among the top five courses in Massachusetts and was recently ranked #65 in Golf Magazine’s 24 list of America's Top 100 Courses. Over the years, the club has built a rich history of hosting regional and national tournaments. Most notably, Essex hosted the 2010 Curtis Cup, the biennial women’s amateur competition between the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. The club also hosted the 2023 Massachusetts State Amateur Championship and the 2020 Women’s Amateur Championship. Essex maintains a full calendar of events each season, including men’s, women’s, mixed, and junior tournaments, as well as various social events and large outings. The club’s annual Men’s Invitational Four-Ball Tournament, which celebrated its centennial in 2015, is considered one of the preeminent tournaments of its kind.

Looking ahead, Essex is preparing a master plan that includes significant renovations to the golf shop, bag storage, and the golf staff offices, along with campus-wide upgrades to further enhance the club's facilities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Specific responsibilities include:  

• Lead the golf department in an engaging, highly visible, and approachable way that creates a warm, positive, and welcoming environment for members and guests of all ages and golf abilities.

• Recruit, mentor, and support a strong staff of Assistant Golf Professionals. Encourage the staff to play with members informally, and also to compete in local/national tournaments. Ideally, Assistant Professionals will be career-driven individuals, focused on advancing to their own Head Professional role.

• Manage a full calendar of tournaments, social golf events, and outings. The schedule typically ramps up in mid-May and runs through mid-late October. The fall season in particular is quite busy, providing a challenging 2-3 months when many of the staff have departed for the season.  

• Maintain a top-quality inventory of Golf Shop merchandise and equipment. Stay current with major industry trends.

• Build a strong instruction program for players of all abilities. Incorporate technology as appropriate as well as off-season opportunities.  

• Support and develop a strong junior program.

• Manage and oversee the caddie program.  

• Collaborate with the Superintendent to manage the driving range – this is a particular challenge at Essex, given the limited space and proximity to the Club’s tennis courts, and neighboring houses.  

• Stay current with USGA rules and officiate at various tournaments/matches.

• Attend weekly department head meetings and work collaboratively with the General Manager, Director of Racquets, Director of Grounds, and Controller.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, AND QUALIFICATIONS

Including, but not limited to, the following:

• Active Class A member of the PGA of America or LPGA with enhanced certifications (Specialized, Certified, Master Professional Preferred).

• A strong leader with excellent interpersonal skills capable of recruiting a service-driven, career-focused team.

• Positive and energetic professional with experience at similar family-oriented, private clubs.

• Head Golf Professional experience is preferred but not required. Knowledge of the New England region is a plus.

• Operational excellence with strong tournament management and retail operations background.

• Proficient in computers and technology with an eye toward innovative efficiencies while maintaining history and traditions.

• Has a deep appreciation for golf course architecture, with a focus on Donald Ross's designs.