Description

Overview

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY              

The Head Golf Professional at Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club will lead the golf program at the premier club in the Northern Neck of Virginia.  If you possess superior member relationship skills, have proven staff mentorship culture, are a charismatic leader and embrace rich traditions and values, this could be your career opportunity!

Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club is seeking to hire a highly capable professional with strong leadership experience as the Head Professional.  A positive, innovative, and energetic approach to programming and duties is essential.  In addition to the future Head Golf Professional's leadership and teambuilding skills, a focus on social golf activities for all levels and ages of players is paramount.  The candidate must be able to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Visibility, member engagement, and authentic enjoyment of building member relationships are critical.  The successful candidate must also have the ability to relate to management and other departments in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner.

ABOUT INDIAN CREEK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB
Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club is a private, member-owned country club situated on Indian Creek just southeast of downtown Kilmarnock in the Northern Neck of Virginia.  The Club strives to be the premier private club in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, where lifelong friendships are created and provide its members with exceptional experiences with an emphasis on the following values:

• Community
• Integrity
• Stewardship
• Quality
• Diversity
• Culture

 

A Brief History

On June 11, 1955, Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club ("ICYCC") was chartered and golf became very popular with the Membership, which required the Club to hire a golf professional, and a manager was hired to oversee the kitchen and the Club's expanding social activities.  In the 1970's, outdoor racquet courts were built, the golf course was expanded from 9 to 18 holes, the Club acquired dockside facilities and renovations were made to the swimming pool. In addition, rooms were added to the Clubhouse to accommodate the growing membership. The 1990's brought a complete renovation to the Clubhouse, including an addition to the kitchen.

In 2001, a two-court indoor racquet facility was completed. 2005 was also a big year for ICYCC. The Club celebrated its 50th anniversary and began its first major renovation of the golf course, which was completed in May 2007. Other enhancements that year included new outdoor racquet courts and 13 boat slips at the dock. In 2020, the indoor racquet facility received new lighting and a new floor, additional boat slips were added to the marina and the entire marina electrical system was upgraded. In 2021, the Club foyer, the three main dining rooms and the indoor veranda were completely redesigned, redecorated, and refurnished.

Perhaps most importantly, the congenial and welcoming nature of the Club is still apparent, and Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club is still the best place in the Northern Neck to form lasting friendships.

There are 18 holes of outstanding Tom Clark (Ault, Clark & Associates, LTD) designed golf on what was once farmland.  Nine tee combinations on this easily walkable course offer yardage alternatives ranging from 4,741 to 6,630 yards on an approachable yet challenging course that offers immaculate greens and fairway surfaces, beautiful natural scenery along the creek, penalty areas on 17 of the 18 holes and a layout that appeals to both the low and high handicap golfer. 

The club boasts a vibrant racquet program with 4 outdoor Har-Tru tennis courts, 2 indoor Pro Bounce tennis courts, a golf pro shop adjacent to the clubhouse, locker rooms, a driving range, practice putting green and a short game practice area.  Additionally, there is a 39-slip marina plus a swimming pool to round out the club facilities

INDIAN CREEK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS:

• $4.1M Gross volume
• $2.0M Annual Dues Volume
• Initiation fee $20,000 stockholding membership
• $950,000 Golf operations budget
• Club employees: 80 in season; 50 off season
• POS System & Website through ClubEssentials
• The department is comprised of 12 employees including cart barn
• 18 holes of golf, supporting over 14,000 rounds of golf annually.
• The Pro Shop is Club owned
• Average age: 62
• 300 stockholding memberships and 200 non-resident memberships

INDIAN CREEK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB'S WEBSITE:  www.icycc.com

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
 
Your letter should be addressed to Mr. Brian Darlak, CCM, General Manager, and clearly articulate your alignment with this role and why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career.  In addition, why Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club and the Northern Neck area will likely be a "fit" for you and your family if selected.  Additional information may be required from candidates to further assist in the evaluation of alignment and validation of competency for the role.

Expressions of interest in this manner should be conveyed as soon as possible.  Application deadline is April 26th, 2026.  We anticipate first round phone interviews will take place the week following the submission deadline for successful candidates.  Video 2 nd round interviews will occur during the next week and live interviews in last week of May.  The new Head Golf Pro will begin as soon as possible following offer and acceptance.  

Please save your resume and letter in the following manner:
Last Name, First Name - Resume
Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter
(These documents should be in PDF format)

Experience Required

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
Successful candidates for this role must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a current Head Golf Professional or an accomplished Assistant Professional with a minimum of five (5) years of experience at an established, successful golf operation.
• Clearly and verifiably able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously; highly organized and able to instill standards and organization in all aspects of the operation he/she oversees.
• Clearly developed communication skills, including verifiable strengths in responsiveness, diplomacy, always-respectful delivery, and strong personal presence.  Someone who is known for being accountable, taking ownership and having a high-level ability to effectively interact and communicate, both in writing and in-person in a highly professional and appropriate manner. 
• Be referenced as leading by example in all that he or she does in his/her golf operation; essentially someone who recognizes that the golf culture starts with the appropriate and necessary tone at the top of the organizational chart. 
• Having verifiable strengths and a history of attracting and building high performance operational teams.  Being highly visible and interactive with members and guests and being a strong supporter of fellow senior staff. 
• A strong, energetic, and passionate leader with a proven track record of building or growing the program at his or her current club. 

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate should have earned a college degree or highly regarded PGM program.  Class "A" status and membership in the PGA of America. 

Essential Responsibilities

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL POSITION OVERVIEW                                                                 
Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club is looking for a Head Golf Pro who will replace a long-tenured staff member who is moving to a new facility to be closer to family with the birth of their new child.  The Head Golf Professional is the leader of the golf operations at Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club.  He or she is expected to provide day-to-day operation guidance to the department utilizing training and implementing standards.  In addition, working with the General Manager and other key department heads including the Golf Course Superintendent, as it relates to planning, scheduling, special events, and implementation of Club functions.  Also, the Head Golf Professional works closely with the Golf Committee and various organized club golf groups.

The Head Golf Pro position is comprehensive and must ensure successful achievement of the Club's mission.  The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall operation of the Golf Program, including pro shop, programming, merchandise program, cart barn, and staff.  The Head Golf Pro is a highly visible position requiring strong presence, leadership and communication skills with members, guests and staff.  The Head Golf Pro is expected to be the leader of the Golf program by passionately promoting the game.  These traits must resonate through all staff members.  

The Club employs an assistant professional, a teaching professional and accomplished staff and wishes to continue this tradition.  The working environment at Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club is one of professionalism and respect, and the club prides itself on the relationships it maintains with its staff.

The Club's Head Golf Pro is expected to be the consummate professional, never losing sight of the primary objective of providing an exceptional golf experience for all the Club's members and guests, while at the same time growing the game and its enjoyment.  Amongst many key competencies, a successful candidate needs to demonstrate the following:

• A golf professional who understands what a first-class member and guest golf experience means, and can continually evaluate, enhance, and direct others to achieve that vision in a positive, energized, and intuitive manner. 
• A members-first service minded leader who is naturally focused on the details, as well as a continuous evolution to enhance and personalize service delivery to members and their guests, and who can instill those same virtues in his/her team.
• Proven follow-through skills and a history of responsiveness and proactive leadership, as well as an intuitive style of 'continuous evolution to excellence' in all that he/she does, plus the ability to instill that style in the team.
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative manner with the General Manager, Golf Committee and other Department Heads and providing thoughtful input and leadership to all these entities.
• A creative programmer of innovative events and activities, who is further able to convey those ideas to others for support and buy in.
• Someone who is a hardworking, leads by example and is a very hands-on professional who sets clear accountabilities, provides thoughtful and regular feedback to staff members, recognizes the responsibility he or she must develop and mentor those who support him/her, and creates and leads a culture around golf operations.
• Someone who has significant experience and competencies in organizing and managing golf events and outings, as well as leading significant budget development and oversight. 
• An excellent merchandiser who understands the personalization of services in the shop.
• Someone who works closely with the Superintendent in coordinating course setup for events and scheduled maintenance, advocating for their needs and success.  Additionally, is proactive and leads a strong and supportive communications process about conditions, course plans, etc., with the membership.
• A proven leader with skills necessary for success, including but not limited to management and coaching, staff development, merchandising, communication skills, interpersonal skills, drive, integrity and diplomacy.
• Humility coupled with dynamic professionalism; ideally, someone who can deliver both positive and negative feedback in a respectful, well-reasoned manner.
• Capable and comfortable with technology and incorporates its use as appropriate in his/her everyday role, while never losing sight of the need for high touch relationships with members and guests.
• Possessive of strong organizational skills and an obsession with 'all things golf,' covering the details necessary to consistently achieve high levels of quality, member, guest and staff satisfaction and outstanding member experiences.

Proposed Aspirational Projects
Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club Board of Directors has adopted a Facilities Master Plan to make improvements to the outdoor tennis courts, swimming pool complex, golf short game practice area, driving range and adding a fitness facility.  The plan is to renovation and/or construct these projects over the next ten years. 

KEY PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONING
The new Head Golf Pro will need to focus on and recognize the following expectations:

• Develop an understanding of Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club's culture; and what needs to be accomplished to enhance or develop areas to support the first-class club experience.
• Ensure that there are adequate events for all members and guests.  These events will be well planned, properly, and effectively communicated and coordinated with all necessary constituencies.
• Create and perpetuate a high level of staff morale and engagement through a strong mentor program to help develop the skills and capabilities of the staff. 
• Conduct a thorough review of the organizational chart for golf operations with recommendations for structural changes thoughtfully presented to the General Manager.
• Develop strong recruiting and staffing system. 
• Be exceptionally 'front facing' and quickly get to know all the groups and key contributors to Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club's overall success and experience culture.
• Review and understand the full scope of merchandising and its opportunities in both hard and soft goods areas to meet member expectations.
• Build a strong teaching program, using the latest technologies for all levels and ages of golfer.

Benefits

Benefits

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club offers a generous compensation package including salary and a benefits package including PGA membership.