SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – When the weather gets cold in the Northeast, people’s daily lives and their businesses get turned upside down. Take Drumlins Country Club, for example, where the primary source of income is golf.
When the snow starts to fall, how do employees of a course keep a full-time job and a steady pay?
Former pro shop employee Nate Cunningham explained the difficulties of the job.
“Working with the other employees where that is their full-time job, they kind of get pushed into other departments. A lot of [employees] had to go work inside within the restaurant, which is not necessarily the field of their expertise,” said Cunningham. “Also, it’s kind of hard because they’re then stepping on the people that work full time in the restaurant.”
After the course’s close for the winter months, club members and visitors tend to forget there are other amenities the club has to offer. If visitors aren’t making their way to the club regularly, in turn, less employees would be needed.
“Yeah, it’s difficult,” said Cunningham. “For the people that are just there for the golf, it’s not advantageous at all. We have an incredible facility here. We overlook some of the greatest parts of the Adirondacks.”
Although it’s difficult for country clubs and its employees to stay busy when the golf course is closed, expect a boom in the golf industry when all the Syracuse locals come to play next summer.
“When the weather gets cold in the Northeast, people’s daily lives and their businesses get turned upside down. Take Drumlins Country Club, for example, where the primary source of income is golf. But when the snow starts to fall, how do employees of the course keep a full time job and a steady pay.
Working with the other employees where that is their full time job, they kind of get pushed into other departments. So a lot of them had to go work inside within the the restaurant, which is not necessarily the field of their expertise. Also kind of hard because they’re then stepping on the people that work full time in the restaurant.
Nate Cunningham, a pro shop employee, described the impact the weather makes for he and his coworkers, but says come wintertime, the Drumlins members forget there was a whole country club to use off the golf course as well.
Yeah, it’s difficult. For the people that are just there for the golf, it’s not advantageous at all. We have an incredible facility here. We overlook some of the greatest parts of the Adirondacks. So having your wedding here in December or January or February, it still is a good view. I think we are able to promote that and I think that that’s still something that people can use.
Although it’s difficult for country clubs and their employees to stay busy when the golf course is closed, expect a boom in the golf industry when all the Syracuse locals come to play next summer. Adam Avin, NCC News.”
