Golf Course Superintendent

Troon; Novato (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Marin Country Club, part of Troon, in Novato, CA, seeks a Director of Agronomy to ensure optimal golf course conditions and lead a dedicated maintenance team. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of agronomic leadership experience and will be responsible for managing the agronomy program, team culture, and communication with club leadership.

The role emphasizes high-quality playing conditions and fostering team growth within the context of a luxurious and member-focused environment. Interested applicants should contact Brian Hampson at [e-mail].

Qualifications

• Minimum of five to 10 years of progressive agronomic leadership experience.
• Experience managing a full maintenance team and an agronomic budget.
• California Qualified Applicator License or ability to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Own the agronomic program, delivering consistent, high-quality playing conditions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a full maintenance team.
• Serve as the primary agronomic voice to club leadership.

Skills

Agronomic leadership

Turf management

Communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Turf Management, Horticulture, or related field

Tools

Pesticide applicator compliance

Budget management

Job description

Overview

Marin Country Club, located in Novato, CA, is pleased to announce an excellent career opportunity for a Golf Course Superintendent. We are seeking a driven individual who is eager to learn, contribute, and grow within a fast‑paced hospitality‑focused property organization. As part of Troon, you’ll contribute to a global leader in golf and community management.

Salary Range: $185,000 to $225,000

The Opportunity

Marin Country Club is seeking a Director of Agronomy who takes personal ownership of the daily condition, presentation, and playability of the golf course — a leader for whom firm, healthy playing surfaces, true and consistent greens, and a course that presents beautifully day after day are not aspirational benchmarks, but personal standards.

This is not an entry-level stewardship role. It is an invitation to be the agronomic voice of one of Marin County\'s established private club properties — to own the condition of a course that is central to the member experience, and to build and lead the team that makes that standard possible every day.

The agronomic footprint here is genuinely complex. Cool-season and transition-zone turf management, water stewardship, drainage, tree and shade influence, seasonal weather patterns, labor planning, and the operational realities of a high-use private club course are not ordinary challenges. They demand a practitioner who reads a course the way a physician reads a patient: with expertise, attentiveness, and the instinct to act before a problem announces itself.

Marin Country Club\'s membership brings a discerning eye and high expectations. They may not always articulate what they notice, but they will always notice. The Director of Agronomy is the person who ensures what they notice is care, consistency, and excellence.

Beyond the course itself, this leader will serve as the primary agronomic voice to club leadership and member committees — helping translate agronomic strategy, capital needs, seasonal realities, and course standards into clear, confident dialogue. It is a seat at the table that demands both technical command and the ability to communicate with clarity, credibility, and calm.

The Director of Agronomy reports directly to the General Manager and is a full member of the club\'s senior management team — contributing not only a healthy golf course, but a healthy organizational culture. Troon Privé\'s agronomy infrastructure, including the expertise of Brian Hampson the Senior VP of Agronomy and Dan Catterson Regional Director of Agronomy, are available as a consultative resource that strengthens independent decision‑making rather than constraining it.

The candidate who thrives here will be energized by a culture of training, driven by pride in their craft, and fulfilled by developing a team that grows agronomically, professionally, and personally under their leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Course Conditions & Agronomic Excellence — Own the agronomic program from soil to surface, developing and executing sound practices that deliver consistent, high‑quality playing conditions year‑round
• Stay current on agronomic research, emerging turf technologies, and Northern California‑specific disease, pest, water, and soil management practices
• Ensure proper calibration, mixing, storage, documentation, and application of all chemical and fertilizer inputs in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
• Maintain California pesticide applicator compliance and applicable golf course BMP standards across the team
• Proactively address environmental concerns — including water use, drainage, runoff, tree impact, and chemical containment — as a steward of the property and surrounding community

• Team Leadership & Culture — Lead, mentor, and develop a full maintenance team including Assistant Superintendent, Equipment Manager, Irrigation Technician, Foreman, and Greenskeeping staff
• Embrace and foster a department culture built on accountability, hospitality, safety, and craft — where team members grow into the next generation of agronomic leaders
• Conduct effective onboarding and ongoing training programs; manage performance with directness and fairness
• Foster communication that flows freely up, down, and across departments — particularly with Golf Operations, Club Management, and member‑facing teams

• Governance & Strategic Leadership — Serve as the primary agronomic voice to club leadership and member committees — translating agronomic strategy into clear, confident dialogue
• Contribute to long‑term capital planning, major renovation scoping, irrigation planning, equipment replacement, and environmental stewardship programs
• Provide timely agronomic reporting to the General Manager and, where applicable, to Troon Privé\'s agronomy team
• Participate as a full member of the senior management team, contributing to club culture and organizational health beyond the turf

• Financial Oversight — Develop and manage the agronomy department budget, capital expenditure plans, labor planning, and expense controls
• Make fiscally disciplined decisions that reflect both the property\'s standards and its long‑term financial health

Qualifications & Credentials

Education & Experience

• Bachelor\'s degree in Agronomy, Turf Management, Horticulture, Plant Science, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and demonstrated experience considered
• Minimum of five to 10 years of progressive agronomic leadership experience, ideally at a high‑caliber private club or resort property
• Proven track record of delivering and sustaining high‑quality playing conditions at a discerning membership club
• Experience managing a full maintenance team, complex operating practices, and a meaningful agronomic budget

• California Qualified Applicator License or ability to obtain within an agreed‑upon timeframe
• Applicable Golf Course BMP, safety, and environmental stewardship training preferred
• Valid Driver\'s License

The Ideal Candidate

• Reads a course with the instinct of a seasoned agronomist who anticipates issues early, acts with discipline, and builds systems that sustain consistent playing conditions.
• Leads from the front: present on the course, respected for teaching as much as directing
• Communicates with equal fluency to a committee chair, a General Manager, a member, and an assistant superintendent
• Finds the hospitality dimension of the role — member interaction, course presentation, and daily pride of product — as energizing as the agronomic one
• Thrives in a Northern California private club environment and approaches its challenges as a competitive advantage, not a complication

How To Apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a letter of interest and current résumé in confidence to:

Brian Hampson
Senior Vice President, Science and Agronomy
[e-mail]

All inquiries will be held in strict confidence. Marin Country Club is an equal opportunity employer.

About Troon

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, Troon is the world’s largest professional club management company, that specializes in services in golf, hospitality, and residential communities. With more than 900 locations in 45+ states and 27+ countries, Troon is a leading employer in hospitality. Guided by values that emphasize being infectiously energetic, consciously kind, and humbly prosperous, Troon offers professionals the opportunity to grow and succeed within a globally respected organization. Learn more at www.troon.com.