101 | Pat Jones and Mike Rollins: Golf's Equipment Manager Crisis

From Leadership on the Links by Tyler Bloom

April 30, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 101

About this episode

This episode discusses the urgent equipment manager pipeline crisis in the golf industry with insights from industry experts.

BOOK A STRATEGY CALL In this episode of Leadership on the Links, we dig into one of the most urgent and overlooked workforce challenges in the golf industry, the equipment manager pipeline crisis. Tyler Bloom is joined by Pat Jones, veteran golf industry journalist and researcher, and Mike Rollins of SIP, for a revealing breakdown of their third employment trends study, this time focused entirely on golf course equipment managers. Together, they unpack data gathered from over 110 respondents to paint a clear picture of a role that is vital, evolving, and dangerously understaffed. From aging workforce demographics to the cultural dynamics that drive equipment managers out the door, this conversation challenges superintendents, directors of agronomy, and club leaders to take real action before the house truly is on fire. If you care about turf quality, equipment reliability, or what it takes to sustain the record-breaking growth golf is experiencing right now, this is a conversation you cannot afford to miss. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Nearly 80% of equipment managers describe themselves as lifers, but asterisks apply: poor culture and lack of advocacy from superintendents…

People in this episode

Host: Tyler Bloom

Guests: Pat Jones, Mike Rollins

Topics covered

equipment manager crisis
golf industry
workforce challenges
employment trends
turf quality
staffing issues

Keywords

equipment managers
golf course
workforce demographics
employment trends
staffing crisis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SIP