Peninsula (Wash.) Daily News columnist Michael Carman investigated the hiring process for top-level positions at golf clubs after three area courses brought new head pros on-board since July. The PGA Employment Center proved to be a useful service for Peninsula Golf Club, which formed a five-person committee to headhunt for the position.

Following the hiring of three head pros at golf clubs in North Olympic Peninsula, Wash., Peninsula (Wash.) Daily News columnist Michael Carman explored the hiring process clubs use when looking to fill top-level management positions.

When December rolls around, three new head pros will have taken over since July: Two were promoted and one, Peninsula Golf Club’s Jacob Lippold, is a brand-new hire, the News reported.

The Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim, Wash., promoted Garrett Smithson to head pro last July, and the transfer of the Port Townsend (Wash.) Golf Club lease with the city of Port Townsend was granted last week to long-standing assistant pro Gabriel Tonan, the News reported.

The Port Townsend City Council unanimously approved (6-0) the lease transfer from outgoing pro Mike Early to Tonan, with two years remaining on the lease with an option for a five-year renewal. Tonan has worked at the club in various capacities since the early 1990s, and there is nobody better suited to take the lead than him, the News reported.

For Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles, Wash., there was no “pro-in-waiting.” As it turns out, there is a well-established process for courses looking to fill these positions and for pros looking for new career opportunities, called the PGA Employment Center. Peninsula board members used the service to get in touch with PGA Employment Services Western Director Jeff Beaudry, the News reported.

“He flew out a couple of months ago from Salt Lake City and gave a presentation to the Board on what to post on the PGA website,” Peninsula Board President Todd Negus said.

After posting the listing, Peninsula received inquiries from 10 people interested in the position. The club had created a five-person committee to headhunt for the position and present that information to the Board for approval, the News reported.

Four of the applicants were selected for separate interviews and brought in all on the same day, an 11-hour session for the search committee. Interviews ran from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day, and the process was so focused that they didn’t head out to play golf with any of the potential pros, the News reported.

After the interviews, search committee members hashed out the selection and sent along their recommendations to the board for approval. In the end, Lippold wowed them, the News reported.