When Lauren Cuccia, Assistant General Manager at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., began working at the private club while in college, she never expected the job to become a full-time career. 
With a background in public health, Cuccia initially saw the club’s offer of a full-time management position as a way to pay for graduate school. But she quickly fell in love with the club environment and chose to stay.
“Although I do not have a traditional hospitality background, I developed my hospitality leadership skills through hands-on experience across club operations,” says Cuccia. “That perspective has helped me approach talent development and management training in a unique way.”
This played a part in her starting Hudson National Golf Club’s Intern and Manager in Training Program this past season.
But her own path into the industry was not the only factor behind the program’s creation.
“The program was developed to address two strategic objectives: creating a pipeline of future club leaders while strengthening our management team during the busiest parts of the season,” she says. “We wanted to provide aspiring hospitality professionals with meaningful leadership experience while ensuring Hudson National continues to build a strong, well-trained talent pool.”
A Flexible path to management
Cuccia says the program is built to be flexible. It can either act as an internship or be a manager-in-training program.
She currently has two recent graduates who are training for their first management roles, and one hospitality student who is utilizing the program as an internship experience.
Because this is the program’s first year, it is structured as a season-long experience, allowing Cuccia to test the format before creating a more formal syllabus next year.
“Participants complete our standard onboarding process, spend time learning alongside department leaders, and then progress into individualized development plans with clearly defined leadership and operational goals,” she says.
These goals can be doing a solo opening shift, managing the staff, doing a solo closing shift, or running an event solo.
Cuccia gives participants opportunities to take the reins on smaller projects so they can gain early leadership experience. She has also incorporated visits to other clubs through her industry connections.
“We most recently went to Westchester Country Club and got a front of house operations, back of house operations and overall club management,” she says.
Participants also rotate through departments, spending time with the housekeeping staff, agronomy team, golf operation, General Manager, Director of Membership and Chief Business Officer.
The internship runs through the end of summer, while the two manager-in-training participants will remain in the program through Thanksgiving.
The program is paid, allowing all three participants to earn compensation while working at the club and gaining management training.
“We intentionally position participants as junior managers,” she says.
Cuccia says because her management team now has more help, they are able to focus on higher level things that they weren’t able to beforehand.
“The program has effectively doubled the leadership resources available to our operation during peak season, allowing our management team to spend more time focused on strategic initiatives and member experience,” says Cuccia.
Hiring for potential
Cuccia held interviews for the program in December and January.
When hiring, Cuccia considered candidates’ previous experience but placed greater emphasis on their potential.
“I prioritize character and potential over experience,” she says. “Candidates who are hardworking, respectful, accountable, and eager to learn often have the strongest long-term leadership potential.”
One of the program’s biggest draws is the potential for a full-time management position at Hudson National Golf Club after completion, if an opening is available.
“If opportunities are not immediately available at Hudson National, we actively support participants in finding positions through our professional network across the club industry,” she says.
Looking toward year two
Because the program is in its first year, Cuccia says its biggest challenge is creating a formal structure and syllabus.
“As we prepare for year two, the focus is on formalizing the curriculum, defining developmental milestones, and creating a structured rotation schedule that provides participants with meaningful exposure to every area of club operations,” she says.
Next year, she hopes to have the verified internship program go through the steps to get that accomplishment through CMAA so the program hours can count for their credits.
Club-wide vision
While Cuccia oversees the day-to-day execution of the program, she notes that the initiative reflects a larger commitment by Hudson National’s leadership team to developing future club professionals.
“Our General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, Derek Buckley, has been a strong advocate for creating career pathways within the club industry,” she says. “Together, we wanted to build a program that extends beyond food and beverage and gives participants exposure to every aspect of club management, from agronomy and golf operations to finance, membership, and executive leadership.”
