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.