Motivating Golf Employees in Southwest Florida

Golf course communities are established to serve the needs of their members. However, the number of golfers in the United States has decreased from 30.6 million in 2005 to 25.7 million in 2011. This poses a real threat to the golf industry. Since employees deliver this service to members, human resource management and employee job satisfaction and motivation becomes paramount. The purpose of this study was to ascertain job satisfaction at golf facilities in Southwest Florida and to determine possible areas for improving job satisfaction in order to enhance organizational outcomes and golfer retention. While the research demonstrated overall job satisfaction was high, job interest among the lower skilled employees was low. A series of job enrichment strategies were recommended to improve job satisfaction among lower skilled employees.