Operating three golf courses is quite an undertaking but Andy Myers, PGA is up to the challenge.
Myers, with Phil Kless, PGA, are the founders of Kless Myers Golf Management. The company started out in 2013 by leasing Lyndon Golf Course. In addition to Lyndon, Kless Myers also own and operate Sunset Ridge Golf Club (acquired in 2018) and Owasco Country Club (2021).
For Myers, owning a golf course has been satisfying experience.
“Knowing that the work we put in and the stability we are creating is ours for as long as we want it to be is a great feeling,” the 53-year-old Myers said.
Myers, who resides in Onondaga Hill, got his start in the golf industry with a summer job at Turning Stone Resort Casino, working in the locker room at Atunyote.
Myers and Kless, who worked together at Turning Stone, decided to team up and form Myers Kless Golf Management. After their contract to manage the Monroe County Parks Golf Courses in Rochester ended in 2017, Myers said an opportunity presented itself to own a golf course and they jumped at the chance.
“Timing is everything in this business and as we were headed back to Lyndon for the 2018 season it turned out that Sunset Ridge was in foreclosure and going to auction,” Myers said. “We have explored ownership opportunities ever since.”
Here’s what Myers had to say about being a running and owning a golf course.
On the best part of about owning a golf course: “The freedom to make decisions, realizing the benefits of the smart ones and figuring out how to make any that might have been less effective work better.”
On the biggest challenges he faces: “Staffing in the food and beverage departments continues to be a challenging area.”
Most important thing you’ve learned since becoming an owner: “How valuable people are to the success of your operations. When we started out, I had no idea how many people we would be fortunate enough to work with in the future. They have all been crucial to our success. Certainly, the PGA professionals but even the bag staff kids, pro shop attendants and folks on the grounds crew and in the kitchen or snack bars. I think back to year one at Lyndon and we were scared to hire one high school kid to help with the grounds work for fear we might not be able to afford to pay him. To think we have had literally hundreds of people involved in such a short time is very humbling.”
Biggest misconception about his job: “That as golf professionals all we do is play golf. I certainly play more than my fair share, (which I almost put as the answer to what I enjoy most about owning courses!). The sheer diversity of the things we learned over the years to make good decisions is so far beyond what most people think of a club pro. The section has a banner that lists all of the “hats” we wear as PGA Professionals. It must be 6 feet long and I think another banner or two worth of items that could easily be added to it. That’s what makes being a PGA Professional so fun. Any given day can be challenging, frustrating, rewarding and successful all at the same time and no two days are the same.”