We all know how important it is to have a good working relationship with your head golf professional. Sometimes, it is just enough to keep things running smooth, and with others, it can become a truly lasting friendship. At The Valley Club in Hailey, Idaho, Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, and Jamie Sharp, PGA, have taken their relationship to the next level. They have become business partners in a small venture that is called Advanced Scoreboards, LLC. They have combined their talents to produce a product that is called TaskTracker. With Gerald’s ideas and firsthand knowledge of the golf maintenance industry and Jamie’s background in internet technologies, the two of them put together a labor tracking product that is internet-based and works on multiple platforms.
By now, you have probably already heard of TaskTracker or even walked by the both at GIS 2015 and GIS 2016. Chances are you would have had to wait in line to get the scoop on the product. Aside from the fact that Gerald and Jamie won the 2015 Innovation award, sponsored by Jacobsen, and their product is winning the favor of many superintendents, the most important factor is the friendship that the two have forged throughout their time at The Valley Club.
Last October, I was taken by their presentation that they gave to the Idaho GCSA at their annual fall meeting. The two of them stood up there and gave, what I would consider, the best presentation that I have heard on the pro/superintendent relationship. They both brought up the obvious elephants in the room but instead of Gerald saying Jaimie was the best sweater folder he had ever seen, Jamie actually shouted his own accolades. Gerald even admitted that he had fudged on a few frost delays or so in the past, as well. In the early years, the pro shop/maintenance shop relation was rather contentious. Gerald quickly realized that much of the issue was in his own house. His assistants had grown to expect an adversarial relationship so that’s just how things were expected to be.
Gerald knew that things had to change so he began what he called, building social capital. In other words, getting to know one and other outside of the boundaries of the everyday work place. Or you could say building social relations that have productive benefits. Gerald and Jamie both began to spend more time in each other’s area, getting to know their respective staff members. Then they began to ask their assistants to do the same thing. They were building social capital in one and another and pretty soon the channels of communication had opened up completely and the overall workplace was more productive. This has been so successful that the general manager has seen the benefits and now wants the F&B manager to spend a week working on Gerald’s crew.
On the few occasions that I have visited The Valley Club, I can certainly say that the atmosphere is a very positive one. Gerald and Jamie have created a teamwork atmosphere that has transcended throughout both of their professional and personal lives.
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| Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, and Jamie Sharp, PGA |
Last October, I was taken by their presentation that they gave to the Idaho GCSA at their annual fall meeting. The two of them stood up there and gave, what I would consider, the best presentation that I have heard on the pro/superintendent relationship. They both brought up the obvious elephants in the room but instead of Gerald saying Jaimie was the best sweater folder he had ever seen, Jamie actually shouted his own accolades. Gerald even admitted that he had fudged on a few frost delays or so in the past, as well. In the early years, the pro shop/maintenance shop relation was rather contentious. Gerald quickly realized that much of the issue was in his own house. His assistants had grown to expect an adversarial relationship so that’s just how things were expected to be.
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| Second from the left, Jamie Sharp, PGA, building social capital |
On the few occasions that I have visited The Valley Club, I can certainly say that the atmosphere is a very positive one. Gerald and Jamie have created a teamwork atmosphere that has transcended throughout both of their professional and personal lives.
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