Celebrating Our People

Billy Casper Golf is a special company, the leader in the golf course management field. It is a privately-owned company, primarily owned by the Hill and Morris families – and they are outstanding, upstanding people.

I was fortunate last week to attend the company’s annual meeting, which was really celebrations of their 30^th anniversary and also very much a celebration of their people. 

While I say that Billy Casper Golf is family owned, the people of the company – all of them, are family. Yes, from the superintendents, grounds keeping crew, club house managers, food and beverage people, outside service people, golf professionals, regional managers and others in the field to the accounting, IT, human resource, marketing and other professionals in their Reston, VA support office, they all themselves consider as family. It is special.

What a privilege for me to be at the celebration, to see the pride they all have in their team, i.e., their company, and their genuine fondness and respect for one another.

Alex Elmore, the president, repeatedly refers to them as “the greatest team in golf”, and he means it. He could not be more sincere about it.

I was struck throughout the celebration by the many expressions of appreciation for the people of Billy Casper Golf, their dedication, teamwork, hard work and achievements. 

I was especially moved by Peter Hill, the co-founder and Chairman’s, presentation of the Chairman’s Award to the outstanding team member of the several thousand people who are Billy Casper Golf. 

Peter first recognized the prior winners, and then he described the following qualities of the person to whom he would present this year’s award:

• Reliable – will handle any assignment or project and we can count on it being done well, will not drop the ball

• Can multi-task masterfully

• Supportive of and a champion for everyone within the company

• Speaks directly and with clarity, is not hesitant to speak up and address difficult issues

• Always available and accessible, ready to help

Then Peter announced that this year’s Chairman’s award winner is Sandra Colareta, a Vice President, an attorney handling the enormous number of contracts regarding the golf course management agreements, many of whom are municipalities, the many vendors, and other contracts and all of the risk management, including the safety programs, around the country. Oh, and any other assignment that needs to get done well and on a timely basis.

As soon as Sandra’s name was announced, everyone in the jam-packed ball room leaped to their feet, cheered, gave fist pumps, and there were a whole lot of joyful tears. Everyone recognized how deserved this recognition was for Sandra, as her role is not one of glory, rather she is behind the scenes helping the company operate efficiently, as she has been for years.

I also sensed everyone was pleased that the award winner is a woman. There are more men than women in the company, which is true throughout the golf industry, as is the case in so many industries, sports and otherwise.

There are many other qualities that make for an outstanding team member and contributor, and I know Sandra and she embodies those as well, and I definitely appreciated Peter Hill’s specifically recognizing her reliability, her consistent ability to get things done well, her dedication to everyone within the company, her responsiveness and always being ready to help, and that she speaks up with clarity and tells it like it is. 

What is truly special about Billy Casper Golf is their genuine interest in their people and helping them learn, grow and succeed, to be successful. More than any company I know, the company makes online learning, mentoring, supportive leadership on the regional level, 360 leadership assessments and coaching available.  What makes Billy Casper Golf truly special is their genuine interest in their team members and helping their development and their success….and their well-being. 

Billy Casper Golf, the greatest team in golf, succeeds because happy people do better work!