What does a golf manager earn in Germany?

Golf manager salary in Germany, net or gross?

Hi fellow golfers,

today we look at one of the most common questions we get from people outside the industry at job fairs. Because for all the passion involved, we still need to eat and drink and that costs money.

On top of that, most of us have a certain standard of living in mind. And that leads to the question of all questions: what actually lands in your bank account, and what does a golf manager in Germany earn?

Besides the golf manager, there are many other people working at a golf facility. The headcount varies with the size of the facility and the range of services on offer; a golf facility can employ up to 100 people or even more. The number rises further once a large hotel operation is part of the picture.

Our colleagues work as caddie master, at the golf reception, in greenkeeping, as rangers, in management, in administration, as cleaning staff, in service and in the kitchen. And those are just some of the countless tasks that have to be covered at a golf facility.

By the way, do you know how many greenkeepers maintain an 18-hole golf course in Germany on average? Usually it is 6 to 9 greenkeepers looking after an 18-hole course, and there is more work than can realistically be done. In Austria, by contrast, colleagues often have to manage with 3 greenkeepers per 18-hole course. This is exactly where digitalisation needs to arrive, moving golf courses closer to industrial and high-tech land management. That, however, deserves its own article.

Putting a golf manager's salary in context

In the chart above you have seen some striking numbers. If you felt the way I did, you probably swallowed hard when you saw those differences. An annual salary of 300,000 € is by no means the rule, but rather the exception of a very "interesting" employment contract.

So how do I judge a golf manager's salary? Beyond the size of the facility, it comes down to the responsibility involved. Are there teams that need to be led? Does the club manager role come closer to that of a managing director? Is there responsibility for budgets and investments? Do legal topics come up? How is the facility set up, is it a registered club (e.V.) or an operator-run facility such as a GmbH? Or does the "golf manager" position actually look more like a kind of reception lead or shift lead? Both types of "golf manager" exist here in Germany, and both are legitimate.

All of these are important points when assessing the salary.

In the end we probably all agree: for the responsibility placed on a golf facility manager and the hours involved, the pay is not as high as we would deserve. Still, decent sums can be earned. The figures below are drawn from a combination of several databases.

For the responsibility and the hours a golf facility manager puts in, the pay is often lower than it really should be.

Golf manager / club manager salary comparison, Germany

Golf manager gross salary by federal state

What does a golf manager earn?

A golf manager earns 3,898 € gross per month on average.