Andy Scrivner, PGA - Welcome the Challenge (December Member Spotlight)
As a high school student just outside Baltimore, Maryland, Andy Scrivner, PGA Assistant General Manager at Shadow Wood Country Club, decided he wanted to be a PGA Professional.
A late bloomer to the game, Scrivner’s Dad took him to Diamond Ridge, a Baltimore County Course, where he was introduced to the Professional Staff. The staff took an interest in Scrivner and they began playing together regularly, giving him an inside look into the day-to-day life of a PGA Professional.
With his new-found goal in mind and desire to attend a larger school, Scrivner chose Penn State University, an ideal match as one of the few universities that offered the Professional Golf Management Program at the time.
Diving fully in, Scrivner's first internship brought him to Baltimore Country Club, where Tony Pancake, PGA served as the Head Professional and an early mentor for Scrivner.
“There were numerous paths that I learned about during my time at Baltimore, and I was just so fortunate to cross paths with Tony when I was there,” explained Scrivner. “For him to be my first boss and the first established pro that I worked for, I couldn’t have asked for anybody better.”
Outside of this invaluable relationship, Scrivner's eyes were opened to what a position in management could look like, a route that became very appealing to him.
With the experience of a high-end, private facility down, his next internship brought him to Palm Coast Golf Outlet, a resort facility that at the time boasted four courses. Another valuable experience as an opportunity to see a resort-style operation. Additionally, Scrivner took advantage of his time, utilizing the large PGA Professional staff to get ahead of his PGA book work, a move that eventually paid dividends.
From there, Scrivner moved to Aspen Golf Club, one of the most highly-rated municipal golf courses in the country and another unique-style atmosphere that Scrivner experienced.
With timing on his side, Penn State began allowing students to take winter internships, giving Scrivner an opportunity to work for a facility with a winter season, which was ultimately the Ocean Course at The Breakers, an elite, nationally-recognized facility.
Now, because of his due-diligence getting school work done, Scrivner managed to finish his school credits a semester early, which allowed him to get a jumpstart on his professional career. The Breakers established an internship position for him to work in the “Sports Pro Shop,” a position that gave Scrivner a true understanding of what merchandising looks like, something he knew he always wanted to learn.
Before starting, the expectations of Scrivner were set very high.
“If you choose to come down here and work for us, we're going to spend the first three weeks training you in our back-of-the-house areas on everything about the facility,” Scrivner recalled a conversation he had with the hiring manager. “You're going to be expected to know all of the hours of operations for the restaurants, what time the first coffee service is available, the Henry Flagler history, etc.”
Unbothered by the expectations, Scrivner accepted the challenge with his main focus being on the retail side. Additionally, the Todd Anderson Golf School was on property and Scrivner shadowed Anderson, spending time in his administrative office while getting to see exactly how the golf academy ran.
Upon finishing the internship, Scrivner was left with a decision to make, continue in a new, full-time role at The Breakers or take an offer from Aspen Golf Club as a First Assistant.
Each internship and experience was strategic, with a goal of getting exposed to as much as possible. Due to his desire to continue to learn more, Scrivner took his first full-time industry position at Aspen Golf Club.
For the next four years, Scrivner was able to continue expanding his knowledge, assuming more responsibility each year. After four years, Scrivner was ready to tackle a different market, one where the playing season lasted longer.
Through a fellow Penn State alum, Scrivner was connected with Pelican Marsh Golf Club in Naples, a facility with roughly 325 members and one championship golf course.
Intrigued by the facility and with fond memories of his time in south Florida, Scrivner and his wife moved to Naples and he began working as an Assistant Professional before quickly assuming the Head Professional role in 2008.
“I had a chance to put together a golf operations team and recruit assistant professionals, outside staff and teaching professionals,” Scrivner said. “That was really my first chance to show everything that I've learned through all the internships.”
Now thriving, with all the effort he put into PGM paying off, Scrivner felt he made it. However, Pelican Marsh soon brought in a PGA Member as a General Manager which opened Scrivner’s eyes to what else could be possible.
After five great years and with no real desire for a change, Scrivner was offered the Director of Golf position at Shadow Wood Golf and Country Club, a facility with more than 1,300 members and 54-holes of golf.
“Quite honestly, I never envisioned departing my position at Pelican Marsh. I enjoyed everything about it, and I felt like I had achieved the position that I was working for starting back at Baltimore Country Club,” explained Scrivner.
Seeing this as an opportunity to continue to grow, Scrivner accepted the offer to serve as the Director of Golf overseeing an entire golf facility that averaged over 105,000 rounds of golf a year and a team of over 100 employees.
“Moving into a bigger role would provide more resources, a bigger team and allow me to put my fingerprint on more things because we have the resources that aren’t possible at a smaller 18-hole facility,” he said.
Scrivner continued in the Director of Golf role the next nine years, as Scrivner continued to grow and evolve, Shadow Wood did as well, leaving an Assistant General Manager position available that the club offered to him.
“It gave me a chance to, again, use the skills that I had been successful with here, with all of the different department heads and senior managers,” Scrivner said.
In August of 2022, Scrivner began as the Assistant General Manager, a full circle moment that goes back to his first time meeting a PGA Professional as a high schooler in Baltimore.
As a PGA Professional, Scrivner is now able to use all of his prior knowledge to help in other areas of operations. From supporting food and beverage operations to helping the HR department, Scrivner now has the time and ability to look into the finer details that makes an operation so great.
Like every new position, adapting can be challenging, but over his entire career, Scrivner has embraced and welcomed the challenge as an opportunity to better himself and others around him.
“I've always enjoyed the challenges of each day," Scrivner said. “I know that I'm going to be in my office every day and eight to 10 people are going to come in and say, we need to close the door to talk about this. I welcome whatever that conversation and whatever that challenge is going to be.”
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