General Manager

Bellevue Country Club (BCC) is seeking a positive, energetic, and highly capable professional who has strong leadership experience to be the General Manager (GM). The candidate must be one who embodies and demonstrates a confident leadership style that promotes a positive culture with an emphasis on team development, organizational consistency, and financial management skills while maintaining the highest levels of member satisfaction. The new GM will lead the club and assist the board in articulating and executing a strategic plan for the benefit of the members

BELLEVUE COUNTRY CLUB

Today, the historic Strathmore neighbourhood on Syracuse’s west side is charmed with rows of (what are now considered) historic homes. One century ago, the mature trees and craftsman-proud houses lining each street had not been added to the blank canvas of rolling hills and farmland. Back then, it may have been easier to envision what the landscape could become. And for a small group of local golf enthusiasts, the grounds that would transform to be Bellevue Country Club were easy to see. So, in 1914, this group of golfies met at Schrafft’s Restaurant in downtown Syracuse. There, they conceived the establishment that has endured a century of growth and development and that is considered today to be a premiere golf course and country club and in 2013, granted designation as a Historic Landmark.

Officially, Bellevue was issued a Certificate of Incorporation on January 5, 1915, and creating a strong membership behind the development of the club was an important first step in building the establishment. At the time, the organization was made up of “prominent local, social, business and professional men”. A local jewelry wholesaler and Democratic Party leader, William Paige Hitchcock, was chosen as the first president of the executive committee for Bellevue. Other original stockholders, incorporators and directors included George D. Kirtland, vice president, C. B. Moak,

secretary-treasurer, A. G. Velasko, Donald M. Dey Jr., Joseph B. Murphy, Frank M. Shattuck, Irving S. Merrell, Alan C. Fobes, Fred R. Peck, Judge W. G. Cady, J. S. Conway, Ralph Tiffany and E. A. O'Hara.

Before any ground would break, this board of regarded men stated their objective, “to establish and maintain with the county of Onondaga, golf links, tennis grounds, croquet grounds, rifle range, a club house and other lawful sports, games and amusements.” Envisioning a year-round destination, the club began a search for a suitable site, which it located on the hills to the southwest of the city. The 138-acre plot in the Onondaga Reservation was purchased from the Wadsworth family, who had been farming it since about the 1850s. Located just outside of the city lines, a cleaver headline in a January 15, 1915, issue of the debunked Syracuse Herald read : “New country club to have ideal location at the very door of the city.”

According to club founders, building a golf course in this location was ideal because it could be “reached by trolley in a comparatively short time by the business and professional man leaving his office for the day.” Further, the high elevation of the farm location also provided Bellevue with spectacular views. With the convenience of the location and the impressive views providing solid assets for the club’s development, what ultimately swayed the club incorporators was the excellent natural topography of the farm that made the location a perfect landscape for golf course design.

Following the natural “hill and dale, wooded slope, rolling turf and level orchard lane” the course would capitalize on “a hundred subtle revelations of charms” and the high ground would afford “many natural hazards and bunkers for golf.”

So, with the best location and a great assembly of innovators, Bellevue was well underway. The next milestone was to hire a master to engineer the course to its true potential. While many golf architects of the era designed a course and selected a piece of real estate to fit the design, the newly incorporate Bellevue required someone to design a course that could fit perfectly on the pre-selected piece of property the club already purchased. The master chosen by Bellevue was Scottish born Donald Ross. Relying completely on the landscape, Ross used almost no artificial hazards and fairways that followed the contours of the land. The result was a challenging course that was ready to play in 1917.

And to compliment the world-class course, Bellevue hired its own member, Justus Moak Scrafford, an architecture professor at Syracuse University to design the clubhouse. Although Ross selected the area of the property where the future clubhouse would be built, Scafford (who completed a number of high-end commissions in the Syracuse area) was charged with creating the four-season structure that the club wanted for its members and their families.

The stately manor that remains the club’s primary facility offers views of the entire course. Through the decades, modern modifications have altered some of the interior, however, the clubhouse remains steadfast as Bellevue’s staple forever watching over the land and witnessing 100 years’ worth of frustrating putts, holes-in-one and countless other moments and memories on its timeless greens.

BELLEVUE COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS :

• $5.9M Approximate Total Revenue.
• $3.1M Approximate Annual Dues Revenue.
• $1.9M Approximate F&B Revenue.
• $0.9M Approximate Golf Operations & Sales Revenue.
• Approximately 25,000 Annual Rounds of Golf.
• 510 Total Members; 412 Golf, 98 Other.
• Initiation Fee – $7,500.
• Club POS – Northstar.

FACILITIES & AMENITIES :

GENERAL MANAGER - POSITION OVERVIEW :

The GM is responsible for the general operation of the Club relating most importantly to the clubhouse, golf and grounds operations, and pool, ensuring that all services meet members’ and guests’ expectations. He / she will also prepare an annual budget and present goals and objectives to

the Club Board on an annual basis. He / she will develop an awareness of the “club culture” and will be responsible for ensuring hospitality, friendliness, and goodwill among members, guests, and staff. His / her goal is always to ensure that the facilities and events at the Club are first-rate and that the members’ and guests’ experiences are of prime importance. The GM reports directly to the President and the Board of Directors.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES :

MEMBER SERVICES :

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS :

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT :

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT :

OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES :

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS :

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS :

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION :

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS :

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership. Salary Range : $110,000 - $140,000.

HOW TO APPLY :

Prepare a cover letter with your leadership philosophy and relevant achievements along with your resume addressed to Michael Kyle, Bellevue Country Club 1901 Glenwood Ave Syracuse NY 13207, or email to gm@bellevuecountryclub.com and clearly articulate your alignment with this role and why you want to be considered for this position.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than November 10, 2025.