Riverside Golf Club Named Course Of The Month By California Golf

Despite the dismal economic climate, August was a good month for one Riverside golf club. Hidden Valley Golf Course, a premiere course near Riverside County, added yet another honor to its long list of distinctions courtesy of California Golf Magazine. The magazine praised club owner and operator Jay Miller for his impeccable attention to detail, crediting much of the the golf club’s success to his leadership and management of the course.

This wasn’t the first time the Riverside golf course owner has received attention from the golf industry. In fact, Miller’s Riverside golf course was named 2010 Golf Course of the Year by the California Golf Course Owners Association (CGCOA) and simultaneously received the National Course of the Year Award from the NCGOA�"not a bad bring-home from Miller’s trip to the 2011 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Florida.

The criteria for the awards is four-pronged and consists of an evaluation of a course or club’s quality, management, community involvement, and contribution to the game. As they have so many times before, the Riverside golf course excelled in each area. It’s no wonder they’ve been recognized by numerous others including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and Southland Golf Magazine among other reputable publications.

But Jay Miller may be the only one slow to credit himself for his Riverside golf club’s success. For him, the accomplishment is a result of the team effort of every employee on his staff. Among his most influential assistants are superintendant Iain Sturge who has been working in the industry since his early teens and general manager George Apodaca.

In addition, executive director Mike Davis and director of instruction Pat Burke are instrumental in the Riverside golf community efforts through their management of Hidden Valley Golf Club’s Get a Grip Foundation, a program that serves children in the Inland Empire by providing lessons and tutoring. The foundation, which was also Miller’s brainchild, has been nationally acclaimed and recognized as the Junior Golf/Education Foundation of the Year three times in the last decade.

According to Miller, �for everybody at a golf course, no matter if you’re the general manager or a dish washer, it’s awesome to be recognized for doing your job.� There’s no doubt that the seemingly endless stream of awards bestowed upon this Riverside golf club have been taken to heart by each member of the club’s team. Positive reinforcement is a big part of Jay Miller’s management strategy, and for him, the honors that he can bring home to his employees are as good as it gets in terms of morale. Miller believes that when people are appreciated for a job well done, they’re motivated to continue excelling at their jobs and even taking it to the next level. That’s why he has high hopes for his Riverside golf club despite the economy. Now more than ever, people are recognizing good customer service and quality leisure time. Hidden Valley Golf Club offers its members and those looking for an excellent Riverside golf club experience just that and so much more.