Alan Reese started his golf career as a caddy for the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the Oregon coast, chauffeuring golf clubs around the 250-acre course and teeing off whenever he could.
Now, he takes the next step in his career as a golf professional, tasked with growing Keizer’s only course.
Reese, 46, in February took the head golf professional position at McNary Golf Club. He plans to improve the 62-year-old golf course by increasing membership options and encouraging more public use.
“I want to grow with this club, this community, as much as I want the golf club to grow. I’m fully vested,” he said.
With over 25 years in the industry, this is Reese’s fourth job as a head golf pro. His first was in 2008 at Myrtle Creek Golf Club. The difference between Bandon Dunes – Oregon’s premier golf course – and Myrtle Creek, a rural community south of Roseburg, was stark.
“Bandon Dunes was Disneyland. It was like fishing with dynamite: you can’t miss. Myrtle Creek was like fishing with your hands,” he said.
During his two years at Myrtle Creek, he learned creativity and resourcefulness, which he applied in future roles.
In 2011, he became the head golf pro at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Washington. There, he learned how to manage a private course, improving relations with members who would then attract other golfers to the club.
The club had 1,000 members in 2011. When Reese left in 2018, there were almost 1,600.
He then moved his family to Salem, after his wife – a McNary High School graduate – encouraged him to accept a job offer at the Salem Golf Club.
Stepping into his new role, he felt like the club “didn’t have a compass.” Like McNary, the Salem Golf Club is semi-private, open to both daily golfers and those interested in long-term memberships. Reese had to balance the two.
He lowered the daily green fee and created age-specific membership options. During his six years with the club, he increased the annual round count by around 13,000 and gained over 120 new members.
The Salem Golf Club changed owners last year, which came with new management. At the same time, McNary Golf Club was looking for a new head pro.
“The whole reason we came to Salem was to be close to family. McNary was such a great opportunity that just happened to open up,” Reese said.
Reese is pulling from over two decades of experience to grow the club, which has around 300 members. The 18-hole course with a clubhouse and restaurant is nestled in the McNary Estates neighborhood.
“People always ask me what’s the magic bullet for growing a club. There is none. It’s all about maximizing a club’s strengths, and minimizing its weaknesses,” he said. The biggest challenge, according to Reese, is making McNary distinctive among the 11 courses within 20 miles of Salem.
Instead of competing for Salem’s broad membership, he wants to cement McNary as Keizer’s home golf club by creating corporate memberships for Keizer businesses.
He also wants to expand the public sector by offering deals and spreading the word.
“We want people to know that we are open to the public. I think the outside thought is that we are private, but we are not. We are significantly member-based, but we want that new player to play here,” he said.
In the next five years, he wants to gain 125 new members and increase the annual round count by about 8,000.
According to Reese, his experience and commitment to McNary will help him achieve these goals.
“I have a proven track record…and I also want to be here for a long time,” he said.
Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected].
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL NEWS SERVICE: Get around-the-clock access to news about Keizer with a digital subscription to the Keizertimes. It’s secure, is available at $10 a month, and takes just a moment when you go HERE. Your support for local journalism is vital.
