Dick Kopplin graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and started his thirty six year career in the golf business by managing private clubs in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He continued his career as general manager and vice president for operations for some nationally recognized clubs like Castle Pines, Desert Mountain and PGA West.
The last twelve years of management experience were gained while serving as vice president or senior director of clubs for companies, which involved multi-club responsibilities. The companies have included Desert Mountain Properties in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Castle Pines in Denver, Colorado.
Dick has also served on the Executive Committee for nine PGA and Senior PGA Tour events. He has been a speaker at the Crittenden Golf Expo and has conducted management and board workshops for private and resort golf clubs throughout the United States. Dick has “opened” five clubhouses and six golf courses, working closely with the architects and construction firms.
He presently serves as a partner in KOPPLIN & KUEBLER, LLC. an executive placement firm specializing in the private club industry. Dick recruits general managers, golf professionals and golf course superintendents for private, resort and developer-owned properties.
As a result of consulting so many private clubs, Dick recognized the need to re-introduce a seminar that was the catalyst in propelling his management career. The “Team Development Workshop” teaches specific strategies that assist the general manager and department heads in working through the variety of challenges in the private club business. Dick has conducted the workshop for dozens of clubs throughout the country and also for managers at the Club Managers Association of America’s national conference. Another requested program that Dick has developed over many years of working with private club board members is the “Board Dynamics/Model Clubs Seminar.” He has presented this program for many individual clubs, numerous CMAA chapters and the past twelve national CMAA conferences.
