Armen Suny

Search & Consulting Executive

Armen, as a search and consulting executive, offers clients multiple skills.  He has expertise in executive searches for general managers, golf course superintendents, golf professionals, assistant general managers, and clubhouse managers.

He also provides reviews of golf course designs and master plans, and offers technical agronomic services to the private club industry.  Armen graduated from the famed turfgrass management program at Penn State.  His storied past in golf includes working for the finest clubs in the U.S. including the positions of and experience as general manager, golf course superintendent, vice president of agronomy, PGA tournament director, golf course designer, partner/owner of a country club and golf development project workout manager.  He has extensive, direct, hands on experience at major championships, PGA Tour events and top 100 courses.

Armen served as general manager at Shadow Creek, for Steve Wynn in Las Vegas, NV from 1995-2000.  And in 1985, at age 27, he was the youngest superintendent to host a major championship ­– The PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club.  He hosted six PGA Tour events at Castle Pines Golf Club; and served as assistant superintendent at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania for the 1981 U.S. Open before becoming superintendent at Rolling Green Golf Club at the age of 23.  He interned at Aronimink Golf Club for the 1977 U.S. Amateur.

Armen also sits as one of 240 worldwide architect/panelists ranking golf courses for Golf Course Architecture magazine.

Email: armen@kkandw.com

Phone: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 720

LinkedIn

Resources & Insights from Armen…

The roles of golf professionals and golf course superintendents are pivotal. Together, they influence player satisfaction, operational success, and the overall reputation of the facility. Yet, these two critical positions often experience friction due to differing priorities, communication gaps, misunderstandings about each other’s roles, or differing points of view. This creates a silo situation that can lead to less-than-desired outcomes…

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At your club, there are two individuals who share one goal but have differing responsibilities that might seem to be cross purposes at times, the Golf Professional and the Superintendent. These individuals and their teams are responsible for delivering an exceptional golf experience. How can club management professionals support these individuals and help them meet the mission? In this episode, we’re joined by Paul Levy, PGA, and Armen Suny, Search Executives with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, to share their insights into how all parties can grow in this existing gap.

In this episode, Armen dives into current hiring trends and what clubs are truly looking for in today’s superintendents. He emphasizes the growing importance of leadership and why it’s critical for professionals, especially those early in their careers, to invest in leadership training now. We also explore the increasing demand for full time and part time maintenance staff, a shift that’s impacting the availability of trained seasonal labor. Armen offers a thoughtful look at how this trend is shaping the future workforce of golf course management.

In this conversation industry veterans Armen Suny and Brad Klein highlight the top priorities for club members and leaders related to modern golf course design. Hear firsthand how leading golf course architects are collaborating with superintendents to create sustainable and stunning landscapes. And, explore emerging trends and future developments that will shape the next generation of golf course design and management.

EarthWorks Podcasts

In this episode, Armen dives into current hiring trends and what clubs are truly looking for in today’s superintendents. He emphasizes the growing importance of leadership and why it’s critical for professionals, especially those early in their careers, to invest in leadership training now. We also explore the increasing demand for full time and part time maintenance staff, a shift that’s impacting the availability of trained seasonal labor. Armen offers a thoughtful look at how this trend is shaping the future workforce of golf course management.

The second go around with Armen is as good as the first. Armen shares his thoughts on sand greens mixes. We talk about what is good and what could be better with a sand construction mix. Once again the conversation with Armen is lively, funny and worth listening to.

One of the Icons of the Turf Industry – Mr. Armen Suny of KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE talks of his time at Merion Golf Club, the state of the industry and some helpful tips on how to land that big job.

Armen Suny talks about his time at Merion Golf Club

One of the Icons of the Turf Industry – Mr. Armen Suny of KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE talks of his time at Merion Golf Club, the state of the industry and some helpful tips on how to land that big job.

Listen to “EW Podcast – Joel Simmons with Armen Suny” on Spreaker.

Search Executive and Consultant, Armen Suny, shares his career experiences in agronomy spanning championship golf, Las Vegas, golf course construction, and more….ultimately ending up consulting with private clubs looking to hire Directors of Agronomy and Golf Course Superintendents. He highlights aligning candidates with club culture and values in addition to balancing search committee priorities. The lessons learned along the way are insightful and offer a great foundation for the trends and challenges facing golf course management.

Two aspects promise to gain momentum for the year ahead in the management of agronomy and golf course maintenance departments: dual assistant superintendent tracks and hiring from within versus open recruitment…

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Growing Your Career in The Golf Industry
Armen Suny, a Search Executive at KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, and John Cunningham, General Manager at Aronimink Golf Club, talk about being a leader and the importance of taking time to focus on growing your career as a golf course superintendent.

The selection of your golf course superintendent may possibly be the most important decision that a club can make. Is there another position in the club that, through poor performance, can cause the club to shut down for an entire year?

If you lose your greens, your course will close down, revenues will die just as surely as the grass has died. While this may be an extreme example, consider the negative effects that several years of suspect maintenance practices may have on your course for years to come…

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It’s fair to say that Armen Suny is one of the most influential figures in the turf industry. That statement is borne out by the fact that following his remarks at the recent New Jersey Turf Expo, a line of turf professionals waited to speak with him.

As a recruiter for KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, the industry’s leading search firm, he assists some of the most prestigious golf facilities in America with the task of finding qualified superintendents (and other management personnel).

A former superintendent, with stops at Merion Golf Club, Cherry Hills Country Club and Castle Pines Golf Club, Suny has a good idea of what clubs are looking for when they’re searching for a superintendent. He says the requirements of the job have changed in recent years…

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