Golf and Sports Turf Management B.S.
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Program description
Golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and turfgrass professionals within the green industry use technology and science to balance the needs of people with those of nature. The golf and sports turf management degree provides students with hands-on skills to maintain functional and aesthetically pleasing turfgrass environments. Extensive coursework in agronomy, soil science, horticulture, and turfgrass science help students develop the technical skills needed to be successful. Complementary courses in business management and communication provide the fundamentals for managing employees and interacting with customers.
Student learning incorporates experiential hands-on activities along with technological applications in an applied, career-oriented environment. Internships may be completed at golf courses, athletic fields, park and recreation areas, or with green industry suppliers. Graduates will hold positions in the golf industry, sports field management, lawn care, sod production, grounds maintenance, sales, or pursue advanced degrees.
Program outcomes:
- Provide recommendations for the primary (fertilization, mowing, and irrigation) and secondary (cultivation, topdressing, and rolling) cultural practices based on the area of use and turfgrass species
- Culturally manage both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses which will allow flexibility when searching for jobs and internships within the turfgrass industry
- Devise and implement renovation plans for various turfgrass areas including soil testing, soil modification/preparation, species selection, establishment techniques, and post-care management
- Examine how physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and the environment influence the availability of nutrients and devise fertility management plans that are environmentally sustainable
- Create integrated pest management (IPM) programs for turfgrass diseases, insects, and weeds
- Enhance turfgrass performance by developing cultural management practices to reduce turfgrass injury caused by environmental stress factors
- Develop cultural turf management plans and annual maintenance budgets for various turfgrass areas such as golf courses, athletic fields, and home lawns
Student learning incorporates experiential hands-on activities along with technological applications in an applied, career-oriented environment. Internships may be completed at golf courses, athletic fields, park and recreation areas, or with green industry suppliers. Graduates will hold positions in the golf industry, sports field management, lawn care, sod production, grounds maintenance, sales, or pursue advanced degrees.
Program outcomes:
- Provide recommendations for the primary (fertilization, mowing, and irrigation) and secondary (cultivation, topdressing, and rolling) cultural practices based on the area of use and turfgrass species
- Culturally manage both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses which will allow flexibility when searching for jobs and internships within the turfgrass industry
- Devise and implement renovation plans for various turfgrass areas including soil testing, soil modification/preparation, species selection, establishment techniques, and post-care management
- Examine how physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and the environment influence the availability of nutrients and devise fertility management plans that are environmentally sustainable
- Create integrated pest management (IPM) programs for turfgrass diseases, insects, and weeds
- Enhance turfgrass performance by developing cultural management practices to reduce turfgrass injury caused by environmental stress factors
- Develop cultural turf management plans and annual maintenance budgets for various turfgrass areas such as golf courses, athletic fields, and home lawns
Program last updated
Fall 2024