Golf Course and Turfgrass Management

Career and Major Information
Earnings
Related Occupations
Related Web Sites

Career and Major Information:

Walters State's two-year concentration in Golf Course and Turfgrass Management is designed to prepare successful graduates for entry-level employment in the field as managing groundskeepers or greenskeepers. Duties primarily include the upkeep and appearance of golf courses or similar turfgrass recreation fields and the surrounding areas. Generally, this involves seeding, sodding, mowing, watering, fertilizing, and removing debris and brush.

Groundskeepers who care for athletic fields keep those with natural and those with artificial turf in top condition, mark out boundaries, and paint turf with team logos and names before events. They must make sure that the underlying soil on fields with natural turf has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses used on the field. Groundskeepers mow, water, fertilize, and aerate the fields regularly. They also vacuum and disinfect synthetic turf after its use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, and they remove the turf and replace the cushioning pad periodically.

Workers who maintain golf courses are called greenskeepers. Greenskeepers do many of the same things that other groundskeepers do, but they also maintain ponds, streams, and other roughs, and periodically relocate the holes on putting greens to eliminate uneven wear of the turf and add interest and challenge to the game. At some courses, they may even plan and develop additions or changes to the course. Greenskeepers are additionally responsible for keeping canopies, benches, ball washers, and tee markers repaired and freshly painted. These jobs may also include raking and mulching leaves, clearing snow from walkways and parking lots, and repairing those walkways and parking lots.

Jobs may be found at public and private golf courses, city recreation facilities, professional sports centers, and other areas where turfgrasses are similarly utilized.

The minimum educational requirement is a high school diploma, but postsecondary education and training will be helpful for advancement. Average growth is expected in this occupation through the year 2012.

Earnings:

The Tennessee Career Information Delivery System website lists the salary range for a beginning-level position in this field in Tennessee as $18,900 to $21,310 annually. With experience, the range increases to 29,015 to $41,945. The national average is higher by about $3,000 per year. Salary figures quoted are based on national figures. Local or regional salaries may be lower.

Annual Salaries by Job Title
Landscaping Operations Managers	$20,000-$80,000 or more
Landscaping Crew Supervisors	$10,000-$59,000
Golf Course Superintendent	$57,000-$105,000
Assistant Golf Course Superintendent *with* experience	$28,000-35,000
Assistant Golf Course Superintendent *without* experience	$25,000-30,000
Sports Field Manager entry level	$25,000-50,000

Full-Time Hourly Wages
Spray Technician $10.00-$12.00

Related Occupations:

Agricultural Engineer

Agricultural Worker

Landscape Architect

Biological Scientist

Greenhouse Manager

Related Web Sites:

Tree Care Industry Association

http://www.TreeCareIndustry.org

Professional Lawn Care Association of America

http://www.plcaa.org

Associated Landscape Contractors of America

http://www.alca.org

For information on becoming a licensed pesticide applicator, contact your State’s Department of Agriculture or Department of Environmental Protection (or Conservation)

http://aapco.ceris.purdue.edu/htm/directories.htm

Much of the above information was collected from the 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor. For additional information on these and many other careers, please visit the following web sites:

Occupational Outlook Handbook - U.S. Department of Labor

www.bls.gov/oco/

Tennessee Career Information Delivery System (TCIDS)

http://tcids.tbr.edu/.

For information regarding specific degree program requirements, curriculum, or faculty, please see the department website at http://www.ws.edu/teched/default.asp.