A required six-month internship with on-the-job training is a major educational component of the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program.
Preparation and Requirements
One of the most important components of the Penn State Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program is the extended internship that students complete between their first and second year on campus.
Plans for the internship begin in the first semester with an internship preparation course. Once the internship is selected and confirmed, there are six months of on-the-job training between the first and second years of the program, including an on-course evaluation with each student and their supervisor at his/her internship course location. Students author a final report and give a presentation about their experience as part of a course during the second year of the program, along with a formal business assessment of the golf course.
Students train and learn from some of the best superintendents in the industry at top courses across the globe. Past students in the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program have completed their on-the-job training at Augusta National Golf Club, Castle Pines Golf Club, Merion Golf Club, Oakmont Country Club, Baltusrol Golf Club and numerous other top ranked golf clubs in the World. While on-site, students gain valuable, practical experience, particularly in the area of agronomy and management.
Matt Shaffer, Merion Golf Club
