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Turfgrass ManagementWork Experience Activities

Work Experience ActivitiesTurfgrass Management

Work Experience ActivitiesComplete and submit the following Work Experience Activities for your Work Experience Kit.

Remember, all activities must be completed using this electronic file, then printed out in black and white and submitted. This is a “Read-Only” file and must be saved as a separate document before you begin. See the ‘Read Me’ file for “Save As” instructions.

Refer to the following guidelines when completing all activities.

• Use complete sentences to answer all activity questions.

• Eliminate all spelling, grammatical and typographical errors.

• Include all appropriate back up materials to substantiate your work.

• Make sure all activities are computer generated or in typewritten form.

• Make sure all required activities are included in your Work Experience Kit.

• Make sure your Inventory Checklist and Sign Off Sheet are included in your Kit.

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Activity 1: Interview with the Golf Course Superintendent

Directions: Conduct an interview with your golf course superintendent using the questions below. This interview will enable you to learn more about the superintendent’s background and job responsibilities, and the challenges that he or she may face in the role of superintendent. Completing this interview will also let you compare the similarities and differences in the jobs of the golf professional and the golf course superintendent.

Name of Superintendent Interviewed:

Name of Facility:

1. How did you get interested in this field?

2. What type of “on the job training” have you had in the field of turfgrass management?

3. Describe any other positions you have held in this business and the path that your career has taken to get you where you are today.

4. How long have you been in the business and how long have you held your current position?

5. What type of education, classes, seminars, or other training have you had in this field?

6. Do you have an advanced degree in agronomy or turfgrass management? If so, do you feel this has helped you in your career and why (or why not)?

7. Describe the different challenges you face as a golf course superintendent. What seems to be the biggest challenge for you and why?

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8. Describe the similarities between the golf course superintendent and the golf professional.

9. What do you think are the major differences between these two positions?

10.Why do you, as a golf course superintendent, think is it important to have a positive working relationship with the golf professional?

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Activity 2: Touring the Golf Course Maintenance Facility

Directions: Take a tour through the maintenance facility with the superintendent and document all of the areas included in the maintenance department. List each area and include a brief description of what happens in these areas. For example: maintenance building, administrative offices, mechanic’s work station, equipment storage area, pumphouse, chemical storage, and any other areas of the course maintenance department.

During your tour, introduce yourself to the members of the maintenance crew and ask each of them what their job descriptions and responsibilities are. Include official job descriptions with this activity, complete the chart below, and answer the questions that follow the chart.

Name of Staff Member Title Description of Daily Responsibilities

Full-time or Part-time

Year Round or Seasonal

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Directions: Answer the following questions concerning the maintenance staff:

1. How many staff members work on the maintenance crew; how many are full-time and how many part-time?

2. What type of training is involved with the various jobs and responsibilities required to properly maintain the golf course?

3. What are the similarities in the golf operations staff and the course maintenance staff?

4. What are the main differences in the two staffs and why?

5. Do you think it is important, as a golf professional, to understand the basics of course maintenance and the roles that different employees play? Why or why not?

6. What would you do in order to further your knowledge of proper course maintenance?

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Activity 3: Turfgrass Basics at Your Facility

Directions: On the map below, indicate the location of your facility. Then answer the following questions regarding the conditions at your specific facility.

Zone of Cool Season Grasses

Transition Zone

Zone of Warm Season Grasses

1. What is the name and where is the geographical location of your facility?

2. According to the map, which zone is your facility in?

3. What soil type is most common in the area of your facility?

4. Is the soil primarily acidic or alkaline? How is this determined?

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In the chart below, list the turfgrasses found on your golf course and indicate whether each grass is considered a warm season or cool season grass. Discuss why each particular grass was selected for each location on the golf course.

Type of Grass Warm or Cool Why Selected?

Greens

Tees

Fairways

Roughs

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Activity 4: Routine and Non-Routine Maintenance Practices

Directions: Meet with your superintendent and ask him or her about both the routine and non-routine maintenance practices used at your facility. Be aware that turfgrass management practices vary with environmental conditions, type of facility, budgetary constraints, and different grass locations on the course. Complete the charts and the following questions concerning routine and non-routine practices.

Routine Practices:

Greens Tees Fairways Roughs

Watering

Frequency

Time of day

Fertilizing

Frequency

Time of year/season

Aeration

Frequency

Time of year

Mowing

Frequency

Time of day

1. Even though most of the above practices are done on a routine basis, discuss when the schedule might change and why.

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2. Are there any other routine practices that are performed at your golf course? If so, describe them.

Non-Routine Practices:

Frequency Time of Year

Dethatching

Topdressing

1. Is overseeding practiced at your facility? If so, when and on what parts of the golf course?

2. What types of grasses are overseeded?

3. What grasses are used to overseed?

4. What challenges has the facility faced during the overseeding process?

5. How is the overseeding process communicated to the members and/or guests of the facility?

6. How are challenging situations involving unhappy customers handled regarding the course conditions during the overseeding process?

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Activity 5: Traffic Management

Directions: Make arrangements to accompany the superintendent or another maintenance staff member during course set-up so you can participate in tee-marker and cup rotation procedures. Answer the following questions concerning these particular areas of course setup.

1. How often are the tees moved and the cups changed at your facility?

2. Describe the routine that is followed by the course maintenance crew when changing the tee markers and the cup placements.

3. Discuss the reasons it is important to change the tee marker and cup placements on a routine basis.

4. Does the maintenance staff follow a particular routine when deciding where the tees and cups should be placed? If so, describe the routine. If not, discuss why a specific routine would be beneficial for the health of the tees and greens.

5. Are specific tee marker and cup locations considered for special events, busy days, and/or particular formats? If so, discuss the reasons for these locations.

6. How are challenging situations handled involving golfers who have concerns or complaints regarding the tee marker and cup locations?

7. What was the most helpful thing you learned in participating in the tee marker and cup rotations?

8. How can you use this experience and increased knowledge to improve your own performance as a golf professional?

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9. If your facility utilizes a hole location chart or a system that identifies the location of the hole for regular or tournament play, include the chart, system, or scorecard, identifying where the holes are located for a particular day or for a specific event.

If your facility does not utilize a system to identify the hole locations, discuss how implementing such a system would not only benefit the golfers, but also minimize other possible issues like slow play and concern for the health of the golf course.

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Activity 6: Pests and Other Problems at Your Facility

Directions: Meet with the superintendent to discuss pests and other problems encountered at your facility. In the chart below, describe why certain pests are particularly challenging, the time of year that certain pests are a problem, and what the typical solutions are for pests and other problems associated with the golf course.

Weeds

What time of year are weeds a problem at your course:

What is particularly challenging about ridding the course of weeds?

What is the typical solution for combating weeds?

Insects

What types of insects are a problem at your course?

What time of year are these different insects a problem at your course?

What typical solutions are used to combat unwanted insects on your course?

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Disease

What types of diseases are prevalent at your course and at what time of the year do they usually occur?

What is particularly challenging about finding ways to prevent or treat the different diseases that may appear on the course?

What methods have been implemented to either prevent or minimize disease on the course?

Weather

What time of year does the weather pose challenges to the course?

What does the superintendent do to prepare for or recover from severe weather?

Other

What other challenges has the superintendent been faced with concerning the health of the course?

How have some of these challenges been solved or at least been minimized?

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Activity 7: Golf Courses and the Environment

Part One:

Directions: Locate and read a magazine article about golf courses and the environment. Make a copy of the article to include in your Work Experience Kit, and answer the questions below concerning the article.

1. What is the title of the article and who is the author?

2. What is the article about and what is the perspective of the author?

3. Does the author believe that golf courses are an asset or a detriment to the environment?

4. Does the author present both sides of the argument?

5. What is your opinion of golf courses in relation to the environment?

6. What is your golf course superintendent doing to ensure that the proper maintenance of the golf course is harmonious with the health of the environment?

7. Does the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary currently approve your golf course? If so, what steps did the superintendent have to take to become certified? If not, how would being certified benefit the golf course, the facility, and the members and guests who play golf?

8. What types of animals, plant life, and fish are natural to the geographic region in which your facility is located? Do any of the animals, plants, and fish make their home on your golf course?

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Part Two:

Directions: Answer the questions below concerning effluent water and its use on golf courses.

1. What is effluent water?

2. Does your golf course use effluent water?

3. If your course uses effluent water, what process is used to prepare it for use on the course?

4. If your course does not use effluent water, has it been considered for your course?

5. Is it feasible for your facility? Why or why not?

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Activity 8: Communicating with the Superintendent

Directions: List the practices currently being used that aid in the communication between the professional staff and the superintendent. Then list any new ideas about what could be done to improve the communications process. Answer the questions that follow the chart regarding effective communication.

Areas for Communication Current Practices Possible Improvements

The BusinessDaily operations, general management

The GameSpecial events, emergencies

The People

1. Do key members of the staff meet on a regular basis to discuss important daily activities as well as special functions and events? If so, who meets and how often?

2. What current methods of communication appear to be the most effective at your facility?

3. In your opinion, what area of communication needs the most improvement?

4. Why is it important for the golf professional and the superintendent to communicate on a regular basis?

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5.Who else on each respective staff would benefit from effective communication?

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Activity 9: Communicating with the Customer

In some areas—correcting a slice or a hook, or choosing new golf clubs—you undoubtedly feel confident in your ability to help improve your customer’s game. Talking with the customer about turfgrass and course management issues, however, is a different story.Directions: In this activity, you will create a communications program to keep your customers informed about daily and weekly course operations, seasonal procedures, and emergency procedures. This program will consist of the following forms of communication:

• Newsletters

• Posting of a calendar of events

• Common turfgrass questions

As the golf professional, you should be available to your customers and members and should be able to answer basic questions about turfgrass management and any other aspect of the course that would affect the players’ enjoyment of your facility. If you don’t feel comfortable answering certain turfgrass questions, ask your superintendent for brief, accurate answers to commonly asked questions that you might not have the background to answer in depth.

Part One:Put together a “Question and Answer” newsletter that contains the 10 most commonly asked questions about the golf course and the answers you would give. This newsletter should inform the customers about basic turfgrass practices and how they affect the playability of the course. If your facility already has a Turfgrass section in the newsletter, include a copy of this in your Work Experience Kit as well.

Part Two: Create a Calendar of Events that highlights the daily and weekly course operations as well as seasonal procedures that will affect playing conditions. Be sure to include routine and non-routine practices that are performed on the course. This calendar can be an extremely effective communication tool to keep the customers informed, particularly when they want to schedule tee times and invite guests to play.

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