Some students at the University of Guelph have their sights set on making some serious ‘green.’ Before big events like the U.S. Open can tee off, a lot of work has to be done behind the scenes to keep the grounds pristine. The university’s two-year diploma program in turfgrass management is shining a spotlight on an industry that has been growing in recent years. Connon Coughlin is in the program’s second year and dreams about a career at a golf course. “Definitely [to] be the superintendent there,” he said. “Being the king of the castle [of] your own golf course would definitely be cool.” The program teaches students how to manage and maintain sports fields, including how every detail matters. “A weed in the wrong place can mean a ball swivels to one side versus another. That can make or break your putt,” instructor Sara Stricker explained. But it’s not just sports fields that are discussed during lessons. “If you want to think about coverage area across North America in the urbanized areas, turf covers about 20 per cent of our landmass,” Stricker said. The program can lead to a career as a recreational manager or field architect. “Some of our graduates go into selling seed or fertilizer or pesticide products with other big companies,” Stricker said. “We also have seen them go into sod farming.” Students take part in a 15-week paid internship at a field of their choice and participate in networking events to secure work post-graduation. “We are making sure that they’re doing those handshakes and making themselves a name in the industry. I know one year, we had for our graduating class of 25 students, we had 180 job offers on the table,” Stricker said. Adam Kimber graduated from the turfgrass program at Guelph and now works as the associate golf course superintendent at Westmount Golf and Country Club. He said the program was a great introduction to the industry. “They definitely have a lot of outside events now that they involve the students in with the industry,” Kimber said. “That definitely helps get your foot in the door, get a good understanding what the industry is,” Kimber said. Westmount’s superintendent said a lot of interns from the program joined the team full-time. He believes the program sets young people up for success. “There’s a lot of jobs in this industry right now. And as an industry, we’re trying to get into high schools to educate people on the benefits of this being your office,” superintendent Cory Janzen said, pointing to the golf course. According to the university, the two-year diploma program started 20 years ago but it was born from the 30-day turfgrass manager short course that’s been around since the 1970s.
