Golf & Turf Management

Bachelor of Science (BS)

With a degree in Golf & Turf Management from the University of Minnesota Crookston you are ready to work in the green industry. Career opportunities include golf course superintendent, sports turf manager, professional lawn care manager, sod producer, grounds maintenance, sales, governmental or private sector turfgrass consultant. The State of Minnesota has over 500 golf courses, which provides students with internship opportunities and jobs. Seize the opportunity to learn hands on at the U of M Crookston.

Key Features

The Golf & Turf Management degree provides students with skills and experiences to build and maintain beautiful and functional turfgrass environments. Extensive coursework in plant science, horticulture, and turfgrass science helps students develop technical skills. Complementary courses in recreation management and human relations skills provide background for managing employees and working with customers.
Student learning blends hands-on with high-tech in a practical, career-oriented environment. Internships may be completed at golf courses, athletic facilities, lawn care companies, parks and recreation areas, or with industry suppliers.
Less than 30 minutes from golf courses, athletic fields, a sod farm, a peat and equipment production plant, a and turf seed distribution company.
Students will learn how to develop turfgrass management plans and annual maintenance budgets for various turfgrass areas such as golf courses, athletic fields, and home lawns.
Students will be prepared to manage both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses which will allow flexibility when searching for jobs and internships within the turfgrass industry.
Students will experience hands-on learning through service projects, labs, and field trips to neighboring golf courses and athletic facilities.
Golf represents $2.4 billion to the state's economy; Minnesota with its 508 golf courses ranks 11th in the U.S. providing numerous opportunities for internships and jobs.
Faculty research interests include sustainable turfgrass systems, reducing carbon footprint on golf courses, and environmentally friendly turfgrass fertility programs.
The University of Minnesota, Crookston also offers degree a program in Sports and Recreation Management.
According to the GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association, 2011), the average superintendent salary was $81,044.00 and the average assistant superintendent salary was $ 38,585.
According to the STMA (Sports Turf Managers Association, 2008), base salary was $75,800 and assistant sports turf managers base salary ranged from $35,000-40,000.

Program Requirements & Curriculum

To view the current Golf and Turf Management, BS curriculum, visit our catalog site:

View Golf and Turf Management, BS curriculum

Associated Clubs & Organizations

Turf Club

Careers

The management of turfgrasses is a highly specialized profession with numerous career opportunities for those who earn degrees in turfgrass management. Traditionally, the number of opportunities available to Golf & Turf Management students has exceeded the number of graduates. This trend is expected to continue in the future. Baseball Field

Turf and Golf Course Management Program graduates are commonly employed as:

Golf course superintendent
Sports turf manager
Professional lawn care manager
Sod producer
Grounds superintendent
Parks and recreational facility manager
Regional sales or manufacturing representative
Governmental or private sector turfgrass consultant

Student Stories

david zapata

A scholarship for David Zapata, Harvard, Ill., served as confirmation he chose the right major. The golf and turf management senior transferred to the University of Minnesota Crookston after he received a mailing from the Office of Admissions, and he has never looked back. Last summer he completed his internship working for the Texas Rangers. Learn more.

Ben Koisti

Ben Koisti’s favorite place to visit is Disney World because he believes dreams really do come true. At a young age of two years old, he was given his first set of golf clubs by his parents. Since then, golf has become second nature to Koisti even landing him a spot on the University of Minnesota Crookston Men’s Golf team. Koisti has a passion for golf but even a bigger passion for education. The sophomore from Lake Norden, South Dakota, majors in golf and turf management with big dreams. Learn more.

Ben Packer, a 2011 B.S. graduate of the Golf & Turf Management program at the University of Minnesota Crookston, discusses his experience at UMC and how the internships and networking proved beneficial. Ben is from Coon Rapids, Minnesota.

The UMC Advantage

Small Campus. Big Degree.

Did you know a degree from the University of Minnesota is recognized all over the world? True story. As a system campus of the University of Minnesota system, the U of M Crookston offers access to world-class teaching, learning, and research resources—all in a smaller, more personal campus setting that’s very much like a private school. The University of Minnesota is internationally recognized and respected by not only intellectuals and academic movers and shakers, but major employers who want to hire the best and brightest—namely, you.

Learning and Doing

At the U of M Crookston, you won’t spend all your time behind a desk. Our curriculum is designed around experiential learning, which means we want you to have as much hands-on learning as possible. Depending on your major, you’ll find opportunities to be in the field, the lab, the classroom, or engaging in simulated scenarios that give you a competitive edge when you enter the workforce or head to grad school. You’ll learn the concepts and then actively apply them through projects, field trips, site visits, internships, and interactions with professionals in the field.

Caring Faculty and Staff

Our faculty and staff members are respected not only for their knowledge and skills, but also because they care about you as an individual. They serve as true mentors, offering personalized attention through small class sizes, a student-faculty ratio of 18:1, and by working closely with you as advisors. They take the time to welcome you to the UMC community, watch you grow as a leader and scholar, and help you connect with alumni and other experts.

A Technology-Rich Environment

At the U of M Crookston, we offer every student a laptop computer from day one. Everyone is tech-savvy, wi-fi is everywhere and learning happens in many ways, including simulations, applications and video presentations. It’s a virtual tech-topia! So, when you graduate, you’ll have all the latest technology skills, giving you a competitive edge. Employers consistently report the UMC graduates they hire are their “go to” people for technology and are well prepared for the demands of today’s technological workplace.

Internships, Job Placement and Grad School

More than 87% of U of M Crookston graduates gain full-time employment in their field or enroll in graduate or professional school within one year of graduation. That’s a fact. We’ll sure miss you when you graduate, but we know as a proud Golden Eagle alum, you’ll want to come back to cheer us on at homecoming or catch up with your favorite professors.

Internships. They’re a great way to earn college credit, add to your resume and help answer the question, “is this really what I want to do?” You can find internship opportunities with everyone from the business down the street to Fortune 500 companies. Or maybe grad school is in your future. U of M Crookston students get the educational requirements and resources they need to apply to an array of graduate programs from veterinary science to med school to an MBA program. Many go on for more education in a variety of other fields.

Opportunities for undergraduate research also add real value to your educational experience by allowing you to design and conduct research while working alongside faculty mentors. Research experience is especially helpful if you plan to attend graduate school.

One-Rate Tuition and Scholarship Options

Whether you live in Minnesota, just across the border, across the country, or on the other side of the ocean, you pay the same tuition rate, and the U of M Crookston’s tuition rate is a real value because it’s the lowest of the five campuses that make up the U of M system. Additionally, with merit-based scholarships guaranteed based on GPA and ACT scores and more than 300 specialty scholarships, we really do help make college affordable.

Leadership, Clubs and Athletics

Sure, college is about classes, studying, and research, but another important part of the experience involves professional development, creativity, leadership, and service. And let’s not forget about fun! With more than 40 student clubs and organizations, there’s something for every interest. Best of all, if you can’t find something from the existing list, grab a few friends and start a new club. It’s really just that easy…

In athletics, Golden Eagles shake things up on the court, the field, and on the sidelines. The U of M Crookston competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as well as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and offers a full range of men’s and women’s athletic programs.

A Diverse, Global Experience

The world really is a small place, and at U of M Crookston we value diversity. Our students bring rich experiences spanning six continents, and more than 20 countries and 40 states! We value diversity because it not only helps you better understand the world, it helps you understand yourself and how your piece fits into the puzzle of global society. Get involved in the many multicultural and international programs on campus, and you’ll see how easy it is to make friends from across the world.

Or choose one of our international programs. Study, intern, volunteer, play, explore – here or anywhere. Take your pick from more than 300 options in 67 countries. Don’t just learn it, live it.