Golf
17th fairway from the tee at Cypress Point
manicured to tournament standard
“The entire course is
doesn’t lose that feeling that you are somewhere very special”
done in such a way that it
everyday, but
side of a golf club’s business and management.
The business class was really enjoyable and I had to create my own business plan from scratch, assessing a golf course’s assets and identifying ways to improve the business, setting goals, predicting financial forecasts and setting up budgets.
I took classes in golf course management, plant pathology and disease management and turfgrass management and science, all of which helped me to improve my knowledge, and made me look at a golf course totally different now, identifying problems faster, recognising potential issues, whilst helping me with ideas to improve the course and ways to improve myself.
Whilst on the programme, I signed up for The Turf Club, a group of turf students who raise money to pay expenses to attend the GCSAA/GIS industry show. This was held in Las Vegas, and it was great to see all the latest and greatest technology and ideas for the future on display, and to do some networking and meet the people behind all the technology.
As I was a student at OSU at the time, I also got to take part in the annual collegiate turf bowl competition, which is a team event that lasts four hours, testing our knowledge in every subject of course management. An experience that I will never forget!
20 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 1st at Cypress Point
I should mention that you cannot just attend OSU classes, you have to be selected. This is based on your previous education in turf and your performance in your first internship. The cost of the
classes is not cheap but, as you can see from my experience, it’s worth every penny. I saved enough money whilst at RTJ to cover all my expenses at OSU. On return from Las Vegas, I had a couple of weeks left at OSU, I completed my final few classes, took my final exams and then headed for my second placement.
Again, this was designed and
organised by Mike O’Keeffe. He takes so many factors into consideration, and knows so much about you at this stage, but remember, he’s putting his name and the programme’s reputation on the line every time he sends someone out to a course. This would not be such a big deal if he was sending you to a regular golf course. The problem is, Mike only deals with the best courses in the country and, to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into when I immediately agreed to his next choice of placement - Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California. Mike has only sent one other intern to Cypress Point Club, so I knew that I was very lucky to be placed there and that this place was special. I had tried to find out more about the club online but, because it is really exclusive, there wasn’t too much to find out. Cypress Point Club is ranked number two in the world and is one of the greatest and most prestigious courses anywhere on the planet. It is situated in northern California on the Monterey Peninsula, surrounded by other great courses like Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. It was designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1928, and its history and tradition can still be seen today as the
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