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The USGA Green Section has offered paid summer internships for more than 25 years. Many of our interns have gone on to become leaders in the turfgrass industry and some have even joined the Green Section as full-time staff. The 2023 summer internship program accepted seven students who travelled for four weeks with USGA agronomists on Course Consulting Service visits and to USGA championships, where they got first-hand experience with course maintenance at the highest level. Two of our interns this year were kind enough to share their stories and a little of what they learned.

Molly Biggs

Having grown up on family-owned cattle farm in a golfing family, naturally I fell in love with the game and all things agriculture. I learned about turfgrass management on a visit to Kansas State and since I loved playing golf it seemed like a perfect fit for my career. I finished my bachelor’s degree at Kansas State in 2023 and am currently pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State.

My internship started with two weeks of course consulting visits with fellow intern Tom Gould and Zach Nicoludis, director of the USGA Green Section’s central region. The goal was to give us a glimpse into the life of an agronomist, so in the true spirit of things we traveled out Sunday night or Monday morning and returned home late Thursday each week. Looking back at arriving to work with Zach on day one, I could have never imagined how much I was going to learn, laugh and eat the next few weeks.

During our nine days of travel in Ohio and Illinois we saw over 15 golf courses, including high-end private clubs, municipal courses, multi-course facilities and research centers. There was a lot to learn about the work that goes into performing a course consulting visit, writing the report and following up with the facility about any questions they had. Each visit was unique – we experienced some with only the superintendent, some that included the assistants and the green committee, drop-in visits, first-time visits, all-day visits and even a post-tournament visit. The variability in golf course needs quickly became apparent and I saw how an agronomist tailors each consulting visit to meet the specific needs of the facility.

"The variability in golf course needs quickly became apparent and I saw how an agronomist tailors each consulting visit to meet the specific needs of the facility."

There was also no shortage of learning off the course. I got used to navigating airports and flight delays, learning to always remain flexible in situations you cannot control. The long drives to and from golf courses provided an opportunity to talk with Tom and Zach and learn from their experiences. By the end of our two weeks together we knew each other’s hobbies, how everyone liked their coffee and more. They also shared an invaluable amount of turf knowledge with me. Getting to know them was one of my favorite parts of the internship. In many turfgrass professions, comradery is one of the main reasons people enjoy the job. This group of people was no exception, rather they were exceptional.

My journey continued with two more weeks at a USGA championship, the U.S. Women’s Open. This was the part of my summer where I had no idea what to expect. It was a historic event as the first Women’s Open hosted at Pebble Beach Golf Links. I had never been to Pebble Beach, never volunteered at a tournament, and certainly never collected putting green data on a championship-ready golf course. Although I was nervous, the Green Section agronomists and USGA championship directors went out of their way to make sure I learned as much as I could. In just under two weeks at Pebble, I learned how to properly collect green speed, firmness and other data and saw how that information is used to make course setup decisions. Attending the daily “2:30 p.m. meetings” with USGA agronomy and championship teams as well as Pebble Beach’s agronomy and management teams gave me a chance to see how to effectively address important issues in a room full of highly qualified people and make sure the right decisions are made to ensure everyone is working toward the same goal.

As championship week approached and my role changed, I still attended the meetings but spent the majority of my time at the golf course maintenance facility with the turf team. The biggest challenges I saw were the dense morning fog and constantly changing weather. Fog at Pebble Beach likes to sit right over the course during morning maintenance, keeping everything wet and making it quite chilly. It also created questions about how fast and firm the greens should be. The weather played a key role in setting daily speed and firmness targets and we often needed to have options ready depending on if it was sunny and windy, or foggy and rainy. I did not realize how much championship course prep is an adaptive and always-changing environment. There is a large team that puts a lot of work into preparing a course for a USGA championship, but good communication made sure everyone operated together.

My internship is difficult to sum up in a few highlights. However, one thing that sticks out to me most is the support I received from the people I met. There were mentors that went out of their way to help me learn, peers with similar career goals, women who will stand in my corner for the remainder of my life, and so many other knowledgeable turfgrass professionals who are now just a phone call away.

Thomas Gould

I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and always had an interest in turf. After owning a lawn care business and some additional work in the green industry, I found Iowa State's Turfgrass Management program. My time at Iowa State solidified my desire to pursue a career in the golf industry and introduced me to the USGA Green Section. I knew several classmates who were USGA Green Section interns and enjoyed the experience so I decided to apply and was very happy to be accepted.

The first two weeks consisted of Course Consulting Service visits across the Midwest with Zach Nicoludis and fellow intern Molly Biggs. I didn’t realize the depth of the relationship a USGA agronomist has with each course they visit. Zach was frequently checking in with superintendents before and after a visit and he had an obvious interest in seeing each course succeed.

A comprehensive summary and analysis of the points covered in the visit is provided to the superintendent and course officials soon after. It takes a significant amount of time and attention to detail to prepare the report and ensure the proper recommendations are included in the final version. Scheduling visits also requires an incredible amount of organization. With course consulting visits in high demand, USGA agronomists have to be incredibly efficient in completing tasks and staying organized.

Over two weeks of course consulting visits, I constantly found myself in conversations about turfgrass science concepts I learned in school and then saw them in practice out in the field. I realized how essential it was for agronomists to keep up on current research and agronomic principles to make recommendations that benefit each course specifically. I also got to learn about the USGA’s new GS3 technology tool and their DEACON data management platform. I found the smart ball was super easy to use and saw how putting green data helps courses make management decisions.

Following our course consulting visits, I received two weeks of championship experience at the U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld in Wisconsin. Zach and I worked alongside Dr. Jordan Booth, director of course consulting for the Green Section. It was great to see all the different teams involved in running a USGA championship come together to create the best experience for the players. A typical day involved getting to the course by 4 a.m. to collect putting green data before morning maintenance to help the championship director make course setup decisions. Throughout the day we would observe how the course played, help put out any fires and act as the liaison between the USGA and the maintenance team. Every afternoon the agronomists and championship director met with the superintendent to discuss what maintenance activities would take place before the next round to ensure optimal playing conditions. Then, we collected more data following evening maintenance activities.

There were several rain events during those two weeks, but the maintenance team did an incredible job of adapting to changing circumstances quickly to ensure the quality and playability of the course. Through these times of adversity, it became clear that the maintenance team at SentryWorld could tackle any challenge. Days working the U.S. Senior Open were quite long, but very rewarding and well worth it.

Interning with the Green Section was an incredible experience. It was so interesting to see a variety of courses across the Midwest and how they employ different management practices to accomplish their unique goals. With course management being so variable, no day throughout my internship was the same. I also learned from some great role models and realized a successful agronomist relies greatly on relationship building, organization and understanding of agronomic principles. Overall, it was an excellent experience, one I highly recommend to anyone considering a summer internship.

How To Apply for 2024

The USGA will be accepting up to eight turfgrass management students for the 2024 Green Section Internship Program. This unique experience helps participants broaden their perspective, grow their network and often helps define the direction they take in their educational endeavors. If you’re interested in more information or would like to apply, please reach out to Dr. Jordan Booth for details.

Congratulations to all the 2023 Green Section interns:

  • Mike Banton, University of Guelph
  • Molly Biggs, Iowa State University
  • Emily Braithwaite, Oregon State University
  • Thomas Gould, Iowa State University
  • Will Green, University of Arkansas
  • John Peppers, Virginia Tech University
  • Cole Stover, Oregon State University