INDUSTRY EDUCATION
Delaware Valley University ( DelVal ) is the only small , private university that offers a 4-year degree in Turf Management . Facilities include turf research plots , putting green , athletic fields and acres of lawn turf . Small classes make it easy to hop into a van and visit some of the 70 golf courses less than a one-hour drive from campus . Recent graduates work at golf courses , professional sports fields , sod farms and lawn care companies .
Doug Linde , Ph . D ., professor of Turf Management heads the program , teaches various turf courses , conducts turf research and coaches the NCAA Division III golf team . According to Linde , there are currently 28 students enrolled in the Turf Management program , and that number has increased each of the past three years .
“ Our niche is helping average students in high school that want a career in turf management to get through college academically with two to three summers of work experience ,” said Linde .
Students have the same advisor for all four years , and the professors are academic and career advisors .
DelVal first began offering its Turf Management major in 1997 . According to Linde , Delaware Valley University students historically got into the turf industry as Agronomy majors , but in the late 1990s , new courses were developed , and DelVal began to offer its Turf Management major .
“ Over the years I have tried to make a network of alumni , visit the alumni , visit employers and try to build the program and build our reputation ,” said Linde . “ The thing that has really changed in the industry is the students . They come in with different learning styles and expectations . That makes it exciting . It makes me have to change and keep up to date .”
According to Linde , Turf Management students are often more energized after their first summer of work experience .
“ At that point , they are really easy to teach because they can envision themselves become a golf course superintendent or sports turf manager because they worked for one ,” he said . “ Hopefully we can continue to grow and provide more graduates to the employers .”
For more information about the Delaware Valley University Turf Management program , visit https :// delval . edu / programs / undergraduate-majors / turfmanagement-bs sportsfieldmanagementonline . com February 2023 | SportsField Management
27