Golf course superintendent

A golf course superintendent supervises course maintenance. Depending on the course, the superintendent may oversee as little as two or more than 50 employees with a budget ranging from $100,000 to over $1,000,000.

Salary Range: $40,000 to over $100,000. The 2010 average salary of head superintendents in the southeastern Pennsylvania area was about $85,000.

Some superintendents enjoy the challenge of hosting a PGA Tour or USGA golf tournament, while others enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere of a daily-fee public course.

Graduates with a B.S. in agronomy-turf management start their careers as a first or second assistant superintendent. Starting salaries range from $30,000 to $40,000.  Advancement to head superintendent can occur in as little as one to five years.

Please explore the following links for the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America and the United States Golf Association.

Sports turf manager

Professional sports facilities need professional turf managers. As a sports field manager, you can oversee maintenance of one field or an entire sports complex. Opportunities exist with major and minor league baseball, NFL Teams and professional soccer teams.

Universities, colleges, high schools, community parks, horse tracks, polo clubs, tennis clubs, and cricket clubs are beginning to recognize the need for a professional turf manager to maintain their athletic complex. A well-maintained field reduces injuries and offers better playing conditions.

Graduates with a B.S. in turf management usually start their careers as an assistant field manager, while some actually start as head field manager.

Please explore more on the Sports Turf Manager Association's website.

Lawn care manager

Start your own lawn care company with your education and training in turf management from DelVal.

You can also work as a manager, consultant, or technician for a professional lawn care franchise.

Lawn care is a booming industry; U.S. homeowners spend about $15 billion on their lawns and landscape each year. That's a lot of green!

Visit The Lawn Care Association of Pennsylvania (LCAP) and The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) to learn more.

Grounds manager

With a turf management degree, you will be ready to maintain an institutional site landscaped with turf, trees, flowers, buildings, and roads.

You may find yourself hired by colleges, universities, municipalities, park and recreation facilities, office parks, residential communities, hotels, resorts, theme parks, or cemeteries, which represent just a few of the industries where qualified grounds managers are needed.

Follow this link for more information from the Professional Grounds Management Society.

Sod production manager

With your training and education at Delaware Valley College, you will be able to start your own farm to produce sod for a variety of uses.

As a sod production manager you will oversee the cultivation, harvest, delivery, and installation of sod for customers who may include homeowners, landscapers, golf courses, and athletic fields.

Learn more from Turf Producers International.

Sales and service

A Turf Management degree from Delaware Valley College can prepare you to sell and/or service the materials and equipment that turf managers use.

There are sales and service representatives associated with just about everything in the turf industry, including mowers, fertilizer, pesticides, seed, sprayers, aerifiers, and amendments.  Many in sales and service were once turf managers themselves and use that experience to help their customers.

Research/Instruction

With your hands-on education and top-rate classroom education, the doors are open for you to begin a career in turf research or begin to purse a career in teaching.

You may find yourself developing the grass or fertilizer of the future or pursuing a teaching career in turf management at a technical school, college or university.

Consultant

A Delaware Valley College degree in Turf Management will prepare you for a career in turf consultation.

As a consultant, you may find yourself giving turf advice in exchange for a variety of clients. Some include landscape management companies, golf-course management companies, USGA green sections or county extensions. You may even go into business for yourself!