Rutgers Turf Alumni Network

If you are looking for a new career opportunity in turf maintenance, we can help! The Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School maintains a comprehensive list of jobs and internships in partnership with the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science: https://turf.rutgers.edu/jobs. This valuable resource is updated regularly, so we encourage you to bookmark the page and check back often for new and exciting positions!

We look forward to helping you tap into the Rutgers Turf network to find the right candidate for an opening at your golf course, sports field, or other organization!

If you have a job or internship opportunity that you would like to share with the Rutgers Turf community, please send it to Program Coordinator Elizabeth Coogan at elizabeth.coogan@rutgers.edu. The listing should be sent in a .pdf format that provides the position details, including, but not limited to:

• Tasks
• Benefits
• Golf course information
• Instructions on how to apply

It will be posted on the nationwide list of turf management jobs and internships that we maintain in partnership with the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science: https://turf.rutgers.edu/jobs.

Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education offers over 60 online and in person continuing education courses on topics such as turfgrass management, irrigation, pest management, pruning, landscape design, small engine repair, and more. Most courses are one to two days long and provide focused, practical information taught by many of the instructors you know from the Two-Year and Three-Week Turf programs!

These courses are submitted for many different types of continuing education credits, including GCSAA Education Points, pesticide applicator credits, fertilizer applicator credits, irrigation association credits, and more. Certificate programs in public grounds management, natural turf management, and more are also available! For more information and a full list of available courses, visit our Landscape and Grounds Management Courses and Certificate Programs webpage.

Our alumni work as superintendents or assistant superintendents at golf courses in all 50 states and throughout the world. They also serve as sales managers, building and grounds managers, and owners and operators of landscape firms. Some #RUTurf graduates have landed their “dream” jobs with major corporations such as the New York Yankeees, NASCAR, or the Philadelphia Eagles. Visit our Alumni Map webpage to see the global reach of the Rutgers network and search for classmates to find out where they are now.

If your information is incorrectly listed on the map, please let us know so we can update it! To request updates to map listings, contact Elizabeth Coogan at elizabeth.coogan@rutgers.edu.

Whether you manage a golf course, football stadium, or public park, having a solid grounds crew is crucial to your success. However, it is increasingly difficult to hire and retain a strong maintenance crew. One way to overcome staffing challenges is to “home grow” your team. 

Encourage your employees to study the science behind successful turfgrass management at Rutgers, and steer them toward turning their seasonal job into a lifelong career. The more your staff knows, the easier your job will be, and the better your property will look and play!

Another greens team retention tool to consider is tuition service agreements. Many organizations offer employees financial assistance to attend our programs and outline a contractual agreement to ensure those students put their new knowledge to good use at their home facility. In other words, pay their way to get them to stay.

Jason Busch, Superintendent, The Powder Horn

2007 Two-Year Certificate Program Graduate

"Our Assistant Superintendent, Jory Horsley, and I were both fortunate enough to have our club pay a significant portion of our expenses at Rutgers.

"This relatively small investment in our education has had a huge return on investment to the club as a result of our increased knowledge, and more importantly, the network that we were able to build while in New Jersey."

As an alum, you know the value of attending the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School. By sending us the best people on your team and referring interested applicants to our programs, you are supporting the future of your industry. Please share these training opportunities with any budding turf managers in your network!

Two-Year Certificate Program

For greens team members with a high school diploma/GED and at least one season of work experience on a golf course, sports field, or other turf facility, our Two-Year Certificate Program provides in-depth knowledge on turf and soil science, plant materials, irrigation technology, golf course construction, leadership skills, and more. Students attend two 10-week class sessions with a paid internship in-between, which can be completed at the golf course where they are currently employed.

Three-Week Turf Course

For entry-level employees or staff that show promising futures, the online Three-Week Turf class covers soil fertility, turfgrass species, turfgrass establishment/management/maintenance, mowing heights, machine maintenance, managing insects/diseases/weeds, irrigation, and much more. There are no prerequisites for this program. Offered in January during the off-peak season, you will have all hands on deck when you need it most. Plus, with formally trained crew members on your team, you can trust that everyday decisions will be based in sound scientific principles. 

Landscape and Grounds Management Courses

We offer approximately 60 landscape training courses each year on topics ranging from tree care and turfgrass to pest management and plants, as well as athletic fields, irrigation, small engine repair, and more. Offered both online and in person at the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, NJ, these courses are taught by Rutgers professors, Extension Specialists, and respected industry experts — including many of the same instructors who teach in our golf turf management programs! Plus, these classes are approved for a variety of credits needed to maintain professional licenses and certifications.

Dear Turf Alumnus,

Please take a minute of your time to reflect on where your education at the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School has led you. I have found in speaking with fellow alumni that their resumes listing our Professional Golf Turf Management School command attention and respect because golf courses world-wide have learned that our academic standards are second to none. Yet, our current students still face the financial challenges that many of our alumni experienced once deciding to pursue the substantial goal of investing in a future through the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School. The tuition, housing, and food costs are overwhelming, as well as evaluating lost time in the workforce. Although only 20 short weeks, the program remains financially unobtainable for many.

That’s why we need your help. Your support of our students through our scholarship donation program can give our students the financial care they need to accomplish their goal. Allowing us to award scholarships helps reinforce their commitment to their education here and motivates them to continue. As an alumnus, you can attest to the fact that the education and contacts made as a student here at Rutgers has made a tremendous difference in your professional careers and lives. We want others to know that same success and pride.

You can choose to give any amount and 100% of your donation will be put toward student tuition costs. Scholarships are given in $500 increments to second year students based on their academics and financial need. For every 10 alumni who provide a $50 gift, we can award one more student scholarship.

We ask that you please make your tax-deductible donation online. You will receive a tax receipt from the Rutgers University Foundation, the 501(c)3 for the university.

We continue to be amazed at the accomplishments of our alumni at courses and in companies around the world. Know we are here to support you in every way possible. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, and best wishes for your continued success.

Sincerely,

Thom Ritchie, Class of 1976
Executive Director, Rutgers Turfgrass Alumni Association

Have you recently moved, started a new job, received a promotion, or gotten a new email address? We want to know! Please use our Alumni Update Form to share your latest details so we can update our records.

You can also use this form to join our email list! In an effort to go green, we are no longer mailing brochures so joining our email list is the best way to stay connected to the #RUTurf community! Our email newsletters contain alumni profiles, updates about our programs, and much more.

To request a copy of your transcript from the Two-Year Certificate Program, please contact Elizabeth Coogan at elizabeth.coogan@rutgers.edu or 848-932-7184.

If you are an alumnus who has lost the certificate we provided to you upon completion of the Two-Year or Three-Week program, you may request a replacement certificate. A $15 fee will be assessed. Please reach out to Elizabeth Coogan at 848-932-7643 or elizabeth.coogan@rutgers.edu to request a replacement certificate.