Turf Alumni Spotlight: Joe Hess, A Two-Time Rutgers Turf Graduate

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Originally published November 10, 2022

Joe Hess is a double graduate of Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School. He first attended the Rutgers Three-Week Preparatory Course. “In 2018, I started working on the grounds crew at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, NY. At the time, I knew very little about golf or turfgrass but quickly grew to love the work,” said Hess. “After completing my first season at GlenArbor, I took a closer look at the turf industry by attending the Rutgers Three-Week Preparatory Course. Throughout the three weeks, the amount I learned and the many people I met from all different corners of the country and industry astounded me. The experience was an eye-opening one.”

Hess states that his time in the program taught him many things about the turf industry and furthered his dedication to Rutgers-driven career advancement. “By the end of the three weeks, I was sure of two things: first, this was the path for me, and second, there was so much more for me to learn,” he said. “So in the fall of 2020, I enrolled in the Rutgers Two-Year Certificate Program.”

Due to Covid-19, the Two-Year Certificate Program could not be held in person in 2020. However, Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School was determined not to let the pandemic get in the way of offering an expert-level education to its students and offered a completely virtual program for the first time in its history.

Hess’s involvement in the program earned him his two-year certificate and solidified him and his class in Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School history. “The two-year curriculum was much more intense and in-depth than the three-week program, and I learned a ton. Unfortunately, due to Covid, classes were remote,” he explained. “It was challenging for me to do it online, but it helped to go through it with more than 40 other people from all over the country. With the support of my fellow classmates and the faculty, I am proud to have completed the program and earned my certificate in December 2021.”

Hess attributes the first-class education he received at the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School to his continued success. “Since graduation, I have been working as Second Assistant Superintendent at GlenArbor Golf Club. The four years since I joined the crew here have gone by really fast, but I am happy to now be working towards a fulfilling career in the turfgrass industry,” Hess said. “None of this would have been possible without the continued support of my family, coworkers, and of course, the foundation laid by the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School.”