Turf Scientist

Turf scientists must be both scientists and people persons. In their first jobs they often work outside caring for lawns, golf courses, park sites, athletic fields, or grounds around corporation headquarters. They may operate computer-controlled irrigation equipment or mowing machines. Turf scientists often advance to become foremen, coordinators, managers, or assistant or branch managers in corporations; they may then spend more time indoors managing a business and working with people.

Turf scientists can be golf course superintendents, turf managers for football or baseball stadiums, park site managers, grounds managers for corporate headquarters, sod producers, lawn care professionals, sales representatives for companies that produce lawn care products, or teachers in two- or four-year educational institutions.

To be a turf scientist you need a college education. Take courses such as turf management, soil fertility, weed science, plant pathology, entomology, and horticulture. You should also take courses in management, business and technical writing, and communications to improve your business and people skills.

In high school, take as much biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, and physics as possible. Courses in communications and computer science also help.

-- Carol Robertson, Golf Course Superintendents Association