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Number of Holes: 54 holes
Driving Range: Turf and Mats
Staff: 21 full time, 30 seasonal
Operating Budget: $1.5 million
Choosing an internship, coming from a university as reputable as Penn State, can prove to be a daunting task. Does one go to August National, Cypress Point, or maybe Merion Golf Club. The latter was very appealing to Mike but he was made aware by an acquaintance that he may not do any more than syringe greens all year and that he already had more management experience as a naval officer than the current superintendent. What Mike needed was hands on experience as much as anybody could give him. He found such a course in Saucon Valley Country Club under the tutelage of Terry Laurent, CGCS.
As most all interns are inexpensive high quality labor, they do perform many of the daily tasks. Here Mike walked mowed greens every morning and hand raked the associated green side bunkers. Changing hole locations was also a frequent task. However it was calibrating fertilizer spreaders and chemical sprayers that helped develop Mike’s best management practices. Then there was spraying greens, not a usual task for an inexperienced intern at such a superior golf course.
Mike along with another assistant superintendent built a lesson tee on the driving range from scratch. The tee was built essentially to USGA greens specifications with drainage, gravel layer and root zone mix. The tee was seeded and came in nicely before the season was over.
Additionally, he had the rare opportunity to care for a putting green, bunker and three tees at a nearby board member’s house. Since the green had struggled in previous years a decision was made to re-sod the green which Mike did by himself. The owner was a little concerned about the hours he was putting in.
Finally, Mike had volunteered to conduct research on ball roll and rooting density for the renowned Dr. A. J. Turgeon, Penn State Professor and author of the Turfgrass Mangement (the bible). This entailed taking green speeds every day and corresponding cultural, irrigation and mowing practices. The tedious work came in counting roots in a plug once a week at both two and four inches deep. God Bless Interns.