Green Start Academy applications to open May 21

John Deere Golf and Environmental Science, a business unit of Bayer Crop Science, will accept applications for the 13th annual Green Start Academy (GSA) May 21 through June 25. Applications can be submitted at the Green Start Academy website.

Fifty applicants will be selected to attend the event Oct. 24-26 in North Carolina. The assistant superintendents will be notified of their selection during the week of Aug. 6. Travel costs are supported by John Deere and Bayer.

Open to assistant superintendents from the U.S. and Canada, GSA offers an opportunity for attendees to advance their careers, develop critical business skills and network with prominent professionals in the industry.

“The Green Start Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for assistant superintendents,” said Ren Wilkes, marketing manager for John Deere Golf. “As a leader in the golf industry, we know it is important to help shape the next generation of superintendents. For more than 12 years we have witnessed countless GSA alumni use their experiences from the event to propel their careers and further the game of golf.”

As part of GSA, attendees will travel to the Bayer Development and Training Center in Clayton, N.C., the John Deere Turf Care factory in nearby Fuquay-Varina and John Deere headquarters in Cary, N.C. In addition to offering a behind-the-scenes look at the John Deere and Bayer facilities, attendees will network with, and learn from, top industry professionals to gain insights that will help shape their careers.

“As every superintendent knows, turf care is only part of the job,” said David Wells, golf segment manager for Bayer. “Networking, budgeting, leadership and other skills are critical, too. GSA was designed to cultivate those skills and to provide a venue for assistants to meet one-on-one with both their peers and those they aspire to emulate. We’re honored to help assistants grow their roles as future leaders of golf course management through GSA each year.”

David Delsandro, current Grounds Superintendent at Oakmont Country Club and an advisor for the 2018 Green Start Academy, has seen firsthand the kind of value this program brings.

“Attending Green Start Academy was a defining moment in my professional development,” said Delsandro, 2006 alumnus of Green Start Academy. “John Deere and Bayer provided a first-class, fantastic experience. Each year I continue to recommend that all of our assistant superintendents apply.”