University of Nebraska introduces new turfgrass apprenticeship program

Andrew Getty on the second green at Jim Ager Memorial Golf Course after prepping for a state
junior golf tournament

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) turfgrass program has partnered with Lincoln Parks and Recreation to provide a new learning opportunity for its turf and landscape management students.

Advanced students in the program will be placed in charge of all aspects of turf care at Jim Ager Memorial Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. The program will offer an opportunity for students to hone their skills and build confidence before they start their careers as turfgrass professionals.

Students receive support from the turf faculty, graduate students and staff at UNL as they practice their craft.

Andrew Getty was selected to serve as the inaugural course manager at Ager Golf Course. He started this spring.

Student workers and graduate students edging a bunker at Ager Golf Course.

This winter Getty worked with recent program graduate Kenton Friston to develop a management plan and work within the course’s budget. In early spring, he cleaned up mower lines, controlled seedheads with Proxy, and used Defendor and Barricade to control troublesome weeds.

He also seeded thin areas with seed donated by United Seed. Now he’s transitioning into turf stress and disease season. He also made preventative applications of Acelepryn and is actively fighting yellow nutsedge with Celero.

UNL is extremely thankful to have received donations for this program, including:

• Products from Bayer, BASF, Dow, Nufarm, Simplot, Spectrum Technologies, Syngenta and Valent;
• A Lynx Central Control from The Toro Co. and NSN;
• New John Deere mowers courtesy of Van Wall Equipment; and
• A variable rate GPS sprayer retrofit from Winfield United and Frost Inc.

The level of support and collaboration from industry partners will help UNL students during the summer apprenticeship and during fall courses taught at Ager Golf Course.

UNL is also using this collaboration to demonstrate research findings on a real golf course. Projects at Ager include Poa seedhead control research, remote sensing nitrogen status, variable rate applications and preventing PGR collar decline.

A walking field day will be held at Jim Ager Memorial Golf Course following the traditional summer field day on UNL’s East Campus this year. Both events will be on July 18 and will include a 2-man best ball tournament at Ager Golf Course following the afternoon golf session.

Register for the field day events here, and learn more about the program at https://youtu.be/e1_g6UMeuVI.

Photos: UNL