Revolutionary Program Shapes Golf Course Superintendents: A Life-Altering Experience

DJ McClellan’s workday often starts before dawn, with his "lunchtime" sometimes falling at breakfast. He describes his commitment: “It’s like 8 o’clock in the morning, 9 o’clock in the morning, and they say, ‘Oh, I’m on my way to work.’ I could almost go eat lunch now. I’ve already put in an eight-hour day by the time you’re getting ready to go to work.” He acknowledges that more hours remain in his shift, but sees this dedication as part of a long-term career. “I’ll probably do this until the day I die,” McClellan stated, reflecting his commitment to his role as a golf-course superintendent.

Jordan Booth, senior director of the USGA’s course consulting service, supports this sentiment. McClellan is a graduate of the USGA’s Greenskeeper Apprenticeship Program, now in its fourth year, led by Brett Rusek. This program accepts greenskeeper apprentices who then work at golf courses in the Pinehurst, N.C., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., regions, including Pinehurst Resort. Students attend either Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst or Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, S.C. The program is free for apprentices, who also work full-time at golf courses.

The program covers all aspects of golf course maintenance. Booth explained the program’s origins: “We identified this as a real challenge, workforce development in the game of golf, specifically in golf course maintenance. So we started the greenkeeper apprenticeship program right here at Sandhills Community College. We feel like we’re really focused on folks that have maybe worked in the game of golf for five-plus years but don’t have that education to understand why we do what we do, right? They may know the how. What we feel like the apprenticeship program provides is the why.”

McClellan found the program after a period of career uncertainty. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up,” he admitted. While working in the golf shop at Pinehurst, he met Booth. Booth recalled McClellan’s interest: “‘Hey, I’m interested,’ Booth said. ‘You know how personable he is, right? So DJ’s super-interested in working on the golf course, but he didn’t know how to do that. So he finished the apprenticeship program and went from not working in golf at all or at least golf course maintenance to being an apprentice to now being what we call a graduate.’”

McClellan is now a superintendent at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, the first graduate of the GAP program to hold this position. He describes the program as life-changing. Booth anticipates McClellan’s continued success. McClellan shared, “It’s a great honor to be able to represent the GAP program and to show somebody out there that’s just starting off in golf, hey, this is somewhere that I can get to. I just put my head down and worked hard and all the different things I’ve done, they’ve all been jobs. And now this is finally a career. I finally feel at home.”

English Translation:

DJ McClellan’s lunchtime can arrive at breakfast time. “It’s like 8 o’clock in the morning, 9 o’clock in the morning, and they say, ‘Oh, I’m on my way to work,’” he says. “I could almost go eat lunch now. I’ve already put in an eight-hour day by the time you’re getting ready to go to work.”

Hours likely remain on his shift, too. That’s good, though, McClellan believes. His job as a golf-course superintendent is a permanent role. “I’ll probably do this until the day I die,” he stated.

Jordan Booth, the senior director of the USGA’s course consulting service, would likely agree. McClellan was a student in a program Booth helps guide: the USGA’s Greenskeeper Apprenticeship Program. Now in its fourth year, and headed by Brett Rusek, the program recruits greenskeeper apprentices who go on to work at courses around the Pinehurst, N.C., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., areas—including Pinehurst Resort. Apprentices study at either Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst or Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, S.C. The program does not charge tuition, and apprentices work full-time at courses.

The program covers all aspects of greenskeeping. “We identified this as a real challenge: workforce development in the game of golf, specifically in golf course maintenance,” Booth explained. “So we started the greenkeeper apprenticeship program right here at Sandhills Community College. We feel like we’re really focused on folks who have perhaps worked in golf for five-plus years but lack the education to understand why we do what we do. They may know the how. We believe the apprenticeship program provides the why.”

McClellan absorbed all of this. Before the program, he admitted he was searching, like most younger professionals. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up,” he said with a laugh. Working in the golf shop at Pinehurst, he encountered Booth. “And he says, ‘Hey, I’m interested,’ Booth recalled. “You know how personable he is, right? So DJ is super interested in working on the golf course, but he didn’t know how to do that. So he finished the apprenticeship program and went from not working in golf at all, or at least golf course maintenance, to being an apprentice to now being what we call a graduate.”

Now, he is a superintendent at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst. He is the first GAP program graduate hired as a superintendent. He says it has changed his life. Booth expects him to continue in the field for a long time. “It’s a great honor to be able to represent the GAP program and to show somebody out there who’s just starting off in golf, hey, this is somewhere that I can get to,” McClellan said. “I just put my head down and worked hard, and all the different things I’ve done, they’ve all been jobs. And now this is finally a career. I finally feel at home.”