Penn State Turf Club

The Penn State Turf Club met for the final time on Tuesday, April 21st. There was a lot to cover including instituting new laws, welcoming new club officers, Trade Magazine Contest, and a speech from Mark Kenyhercz (Keystone Turf Products).

By-laws

• The membership dues will be reduced from $30 a year to $20 a year or $15 per semester
• Guest speakers will be treated to dinner immediately following club meetings. Two club officers and a student member will accompany the speaker.
• In the event that no 2-year students fill a club officer position, the club will open at least one extra position to include a 2-year student.

Penn State students,

We want to make you aware of a couple scholarship opportunities through the College of Agricultural Sciences and GCSAA.

The scholarship application form for the 2009-2010 academic year is due April 30, 2009. You can find the application form here.

The GCSAA Scholars Program was developed to recognize outstanding students planning careers in golf course management.

The first place winner of the competition receives a $6,000 scholarship and is honored as the Mendenhall Award Winner. The second place winner in the competition receives a $5,000 award and is designated as the recipient of the Allan MacCurrach Award. The MacCurrach Award is funded by the PGA Tour. Ten to fifteen GCSAA Scholars ($1,500-$2,500) and up to ten Merit Winners ($500) are selected to receive scholarship awards based on the final ranking in the competition.

Last year, three Penn State students received a GCSAA Scholars Award. Add your name to the Penn State legacy by completing the following application.

Check out Penn State Turf news here.

The site provides all current news, pictures, events, research and student achievements.

By Dr. Andrew McNitt

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Drew Barnett, senior in turfgrass science at Penn State was a successful candidate to the Jacobsen's Future Turf Manager's Seminar to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina May 18-21, 2009.

"We started this program in the 1970s to give promising young minds in the industry a glimpse of life as a turf professional," said Ralph Nicotera, who has been involved in the Future Turf Managers program for nearly 30 years and currently serves as Jacobsen vice president of sales. "Jacobsen has always invested in education and this program has helped hundreds of turf students get a jump start on their careers."

Drew did his internship last summer at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, NY during the summer of 2008. He will be starting as an assistant at Corral de Tierra Country Club in Corral de Tierra, CA in June 2009.

Click here to read a recent article on golfdom.com about GCSAA CEO Mark Woodward, and his outlook on the turf profession.

On April 21st, the Turf Club will host its final meeting of the semester. We will be giving away door prizes, a random drawing for free dinner after the meeting, and free food/drinks. Here are some of the topics that will be covered:

• Organization of club meetings
• Turf Club Cookout at Valentine
• Fundraisers
• Trade Magazine Article Contest

Penn State seniors,

Get your Penn State Turfgrass t-shirt before graduation. The new look t-shirts cost just $15 and come in gray with with navy lettering or navy with white lettering.

Also check out the PSU Turfgrass merchandise web page, click the link on the right column.

To place an order, please contact Nick Gialloreto (nrg5018@psu.edu) or Tyler Bloom (tgb5009@psu.edu).

Students,

Are you still searching for a summer internship or full-time position? Please stop in the Hamilton Club Room in Ag Science to look at brochures from over 100 golf clubs, athletic fields, and lawn care professionals. Also, be sure to seek help from your academic advisor or other turfgrass students.

Penn State students,

Have you applied for the College of Agricultural Sciences scholarships? The College of Agricultural Sciences offers numerous academic scholarships in all fields of study. Application deadline is set for April 30th. Each year, students from the Turfgrass Science major receive financial support through the college scholarship program.

Click here to apply!