Most four-year college degree programs in sports turf management require a minimum number of basic educational courses. These may include English, composition, algebra, biology, chemistry and a foreign language. Some courses related to sports turf management may be taken in the first year or two, including plant biology, organic chemistry, land surveying, golf course design and turf insect studies. These courses will enable students to gain a basic understanding of what they will study in later years.
By the third year of college studies in sports turf management, students will focus on specific areas of coursework. These can include weed science, plant pathology, soil fertility, turf management, arboriculture, agricultural economics, athletic field management, turf grass diseases, turf weed management, plant physiology and golf course operations. In addition to coursework, many sports turf management students gain valuable hands-on experience by working at university locations such as golf courses and athletic facilities.
For people who have already earned a college degree or those who wish to work in the field of sports turf management without taking the college route, educational alternatives are available. Some universities offer seminars and/or evening programs that concentrate on sports turf management courses. These can include lectures as well as field visits to golf courses and athletic facilities.
Some universities offer quick courses in this field. Rutgers University, for example, has a three-day program in athletic field construction and maintenance that explores the construction, renovation, establishment and maintenance of athletic fields. It is geared toward experienced field managers as well as newcomers. Topics include proper drainage, turf establishment, selecting and evaluating turf varieties, design and installation of irrigation systems, basics of soil science and strategies to combat compaction, and insect, disease and weed control.