3000003 - Turf Managers' Short Course

Course Description

Designed for a wide variety of turf industry professionals including sports turf managers, nursery sod producers, golf course superintendents, residential/commercial turf care professionals and sales or service representatives, this intensive month-long professional development program covers all aspects of turf culture and management.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify and understand the physical, chemical and hydrologic characteristics of soils, know how they affect turf health, and apply this knowledge to develop sustainable turfgrass management programs for natural and constructed soil turf situations.
• Identify cool-season turfgrass species and describe their characteristics as they relate to potential success in different growing environments.
• Describe the concept of integrated pest management (IPM) and identify the key fundamentals of an IPM program, such as biology and identification of important turfgrass pests (insects, diseases and weeds) and how turfgrasses interact with the greater landscape.
• Illustrate how the integration of management practices—including cultural, physical, biological and chemical—can be successfully used to manage pests and other issues on turfgrass stands in a sustainable manner.
• Understand how to access and interpret turfgrass agronomic information.
• Integrate diverse information from the various sections of the course to design a strategy/plan of action to address real-life turf management issues (as demonstrated by problem-solving a series of case studies).
• Analyze all turf management practices (e.g., irrigation, drainage, and use and maintenance of equipment) and inputs (i.e., mowing, fertilization, irrigation and pest management) and choose the most environmentally sustainable practices while maintaining turf quality.
• Understand the importance of communication, professionalism and ethics utilized within the turfgrass industry.

Course Topics

The following topics are discussed in detail:

• Turfgrass Identification
• Turfgrass Species and Management
• Identification and Management of Turfgrass:
  • Diseases
  • Insects
  • Weeds
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Turfgrass Irrigation
• Turfgrass Equipment
• Construction and Drainage
• Landscape Management

Assessment

This course is assessed by:

• Pre- and in-course online tutorials and quizzes
• In-class quizzes
• Final exam

Accreditation 

The Turf Managers' Short course is accredited by the following associations:

• Canadian Golf Superintendents Association
  • 120 CGSA CEC points 
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
  • 12.6 GCSAA education points
• IPM Council of Canada
  • 70 continuing education credits
• Maintaining Golf Courses Certificate
  • Two courses of credit transfer
• Associate Diploma in Turfgrass Management
  • 1.0 non-specific credit

Additional Information

Visit the Travel and Accommodation page for directions and links to local hotels.  

If you would like additional information about this course, please email our main office or phone us at 519-767-5000.

If you would like us to send you a brochure, please include your mailing address in your email.

Sponsoring Partners

• Ontario Agricultural College
• Guelph Turfgrass Institute

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Turf Managers' Short Course Certificate : Required