John Kirkwood: Colonial Golf Course
Second-year student John Kirkwood is currently interning with Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, TX. Originally from Galena, OH, John spent most of his high school years working at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, OH, which is where he first got started in the world of turfgrass. Currently a Horticultural Science student specializing in Turfgrass Science, John is working towards his associate degree at Ohio State ATI.
Colonial Golf Course presented a unique opportunity for its interns this summer, which entailed assisting with a 30-million-dollar course renovation. John said he is excited to be a part of the project, which includes the installation of new PrecisionAire hydronics and drainage systems within each of the greens. He is also interested in exploring the management of different climate grasses—Texas, in particular, utilizes all warm-season grasses.
John has also assisted in grounds maintenance for the Charles Schwab Challenge, which is a PGA-level tournament hosted by the course each year. For this tournament, he mowed greens and staged trailers for equipment transportation. On the business and management side, John has worked frequently with his superintendent to learn more about different management styles and how they oversee the grounds staff and interns. He is also grateful for the opportunity to work with Colonial’s director of agronomy for the added networking and professional connection.
John’s piece of advice to new students is, “Push yourself to see and learn more. Don’t settle for an opportunity that’s too comfortable. Get out-of-state and see what the industry has to offer.”