Typical Nebraska kid... and a first airplane flight
Hello all! My name is Eric Bruening and I have been asked by the good people here at TurfNet to write a blog on my summer internship at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland. First, I'd like to start with a brief introduction of myself and what brought me to Lahinch.
I am originally from Norfolk, NE, a town of 25,000 in northeast Nebraska. I am a senior Turfgrass Management student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I come from a family of golfers as my father was a superintendent at El Dorado Hills in Norfolk for 25 years. In addition, both my older brothers played collegiate golf (one at UNL and one at Nebraska - Wesleyan) after successful high school careers that included Nebraska State Championships. Unfortunately I wasn't able to follow in their footsteps, and I'm still trying to shake the label of 'black sheep' in the family. No family summary is complete without mentioning my mother, who learned to love golf by spending her vacation time driving me and my brothers to tournaments around the region.
For the summer of 2014 I was fortunate enough to do my summer internship at Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, NE, which served as my introduction to world class golf course management. Anyone familiar with the club knows that Kyle Hegland and his assistant Jared Kalina keep the course at an elite level throughout the playing season. I gained a wealth of invaluable knowledge from these two, and they have really increased my desire to become a super myself.
After mentioning to Kyle that I had an interest in going overseas for the summer of 2015, he put me into contact with one of his acquaintances, Brian McDonagh, the superintendent at Lahinch. After being offered a position for the summer from Brian, the work was just beginning. This is where Mike O'Keeffe from Ohio St. University came to my rescue. Mr. O'Keeffe helped me with all the logistics of getting to Ireland, from obtaining a work visa to what I should expect when I arrive. This was a tall task as, fitting the 'typical Nebraska kid' stereotype, I had never been on an airplane before this trip.
Road signs are in English and traditional Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge).
Sorry for the lengthy intro, but I feel very lucky to be where I am today and wanted to acknowledge those who have helped me along the way. In the following weeks I will showcase the best that Ireland has to offer, from goats to golf and cliffs to culture.
Main Street, Lahinch.
If at any time you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to email me at ericjbruening@gmail.com.
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