Seasonal Intern

Established in 1983, The Honors Course is a private golf club located just northeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the community of Ooltewah. The club’s mission is centered on amateur golf, and it has hosted many prestigious amateur championships. The Honors Course has consistently been ranked by Golf Digest as one of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses” since its opening.

The Honors Course most recently hosted the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur and is proud to be the host site for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 2031 U.S. Amateur Championship.

The Honors Course – Golf Course Agronomy Internship

Overview:
The internship at The Honors Course is designed to develop highly motivated and qualified individuals with the skills necessary to advance toward roles as an Assistant Superintendent and, ultimately, Golf Course Superintendent. Interns will gain hands-on experience in maintaining a premier private golf course that adheres to the highest standards of excellence in the industry.

The Honors Course provides a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment where quality and precision are paramount. Interns will gain comprehensive exposure to daily golf course maintenance operations. With warm-season grasses, interns will have the unique opportunity to manage TifEagle Ultradwarf Bermudagrass putting greens, Zeon Zoysia tees, fairways, and surrounds, as well as Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass roughs. Internship positions are available for durations ranging from 3 to 12 months.

Internship Experience:
Interns will participate in a structured, hands-on program where classroom knowledge is applied to real-world golf course operations. Rotations and responsibilities will be tailored to each intern’s prior experience and skill level. Every intern will begin with the fundamentals of walk-mowing greens and will progress to the operation of all golf course equipment upon mastery of each preceding skill.

The Honors Course offers an experience unlike any other internship. If you are eager to learn, you will be exposed to every aspect of golf course maintenance at a Top 100 facility. By fully engaging in this program, interns will be prepared to step into an Assistant Superintendent role upon completion.

Key Areas of Focus Include:

• Daily Course Setup & Maintenance: Execution of daily operations and course preparation.
• Integrated Pest Management: Planning, inventory control, calibration, application of fertilizers and pesticides, and proper documentation.
• Equipment Operation: Safe use of standard golf course equipment and select construction machinery.
• Turfgrass Management & Cultivation: Practices including topdressing, aerification, grooming, and verticutting of greens, tees, fairways, and approaches.
• Bermudagrass Putting Green Cultural & Moisture Management: Intensive 10-day championship conditioning program, achieving U.S. Open-level standards.
• Irrigation Systems & Water Management: Operation and scheduling using Rain Bird Cirrus Pro ICI (two-wire) systems.
• Small Crew Management: Supervising and delegating maintenance tasks.
• Introduction to Equipment Maintenance: Reel and bedknife grinding, cutting unit adjustments, and preventative maintenance.
• Budgeting & Financial Management
• USGA Championship Preparation: Course preparation for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur, featuring the world’s top women’s amateur golfers.