HGTC Turf Students Make Magic

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., March 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From working with The Myrtle Beach Pelicans to The New York Mets, students majoring in Golf & Sports Turf Management at Horry Georgetown Technical College enjoy summer jobs that keep them close to sports.

Dylan Gress, originally from Charleston, SC, will join The New York Mets in May, while his classmate, Dominick Matthews, will work with The Boston Red Sox.

Tradd Jones of Greenville wants to learn what's happening "behind the scenes" in everything from field prepping to ballpark operations this summer when he works for The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, along with three or four other students and HGTC faculty. "Internships launch careers," Prof. Charles Granger said. "Nearly every student we place in an internship walks away with at least one job offer, and often several more."

The Hackler Golf Course at Coastal Carolina University will be the internship site for Thomas Capraro, as he "hopes to learn a deeper understanding of herbicide and budget management." Capraro has loved golf courses from the age of 10. His focus will be to keep the course both beautiful and player-friendly.

Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, NY, has offered an internship to HGTC student Thomas Dunn from Roanoke, Virginia. One of the most prestigious golf clubs in America, Sebonack's initiation fee exceeds $500K. Instead of paying to play, Dunn will earn some money to take the edge off college expenses.

How did students land such impressive jobs? Golf & Sports Turf students from HGTC, an associate degree program, have a reputation for whipping teams in turf competitions from some of the finest four-year turf management teams in the nation, including NC State, Penn State and Ohio State. "Our team takes competition seriously in the Carolinas and nationally," Granger said. "When universities areteaching theory, our lectures are hands-on. Students get their hands dirty in the field every day." From identifying diseases and insects to preparing greens and fields for some of the most visible golf tournaments and team rivalries in the nation, HGTC Golf & Sports Turf students take their responsibility for flawless fields very seriously.

HGTC students take deep pride in hearing about spectators at PGA and USGA Championships bending down to touch the grass to see if it's real. "I would have bet that grass was artificial turf if I hadn't touched it myself," one guest at The Augusta National Golf Club whispered to a friend while leaving The Masters last year. No, everything about The Masters is real, down to the lush border grass that frames the dogwoods and azaleas. HGTC Golf & Sports Turf interns take special pride in their role as caretaking partners with The Masters and other tournament professionals across America.

"Opportunities abound for our graduates," Granger said. "For the future, I would like to see more women enroll. With growth in sports and recreation, their career paths are wide open."

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39644

CONTACT: Prof. Charles Granger (812) 890-8775, or Mary Eaddy, APR, (843) 349-5341