For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: November 7, 2024
Most Golf Course Management students already hired
Fennimore -
With six months remaining until spring graduation, nearly all Golf Course Management students at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College have been hired. There are 18 students in the program. Of those, two are working full time and finishing classes, one student is taking general education courses, and the remaining 15 students are either employed or are doing interviews for internships for full-time work. “Even the guys who don’t have job offers know they will be fully employed,” said Scott Kennedy, Golf Course Management instructor. “Many of them have multiple options at top courses in the country. They are picking and choosing from unbelievable positions at top five-star facilities.”
According to Kennedy, the program has had 100-percent job placement for more than 20 years. “The students come in ambitious and want to be part of this specialized industry,” he said. “Many people contact us for our graduates. Recently, representatives from three large resorts where here to talk with the students.”
Even though their careers are on the horizon, the students continue to come to campus and learn as much as possible. “They still show up every day and do their thing,” said Kennedy. “They get it.”
“It’s hard to come to class sometime because I’m ready to get out there, but there is still some things I need to learn in class,” said Cooper Withrow, from Platteville, Wisconsin.
Withrow received an offer to work at the Lake Geneva Country Club. “Scott covers a lot of different things,” he said. “We learn about the outside stuff, which is also important for us inside guys, especially down the road if we become GMs. We learn about giving lessons and teaching, which is what I want to do.”
The program involves a variety of learning areas, including restaurant management, golf operations, golf maintenance, and more. “I enjoy all aspects of the program, including putting grips on clubs, being outside, soil tests, and tree IDs,” said Karson Wenger, from New Glarus, Wisconsin, who is deciding on a couple employment options after graduation in May.
Brandon Kreutz, from Madison, Wisconsin, played golf all four years in high school. He also worked at a golf course during his junior and senior years of high school He interned at TPC Wisconsin, north of Madison. He will be working there after graduation. “It’s cool to know the job security is there,” he said.
Devin Kreul, from Fennimore, is interested in the business side of golf. He has received an offer to work at the Broadmore in Colorado Springs Colorado. He has a second interview with another facility and will then make his decision.
Braiden Hoge, from Livingston, Wisconsin, completed an internship at a course in Chicago. He plans to work at a course in Pennsylvania after graduation.
Ben Rader, from Muskego, Wisconsin, will be an assistant golf professional at the Legend at Merill Hills after graduation. That course is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
The Golf Course Management program is not alone in its student success. According to the most recent data, 95 percent of all Southwest Tech graduates are employed within the first year of graduation.
To learn more, visit www.swtc.edu/golfcoursemanagement.
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named a top 10 finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |