The View From a Intern

For the last fifteen years we have had a highly successful Internship program here at CCCP. Many of them have moved on to become Assistant and Golf Course Superintendent's at other clubs both in and out of the state of Colorado.

Not too long ago one of my Interns from this year  William Sechrist asked me if he could write a blog post for me.  I was thrilled to hear that he wanted to write one and I am happy to say this will be the first non Sean McCue post in this blog. Enjoy the  perspective from a young man working his way up the ranks that has a bright future in the industry.   

Every day at the County Club at Castle Pines begins the same. The convoy of carts from the maintenance shop makes its way up the cliff to the club house. As I drive up the dark cliff I gaze over to see the rising sun hitting the mountains. I have always imagined how awesome it would be to not only wake up to the sunrise, but also the Rocky Mountains, and this summer has been unforgettable.

A good internship is one where you are communicated with and feel involved. It is important to feel that you can give your opinion and that your ideas, good or bad will be considered. The Country Club at Castle Pines has two interns and the one-on-one time with Sean and his two Assistants has been very valuable.  Other high profile Country Clubs commonly have four or more summer interns and may look good on a resume, but the experience that is gained is far less than it should be.   What has made my internship at CCCP so enjoyable is the variety, each day brings new challenges in which I can learn and grow from. However big or small the golf course is, the work is going to be hard and you have to give your all each and every day. You must expect to work long days with very little time off, but the hard work pays off in the end with the experience gained which will solidify my future in the industry.  

There are two summer interns this year. I am currently enrolled in the Turf Management program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. It is a great program with a lot of intelligent experienced professors whom are all connected to the golf course industry. I am enjoying bringing what I’ve learned in the classroom out to the golf course and applying into real world situations. 

Students come from all over the country to attend Rutgers University and the majority of the internships that are taken remain back east. I came to Colorado looking to experience how differently golf courses are maintained out west in an arid climate.  Combining this with my previous work experience in Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia will help to solidify my agronomic foundation. Believe me when I say there is a BIG difference and there is plenty to learn out here! My experience at CCCP this summer has been everything I hoped it would be and more. I will miss it when I leave in October and if lucky, I’ll be back some day!