The Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program is very simple: one year in and out. It's a professional development experience that happens in person either in Pinehurst, North Carolina or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with our community college partners.Once accepted, the students take classes and work full time.So, they earn while they learn.
The Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program (GAP), currently in its third year, gives those aspiring to have a career in the turfgrass industry a boost.The classroom-based education is designed around students’ full-time work schedule on a local golf course. The curriculum includes:
Turfgrass Science Water Management Soil Science Turfgrass Fertility Pest Management
They’ll receive on-the-job training from leaders in the golf course maintenance industry and a mentor to guide them through the program.Plus, they’ll earn two college credentials and a Journey Worker Card, recognized by the US Department of Labor, to exhibit proficiency in golf course maintenance. There’s no cost for participants and a full-time paid job will be waiting for them at a Pinehurst or Myrtle Beach area golf course.
Applications are open for the 2026 cohorts at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C. and Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Class begins in January 2026.
Help us spread the word about the GAP Program. Download, print and hang the poster linked below in your breakroom.