Employment Opportunity: Golf Turf Specialist
Grinnell College is in search of Turf Specialist (Superintendent) to provide high-level maintenance of the turfgrass and grounds at Grinnell College Golf Course, established in 1899. The course is well known for its excellent greens and tree-lined fairways. It has received such accolades as:
“The quality of the greens are as good as any I’ve seen in the U.S. and beyond. And I’ve seen a lot of them working for the PGA.” – Joel Schuchmann, PGA Tour Senior Director of Communications.
The golf course, setting on 56 acres, provides 9 holes with 31 teeing locations providing golfers with various 9-hole and 18-hole playing options. The course has bluegrass fairways and rough with bentgrass greens and tees. The facility also has a pool, clubhouse (lounge, pub, banquet space), and a short range. Duties of the position will include:
- Keep sophisticated golf course maintenance equipment maintained and repaired to minimize downtime.
- Provide a quality playing surface for regular play while focusing on improving playability for outings and tournaments
- Operate within a given budget
- Maintain and enhance the grounds with an emphasis on environmental sustainability
This position is a 10-month position within the Grinnell College Facilities Management & Teamsters bargaining unit. Grinnell College offers a very competitive benefits package which will be extended to this position year-round.
To apply for this position please go to https://jobs.grinnell.edu/postings/3330
Dear Grinnell College Golf Course Patrons,
Due to concerns about spreading the COVID-19 virus the Grinnell College Golf Course will close at the end of the day today Friday March 13th and will remain closed until further notice.
The Pro Shop, Pool, Golf Course, and Event Space will all be closed to everyone, with no exceptions. There will be no access to any part of the club house, pool, or the green space – no golfing, no fishing, no walking/running.
Season passes already sold for the 2020 season will be prorated according to the percentage of the season the course is operational.
If you have golf clubs, a golf cart, or other personal belongings stored at the golf course and you want to pick them up, please do so today or this weekend. After you pick up your personal property you will not be able to return it to the course until the course is reopened. So, if you pick up your golf cart you cannot bring it back to the cart barn until the course is reopened.
If you have golf clubs, a golf cart or other personal property stored at the golf course and you want to leave it there, that is okay. But after this weekend you will not be able to retrieve items until the course reopens.
The golf course will continue to be maintained and we hope to be able to reopen later in the season.
Please remember, the following precautionary measures may aid in defending against the flu and COVID-19:
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper arm/elbow.
- Clean hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Regularly clean and disinfect shared surfaces and objects that are touched frequently (faucets, doorknobs, phones, etc.).
- Avoid contact with sick people.
Look for further communication in the coming days. We look forward to reopening the facility as soon as possible!
All the best,
Shane Hart, General Manager
Grinnell College Golf Course
| Grinnell College Golf Course is part of the Grinnell College campus. As such, we strongly encourage you to read the release that was published on 3/10/2020 in response to the COVID-19 virus. To stay within the policies set forth in this release, all events will be cancelled occurring through May 15th, 2020. GCGC staff will be reaching out to the organizers of each event. The golf operation will tentatively operate without impact. As we all know this is a rapidly changing situation, and operational modifications may need to be made in the future. |
| This Weeks Schedule of Events Mon., Mar 9: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm. Tue., Mar 10: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm. Private event CANCELLED Wed., Mar 11: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm Thur., Mar 16: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm. Private event in the Upper Level all day. Fri., Mar 17: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm. $50 Fridays CANCELLED Sat., Mar 18: Course Closed due to anticipated weather Sun., Mar 19: Pro Shop Open 8 am – 5 pm. Course may close if high temperature does not get to 45 (42 is the forecast) |
| Opening Day Is Here! We are planning on opening this Saturday, March 7th! A change in the forecast or frost remaining in the ground could effect this, but our intention is to open. Tee times are recommended, which will start at 8 am. They can be made by clicking here. Please note that the course will be open, but we will have winter conditions (including some spots of snow). As such, we will be offering 9 or 18 holes with cart for $20. |
As part of Grinnell College Golf Course’s effort to keep our youth active and grow the game of golf we will be greatly expanding youth golf opportunities this summer. We believe the game of golf offers a unique combination of social interaction, competition, cooperation, and outdoor wellness.
We will offer 3 different golf opportunities for our youth to participate in.
Grinnell College Junior Golf Program
- Week 1: June 2nd & 9th
- Week 2: June 8th & 9th
- Week 3: June 16th & 18th
- Week 4: July 7th & 9th
- Week 5: July 14th & 16th
- Week 6: July 21st & 23rd
- Designed for pre-high school aged players that have been exposed to the game of golf. Each week will consist of a group golf clinic on Tuesday mornings at 9:00 am and a play day on Thursday mornings at 9:00 am.
- This program will be lead by the 2018 Iowa PGA Pro of The Year, John Shawver
- Cost of this program will be $150
The First Tee of Central Iowa
- Week 1: June 22nd – 25th
- Week 2: June 29th – July 2nd
- Designed for youth ages 7 – 18 that are new to the game of golf
- Lean More here
- Cost of $85 that is refundable upon completion of the program
Larry Crawford State Pee & Junior Golf Tournament
- A season culminating event that will give the participants of all of our youth golf programs the chance to compete with and against players from across the state
- Youth 13 and under
- Cost of the event is TBD.
Week 1: June 22-25; Week 2: June 29 – July 2
This will be Grinnell College Golf Course’s 4th season being a host site for The First Tee, and we look forward to building the program even further!
We will be making some changes to how the program is scheduled. We will still have 9 sessions, but they will be held over 2 weeks instead of 9 weeks. Our hope is that this will provide for easier player transportation, less conflict with summer vacations, and increase volunteer support. Interested in volunteering or want to know more about the time commitment? Email us here.
To register your child or find out more information on the program, please go The First Tee site here.
As the snow is falling, we just want to send out a reminder about cross-country skiing. Not only are you welcome to ski here at the course, we encourage it! Please avoid going over tee boxes, greens, and ponds. Have a safe weekend!
Check out our new rates for 2020!
*NEW* Season Pass holders will receive 40% off, several hundreds of dollars in savings! 20% off initial price, and 20% back in club credit. Don’t miss out on this great deal!
Changes Coming to 2020
The 2019 season was about various rule changes that were either implemented or allowed to be implemented at the course level. The upcoming 2020 season is about golf handicaps….
When you hear “World Golf Handicap System” your first reaction may be that you don’t care because you only play local. That may be partially correct, but there will be many changes that filter down to us here in Grinnell via our local governing body, the IGA. Some changes to expect:
- Score posting timeliness
- Daily revisions
- Abnormal Course and weather conditions adjustment
- Less rounds to establish
- More volatility in lowering your GHIN and less to increase it
- Small pricing changes to obtain a GHIN
