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Golf Course Management

Types of Degrees Golf Course Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Golf Course Management may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	105
Bachelor’s Degree	34
Master’s Degree	20

What Golf Course Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Golf Course Management emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Golf Course Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Golf Course Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Golf Course Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Golf Course Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Golf Course Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	3.8 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Golf Course Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Work order software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Payroll software	Time accounting software	—
Inventory management software	Inventory management software	—
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Golf Course Management graduates include:

• Junior Landscape Crew Leader
• Golf Course Manager
• Gardening Manager
• Park Supervisor
• Cemetery Workers Supervisor
• Golf Course Superintendent
• Horticultural Services Supervisor
• Landscaping Supervisor
• Enhancement Manager
• Grounds Manager
• Lawn and Tree Service Spray Supervisor
• Landscaping Foreman
• Landscape Installation Foreman
• Turf and Grounds Supervisor
• Landscape Crew Leader

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Golf Course Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.6%
Postsecondary certificate	14.6%
Less than a high school diploma	12.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.6%
Some college courses	10.8%
Post-master’s certificate	3.1%
Master’s degree	1.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Golf Course Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93.2% of Golf Course Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	11	6.8%
Men	150	93.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Golf Course Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	81	50.3%
Asian	2	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	14	8.7%
Black or African American	11	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.6%
Race Unknown	45	28.0%
International Students	6	3.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Golf Course Management Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Golf Course Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,229
4 years	$42,118
5 years	$48,563

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,563 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Golf Course Management Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Golf Course Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Golf Course Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Golf Course Management graduates earn a median of $42,118 four years after completion — roughly 11% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	31.03
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General	31.0301
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other	31.0399

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.