Karsten Golf Club- 3 month, 6 month and 9 month Internship Positions

All the turf. All the time.

Karsten Golf Club is seeking an intern with an interest in agronomy and a career in golf course management. For someone who enjoys studying turf, working through agronomic challenges, and seeing that work reflected in playing conditions, those interests are central to this position.

Karsten is the home and training facility for Cowboy and Cowgirl Golf. Our priority is the condition of the golf course and practice surfaces—giving both programs the environment to prepare and compete, and giving members the best possible golf experience.

There are no tee markers, posted pars, handicaps, or handicap flags. Golf and course conditioning are the focus. With fewer than 5,000 rounds annually in each of the past two years and a limited event schedule, our maintenance decisions center on turf needs and playing quality.

The substantial renovation completed in 2025 was a step in Karsten’s continued development. We are refining agronomic programs, developing staff, and building a long-range plan for further improvements. Investment continues in equipment, infrastructure, and technology that help us produce better conditions.

The Work and Development

The intern works directly with the Superintendent, Senior Assistant, and agronomy team. Our management team shares responsibility across the operation, with roles shifting daily to support the staff and meet the needs of the turf. Each person brings different strengths, but we work toward the same goal: providing the best possible conditions. Leadership is demonstrated through contribution, communication, and follow-through.

This internship builds on individual strengths and provides experience in areas needing development. Through mentoring and coaching, interns participate in daily decisions and learn the planning behind them, including budgets, applications, water management, staff leadership, and projects. Assignments are matched to the candidate’s experience, interests, and length of stay.

Mentorship is part of that work. We discuss what we are seeing, why a practice or product is being considered, and how we will evaluate the response. Research, product evaluation, and studying different chemistries are part of our agronomic program. Interns contribute to those discussions, work alongside the management team and consultants, and help apply findings to the property.

Daily course maintenance is part of the experience, but this internship extends well beyond mowing. Interns receive hands-on coaching, carry meaningful daily responsibilities, and complete a defined project. As skills develop, interns gain opportunities to demonstrate tasks, explain standards, and help train employees, with guidance and feedback from the management team. The goal is to develop someone who understands the work and can grow into leading others in doing it well.

Responsibilities include:

• Learning daily maintenance planning, crew assignments, and evaluation of completed work alongside the management team.
• Monitoring turf performance and contributing to irrigation, fertility, plant health, and cultural practice discussions.
• Learning and assisting with fertilizer and pesticide applications under appropriate supervision, including calibration, inventory, and records.
• Working alongside the team with irrigation controls, troubleshooting, repairs, and pumping systems.
• Developing communication and leadership skills through coaching and opportunities to help train employees as experience allows.
• Learning how budgets, purchasing, product forecasting, and seasonal planning support the operation.
• Completing a defined project, evaluating results, and presenting findings to the management team.

Fieldwork, educational discussions, and regular feedback support our goal of preparing interns for increasing responsibility in golf course management.

The Property and Agronomy

The approximately 1,400-acre property includes:

• 96 acres of Tahoma 31 fairways, with additional bermudagrass tees and practice areas.
• 4.5 acres of 007XL/7-7-7 bentgrass greens with a sand-based rootzone containing 5% soil.
• 5 acres of RTF tall fescue and extensive native areas.
• Approximately 48 full-time, part-time, and seasonal maintenance employees.

Individual geothermal heating and cooling and Precision Aire systems support greens management. Water infrastructure includes Rain Bird controls, Watertronics pumping equipment, HDPE mainline, and a recently added transfer system supplying the course reservoir from a roughly 3,000-acre source lake.

We continue to adapt our practices as technology develops. GPS-guided sprayers, moisture measurements, mapping, agronomic records, and USGA Deacon help us evaluate conditions and make informed decisions. These tools complement field observation, research, and work with consultants