When kids begin pondering career possibilities, it is hard to tell what might click.
For Brian Boyer, superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California, that revelation came during a field trip to a water treatment plant back in Michigan when he was in college. That field trip and a job working at Cattails Golf Club in the Detroit suburb of South Lyon, carved a career for Boyer.
In his nearly 18 years at Cinnabar Hills, Boyer has become an expert on the subject of water treatment. He manages the property's own treatment facility that supplies irrigation water for the golf course and drinking water for the clubhouse.
"It got me interested in the environment and science," Boyer said.
"I was missing some direction, and that field trip along with working at Cattails Golf Club for Doug Palm gave me some direction."
So it only seemed natural for him to host his own field trip as part of the First Green program.
The field trip included 64 students from Barrett Elementary in nearby Morgan Hill.
"It was a blast," Boyer said. "Only five of the kids had ever played golf before."
With help from 10 volunteers, six fellow superintendents, including GCSAA president Kevin Breen, CGCS, of nearby La Rinconada Country Club in nearby Los Gatos, and two teachers from Barrett, Boyer shuttled students through eight different stations to educate them about the environmental stewardship efforts that occur on golf courses and the job opportunities that can be found there.
"The goal of the program was to highlight the benefits of golf in the community and the environment," Boyer said. "My personal goal was to show them that there is another career opportunity out there. Morgan Hill is a heavy ag community, and this is another avenue. I also happened to get into golf because of a field trip, so if it helps one kid … ."
The 64 students were split into eight groups of eight who rotated through eight stations:
- Cool tools
- Water
- Soils
- Plant jar
- Putting green
- Wildlife and animal rescue
- Weather
- Irrigation
The First Green is a program that uses golf and golf course maintenance to introduce science, technology, engineering and math education to children.
"I just want the kids to have fun and mix in some education," Boyer said.
The event was a hit with the students, as well as parents, teachers and volunteers, he said.
"The excitement from the volunteers was cool to see," Boyer said.
"The kids were blown away. We taught them how we grow grass and save water. For many of them, it was the first time they'd been on a golf course. The grass was so perfect and so green, a lot of them thought it was fake."