2000 Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) graduate Jeff Van Fleet loves to see a finished product, which is one of the reasons he chose his profession. For 16 years as the Golf Course Superintendent at Forest Greens Golf Club in Triangle, VA, Van Fleet has been able to gain that sense of completion on a daily basis. He knows firsthand how his job impacts the golf course, and the golfers.
“There’s a lot of technical stuff that goes into the job,” he says. “And I learned it all from Dr. Mathias. He taught us why we do what we do.”
Due to his family’s military background, Van Fleet lived in several Virginia locations before settling in Triangle. At Forest Greens, he enjoys working outside all day. But, as much as he loves being outdoors, he warns that “the weather is the hardest thing about working on the course. That and the long hours involved!”
Though he may work incredibly long days, Van Fleet believes all his hard work at the IAA was worth it to pursue his career.
Golf Course Management was my favorite course,” he remembers. “And my personal greatest achievement was finishing with a 4.0 GPA while working full-time and raising a family. You need to work hard to get where you want to be!”
As we celebrate our 50th year, the IAA will shine a weekly spotlight on one of our distinguished alumni. Remember to save the date for our 50th Anniversary Gala on May 14th at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.
