When most golfers pull up to a golf course, they see perfectly mowed grass, raked bunkers, and smooth greens. Many golfers are unaware of all the work it takes to make the course look so great, and I used to be that kind of golfer. As someone who has played and loved golf their whole life, I was super excited at the opportunity to see what goes on at a golf course behind the scenes. My name is Angelo Santos, and this summer I worked as a member of the grounds crew at Manor Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. Manor offers 27 golf holes, 11 tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts, 2 pools, and a state-of-the-art clubhouse. Manor is recognized as a top 10 country club in Maryland, and I was happy to be a part of the team that keeps it looking so great.
Working on the grounds crew taught me how much hard work goes into keeping a golf course in good shape. Every day at 6:30 AM, we had our team meeting; this is when everyone was given their first job for the day. These jobs could be anything from raking bunkers, mowing greens, approaches, or fairways. All these tasks were done early in the morning because they take a lot of time, and there can't be golfers playing when you do these. After completing my first job of the day, I would move on to my second task that I would do until 2:30 PM, when my shift was over. These second jobs include watering fairways, picking weeds, weed-eating, filling bunkers, and cleaning the equipment. My favorite job was probably mowing approaches; this is because it was one of the easier tasks, and seeing the lines in the morning dew was super satisfying to me. I would say my least favorite job to do was things involving bunkers, especially mowing the bunker faces.
One of my favorite parts of working on a golf course was always being outside and always being surrounded by golf. Since I grew up loving golf so much, it was cool to be around it all the time and see it from a different perspective. Before working at Manor, I had no idea how much work it took to get a golf course ready for people to play, but now I have a much better understanding of what happens behind the scenes. There were also a lot of funny moments throughout the summer that made working there so much fun.
Overall, working at Manor Country Club was a great experience. Not only did I learn a lot of skills that will help me in the future, but I also made a lot of memories that I will never forget. And as someone who has golfed my whole life, it made me appreciate all the work that goes into making a playable golf course.
