Photo by Jamie Heartless, head mechanic at Perry Cabin.
Helping with mechanical work on small engines, learning different ways to hand water
greens, and learning to operate a top-dressing machine were several tasks that Institute of
Applied Agriculture intern Cullen Cannon worked on this summer at his internship. Cannon is a
Landscape Management major from Cambridge, Maryland, interned at The Links at Perry Cabin,
a golf course located in St. Michaels, Maryland.
The Links at Perry Cabin, designed by renowned designer Pete Dye, features many trees
and bodies of water near the green, as well as a scenic view of the Chesapeake Bay, which
attracted Cannon to this internship. Although, he was originally interested in landscaping and
landscape management, after completing his internship on the golf course, Cannon is now much
more interested in working in golf course management. The new skills he gained during his
internship will help him enter the field of golf course management.
In addition to working on the greens, Cannon glimpsed the management aspects of
running a golf course as well. He learned about the financial aspects, about how employees are
paid, and how accounting is handled. He also learned about daily golf course maintenance
including the golf course irrigation system.
Cannon learned many skills and completed various tasks at his internship, and said that
his favorite part of his internship was learning how to operate different mowers, and aerating the
fairways. One interesting aspect of Cannon’s internship was that while working, he learned how
to speak a dialect Jamaican with his co-workers.
When asked about finishing his internship experience, Cannon replied, “The cost of
ambition is late nights and early mornings; lots of associates and few friends.”
Cannon’s academic advisor, Kenneth Ingram stated, “"The Inn at Perry Cabin is world
renown for quality. Can the adjacent golf course equal that reputation? Cullen and his team
worked very hard to achieve just that. It is a new development, sadly the last course designed by
legendary architect Pete Dye, but in time should live up to its high expectations.”
Cannon plans to continue in the landscape management program at the IAA for his last
year at UMD, but working at the Links at Perry Cabin has given him a new interest and
perspective into the world of golf course management. He plans to graduate in the spring, and
hopes to acquire a job in his field.
Photo taken by assistant superintendent Peter Danger.
