Almost Heaven: Pikewood National
I’ve always enjoyed working on my feet. There’s no better feeling than zooming back and forth, with a specific, physical task in mind. For when that task is completed, the ability to look back and see a finished product in which only the laborer knows how much work truly went into its making is extremely rewarding. I’ve worked several jobs in the restaurant industry, and a couple in the landscaping industry as well. These are the types of jobs that I feel give such feelings of satisfaction, relief, and pride in one’s own work. They also require a lot of hard work. No small amounts of patience, consistency, and diligence are needed to effectively complete them. Though of all the jobs I’ve worked, none compares to the internship I had this summer at Pikewood National Golf Club.
Pikewood National Golf Club, or ‘PNGC,’ is a hidden gem of a golf course located just outside of Morgantown, West Virginia. Positioned virtually at the top of a mountain, the course offers beautiful views of the Appalachians. PNGC is privately owned and operated, and designed to blend into the ‘wild and wonderful’ landscape of West Virginia. It is a walk-only course, which only adds to the pristine condition in which the course is kept. Pikewood features rolling hills, lush forestry, large valleys and cliff walls, as well as natural creeks and waterfalls, which combine to create a unique golfing experience for those lucky enough to participate.
Though beyond the beauty and genius of Pikewood National, working there will teach you the true meaning of hard work. Between 4 am wake-up times, 60-hour work weeks, and a daily average of 35 thousand steps on the pedometer, you’ll be feeling the hard work in your back and legs after the first few days. But… if you take a moment to step back, and take it all in, then you’ll realize that that’s what it takes to not only maintain, but to improve a ranked-31st-in-the-nation golf course.
The skills I’ve taken home from Pikewood are invaluable in the turfgrass industry, and had I not taken a leap of faith by living in West Virginia for 12 weeks this summer, I wouldn’t have nearly as much experience as I do now. From operating a wide range of turfgrass equipment and learning diverse pesticide application strategies, to troubleshooting irrigation issues and developing a better understanding of golf course management, Pikewood has truly given me everything.
My typical day at PNGC would start at 5 am by setting up any equipment that the turf crew would need for the day. This included mowers, rollers, sprayers, rakes, backpack blowers, and a variety of other tools and equipment. I would then head out to the range tee to set up ball buckets and bag stands for the members. We (myself and the other interns) would also complete a short checklist, such as filling divots with seed mix, blowing any debris, and taking out the trash. At 6 am, we would meet back in the break room for a morning meeting, where the golf course superintendent would give us our morning assignments. These assignments typically consisted of some sort of mowing, rolling, or spraying, but would also include raking bunkers, blowing debris, and dragging dew off playing surfaces. After a quick lunch break, we would head out for the second assignment, which was pretty much always different depending on the day. On hotter days, we would spend longer hours hand watering. Other days, we’d have to do sod work or fix a leaky pipe. At the end of the day, we would clean up any messes we made, wash off certain equipment, and organize the maintenance shop before clocking out.
My summer at Pikewood National Golf Club was truly one to remember, and certainly one I’ll never forget. The golf course itself is unforgettable, but more importantly, the lessons I’ve learned along the way have proved essential for a career in turfgrass management. With the skills I’ve gained in communication with coworkers, work ethic and consistency, and an overall understanding of the day-to-day operations of a top-tier club, I truly believe I’m building a pathway to a successful future.
