"Where did you intern while in turf school, or how did your career take off after getting your degree?"
I can’t say that I started as an “Intern”, but like many in those days and still today I did a career change after seeing how great golf course work could be. I was working for Paul O’Leary at Towson Golf & Country Club (1977-1986) to help put myself through college at Towson State University and saw how wonderful the maintenance end of golf could be (I got the bug!). I received my degree at Towson in Education but saw the fun and challenge in a career as a Golf Course Superintendent.
I spoke with Paul O’Leary and other local Golf Course Superintendents Ken Braun and Mike Larsen about getting into school for being a Superintendent and decided on the University of Maryland two-year program. They were all very supportive and Paul let me live in a house on TG&CC property. Like many others who have decided to make a career change, I commuted to the University of Maryland three days a week but still put in 60 to 90 hours a week on the golf course as an Intern and then as Assistant Superintendent. Paul was a wonderful boss, educator, and friend! He taught me many things that have made me successful in this business. With transfer credits, I finished the two-year program in one year and was ready to be a Golf Course Superintendent.
In the 1980’s, there were many job openings for Golf Course Superintendent, and I was able to interview at five golf courses in Maryland. After talking about these openings with Paul and Kenny, I chose The Elkridge Club because they were on the verge of updating and redoing everything on their original Seth Raynor Golf Course. I chose right and stayed for 20 years before I felt my body needed a change. That is another story.
My internship at Towson Golf and all the supportive folks in golf around Baltimore at that time, truly helped me and my career take off in 1986. There is a “Family” of Golf Maintenance folks, too numerous to name here that supported me throughout this time and even until today! (You know who you are!) None of this would have been possible without my wife supporting me and pushing me forward. The biggest toll this 24/7 job takes on is your family. I have been blessed to be surrounded by GREAT family and friends!
As I always tell folks, I am here to help! Use me and abuse me. Have questions about anything turf related that you need help with? Call, text or Email! This is a “Family in turf” and we are all in this together!
-Mark S. Merrick, CGCS Retired
Introducing ‘Merrick Mondays’, a segment where we hear from Mark Merrick, our resident brand Ambassador, Chief ‘Cool” Officer, and general source of wisdom and secrets of the universe, to spotlight a dose of interview-style content, weekly.