FLSA Designation: Non-Exempt (Hourly)

Directly Reports To: Superintendent

Indirectly Reports To: Assistant Superintendent

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Grounds Maintenance Intern is a seasonal position designed to provide hands-on experience in maintaining the golf course and club grounds. This internship offers a unique opportunity to learn and contribute to the upkeep of a prestigious club's outdoor spaces.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the groundskeeping team in tasks such as mowing, trimming, and landscaping to maintain the club's outdoor areas.

• Participate in planting, pruning, and flowerbed maintenance.

• Learn to operate and maintain various groundskeeping equipment, such as mowers, trimmers, and blowers.

• Assist with equipment safety checks and basic maintenance.

• Support the care of greens, including ball mark repair, aerating, topdressing, and edging.

• Assist with bunker maintenance and golf course setup.

• Assist in general maintenance tasks, which may include painting, pressure washing, and equipment servicing.

• Contribute to the cleanliness and appearance of outdoor areas.

• Adhere to safety guidelines, regulations, and protocols to ensure a safe working environment.

• Participate in safety training and awareness.

• Engage in on-the-job learning and receive guidance and mentoring from experienced groundskeeping professionals.

• Gain a better understanding of the principles and practices of golf course maintenance.

• All other duties as assigned by the Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent that reasonably fall within the scope of the position and department. 

 QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

SPECIFIC JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

· Strong interest in golf course maintenance and landscaping.

· Willingness to learn and take direction.

· Strong communication and teamwork skills.

· Basic knowledge of equipment operation is a plus.

· Availability to work flexible hours, including early mornings and weekends, as required.

· Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high-quality standards.

· Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

· Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, including throughout an outdoor work shift.

· Ability to walk on uneven terrain, including grass, slopes, hills, landscaped areas, wet surfaces, and other outdoor conditions.

· Ability to frequently bend, stoop, squat, kneel, crouch, reach, push, pull, and twist while performing grounds-maintenance duties.

· Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation, including fertilizer/soil bags, tools, equipment, plants, sod, hoses, and other materials.

· Ability to push or pull grounds-maintenance equipment, carts, hoses, wheelbarrows, and similar equipment.

· Ability to safely use hand tools and powered grounds equipment appropriate to the internship and level of training.

· Ability to enter and exit utility vehicles, golf carts, and maintenance equipment repeatedly during a shift.

· Ability to perform repetitive tasks involving the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and upper body, including raking, shoveling, trimming, planting, and handling tools.

· Ability to work primarily outdoors in varying weather conditions, including heat, sun, cold, wind, rain, humidity, dust, and potentially wet or muddy conditions.

· Ability to work around typical grounds-maintenance conditions, including grass, pollen, soil, fertilizers, landscaping products, noise, dust, and equipment, while using required PPE.

· Ability to maintain sufficient balance, coordination, mobility, and visual awareness to safely work around moving equipment, golfers, members, guests, coworkers, and vehicles.

· Ability to perform physical work for extended periods while following required rest, hydration, heat-illness prevention, and other safety procedures.

· Knowledge of the country club industry or hospitality sector (preferred, not required).

· Knowledge and passion for golf, golf course operations, or the golf industry (preferred, not required).

· Valid driver’s license.

EDUCATION

· High School Diploma or equivalent, required.

· Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a related degree program, such as turf management, horticulture, or a related field.

EXPERIENCE

· Previous 1 year experience in horticulture, agronomy, landscaping, or a related field, preferably in a golf course setting. 

GROOMING

All employees must maintain a neat, clean, and well-groomed appearance per club standards. 

Uniforms must be worn at all times when at work and on premises.  

OTHER

Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Employees with irregular attendance will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, employees may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the club. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Employment in this position is contingent upon successful completion of applicable pre-employment requirements, which may include:

• Job-Related Physical/Lift Assessment: Successful completion of a job-related physical abilities assessment to confirm the ability to safely perform the essential physical functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Background Check:  Successful completion of a background check conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Drug Screening: Successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening in accordance with Company policy and applicable law.

Any required pre-employment assessments or screenings will be conducted after a conditional offer of employment when required by applicable law.