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Golf Course Superintendent

Golf course superintendents manage the maintenance, irrigation, and agronomic health of golf course turf and grounds. Florida has more golf courses than any other state — over 1,100 courses — driven by year-round play conditions, retiree demographics, and the state's status as home to The Players Championship (TPC Sawgrass) and PGA of America (Palm Beach Gardens). Superintendents are among the highest-paid outdoors professionals in Florida.

FL Median Salary
$70,000
Entry Salary
$33,500
Experienced
$120,000
FL Growth
N/A

Requirements & Training

  • Credential: FL Pesticide Applicator License required; GCSAA CGCS (Certified Golf Course Superintendent) voluntary but prestigious
  • Florida license required: Yes (FL Dept. of Agriculture (FDACS) — Pesticide Applicator License required for chemical applications)

Career Path

  1. Groundskeeper/Greenskeeper → Assistant Superintendent → Superintendent → Director of Golf Course Operations

Top Florida Employers

PGA National (Palm Beach Gardens)TPC Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra)Doral Golf ResortClubCorp managed clubsTroon Golf managed coursesCounty parks golf coursesIndependent private clubs

Related Programs

  • Turfgrass Management AAS (Daytona State, Santa Fe, Polk State)
  • GCSAA CGCS Prep
  • FL Pesticide Applicator License Prep
  • Golf Course Operations Certificate
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Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Florida Occupational Employment Statistics. School data from Florida Department of Education CIE database.

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