From Classroom to Greens: Horticulture Student Earns Prestigious Golf Course Award

Land & Environment

By Ethan Brightbill | October 17, 2024

Chris Landon. (Photo Credit: USU/Bronson Teichert)

Chris Landon won’t graduate with his bachelor’s degree in horticulture until this December, but he’s already putting his education to good use. Despite having only served in the position for one year, Landon was named the Assistant Superintendent of the Year by the Utah Golf Course Superintendents Association for his work at Oakridge Golf Course in Farmington, Utah.

Landon has pursued his degree at Utah State University since 2022. Each semester, he takes between three and four classes among the Kaysville Education Center at the USU Botanical Center, USU’s Salt Lake City Center, and USU Online. While the golf industry might not be what most people think of when they hear the term horticulture, his education at USU has proven continuously relevant to his work at Oakridge.

“Last night, for example, I was in a class with Professor Caputo at the Salt Lake Center,” Landon said, referring to Joey Caputo, an adjunct instructor who works by day as a state apiary inspector and survey entomologist for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. “We discuss issues specific to turf grass: diseases, fungi, bacteria, nematodes. It's directly relating to my work here at the country club.”

Landon became interested in golf through his son, who is a competitive junior golfer, while living in New Hampshire. They continued to play the sport after moving to Utah in 2018, and after his son stopped being homeschooled, Landon took a new job on the grounds crew at the Davis Park Golf Course in Fruit Heights. He worked there for five years before volunteering at Oakridge for the Korn Ferry Tour, which is the developmental segment of the PGA Tour. When he became aware of an assistant superintendent position at Oakridge, he applied and got the job.

“At the time,” Landon said, “I was just starting my journey at Utah State. It made perfect sense to continue through to fruition and a degree in horticulture.”

While turf grass makes up the majority of the plants on a golf course, that doesn’t make caring for a golf course easy. The grasses themselves need special care and a delicate balance of essential nutrients, while the other plants on the course have their own requirements.

“It really covers the whole field of horticulture,” Landon said. “Not only are we working on turf grass, but we also have shrubs and annual and perennial beds. And we deal with tree diseases constantly. I spend a lot of time both planting trees and behind the business end of a chainsaw. It’s greenhouse work, water management, irrigation design, everything that the horticulture program teaches in a full time, hands-on, outdoor experience.”

Landon works with a crew of more than 40 people to ensure the course is up to professional golf standards. Sometimes, he explained, that means supervising a 16-year-old who’s never used a rake before, while at other times, it means working with some of the most important people in golf.

“I'm a conduit between the PGA Tour and our young high school kids who are out here working their first job,” Landon said. “I have to make sure that the standards the tour demands are met on a day-to-day basis through diligence and attention to detail. And that can mean inspiring seasonal workers who are more looking forward to getting back to school or going swimming in the lake. It's a balancing act between high standards and working with people to make sure everyone gets what they need out of the day.”

Despite the challenges, Landon recommends work like his to other students interested in a lifelong career in horticulture.

“Personally, I need to be outside,” Landon said. “I need to be getting my hands dirty, so horticulture and working on a golf course are a perfect match for me. I have a full-time, year-round position that never presents the same problem in any given season.”

Ethan BrightbillWriter and Marketing AssistantCollege of Veterinary Medicine [email protected]

Tayler MountfordAcademic AdviserSchool of Teacher Education and Leadership [email protected]

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