SUNY Cobleskill has a two-year (AAS) program in Turfgrass Management. The majority of students pursuing the two-year degree specialize in golf course management. The Plant Science Department offers more than 75 courses enabling students to gain knowledge in many areas of horticulture.  The SUNY Cobleskill Turfgrass Management program is highly respected by industry employers. Upon graduation, students typically receive several job offers.

Notable Alumni

·         Craig Currier, Superintendent, Bethpage State Park, site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open.

·         Mark Michaud, 1989 SUNY Cobleskill Turf graduate, formerly Golf Course Superintendent at Pebble Beach Golf Course, now Golf Course Superintendent at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, site of the 1995 and 2004 U.S. Opens.

·         Dr. Frank Rossi, a SUNY Cobleskill Turf graduate now works as an Associate Professor of Turfgrass Management at Cornell University.

·         Russ Myers, Golf Course Superintendent at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma., host of the 2007 PGA Championship

·         Jeff Kent, Golf Course Superintendent at Quail Hollow Country Club, site of Wachovia Championship

·         Jeff Corcoran, Golf Course Superintendent at Oak Hill Country Club, site of the 2008 Senior PGA Championship and 2013 PGA Championship.

·         Matt Falvo, Golf Course Superintendent at Atunyote,  site of the Turning Stone Golf Championship.

 Superb Facilities

The college has excellent turfgrass facilities including fairway turf plots composed of creeping bentgrass and of low mow Kentucky bluegrass that are used for research and student projects. There are also two USGA greens adjacent to the Plant Science building that are used extensively for turfgrass management labs. Students also gain additional experience on the college's athletic fields and lawn areas and at the Cobleskill Country Club, which is located  only a few miles from the campus. Moreover, the Plant Science Department offers over 75 supporting courses enabling students to gain knowledge in many areas of horticulture. Low student to teacher ratios and a campus mission that focuses on teaching creates a student friendly environment at SUNY Cobleskill.

SUNY Cobleskill also has an outstanding Agricultural Engineering Departmant offering a wide assortmant of courses to improve mechanical skills of students with an interest in this area.

Expert Faculty

Members of the turfgrass faculty include Dr. Alex Ellram and. Dr. Zhongchun Jiang.  Dr. Ellram has been teaching turfgrass management at the college level since 1999.  Prior to teaching, he worked in the turfgrass field for 17 years managing golf courses, athletic fields and turfgrass research plots.  Dr. Ellram applies this real life experience in many hands on, practical turfgrass labs.  His education includes a Master of Science degree in horticultural science (turfgrass) from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota.  Ellram recently published articles on turfgrass disease control in Golf Course Management, the USGA Green Section Record, and Crop Science.  Dr. Ellram focuses on managing turfgrass with fewer pesticides, and has just completed a two year study on cultural practices to reduce dollar spot. He is a member of the Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society, American Phytopathological Society, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Golf Course Superintendents’ Association of America. 

Dr. Jiang has received a Ph.D. degree in turfgrass from University of Rhode Island, an M.S. degree from Chiba University, Japan, and a B.S. degree from Central China Agricultural University. He is recipient of three excellence awards from Crop Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy - Northeast Branch, and Soil Science Society of America - Northeast Branch. He is also a member of International Turfgrass Society, New York State Turfgrass Association, and many golf course superintendents associations. He has published articles in Golf Course Management, Grounds Maintenance, and Turfgrass Trends, along with over 65 turfgrass papers.