The program provides participants with the hands-on, real-world experience needed to succeed in the turfgrass industry.
Speed
In just 12 weeks, you’ll be ready to put your experience to work.
Cost
A shorter curriculum means a smaller financial commitment – tuition for the bootcamp costs just $4,000.
Small Class Size
With a smaller class size, you’ll have more access to our instructors and gain hands-on experience with machinery, irrigation, and developing nutrient and pest management plans.
Our class sizes are limited to the first 22 students who register. Additional students who register will be placed on a wait list.
Real-World Experts
In addition to learning from our faculty, you’ll take “shop talk” field trips to meet with and learn from people currently working in various areas of turfgrass management.
View photos showing TAP students learning in the field and in the classroom. (opens in a new browser tab)
Learn About Dillon Nelson, a Recent TAP Graduate
Read this UW article to learn why Dillon Nelson chose the TAP program to advance his career in the golf course industry.
Isaac Herr, left, and fellow Turfgrass Apprenticeship Program students study turfgrass specimens during an identification challenge at D.C. Smith Greenhouse at UW–Madison in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Who Teaches TAP?
UW-Madison professors Doug Soldat and Paul Koch – click their names to read their profiles:
Plant Pathology Associate Professor Paul Koch works with Turfgrass Apprenticeship Program students on turf species identification at D.C. Smith Greenhouse at UW–Madison in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
What Courses Will I Take in TAP?
The educational bootcamp includes the following four courses:
Intro to Turfgrass Management (Fall Semester)
Intro to Turfgrass Soils, Irrigation and Drainage (Fall Semester)
Nutrient Management (Winter Semester)
Integrated Pest Management (Winter Semester)
What Types of Jobs Can I Get After I Complete TAP?
Graduates of the program will be qualified for positions such as golf course superintendent, assistant sports turf manager, sod production manager, or an equivalent position in the turfgrass industry.
Dillon Nelson, a student in UW–Madison’s Turfgrass Apprenticeship Program, and an assistant in training at The Lido, one of Sand Valley’s golf courses near Nekoosa, Wis., mows a fairway on the course early Friday morning, May 12, 2023.
