Field Trip Advice Cancel The title field is required!

1. Clayton Novak

   

   0 posts
   
   3/17/2013 9:03 AM

   I am in the process of planning a field trip to our maintenance facility for my son's third grade class to discuss the environmental, economical and social values of golf. The field trip will include a tour of our maintenance facility along with some on-course demonstrations. I am certain some of you out there have had some experience in this area, and I would love to hear any ideas you might have to present topics in an educational but also fun manner.

   
   
   
   
2. Kenneth Ingram

   

   18 posts
   
   3/18/2013 4:03 PM

   Clayton popping up a sprinkler is one of the wonders of the world. If you can do it by radio even better. If you have a dog that is also a hit. Walk across some greens until a teacher or student says "is this grass real?" If the range tee is open let them have at it. Have fun. Kenneth Ingram, UMD

   
   
   
   
3. Mark Van Lienden

   

   14 posts
   
   3/21/2013 7:03 AM

   Give them each a golf ball they can take home.Let them putt or even better if you have a practice bunker most of them at third grade won't even need a club but they will run back and forth.

   
   
   
   
4. Andy Scott

   

   0 posts
   
   3/21/2013 7:03 AM

   Hand them a shovel. "Because the world needs ditch diggers too"!
   
   In all honesty I've thought about doing this for my 3rd grader too and I think a ride in a cart, sitting on a tractor, playing in a bunker then teaching how to rake it and like others said make it fun!

   
   
   
   
5. Roger Brink

   

   0 posts
   
   3/21/2013 8:03 AM

   Maybe show them how you move the hole location.

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   3/21/2013 8:03 AM

   I was thinking it would be neat too to show irrigation running by radio, but with technology nowadays, would that impress them?
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
7. Robert Crockett

   

   4 posts
   
   3/21/2013 6:03 PM

   That"s awesome...I believe 3rd graders will be impressed by what ever you have in store for them. I think I will see if I can do the same here. Great Idea Thanks

   
   
   
   
8. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   3/22/2013 8:03 AM

   Clay just saw an article in this mornings USGA Green Section report about having school groups, might want to check it out.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
9. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   3/22/2013 9:03 AM

   Sorry Clay,
   
   Just read the article, it might not be helpful for your field trip group, it was just part of an overall article about adding value without really adding expenses. Great article overall, (I will be saving it), but not the information I thought it might provide you from seeing the picture.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
10. Richard Lavine

    

    3 posts
    
    3/22/2013 10:03 AM

    At a recent USGA Green Section meeting these folks http://www.thefirstgreen.org/ made a presentation about their program in Washington state that they are expanding. Contact them and I'm sure they could share a wealth of information with you.
    Good Luck

    
    
    
    
11. Gregory Jack

    

    0 posts
    
    3/25/2013 6:03 AM

    Last week, we did our annual 5th grade field trips. We talk about thermal rise in the lakes. We talk about key stone species such as Gopher tortoises and alligators. I added in this year some scientific name of trees. We discuss interspersion and the difference between altricial and precocial birds. We discuss the importance of snags. There might be some videos about our school tours if you would like to see one. This year was my first year to do some, and it was a blast. By the end, the kids know the answers to all the questions to all of the information you have given them. They really need to know the importance of the golf course to the environment. By the way, we discuss very little about the golf.