The WINSTONuniversity Campus is located at WINSTONgolf, one of Europe’s premier 45 hole courses, and offers a unique learning experience in the heart of Europe.
“Living and teaching in St Andrews for 18 years taught me a simple truth: high quality golf courses need high quality managers. Increasing pressures on golf to meet new trends have required golf management education to adapt. I am excited and privileged to lead this new executive program that has been specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s golf enterprises.” Ian Butcher Director WINSTONuniversity
WINSTONuniversity WINSTONuniversity offers an executive education program that prepares graduates to actively contribute to the financial success of their current and future employers. We deliver internationally recognized qualifications that value the golf course as a business asset and enable our graduates to run golf courses as thriving enterprises. Situated at WINSTONgolf, one of the best golf courses in Germany close to Berlin and Hamburg, we bring together international experts to openly share insights on how a successful golf business can be developed and sustained. With the help of this network of industry professionals and academic partners we have identified success stories that form the basis of our case study approach at WINSTONuniversity. WINSTONgraduates will have met superintendents, golf managers and experts from around the world having learned from their extensive experience face to face. Study tours as well as internships of six months compliment the program and provide exclusive insights into the best golf courses in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
WINSTONgraduates leave as solution orientated problem solvers who are able to communicate their expertise. They know how to save resources and how to generate new revenues. To provide maximum flexibility, WINSTONuniversity offers a choice of short-term seminars in the winter period and long-term executive programs of 12 months, which combine case study learning with worldwide internships. We welcome everyone who wants to take a decisive step towards advancing their professional careers in golf.
“The role of the course manager is changing. The future will demand a far greater awareness of the interaction and dynamics of different departments and how they all depend on each other to deliver a product and service level beyond expectations. Skills such as relationship building, resource management and financial preparations will be more important than ever. Kingsbarns is happy to be one of WINSTONuniversity’s sites of best practice.” Innes Knight Course Manager, Kingsbarns Golf Links
Golf Management Careers Golf’s best kept secret! A career spent caring for golf courses allows you to work every day in beautiful surroundings within stunning landscape architecture. You will meet clients from around the world and provide pleasure to countless sportsmen and women. Today’s modern golf managers are independent problem solvers, who manage significant budgets as well as large staffs and prepare courses for an ever more demanding customer base. A fundamental understanding of environmental and sustainability issues is a pre-requisite for any senior position. Preparing investment plans, executing major events and improving the perception as well as the profitability of their clubs are essential elements of a course managers’ skill set and core elements of our curriculum. The educational program is designed with developing decision making skills, building selfconfidence and taking responsibility in mind, as our major aim is to maximize the employability of all WINSTONgraduates. At WINSTONuniversity you will learn to analyze, evaluate, create and apply. We strongly believe that lifelong learning includes continuous personal growth.
We place as much emphasis on the process of learning as on the content itself. As a WINSTONgraduate you will be ahead of the game not only through subject matter expertise, but because you have the interpersonal and management skills necessary to engage and collaborate with others. A fantastic campus, the best teachers from around the world and small study groups guarantee an optimal educational environment that maximizes your learning success.
Australian Peter Price playing to the 18th green on the WINSTONopen in his final winning round of the European Senior Tour Event at WINSTONgolf in 2012.
Experience only the best at WINSTONuniversity and leave as a graduate in demand! International experts share their knowledge. You will be taught by the most experienced senior managers in the industry, who come from all over the world just to work with you! Case studies teach you best practices. You will strengthen your communication skills and learn techniques that are required in the real world. Management teams need to know how to innovate. Our case studies will prepare you for leadership positions. Small groups and individualized instruction provide an ideal learning environment. At WINSTONuniversity we aim to foster the ability to lead teams and solve problems. Each semester we accept a maximum of 20 students to guarantee optimal and individualized instruction. Practical training provides hands-on experience. Event management experiences in major tournaments are built into your program as
well as golf training with first-class coaching professionals. You will design and build your own golf course features and learn to use the latest turf management equipment in our Jacobsen Excellence Center. Internships of six months at the top 100 golf courses in the world are integral to the curriculum. These experiences not only broaden your realworld skill set but also extend your personal network to guarantee you an excellent job offer upon graduation. Field trips are a highlight of your study at WINSTONuniversity as we will take you to top golf courses and tournaments in Europe. After successfully completing the full-time program, a special opportunity awaits you: a visit to St Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf!
Our location and accommodations are world class. You will reside in Gut Vorbeck, just a stone’s throw away from WINSTONgolf, a residence that hardly deserves the description “student accommodation.” Apart from golf you will find plenty of opportunities to play polo, go canoeing, sail or visit the nearby cultural capitals of Hamburg and Berlin! Top employability is our main goal for you. We want to ensure that you will have the best possible impact on the world of golf as a future course manager or superintendent. By optimizing work flows, planning strategically for long-term success and implementing the use of alternative energy resources as well as latest technologies, you will be an asset to any business! Real sustainability means, first and foremost, doing more with less. We will teach you how to improve a golf course’s overall efficiency by using less fertilizer, pesticides, water, gas, electricity and man-power. You will learn how to cost-effectively maintain your machinery and plan a proper budget, all the while maintaining tournament level conditions on your course. Growing profits will ensure your continued success. As a future course or club manager you can actively grow profits by creating an
improved playing quality at peak times, minimizing interruptions of the game and adapting your course to golfers’ needs. We will teach you tested techniques that enable you to improve your product – the golf course – and to attract more clients. A network of a lifetime is waiting for you. Through WINSTONuniversity you will gain personal access to a worldwide network of expertise and industry professionals. When you have questions or problems and wish to seek advice, this network will be a valuable asset. Multiple accreditations certify your success. You will leave WINSTONuniversity with certificates and various accreditations from international institutions including the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the Club Managers Association of Europe and the Greenkeeper Association of Germany. The latest information and the best programs are available to you. As a full-time student you will have access to our growing database of exclusive case studies, industry seminars, webinars and workshops held throughout the year.
“At WINSTONuniversity, my colleagues and I will employ a casebased approach to learning through which students will develop the technical expertise – along with associated analytical and problem-solving skills – needed to achieve and maintain high levels of turf quality and playability on turfgrass sites in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.”
Alfred J. Turgeon
Professor Emeritus Pennsylvania State University, USA
Studies Our curriculum is constantly evolving and has been designed in close co-operation with international experts such as Alfred J. Turgeon (Professor Emeritus Pennsylvania State University, USA), Maria Strandberg (STERF), David Cole (Course Manager Loch Lomond, UK), David Krause (past president of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects), Stuart McColm (General Manager of Castle Stuart Golf Links, UK), Fintan Brennan (Course Manager and Past Captain, Portmarnock Links GC) and many others to guarantee that WINSTONgraduates are equipped to master all current and future challenges in the world of golf and to improve the playing quality to satisfy the customer. The course of study is divided into four main areas and goals. For a detailed description of the curriculum please refer to our website. Turfgrass Management
Technical Competence
– Understanding turfgrasses
– Improving golf course operations
– Understanding the turfgrass environment
– Maximizing irrigation efficiency
– Implementing sustainable turf management practices
– Designing, constructing and refurbishing golf course features
– Finding solutions through turfgrass case studies
– Selecting, managing and maintaining machinery
Management
– Improving English for golf
– Optimizing financial planning and reporting
– Planning and executing events and projects
– Managing the golf experience profitably
– Learning to use IT and social media
– Developing communication and team leadership skills
– Playing and honoring the game
– Finding solutions through management case studies
Extra Curricula
Programs WINSTONuniversity programs are designed first and foremost with your interests in mind and the impact you will have on the golf course. All our programs take place during the European winter period from October to March. Our full-time Executive Program consists of two terms of ten weeks plus an internship of six months. Every ten-week term can be booked individually and is accordingly certified.
Executive Program* Our Executive Program consists of 20 weeks of learning and is divided into two academic terms and one internship term. The two ten week terms of teaching take place from October to December and January to March. Within the core units of Turfgrass Management and Management studies case studies or projects are completed, developing and reinforcing your knowledge and understanding
Term I 10 weeks
October
of each subject area as you progress. Technical competence and Extra Curricula subjects are taught on a continual basis. In between and after each academic term you complete our Internship Program at one of the world’s top golf courses. The timing of the internships is flexible and can be tailored to your individual needs.
Break
November
December
Term II 10 weeks
January
February
March
Certificate Program*
Seminar Program*
Our part-time Certificate Program will be a great fit for you, if you wish to join for a single term to compliment your existing university program, or if you would like to take a break from work and continue your professional development. At WINSTONuniversity you can enroll on a term-by-term basis. Please refer to the Executive Program to see where you can join in.
In collaboration with the German Greenkeeper Association, the European Club Managers Association, and industry partners WINSTONuniversity organizes seminars targeted at working course managers. Each seminar focuses on a specific topic that is relevant to current trends in management and greenkeeping. Top speakers are invited to give presentations and lead workshops.
* Prices, contents, and dates are subject to change. For detailed information on tuition fees, study loans and accommodation costs, please contact us directly at info@winstonuniversity.de.
Internships or return to home club 24 weeks April
May
June
July
August
September
“Course management is crucial if you are to achieve a successful golf business as playing qualities are paramount. WINSTONuniversity leads the way for the next generation of Course Managers.� Bernhard Langer Two times Majors winner and Ryder Cup Captain 2004
“Among all sport and business, golf has a unique opportunity to make a powerful difference. Every golf club and new development can be a responsible, resource efficient business set in an ecologically rich landscape. We are delighted to be working with WINSTONuniversity to help people achieve the benefits of sustainability.� Jonathan Smith CEO of GEO
CAMPUS The WINSTONuniversity Campus is surrounded by an un-spoilt nature park with countless lakes and large forests. We are located within the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, just outside the capital Schwerin and 50 kilometers away from the Baltic Sea. All students have full access to the three worldclass golf courses of WINSTONgolf and other estate activities, such as horse-riding and use of the SPA.
WINSTONgolf
Excellence Center
At WINSTONuniversity you will enjoy a “living classroom” right on one of the best golf courses in Europe. The 45-hole venue currently offers three courses on more than 200 acres.
The Jacobsen Excellence Center highlights the means by which golf organizations can maximize efficiency for long-term financial success. Here our strategic partner Jacobsen, a world-wide leader in turf management, demonstrates the highest standards of resource management within a custom designed facility.
The WINSTONopen, designed by Holger Rengstorf, is a parkland tournament venue, which hosts the European Senior Tour. The WINSTONlinks has won many awards for David Krause’s outstanding, modern design. Our venue is completed by the fun 9-hole WINSTONkranich course. At the WINSTONgolf house you will not only find a first-class restaurant that caters for all students but also three fully equipped seminar rooms with great views of the golf courses.
In the Jacobsen Excellence Center, which is directly linked to the golf course, maintenance topics such as machinery selection and purchasing, fertilizer and pesticide applications, irrigation technologies and golf maintenance procedures are taught.
Gut Vorbeck
Schloss Basthorst
We are reluctant to call Gut Vorbeck “student accommodations�. Individually designed rooms, all en-suite, come with Wi-Fi Internet access. A fully equipped kitchen and bar area awaits those who love cooking.
Located only minutes from the golf course at the 200-year-old Schloss Basthorst, our conference and event facility comprises six meeting rooms, two restaurants and more than 100 bedrooms. Large group classes, guest presentations as well as industry seminars and workshops are held here.
Large living spaces allow for open and easy gatherings in the evenings, and on your doorstep you have immediate access to the golf courses, more than 60 horse stables, a small polo field, canoeing on the river Warnow and miles and miles of stunning scenery.
If you feel like visiting a SPA after a long day of learning, you may use the large sauna, pool, gym, yoga and massage facilities.
Internship Program The WINSTONuniversity internships are designed to complement the view that all golf operations should work in harmony with each other. You will gain valuable insights at the world’s top 100 golf courses in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Your work experience is essential to prepare you for life after graduation. Our internship program includes: – Clear performance expectations – Access to the management teams at top 100 golf courses – Regular performance reviews – Excellent working conditions and accommodation – A chance to complete a project case study of real value to your internship venue.
Flexibility WINSTONuniversity provides you with the flexibility to choose the program that most suits your current activity profile. You can complete the full-time Executive Program in just 12 months, including 20 weeks of learning time and 24 weeks of internships. Alternatively you can join us for single terms. Working Course and Club Managers are invited to attend individual seminars running throughout the winter for one to two days to continue their professional development and collect education points through their national associations. For detailed descriptions please visit our website www.winstonuniversity.de.
Teachers
Application
The quality of our staff is our strongest asset. We offer you unrivalled expertise from within the world of golf in all major disciplines, including turf grass science, business management, golf course architecture, administration, environmental and ecological management, golf coaching, tournament preparation and governance. Our teaching language is English.
We allow a maximum of 20 students to enroll in the Executive Program. As our seminars also have a limited number of 40 participants, we encourage you to apply early and ahead of your desired start date through our website. If you have questions regarding your application please contact us at info@winstonuniversity.de.
“As architects, we are very sensitive to how the courses we have designed are maintained and we really appreciate on-going partnerships between the course managers and us.� David Krause, architect of the award-winning WINSTONlinks course and past president of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.
WINSTONuniversity GmbH An der Waldkoppel 1 19412 Kaarz Germany Fon + 49 38483 279 18-30
WINSTONcampus Kranichweg 1 19065 Gneven OT Vorbeck Germany
www.winstonuniversity.de info@winstonuniversity.de
Fotos: Jay Evers, Joachim von Ramin, Stefan von Stengel Grafik: KREATIVE FREIHEIT
Managing Director: Fanja Pon Hubertus von Treuenfels Director: Ian Butcher