The Battalion
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Taking golf seriously
Intern learns game’s ups and downs
Story and Photos
by Fredrick D. Joe
Of The Battalion Staff
Imagine how it would feel to ditch
a “serious” degree plan and pursue a
career in your favorite sport. That’s
what Scott Michael Arnold did when
he left behind two years of studies at
Central Michigan University and en
rolled in the Professional Golf Man
agement program at Ferris State
University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
Arnold, who is interning as a golf
professional at the Texas A&M Golf
Course, said that at Central Michi-
an he could not Find a degree plan
e wanted to pursue, so he decided
to make golf his career.
Arnold said that as a golf profes
sional, “Wages aren’t high, hours are
long, and you’ll never be a million
aire — but you gotta do what you lo
ve.”
He said most people have the mis
conception that all golf professionals
p/a/golf for a living. In reality, most
golf professionals manage golf
courses, sell equipment, run tourna
ments, repair golf clubs and give
golf lessons.
At Ferris, students take classes in
areas such as golf club repair, golf
cart repair, rules and golf instruc
tion, all of which are required by the
Professional Golfers Association to
achieve status as a golf professional.
When Arnold graduates from Ferris
he will recieve a bachelor’s degree in
marketing with a golf management
option. He has completed all the re
quired coursework and two of the
four required internships. Each in
ternship lasts six months and must
be completed at four different golf
courses.
His First internship was at the
Flint Golf Club in Flint, Michigan,
and his second was at the highly ex
clusive Loxhatchee Club in West
Plam Beach, Florida.
Arnold is working toward the
completion of his third internship
here at A&M.
Arnold said Ferris interns are in
high demand because club and
course professionals like to have
knowledgeable help. Despite the
high demand for Ferris interns, Ar
nold said that most internships do
not pay too well.
“On most internships you just
break even on expenses, but the ex
perience is well worth it,” he said.
Matt Schewe, head golf profes
sional at Texas A&M and a Ferris
graduate, is one of the many golf
pros who have sought Ferris interns.
He called Ferris and had A&M in
cluded on a list of interships from
which students could choose. Arnold
chose the Texas A&M Golf course
for his third internship because his
first two were at private clubs and he
wanted the experience that comes
from working at a public golf course.
In September, after getting the
Texas A&M internship, Arnold
jumped into his pick-up and de
parted on his first trip to Texas. “I
like it and I might jist stay down he
re,” Arnold said teasingly, with a
heavy Texas drawl.
Schewe said Arnold’s internship is
working out well and that he would
like to continue hiring Ferris stu
dents after Arnold leaves in Feb
Matt Schewe, A&M’s head professional, jokes with Scott Ar
nold in the A&M pro shop.
ruary.
Arnold said he has not decided on
the location of his fourth and final
internship. Many students seek per
manent employment when they con
sider their fourth internship, he
said. Arnold said that Ferris’ golf
management program is highly re
garded and that “a lot of great club
professionals have come from Fer
ris.”
Arnold plans to become a profes
sional’s assistant for a couple of
years, until he can get the financial
backing he needs to start his own
golf enterprise — which probably
will be a driving range. Whether Ar
nold works at a golf course or a driv
ing range, he still will have the
chance to teach.
“I really like teaching a golfer and
watching him improve,” Arnold
said.
When asked if golf is as popular in
Texas as as it is in the east, Arnold
said that “golf is popular eveywhere
right now.” He added that high
school golfers here might be better
than those in Michigan because they
have the benefit of playing year
round in the mild southern climate.
Arnold said golf is more popular
than ever. More retirees are golfing,
junior golf programs are taking off,
and golf is turning into a family
sport, he said.
He said he has never regretted his
decision to become a golf profes
sional and he likes dealing with peo
ple in the recreational atmosphere
that golf provides.
“They come out here to have a
good time and it’s my job to be sure
they do.”
Helping amateurs improve their game is an important part of being a golf
professional.