Rec Sports and Agricultural Technology partnership refreshes Virginia Tech golf course
When construction began reshaping the northwest corner of Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus this spring, Recreational Sports faced a challenge: how to preserve its popular golf course for daily play while making room for development? The solution came from a partnership right on campus, turning the project into a hands-on learning opportunity.
With planned work overlapping the existing course layout, Rec Sports needed to modify two holes to maintain a full nine holes. Rather than outsourcing the specialized design and construction work, they turned to Agricultural Technology students specializing in turfgrass management in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
A living laboratory
The on-campus golf course is a favorite recreational hub, logging around 25,000 rounds played annually. Students make up about 70 percent of players, so course quality is a priority.
To maintain that standard, student crews took hands-on ownership of the turf renewal project, constructing a new ninth hole putting green and first hole teeing area, complete with irrigation.
Brayton Crews '26, who helped lead the effort during the last days of his associate degree in turfgrass management, brought previous experience with green reconstruction to the project.
“A green is very different from building a tee or fairway because there is very little room for error,” Crews said. “A green must be constructed properly from the subgrade and through the sodding process. If any step is not completed correctly, the green may not drain properly or could take much longer to grow in successfully.”
“It was truly a rewarding experience to have the students in the turfgrass program step in and help with the construction of the new green and tee project, as well as the irrigation extension to the new tee box,” said Jason Ratcliff, superintendent of the Virginia Tech golf course.
Ratcliff noted that the course operates year-round as an educational asset, hosting weekly labs and numerous annual research projects.
“This is truly a living laboratory that benefits VT students in so many ways,” Ratcliff said.
Bridging theory and practice
Jonathan Dickerson, turfgrass management instructor for the Agriculture Technology program, said, “While hands-on learning is central to our program, this project truly raised the bar."
“Students worked alongside generous industry professionals and experienced course staff to build not only a tee and green, but also the experience and confidence they’ll carry into their careers," said Dickerson. "Opportunities like this allow them to apply classroom concepts in a real-world setting while leaving a lasting impact on campus.”
Industry partners Rodney Jordan of Rockhaven Turf and Eric Harlowe of Harlowe Land Management provided modern turf equipment, technical expertise, and hours of labor and instruction, working side-by-side with the students throughout the process.
While parts of the multi-phase renovation were completed during scheduled class and lab times, students volunteered much of their time, sometimes staying until nightfall to push the project forward.
Preparing for the future
For students eyeing careers in the turf and golf industries, the project offered lessons beyond technical fieldwork.
“Projects like this not only strengthen my resume but also allow me to gain valuable hands-on experience,” Crews said. “I was able to further develop my leadership and communication skills.”
The partnership proved the technical capabilities of the Agricultural Technology students and highlighted a shared commitment to experiential learning across university departments.
Ali Cross, director of Recreational Sports, said, “This project is a perfect example of what makes Virginia Tech special — departments working together to create meaningful student experiences while solving real campus needs."
