Welcome to GreenKeeper University!

  • Advance your career in turf management taking courses from the top experts in the field.
  • Earn your certificate after successfully completing 8 GreenKeeper University courses.
  • Take one course, or up to four at a time.
  • Courses are entirely online and start January 6th and end the week of March 23rd. 
  • Check our the initial course offerings below.
Registration is open now.


Click here for more information, including costs, expectations, and other important details.


Note: If you have not taken an introductory turfgrass class or an online class before, we strongly encourage you to check out the 2020 Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science (or similar) before taking these courses from GreenKeeper University. The Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science teaches the basics of cool-season turf management with a Golf Edition and a Grounds Edition

    Available courses

    GreenKeeper University Orientation

    Welcome to GreenKeeper University! This module is intended to introduce you to the Moodle Platform and give you resources to help you be successful.

    Turfgrass Disease Identification and Management

    This course is co-taught by Dr. Jim Kerns and Dr. Paul Koch and provides a comprehensive introduction to the primary diseases of both warm and cool-season turfgrass. Students will learn how to identify diseases in the field, receive the most up-to-date research related to integrated disease control strategies, and work to develop comprehensive disease control programs specific to their location.


    Turfgrass Fertilization and Soil Management

    This course, taught by Dr. Doug Soldat, covers the fundamentals of turfgrass soils and turfgrass nutrient management. After learning about the important physical and chemical properties of turfgrass root zones, students will be exposed to the most up to date information on soil testing and plant analysis, and gain experience with turfgrass nutrient management planning and using the NRCS Web Soil Survey.

    Understanding the Weather and How It Relates to Turfgrass Growth, Stress Management and Modeling

    This course, taught by Dr. Bill Kreuser, covers weather basics, sources of weather data including forecast models, and technologies to measure meteorological data at your facility. Different weather events – such as excessive heat, cold, and drought – will be discussed in context to turfgrass physiology and management. Finally, the course will connect weather with turfgrass growth and development through models. Specific model examples include estimates of evapotranspiration (ET), seedhead and PGR GDD application timing, disease outbreak risk, and growth potential models.

    Integrated Pest Management and Responsible Pesticide Use

    Managing pests are a critical skill of any successful golf course superintendent, and doing so in an environmentally responsible way is increasingly becoming required of all turfgrass managers. Dr. Paul Koch and Dr. Jim Kerns will provide the students in this class an overview of the basic principles of Integrated Pest Management, how those principles can be applied to golf courses of all expectations and budgets, and provide strategies for using pesticides in a manner consistent with sustainable turfgrass management goals.