Knowing where they want to be in ten years netted three Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) members slots on the maintenance team at the U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., as part of the Toro Championship Tournament Training Program.

Dan Tolson, a junior at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co., is the only student member selected for the program. After being raised on a golf course as the son of a superintendent, he's actively preparing for his own career. Each applicant submitted an essay on where they see themselves professionally, in the next 10 years and what they hope to accomplish during that time. Tolson explains his goal, "I plan to be a certified golf course superintendent devoted to enhancing the game of golf by not forgetting two simple concepts. Keeping up with new technologies and finding new ways to improve the environment through golf courses."

Two assistant superintendents will be participating in the program as well. Brian K. Pardoe, Bethesda Country Club, Bethesda, Md., and Brian Thompson, Elcona Country Club, Bristol, Ind.

Pardoe, first assistant on Mark Kingora's staff, looks forward to the eventual opportunities as a superintendent and dreams of one day managing a grow in course. "To witness and manage the exchange of rough land into a majestic co-existence with the environment and the game of golf has always been a passion of mine," Pardoe says. "Ultimately, I want to know that I have done everything for the best of the profession, the club, the staff, the environment and the game of golf."

Thompson assists superintendent Tom Zimmerman at Elcona CC. His vision of the future reflects on the superintendent's key responsibilities especially with the general public. "Today's superintendents have the opportunity to reveal to the general public the importance of their field," Thompson says. "Striving for the most perfect playing surfaces attainable, displaying a thirst for technical knowledge, and maintaining a positive outlook are all ways today's superintendents can create a lasting impression on the general public."

The winners will join John A. Szklinski, golf course superintendent at Southern Hills CC, alongside members of the maintenance staff detailing the course before each round.

The Toro Company established the Toro Championship Tournament Training Program in partnership with the GCSAA to provide an opportunity for assistant superintendents and student members to learn what happens at the highest level of golf course management. Visit GCSAA online at www.GCSAA.org or www.GolfSuper.com.