Watch grass grow, get a degree

Watch grass grow, get a degree

Now you can go to college, watch the grass grow and get a degree.

Hodges University, which has campuses in Fort Myers and Naples, plans to offer an associate degree in turf grass management next year at the Kenneth Oscar Johnson School of Business.

The objective of the program is to train future golf course superintendents and turf grass managers. It's a reflection of the increased burden of government regulations of large grassy areas that require advanced science degrees to manage.

But graduates aren't likely to be working on any new golf courses. That's because government permitting, regulations on water and fertilizer use and the slowdown in the economy mean no new golf courses will be built for years.

Still, there are plenty of existing golf courses, parks and recreational facilities where turf scientists are needed. Just don't ask them to mow your lawn.