ABOVE PHOTO: Grand Geneva Resort, which features two 18-hole golf courses, is a year-round getaway in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has long been known for its great cheese, cranberries, beer and sausage, but in the past couple of decades it has become a destination for something else: Great golf.
In 2021, the state had seven of the top 50 public courses, best in the U.S., drawing tourists from around the country and world. More than 600,000 golfers teed up on the state’s 530 courses, supporting 38,000 jobs and adding $2.4 billion to the state’s economy.
With golf participation surging since COVID and upcoming national tournaments, such as the 2023 U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld and 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, the state golf industry is projected to need 11% more workers in the next five years and nearly 17% more over the next decade.
The golf enterprise management program at University of Wisconsin-Stout is designed to meet that demand with graduates ready to step into management positions across the industry.
With ongoing low unemployment, state workforce needs are acute. “We can’t find enough bodies to get into the jobs that are available, and our workforce is not going to grow,” said Dennis Winters, chief economist with state Department of Workforce Development, as quoted recently by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
GEM is one of many bachelor’s and master’s programs based in UW-Stout’s Heritage Hall that help fill important workforce needs in the state. The building, nearly 50 years old, is scheduled for major renovation, including classrooms and labs, after receiving priority approval in 2022 from the UW System Board of Regents. The project is ranked No. 1 in the Chippewa Valley and No. 3 for UW System academic buildings.
GEM trains students to take leadership roles at public and private golf facilities and related businesses around the state. The program, the only one of its kind in the UW System, is endorsed by the National Golf Course Owners Association and works with the Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin.
“The GEM degree fills the missing void in the golf industry, where we first and foremost understand and manage the business side of the golf course,” said Professor Kris Schoonover, GEM director.
“The program is a leader in advancing the game because we understand that it’s changing and why, and we produce quality, smart professionals to lead change,” added Schoonover, who also is director of operations at Erin Hills, which hosted the 2017 men’s U.S. Open.
