TORREY PINES, Calif. (KGTV) — The Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines is in just a couple of days, and there's a lot to prepare for. Some San Diego middle schoolers saw firsthand the work it takes to keep the greens, well green.
Kids got to learn there's a lot more happening on a golf course, than just hitting a ball. The soil, the holes in the ground, and the wildlife in nearby bushes all factor into the Farmer’s Insurance Open.
“Where are we going to cut this cup? Someone pick a spot,” said one superintendent.
So while the Golf Course Superintendents Association prepared for the tournament, students from Millennial Tech Middle School got to learn a thing or two about maintaining the land.
“This is actually from this golf course here,” said one superintendent.
“I got to hold some of the tools, I got to go on the tractors, I got to play with dirt and clay,” said Stephanie Adegeye, a student at Millennial Tech.
They discussed water conservation..
“Water is a big deal to us, we’re always checking to see how much water is in the grass,” said one superintendent.
And watched for critters to avoid.
“There’s wildlife here and we can’t disturb that, so everybody just leaves that alone,” said John Arthur Robertson, a student at Millennial Tech.
The hands-on experience made kids more engaged in the science behind it all.
“I haven't been on a field trip since elementary school because of COVID, so it was really breathtaking when I came here,” Robertson said.
It was also a good opportunity to connect with the environment outside their norm.
“I think getting out of our community, get them exposure to other things besides their neighborhood,” said Aaron Smith, a teacher at Millennial Tech.
Professional golfer Rickie Fowler and others competing in the tournament also came to talk to the students. It gave them a front-row preview of what was to come on Wednesday.
