Internship Program

  • The finish crew for Phase 1 at Dismal River Red, Brett Hochstein, Zach Varty and Jeff Stein
    The finish crew for Phase 1 at Dismal River Red, Brett Hochstein, Zach Varty and Jeff Stein

In 2003, we formalized our internship program, and each year we typically receive about 50 applications from around the world. The goal of the program has always been to provide room for the growth of young people who are enthusiastic about golf and design. Our former interns have not only contributed to our success, but have gone on to help build great golf courses for other designers, as well. We are committed to providing such opportunities wherever and whenever we can.

Unfortunately, such positions do not come along at regular intervals these days. It does a student intern little good to sit in our office and wait for the phone to ring, and we can only use applicants to staff projects when our projects are in the proper phase of construction, which is not always during university summer vacations.

We encourage potential applicants to stay abreast of where we are busy (via this web site) and to contact us when the time and situation are appropriate. Timing is everything! You are welcome to visit our offices in Traverse City, or to send in your resume and portfolios for consideration; but we prefer to meet students in the field so we can get a better sense of what their abilities are and how they might fit in, and we will remember you better that way.

If you do wish to contact us by mail, you should address the following questions:

  1. What is your interest in golf?
  2. Why do you want a job with us?, and
  3. What do you think you would bring to one of our projects, if we should hire you?

Anyone interested in pursuing a career in golf architecture should fully understand the cyclical nature of the golf course development business; it is not a career for the faint of heart, nor for those who aren't willing to pick up and move to wherever the work may be. At the same time, I recall that when I was in school back in 1979-82, the market looked equally bleak, and that only helped to sift through the candidates so that there was less competition in the next boom phase. Perseverance is no guarantee of success, but you will get nowhere without it.

Tom Doak

Past & Current Renaissance Golf Design Interns:

Gil Hanse - Cornell University 1987 High Pointe, Black Forest, Stonewall (Old)
Mike DeVries - Lake Forest University 1989 The Legends (Heathland), Black Forest
James Duncan - Technical College of Denmark 1995 Riverfront
Brian Slawnik* - Michigan State University 1997 Beechtree, Riverfront, and many since
Kyle Franz - Albany (OR) Community College 2000 Pacific Dunes, Barnbougle, Aetna Springs, Stone Eagle
Nick Daunhauer - Ohio State University 2000 Pacific Dunes
Will Smith - Yale University 2001 The Sheep Ranch, Stonewall (North)
Chris Hunt - Edinburgh University 2002 Cape Kidnappers, Rock Creek, Tumble Creek
Phillipe Binette - University of Montreal 2003 Barnbougle Dunes, Stonewall (North)
George Waters - University of Guelph 2003 Barnbougle Dunes, Aetna Springs, Rock Creek, The Renaissance Club
Sara Mess - Michigan State University 2004 Tumble Creek, The Renaissance Club
Zac Borg - Kansas State University 2004 Ballyneal
Mike McCartin - Duke University 2004 Ballyneal, Bay of Dreams, Renaissance Club, Streamsong
Jonathan Reisetter - University of Minnesota 2004 Ballyneal, Rock Creek, Wicked Pony, CommonGround, St. Emilion
Patrick Montgomery - University of Guelph 2005 Bay of Dreams, The Renaissance Club
Benjamin Warren - University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2005 The Renaissance Club, St. Emillion
Ignacio Mejia - Oklahoma State University 2005 Ballyneal
Danny Smith - US Army 2006 Rock Creek
Adam Scherer - University of Rhode Island 2006 Rock Creek
Ryan Farrow - Arizona State University 2006 Rock Creek
Ryan Crago - University of British Columbia 2007 Wicked Pony, CommonGround
Pete Zarlengo - Penn State University 2009 CommonGround, Tara Iti
Michael Damico - University of Colorado 2010 CommonGround
Chase Webb - University of Florida 2011 Streamsong (Blue)
Angela Moser - University of Applied Science, Weihensephan, Germany 2011 St. Emilion, The Loop, Woodhall Spa
Ben Wescoe - Yale University 2011 The Renaissance Club
Brett Hochstein - Cornell University 2011 Dismal River, Simapo Island
Jeffrey Stein - Brandeis University 2011 Dismal River
Zach Varty - University of Minnesota - Duluth 2011 Dismal River
Kyle Harris - Penn State University 2011 Streamsong (Blue)
Matt Hunter - University of Michigan 2012 Streamsong (Blue), Dismal River
Li Na - Beijing Forestry University 2012 Simapo Island
Conor Cummings - University of Oklahoma 2012 Dismal River
Ryan Yonce - Clemson University 2012 Dismal River, Bel Air
James Burt - Syracuse University 2012 Dismal River
Blake Conant - University of Georgia 2012 Dismal River, Medinah, Stoatin Brae
Jaeger Kovich - Hobart College 2012 Dismal River, Simapo Island
Clyde Johnson - University of Georgia 2012 Dismal River, Tara Iti, Woodhall Spa
Michael Henderson - Deakin University 2012 Tara Iti, The National (Australia)
Riley Johns - University of Guelph 2013 Simapo Island