For those who love golf, the golf course is a place to compete or to unwind; it can be a place to be alone with one’s thoughts or to socialize and make connections with others.

For Matt Peterson, PGA head golf professional and manager of the UGA Golf Course, the university’s course is all of these—but it’s also a 250-acre outdoor classroom, research lab and service opportunity.

“There is a lot of potential here, and our doors are open,” Peterson said, who manages day-to-day operations of the course and provides golf instruction.

A former professional golfer on the PGA Tour and alumnus of UGA’s golf team, Peterson said he is always looking for new ways for the UGA Golf Course to exemplify the university’s motto: “to teach, to serve and to inquire into the nature of things.”

Already, the course hosts classes for students and the UGA community, houses research opportunities for studying turfgrass and ecology and hosts tournaments that serve UGA and the state.

For Peterson, it’s all about making the most of this beautifully manicured, 18-hole course, which has played a major role in his professional life.

Peterson first played on the UGA Golf Course 31 years ago when he joined the UGA golf team as a freshman. As a student-athlete, he was a three-time All-American and was part of the 1988 SEC championship team.

In 1990, he turned pro, with Athens as his home base. Peterson spent years in the PGA’s developmental tour—currently called the Web.com Tour—and the UGA Golf Course was one of his go-to places to work on his swing. In his 14 years as a professional, Peterson found some success, playing on the PGA Tour for a year in 2002 before retiring in 2004.

“I loved every minute,” he said of the grueling years competing on the tour.

After he retired, he took a job on the maintenance staff for the UGA Golf Course, which included cutting the grass, blowing leaves, and all of the other hard, intricate work required to maintain an 18-hole course. The following year, he became the course’s PGA head golf professional and assistant course manager. He became the head manager in 2014.

One might imagine that a golf pro’s job consists mostly of playing endless rounds of free golf. Instead, Peterson juggles a variety of duties including managing the facility’s budget and a staff of more than 50, leading customer service efforts, planning and running tournaments and events, and offering golf instruction to customers. These days, he doesn’t have much time get out and play. This is typical for many golf professionals and course managers, but what makes Peterson’s job different is the UGA Golf Course’s expanded mission to serve the university. That mission goes beyond simply being the home course for the UGA golf teams.

As a teaching site, the course has long hosted university physical education classes, but Peterson has also found other teaching opportunities. Last year, the course hosted a UGA Women in Business golf clinic, where he and other staff helped attendees work on their swing and taught them how the game offered opportunities for professional development.

For research, UGA faculty have used the course to test turfgrass and study ecology. The golf course has worked with the UGA Office of Sustainability to increase its recycling efforts. For service, the course has hosted fundraising efforts like the Ed Hoard Memorial First Tee Scholarship Golf Tournament, which raises money for a need-based scholarship. Peterson plans to expand this fundraising role.

Peterson also wants the course to be a resource for faculty and staff. Each semester, the golf course hosts a free golf clinic for UGA employees. This year’s clinic will be in early October; the date and times are to be announced.

Peterson encourages faculty and staff—those who golf and those who don’t—to see and enjoy the course.