Purdue turf scientists making their mark at Olympia Fields
The cups have all been cut and the greens have been watered and mowed to the ideal height. Beautifully manicured turf with a Rolex clock gleaming in the sunshine await the golfers’ arrival. What began in 1915 as a private golf club for businessmen and their families from Chicago has evolved into one of the most respected golf clubs in the Midwest: Olympia Fields Country Club.
Two Purdue alumni and, for the summer, a rising Purdue senior are helping to insure that this 200-acre, 36-hole golf course is being maintained at the highest level for patrons. Ethan Flahaven, who graduated in 2018 with a degree in turf management and science, is the north course superintendent. Brody Piel joined Flahaven after graduating from the program in May 2025 to serve as south course assistant superintendent. And Otto Hoehl, a current horticulture and landscape architecture student majoring in turf management and science, served as a 2025 summer intern.
Shared roots. Unmatched drive. Excellence in Action
“As a kid, I always loved working outside and using my hands and time to make our yard and property look nice. Looking back, I see that as a path to what has led me to where I am today. Every day my team and I are driven to make Olympia Fields look the best that it can for our members,” Flahaven said.
Flahaven, Piel, and Hoehl are all at different points in their careers, yet they all have three things in common: a love for sports, a preference to be outside and a passion to create the best turf possible.
Ethan Flahaven, 2018 turf management and science alumnus, north course superintendent. 
Brody Piel, 2025 turf management and science alumnus, south course assistant superintendent. 
Otto Hoehl, current student majoring in turf management and science, 2025 summer intern. “Looking back, I would say that agriculture and sports were a large part of leading me to where I am today,” Piel said. “In high school, I remember really thinking through what I wanted to do as a career. I had a love of agriculture, but I also wanted to remain involved in sports. I ended up at a Purdue event over the summer with 4-H, and I met Dr. Bigelow, who introduced me to the turf science program.”
Hoehl and Flahaven also share similar experiences mowing lawns, working outdoors and being athletes. “I started my first job outside, mowing lawns when I was around 10 years old,” Hoehl said. “My first real job was my junior year of high school at a golf course in Hammond, Indiana. Working there was a lot of fun for me. The superintendent was a Purdue grad from the late 70s, and he encouraged me to apply for the program.”
Turf scientists, problem solvers, and industry leaders
“What I have learned during my time at Purdue has been instrumental to success in what I am doing every day,” Hoehl said.
Armed with the skillset and desire to keep the course in top form, all three Olympia Fields employees spend their day putting things they learned from their time in the classroom at Purdue into practice.
“Today I’m backpack spraying around the ponds because we have a lot of sedge growing up,” Piel said. “I had a lot of experience with this from my time at Purdue. With my knowledge and experience, I was able to mix a concentration that would work. A lot of what I learned at Purdue was to do turf math correctly, and I am now putting that into practice daily.”
Hoehl says that his time at Purdue has benefited him in his summer internship, and he is grateful for the connections that helped him find growth opportunities.
“The turf science program at Purdue has given me so many wonderful opportunities. Last year, I interned at another golf course in Utah, and this summer, I am here in the Midwest, close to where I grew up, at another prestigious course,” Hoehl said.
While all three note that their soil science, agronomy and meteorology courses prepared them for their roles, they also believe there’s a social science component that is vital to their work.
“People talk about the science side of our work, but I don’t think that the role of communication gets talked about enough in this industry,” Piel said. “A large part of our roles is communicating with people about what we’re doing. I think back to some of my classes and how we communicated and how we worked together as a group to get the best out of each other and ourselves.”
Ethan Flahaven, north course superintendent, spends part of his day watering the greens on the course at Olympia Fields. 
Brody Piel, south course assistant superintendent, begins each day with preparing the greens on his course by cutting the cups. 
Otto Hoehl, a current horticulture and landscape architecture student majoring in turf management and science, served as a 2025 summer intern. Along with benefiting from their Purdue classes, they each credit the closeness of the program and the support they received from the faculty and staff for their success. Piel and Hoehl were both connected to their opportunities at Olympia Fields through turf science professor Cale Bigelow.
“Turf is a very small community, and the Purdue turf community is even smaller and closer,” Flahaven said. “The Purdue turf community extends beyond graduation to helping students and alumni get jobs and alumni to find highly qualified candidates. This kind of community is helpful for everyone.”
This team turns turf science into a hole-in-one
“Every day, we are focused on getting this place ready for our members to come out. These are prestigious golf courses to play, and we need to uphold those standards,” Flahaven said.
With numerous opportunities in sports turf, working at a golf course presents its own set of challenges and benefits. For Flahaven, Piel and Hoehl, they view each task in their day as an opportunity to utilize their background and skills to create the best environment and playability for golfers.
“Aesthetics are something we work on every day, whether it’s partnering with our horticulture staff, or watering areas with burned grass to make them all look greener and increase playability,” Piel said. “We are dealing with a lot more acreage than a sports turf field, and each day presents different challenges.”
“I have had several members stop me and my team members this summer to let us know that different projects we have worked on look good and have helped to improve the course,” Hoehl said.
“The job brings a different challenge every day, and it’s always something new. You get to be outside and see the results of what you have spent your work on for the day. You also get to see people utilizing the work you have done, which is very rewarding.”
As the three Purdue turf scientists finish another day of shaping a world-class golf experience, they each load their golf carts filled with the tools of their trade, Flahaven speaks up, summarizing what they each have expressed, “Purdue has been instrumental in each of us getting here.”
