Matthew Lovelace has turned his Turfgrass Management degree into a passport.

At the age of 27, the Elizabethton native is preparing to build a golf course on Nadi Island in Fiji. This will mark his second international position. He has spent the last two years as head superintendent at The Mirage City Golf Club, part of a Marriott Resort in Cairo.

“When I land in Fiji, I will have circled the entire world,” Lovelace said. He’s visited a total of 21 countries and has had the opportunity to absorb local cultures. While the resorts may cater to travelers, Lovelace’s job enables him to work primarily with local residents. In Egypt, he supervised 121 people. None were American and only 10 spoke any English.

“I can speak Arabic fairly well. The great thing about Fiji is that it’s an English colony. I still want to learn the language because it helps and it shows others that you do respect their culture,” he said.

Lovelace views his job as having three equal parts: teacher, manager and horticulturist. In a business sense, his new job in Fiji will involve more science, while his job in Egypt leaned heavy on his teaching skills.

“I’m going from one extreme to the other, from growing grass in the dessert to growing it in a tropical climate.

“In both cases, I’m working in a culture that has never seen a golf course. In Egypt, it was more of a teaching position for me. Most of the people there have never even seen grass,” he said.      

Lovelace must also stay updated on international laws. For instance, in Fiji he will have access to some chemicals that were not allowed in Egypt.

Lovelace has always appreciated the fundamentals he learned from Reg Jellicorse, head of Walters State’s Production Horticulture Program. He uses the chemical and fertilizer tracking skills he learned every day. His job in Egypt, though, gave him an appreciation for his general education and management courses.

“Walters State really teaches you all the basics for business. I had to take a speech class there and now I give tons of speeches and do a lot of public relations work as part of my job. I’m always writing reports and drawing on my math skills that I learned during my two years,” he said.           

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