PROFESSION

Groundsman / Greenkeeper

Chris Kennedy

Name:
Chris Kennedy

Degree:
City and Guilds
in Golf Course Management

Employer:
Wentworth Golf Club

  • Typical Day
  • Advantages
  • Qualifications
  • Resources

A day in the life of a...
Groundsman / Greenkeeper

Job Description
A groundskeeper maintains and landscapes sporting venues and their vegetation for appearance and functionality.

A day in a life of a Groundskeeper
My day starts at 6am to prepare the golf courses for the members. This involves cutting the greens, fairways and tees to ensure they are of the highest quality.

Pin positions also need to be decided and varied to ensure the greens remain in good condition.

3 great things about being a Groundsman / Greenkeeper

 

1. Having an outdoor lifestyle and working in the fresh air
   
2. No traffic to deal with
   
3. For the course to ready for a championship takes months of preparation and seeing the job through from the start to the finish is very rewarding
   
3 not so great things about being a Groundskeeper
   
1. Bad weather
   
2. The wages are not great
   
3. Sometimes dealing with some of the public can be fairly difficult

 

Qualifications recommended you gain

 

N.V.Q in Horticulture and Turf

GCSEs in Maths and English
   
3 opportunities and experiences you recommend you gain?
   
1. Playing the sport that you prepare the ground for is always a good thing as this will give you a better understanding of what is required
   
2. Visit other complexes to learn new ideas if you can
   
3. Gain work experience with a groundskeeper in a support role and learn from this experience
   
Salary range?
£15,000 - £20,000

 

Where to study...

You can study a BSc or FdSc in Sports Turf Management at;

Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Warwickshire College 

Useful Websites

www.bigga.org.uk 
www.cityandguilds.com 
www.iog.org
www.skillsactive.com

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