Course content
You will cover all the necessary knowledge, practical skills and personal behaviours required to be a Golf Greenkeeper including:
- Maintaining good standards of health and safety for self and others.
- Preparing the golf course for play which will include removing early morning dew and debris from the greens, raking bunkers, moving tee markers and cutting new holes on greens.
- Preparing and using equipment and machinery to maintain and renovate all turf surfaces within the golf course, including the use of tractors, ride-on machines and specialist equipment.
- Applying turf treatments to help produce quality playing surfaces including fertilisers and top dressing.
- Using a variety of integrated methods to control weeds, fungal diseases, pests and turf disorders.
- Maintaining and renovating bunkers and other hazards such as water features.
- Maintaining drainage and irrigation systems.
- Preparing ground to establish turf and plants when maintaining, renovating and constructing golf course features.
A Golf Greenkeeper must also understand the following technical knowledge:
- Monitoring and maintaining health and safety within the workplace.
- Identification of a number of grasses, weeds, pests, diseases, turf disorders, plants and trees.
- The primary aspects of soil and plant biology including the process of germination – photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration.
- The principles of mowing and machine maintenance and their operation.
- The need and implications of rolling, verti-cutting, scarification and aeration.
- The strategies for controlling weeds, pests, diseases and turf disorders.
- How fertilisers, top dressing and chemicals affect playing surfaces.
- How course maintenance practices affect the environment.
- Basic Information Technology.
- Awareness of the importance of the rules of golf and golf course etiquette.
- Recognise the importance of environmental and ecological best practice.
- The operation of irrigation, drainage systems and their maintenance.
Golf club employers are very customer-focused and require their apprentices to have a set of personal skills and behaviours that will ensure success as an individual and in meeting the company’s aims and objectives