Trainee Greenkeeper

A Greenkeeper is responsible for the maintenance, care and overall appearance of a golf course in line with employer’s requirements. It is their job to maintain a good quality playing surface and ensure the course offers a consistent challenge and an enjoyable experience for golfers.

There are four key turfgrass areas on a golf course - greens, tees, fairways and areas of rough, each of which requires a different type of maintenance. Using a range of equipment and machinery safely and competently will play a major part within an apprentices training programme. Greenkeepers will also be involved in hazard, environmental and ecological operations which may include bunker maintenance, planting turf, trees, shrubs and developing wildlife habitats. The skills required to become a competent greenkeeper will be acquired whilst working on the golf course.

**Maintenance Skills**:
A qualified greenkeeper will be able to:

- Maintain 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, 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
- Using a variety of integrated methods to control weeds, fungal diseases, pests and turf disorders
- Maintain and renovate bunkers and other hazards such as water features
- Maintain drainage and irrigation systems
- Preparing ground to establish turf and plants when maintaining, renovating and constructing golf course features

**Knowledge and Understanding**:
A Greenkeeper must understand the following technical knowledge:

- Identify their role in 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 to include 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
- Be aware 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

**The skill base of a Greenkeeper**:
Golf club employers are very customer focused and require their apprentices to have a set of personal skills and acumen that will ensure success in their current and future roles as an individual and in meeting the company’s aims and objectives.

The skills required by golf club employees will be:

- Have a strong work ethic including pride in work, attention to detail, integrity and time management
- Have a flexible positive attitude to work
- Ability to work as a lone worker and as a member of a team
- A willingness to learn and contribute to their own continuing professional development
- Having a safety mindset for self, colleagues and golfers
- A clear and effective communicator who can use a variety of communication methods to give/receive information accurately and in a timely and positive manner
- Problem solving and effective decision making

If you would like to be involved in training to become greenkeeper, please apply. Following a successful probation period you will be offered the chance to undertake your NVQ level 2 in greenkeeping.

**Salary**: From £18,000.00 per year

Schedule:

- 8 hour shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

- London, N22 7UT: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)