A new era has dawned in course maintenance, as highly skilled greenkeepers enter the industry following apprenticeships that have raised the bar for standards.
The first apprentices to graduate from Level 3 Advanced Golf Greenkeeper are already applying their new skills on British courses, as they climb the career ladder which they hope will see them reach management of greens teams.
The content of the two-year course was developed by a group of BIGGA employers and advisors with the aim of upskilling the sector.
The apprentices’ response to date strongly suggests that Level 3 has equipped them with a platform to rise to the top, thanks to their commitment to success, inspiring tutors and supportive managers.
The ten-topic learning covers a broad curriculum from health and safety, personal and professional development and staff coaching, to advanced golf course preparation and maintenance, construction of pathway elements, integrated pest management, and project financing and costing.
Apprentices learn remotely and within the training provider, with in-depth practical work on their home course and, at the end of their apprenticeship, take a final assessment (EPA) carried out by an independent assessor. This is chosen by the terrestrial certification body Lantra, which includes a written exam, practical and professional discussion.
Nik Wadsworth – Assistant Principal at Dunham Forest Golf & Country Club
After completing his apprenticeship, former business analyst Nik Wadsworth has left his training base at Lymm Golf Club, Cheshire, to take up a new role as first assistant at nearby Dunham Forest Golf & Country Club.
Officially the first in the country to pass the course, which he took at Myerscough College, Nik had completed his Level 2 at Lymm under Rick Sinker and Dave Whitby, and stayed there to complete his practical projects for Level 3 Advanced Golf Greenkeeper, under James Dennett and Paul Davy.
“My tutor, Chris Garland-Kelly, supported me throughout the course and we took regular walks to Lymm Golf Club to see my work and check my knowledge, before moving to Dunham Forest,” says Nik. “The course content was more academic and had been significantly modified from previous topics,” he notes. “With a geography degree under my belt, I suppose I knew the process of passing the exams, but the EPA was quite demanding. I worked hard and was determined to succeed once I started. “
Nik’s hands-on projects included taking and analyzing cores of greens and approaches, evaluating greens for speed, smoothness and fairness. He recalls: “The terms used to describe the movement of a ball on a green have a language of their own. We watched a video of a ball “chattering” and “snaking” across the turf. The goal is to remove these actions to provide perfect movement. – an 8 foot roll with the Stimp Meter is average, with 10 to 12 feet or more for competitive golf.
Nik moves on to another piece of Level 3 course content. As a high achiever in the business world before changing careers – “I had a hankering to work outside and landed on my feet in maintaining the green spaces at Dunham Forest; such an atmospheric place with its magnificent stands of native trees, hundreds of years old.”
He knows the importance of effective personnel management: “As you develop your career, it is crucial to manage a greens team to get the most out of them. Many greenkeepers have not experienced a office environment – totally different from working outside.”
The Dunham Forest team numbers seven, led by course superintendent Tim Johnson, with an assistant, two first assistants and three groundskeepers making up the contingent.
“The Advanced Golf Greenkeeper Level 3 course is a demanding course,” says Tim, and requires a certain degree of academic ability to successfully complete it. It’s a quality Nik has in abundance.”
Dunham Forest’s transition to a fully electric fleet is a move Nik welcomes. “The environmental management subject aims to give learners an understanding of a golf course. I am passionate about nature and understand why wildlife diversity is such a key aspect of course maintenance.”
Project on the 11th bunker at Lymm Golf Club.
“The course topic also emphasized a holistic approach to green space maintenance. After all, do we really want to handle and apply chemicals such as pesticides and fungicides?”
Not all apprentices can engage with course content as Nik admits. “I jumped in and demanded that all thematic areas be really taken into account from the start,” he explains.
“It can be difficult to always find the time the course requires. One man at the bottom of the team makes a huge difference in work schedules. You can suddenly find yourself cutting twenty greens, all the approaches and all the surroundings. Cutting the rough can take two or three days alone. Course maintenance must take priority if we are short-staffed.
“The course is a huge commitment and requires many hours, both at work and at home, to complete. The written assignments are detailed, and the exam and final assessment require you to study hard and revise thoroughly all areas. However, all topics covered in the course can be applied in their daily environment, whether it is course preparation and maintenance, project preparation and planning, communication, health and safety, drainage, irrigation, vehicle and equipment maintenance, financial management, risk assessment, environmental management and pest control.
“It also helps with your personal development projects, as well as coaching and supporting other colleagues. All of these are key skills essential to the journey to golf course management. As a result, The rewards for all your hard work will be well worth it when you successfully complete the course and will be invaluable to your career progression.
New standard of learning
The Advanced Golf Greenkeeper Level 3 apprenticeship standard was developed by the Trailblazer Employer Group in 2020.
It replaces the Greenkeeping pathway in the Level 3 Horticulture Advanced Apprenticeship Framework, from which the first cohort of nine apprentices emerged, including Nik Wadsworth, Tom Bromfield and Jack Hopgood-Haines.
The new learning standard concludes with an endpoint assessment which includes three elements, an online written exam, a number of practical tasks and a professional discussion with a course pathway, undertaken by an independent endpoint assessor.
The main aim of the Trailblazer Group was to raise the standard of green space maintenance, the quality of those entering the sector and to improve career prospects in an era of enormous technological progress and scientific foundations. for lawn maintenance.
Other training providers, such as North Kent and Hadlow College, Plumpton College and Windsor Forest College’s Group Berkshire College of Agriculture, are also leading the way in improving standards of green space maintenance with learning from level 3.
The coming years could well be marked by a transformation of the sector with the rise of the latest recruits.
2nd graduate
Tom Bromfield is the second Level 3 nationally and was recently promoted to first assistant as part of the eight-strong team at his home course – private members’ club Trentham Golf Club – which has given him a new insight into the work of other members of the greens team.
Tom commented: “The exam definitely made me think about how the content applies to my day-to-day work. My job involves a lot more management thinking and I’m trying to get myself into the mindset spirit of my Deputy Course Director and Course Director, as I hope to move up the career ladder and eventually lead my own team.”
Putting the skills covered in level 3 into practice is not necessarily that simple. “Integrated pest management presents a significant challenge,” he says. “How we can combat their impact is still up in the air. The pesticides we once used to control worm populations are now banned, and their releases are wreaking havoc in parks like ours.”
His topic ‘Staff Supervision’, which dealt with appraisals and how to manage conflict, fits with Trentham’s evolving team strategy which includes more regular discussions with staff – in Tom’s case he acts as his line manager, Deputy Alex Brougham – to discuss any professional or personal issues.
“Although staff reviews take place every December or January, we plan to have more monthly and bi-monthly discussions about anything that might impact day-to-day work,” says Tom.
“Even a ten-minute catch-up in the morning is better than no communication.”
“Since Alex became assistant course director, I’ve been trying to figure things out and better understand how everything works. Team member Steve is also very comfortable with the machines and I like learn more about it. I can now use my knowledge and skills that I have acquired to help the team in these departments.
Communications is also on Tom’s radar. “Ed likes me to come to the green committee meetings to learn as much as possible and develop myself.”
“We are lucky because the Greens committee is generally receptive to our ideas on maintenance and spending. I also try to meet with business representatives and entrepreneurs to gain more experience in communicating to all levels – while listening to Ed’s methods.”
Summing up, Tom says: “Completing Level 3 has been a big help and I’m already benefiting greatly from it. The content covered is more comprehensive and much more detailed, which is harder to get right overall. The exam and EPA require full concentration and your assignments also require more
