Greenkeeper

As a greenkeeper you maintain and care for golf courses and large green sports facilities so they are always beautiful and playable. You work with grass planting watering and machinery and ensure every green fairway and bunker is in top condition. When you are done you are skilled in caring for green facilities at a high level.

You start early and mow the greens and fairways while the dew is still down. You keep an eye on the health of the grass, fertilise and water, aerate the soil and keep the bunkers and ponds in order. A large part of the work is about understanding grass as a living plant — when it should be cut low, when it needs care, and how the weather affects the course. You operate and maintain specialised machines and work with the rest of the crew to get the course ready before the first players come out.

• 01You learn to maintain grass on greens and fairways so the course is beautiful and playable.
• 02You become good at watering, fertilising and keeping the grass healthy year round.
• 03You work with specialised machines that cut and maintain green areas.
• 04You learn to install and maintain planting, bunkers, and ponds.
• 05You work outdoors close to nature and with changing seasons.
• 06You get a trade where precision and eye for detail really pay off.

You typically start with a basic course at a vocational school and then need an apprenticeship on a golf course or green sports facility. The education alternates between school stays and practice so you learn the theory of grass and maintenance and use it on the course right away. You get paid during training and learn the trade alongside experienced greenkeepers.

With the journeyman's certificate you can work on golf courses stadiums and other green sports facilities at home and abroad. You can specialise become head greenkeeper with responsibility for the entire course and a full team or work with setting up new courses. If you want to go further the trade can open doors to further education in green installations and management.

“A perfect green doesn't happen by itself — it's the result of a greenkeeper who was up before everyone else.”