ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship

I feel extremely honoured and lucky to be selected for the ICL Scholarship. I'm going to make the most of the opportunity at BTME 2025 and utilise all the amazing education offered to me.

A massive thanks to the guys at BIGGA and ICL for the continued investment and hard work that goes into producing these initiatives, giving people like myself the opportunity to develop our careers.

I am deeply honoured and priviliged to be chosen for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship 2025. This invaluable opportunity will significantly contribute to my career development and I eagerly anticipate expanding my knowledge with the other distinguished scholars at Harrogate in the New Year.

I am very excited to have been selected for the 2025 ICL Scholarship. I am extremely grateful for this fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to take part in some of the many educational events that are on offer. I see this as a great opportunity to help me develop my career and expand my knowledge in greenkeeping. Many thanks again to ICL and BIGGA.

Receiving the phone call from BIGGA to congratulate me on being one of the ICL Continue to Learn scholars to attend BTME 2025 was incredible. I am currently recovering from jaw surgery so to have news like this is a huge boost.

I feel honoured to be selected and can't wait to utilise the scholarship to its full potential at BTME 2025. I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to explore avenues for my future career. Although I am new to the greenkeeping industry, I want to combine my strong background in management and law to help shape the future of greenkeeping.

Now, through being one of the ICL Continue to Learn scholars for 2025, I can focus my education on the foundational knowledge I need to progress.

I am absolutely over the moon to get the ICL Scholarship. This opportunity will help me to further my career and I can't wait to get there and meet the other scholars. 

I'm also thrilled that I will be sharing this experience with Aaron Allibon, who I know and shared a room with when we volunteered at JCB Golf and Country Club.

I have applied for this three times now, so for all those who don't get it first time: try and try again! 

"When I got the phone call about being selected I was really excited. Having been lucky enough to attend BTME and Continue to Learn before, I've seen how amazing the whole event is. I'm hoping to gain lots of valuable knowledge from the classes to help with my career development and I'm looking forward to meeting lots of people in the industry to further increase my greenkeeping network.

"As we all know, the world around us is changing and as greenkeepers we must adapt to the ever-increasing challenges we face. Sharing new research, technology and skills from across the globe can help greenkeepers apply new up-to-date practices and will allow us to work in an environmentally-friendly manner."

"I'm over the moon to be selected for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship. I haven't been to BTME for a few years, so to be attending as well as gaining 15 hours of education is a great opportunity to progress my career. I'm very grateful to have been chosen.

"Continue to Learn is important for all greenkeepers in whatever roles or positions who are keen to push their careers. Whether gaining knowledge or refreshing ideas, there are a variety of classes, workshops and seminars to choose from with top speakers presenting. 

"I hope to gain new skills and the knowledge to progress and prepare for a course manager role in future. Having been a deputy for a few years now, I know my eventual next move will be a big one and I aim to be as prepared as possible for it."

"I am incredibly excited to be chosen. I received the call while at The R&A Women in Golf Leadership programme in St Andrews and it was unexpected. It has rounded off a busy year with this amazing opportunity at BTME 2024.

"I feel very fortunate to have been accepted as there is a huge wealth of knowledge at BTME to take advantage of and bring back to share with the team. There is a huge importance to keep educating ourselves on advances in technology, techniques and knowledge within the groundscare industry.

"I have previously taken part in leadership and irrigation maintenance courses in Harrogate, leading to improvements in good practices throughout the year. There have been contacts made for life through BTME and my hope is to carry on sharing and spreading the knowledge, bringing new people into the industry."

"Attending Continue to Learn and BTME will help me gain new knowledge from experts in the industry. Gaining better knowledge on subjects such as irrigation, machinery maintenance and project planning will help me become a much more rounded greenkeeper, which will not only help develop myself but also benefit the golf club I work at. 

"It also enables me to perform on of the biggest strengths within the greenkeeping industry and network. Living in the far north of Scotland, there is a lack of educational events that you would find in other areas of the UK. Being a lone greenkeeper, this proves challenging to get the time away from maintaining the golf course without it impacting the rest of the working week.

"The ICL Scholarship will allow me to access the best educational event on the greenkeeping calendar. I can fully immerse myself in the event and not have the pressure of thinking how I will get back on track with the jobs I have been unable to do if I had attended an event during the playing season."

"I am very grateful to be chosen for this fantastic opportunity as it will allow me to progress and develop my career. I see this as a very positive step and one that will help me become a more established greenkeeper. 

"I believe having events like this is a great way of networking and seeing old friends but also a great way to make new friends. Everyone is there for a reason and that is to help each other become a better greenkeeper, which is so important to the growth and development of this industry.

"I am only 21 and very keen to learn more and get more involved in the industry. Although I am still young and have a lot to learn, I want to one day be in charge of a golf course. I'm really keen to continue to learn and always better myself in the industry so this opportunity would help me along massively to reach my goals."

Coming into greenkeeper later in my working life, I am keen to educate myself slowly but surely to the highest possible levels so that I can propel my career.

What I have discovered so far is that greenkeeping can be quite a solitary existence and I think it is vital for occasions such as BTME and Continue to Learn to act as vehicles to bring colleagues together to promote camaraderie as well as pushing the concept of continuing professional development to the fore of our thinking.

As greenkeepers, if we all keep learning then the whole industry benefits as the paying public will be attracted to better quality and cared for golf courses.

It's a simple fact that knowledge is power! All head greenkeepers and course managers have stood the trials and battles of the uneducated. Attending classes allows people to hear previous triumphs of those who we aspire to be. Not only do we get to hear what they achieved, but we learn how they did it!

I attended a class directed by Kevin Fish at BTME 2022 called Step-by-step: Writing a strategic plan and I realised that without shared experiences, triumphs and failures, there can be no progression. Continue to Learn allows those of us who have a passion for the job to gain valuable knowledge and advice so we can brace ourselves for the time when we ‘take the reins’.

Continue to Learn is very important to the industry as it is a place to learn and grow as a greenkeeper. It plays host to so many different things such as seminars, workshops, shows and award ceremonies for many categories like FTMI, Master Greenkeepers and environmental awards, to name a few. 

The knowledge and experience gained from going is second to none and everyone throughout the industry knows it is our biggest calendar event. BTME and Continue to Learn are a chance to meet new people and see what exciting new things are coming for the industry, with all companies present to represent themselves.

Continue to Learn and BTME is an extremely important cog in our industry. I love that each year we are supplied with an amazing trade show with informative and educational classes, many of which are free of charge. I feel this is where our industry differs from others. It is not just all about purchasing from one of the many vendors and I feel BIGGA cares for us as individuals and clearly wants us to enjoy our time at the show and most importantly progress our careers forward.

Having been in this industry for a number of years, I see BTME as a way for greenkeepers to get away from their clubs for a few days, making them feel appreciated for all their hard work and dedication during the past year.

As we all know, greenkeeping is normally quite a guarded subject between clubs. However, over a four-day period during January this all changes. Friends sit and speak about matters over a pint or two and new friendships are formed. The moods are happy, mental health struggles are shared and there is an excited buzz in the atmosphere, for the rapidly approaching season.

Continue to Learn opens you up to other ways of working, management, tools, methods and education, let alone networking and meeting others you would otherwise never get to meet.

Continue to Learn will help me educate myself further and provide skills that I can use to further my career. I'm a big believer in sharing information and knowledge and everything I would learn from attending Continue to Learn at BTME, I would share with the other staff at the club. Whenever we go away for events or courses, we normally give a small presentation to the rest of the team upon returning and so all that I learn at Continue to Learn, I will pass onto others at work and in my network.