First Green puts youngsters on the path to a career in greenkeeping

A group of students from Hilbre High School enjoyed their First Green experience so much they have taken their first steps towards a potential career in greenkeeping

Royal Liverpool played host to a First Green event last October and five of the boys who attended were soon asking Course Manager James Bledge about opportunities at the renowned links venue.

“I was at Liverpool’s Champions League match with Real Madrid when my phone started buzzing – they’d all sent their CVs at the same time,” said James. “I explained there were no apprenticeship places then but offered weekend bunker-raking opportunities instead. That’s how it started.”

The boys have since joined a roster that rotates as older students move on. Training began in September for the latest recruits, all three of whom happen to be called Charlie and all are keen golfers. Prior to the First Green visit, however, they had little knowledge of what greenkeeping involved. “First Green introduces them to everything about the role,” James added. “It shows how much detail goes into maintaining a course: machines, fertilisers, construction, irrigation, wildlife, all of it. The biggest point is exposing them to jobs they’d never considered before.”

For James, the initiative offers a valuable way to highlight career pathways while tackling staff shortages. Apprenticeships are central to that vision, and he is committed to giving responsibility early. “I loved my apprenticeship, and I give the same opportunities to my apprentice Finn,” he explained. “He does almost everything, gaining real responsibility. Kids are the future – you can take them on, train them properly and mould them.”

Looking ahead, he is convinced that the scheme will have a long-term impact on the industry. “Potentially in two years, some of these boys could start as apprentices,” he said. “By the end of the decade it will be common to have people starting out in the industry who had their first taste of it at First Green.

“What we need to do, especially as course managers, is provide that platform to involve as many young people as possible, so I would encourage anyone who can host an event to do so.”