Let's tell people what a great career this is

Like many of you, we’ve come through a winter here at St Andrews that felt pretty relentless at times. Persistent rain and stormy spells have tested patience and planning in equal measure, and I know greenkeeping teams across the country will have faced similar challenges.

We’ve been busy bringing a significant irrigation installation on the Old Course to its conclusion, alongside making a number of course adjustments as part of longer-term preparations ahead of 2027. Projects of that scale add pressure to an already demanding winter programme, but they are important investments in the future – helping us maintain standards while improving efficiency and sustainability.

We’re now looking forward to summer and are recruiting for the season ahead. While we all know that recruitment is a key challenge in our industry, and it’s no different for us, I remain optimistic about what our industry can offer - and the difference we can make when we actively promote it.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve focused heavily on building links with local schools, attending careers fairs and creating structured work experience opportunities. The First Green initiative has been a particularly valuable part of that. By bringing young people onto the course and showing them what modern greenkeeping really involves, we’re helping to challenge outdated perceptions and spark genuine interest.

Encouragingly, we’re now starting to see some of those pupils return to us for summer roles and apprenticeships. That tells me the interest is there – but we have to go out and tell them who we are and what we do.

Modern greenkeeping blends science, technology and environmental stewardship with the satisfaction of working outdoors as part of a skilled team. For a generation that cares deeply about sustainability and the natural environment, that is a powerful message. It’s also a career that can take you places, beyond our borders and into different countries and cultures all over the world.

As an industry, we must continue to market ourselves proactively, highlight clear career pathways and ensure that pay, progression and work-life balance reflect modern expectations. If we can do that, we can position greenkeeping as the rewarding, skilled profession it truly is, and we’ll welcome more people into our industry as a result. GI