Teamwork makes First Green work

The Essex club hosted students from Hogarth Primary School in Brentwood, with the kids making the 35-minute journey on foot to enjoy a fun-filled day of STEM learning on the golf course.

Deputy Head Greenkeeper Tony was full of praise for the staff, who all chipped in to help despite some initial nerves.

“It went better than I could ever have imagined,” he said. “Getting the whole team involved was great fun, and they all did brilliantly even if at first their faces dropped when they realised they’d be dealing with a load of kids for four hours! I paired everyone up and they each worked across the five stations. Once they got into it, they really enjoyed it and the kids loved it.”

Tony made sure there was a running theme from one station to the next, making the whole experience immersive and engaging for the youngsters, who got hands-on with some machinery, learned about soils and seeds, and tested out their putting skills. It proved to be an incredibly effective approach, with Tony receiving glowing feedback from the school staff.

“The head teacher pulled me to one side and said there were a couple of kids who struggle to engage in schoolwork in the classroom, but they were responding really well to being in this environment,” he explained. “It was amazing to know that this was appealing to them and getting their attention.”

Tony is hopeful the experience of visiting their local golf course will put greenkeeping on the radar as a career option for the children, and he expressed his gratitude to the people who helped make it happen.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the club and Head Greenkeeper David Byron for their support,” he said. “David gave me the freedom and flexibility to do the background work of organising it, and it was a brilliant day.

“It’s a fantastic initiative and I’d say to anyone thinking about getting involved, just take the plunge – reach out to anyone who has done it before, myself included, and you’ll find people are more than happy to help.” GI