A greenskeeper is a person who is responsible for the upkeep of golf courses. Most people who want to work as a greenskeeper must first complete high school. However, taking college courses in horticulture, landscape design, or even small engine repair can help you stand out as a more valuable candidate for a job. If college is not for you, you can become a greenskeeper by working at a golf course or country club and learning the necessary skills and techniques from the current professionals.
Greenskeepers are usually enthusiastic about both golf and landscape design and maintenance. If you share these interests, becoming a greenskeeper may be a good fit for you, though keep in mind that a new greenskeeper may not make a lot of money. For new greenskeepers, wages are usually paid on an hourly basis, though there is the opportunity to advance within the company and earn more money. Some golf courses offer on-the-job training to help you learn the skills you’ll need to become a greenskeeper and work your way up the ladder to higher pay and more responsibilities.
Because you are likely to use a variety of machines to maintain the golf course, having specific knowledge in small engine repair is beneficial. Lawn mowers, golf carts, and other vehicles are frequently used to cut grass, spread fertilizer, dig holes, and so on, and it is often the greenskeeper’s responsibility to repair and maintain them when they break down. If you want to become a greenskeeper, you should also prepare yourself physically for the job, as you will be on your feet for the majority of the day, performing physical tasks such as mowing, digging, cutting brush, and so on.
Greenskeepers frequently try to move on to other positions on the golf course or with other businesses. Many greenskeepers aspire to be golf course designers, who are in charge of the layout of the golf course as it is constructed or altered over time. A course designer will place hazards, create or remove slopes, position greens and holes on greens, the location of the tee, and the planting of trees, shrubs, and cart paths, as well as other obstacles that will change the course’s difficulty level.