Those interested in pursuing groundskeeping as a career have a variety of options. Groundskeepers for commercial properties such as apartment complexes, medical complexes, shopping centers, and even industrial park complexes are called commercial groundskeepers. Sports field groundskeepers will ensure that the playing field is properly maintained in accordance with league standards. Groundskeepers on golf courses are also responsible for maintaining the fairways, greens, and rough to a certain standard.
People who want to work as groundskeepers should be interested in landscaping and botany. While a formal education is not required, those with a background in the field will have a better chance of landing higher-paying, higher-skilled jobs. This is especially true for golf course and sports field groundskeeper jobs, which are highly competitive and typically pay the highest.
Groundkeepers who work in the vicinity of commercial properties are typically in charge of mowing, fertilizing, pruning, and watering. If there are any water features, the groundskeeper is usually in charge of them as well. Groundskeepers in these positions are expected to maintain the grounds with little supervision. Though they may receive instructions from time to time on problem areas or the property owner’s specific preferences, many work relatively independently to keep the grounds looking nice. Long-term planning, including plant selection and landscape features, may fall to the groundskeeper.
While commercial groundskeeper jobs require a broad understanding of a variety of topics, those responsible for maintaining athletic fields or golf courses will need more specific knowledge, particularly about grasses. A golf course may use one species of grass for the fairways and another for the greens. The rough could be made up of a variety of species. Knowing how each of these species will react to fertilizer and mowing, and adapting procedures accordingly, is the challenge.
Working as a groundskeeper on a sports field often necessitates working with only one type of grass. In this case, the challenge is to keep the grass healthy even when it’s being used heavily during the season. Some events may necessitate removing the sod and replacing it with new sod right afterward. Groundskeepers in these situations must be able to work under pressure and understand what new sod requires to take root. Furthermore, these groundskeepers are in charge of accurately marking the playing field.
In some cases, such as with small commercial properties, groundskeeper jobs are handled solely by the groundskeeper. Golf courses, sports complexes, and larger properties may employ an entire groundskeeping staff, each with varying levels of responsibility and specialization. The person with the most experience or a combination of education and experience is usually the head groundskeeper. As a result, head groundskeeper jobs usually pay the most.