A greenskeeper is a horticulture professional who specializes in golf course care and maintenance. Greenskeepers are similar to other gardeners and landscapers, but some of their responsibilities are specific to the golf course, so many of them are familiar with the game’s history and rules. Greenskeepers work for country clubs or golf courses, and are usually supervised a maintenance manager.
Golf courses are known all over the world for their lush green grass, which must be irrigated, fertilized, and mowed to the proper length. Greenskeepers are responsible for the maintenance of the grass as well as the surrounding landscaping, as well as sand traps, bunkers, and ponds. A greenskeeper’s job often includes water maintenance: he or she must keep ponds clear and weed-free to make it relatively easy to retrieve lost balls.
A greenskeeper is responsible for maintaining the course’s gardens as well as setting flags and tee markers; flags are moved on a regular basis for different tournaments and to keep the course challenging. This means they must know the rules of golf and be able to follow the course designer’s instructions. When greenskeepers are working on the green, players usually yield the right of way to allow the greenskeeper to make any necessary changes to the course, unless the greenskeeper specifically states that it is safe to play.
People interested in working in this field typically receive training in landscaping and horticulture to learn how to lay out and maintain gold courses. They might also play or study golf in order to gain a better understanding of what goes into maintaining a golf course. Greenskeepers must also be willing to spend a lot of time outside and use heavy machinery like power mowers and turf cutters.
Some people who start out as greenskeepers go on to become course designers, designing their own golf courses. Their knowledge of the game and experience as greenkeepers come in handy when it comes to course design, as they can create interesting, dynamic, challenging, and beautiful courses that are fun to play and organized in a way that makes them easier to maintain.