In April, I informed you that Ross Crosbie, the first apprentice in recent years at Carnoustie Golf Links, has completed his 4-year apprenticeship and is now a fully qualified Greenkeeper.
The 4-year apprenticeship works in conjunction with Elmwood College in Cupar, and upon completion, the apprentice is awarded a Sports Turf Greenkeeping SVQ Level 2 award.
I have now found a similar program at Royal Norwich. The golf club has launched a 2-year full-time program of study, which will run in conjunction with the Performance Golf Programme.
Upon completion, students will receive an internationally recognized certificate in Sports Turf from SRUC Elmwood, St Andrews, Scotland, plus an ILM Level 2 and 3 in Business Supervision and Management.
The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 2 Certificate in Leadership and Team Skills focuses on communication, working with people, providing direction, and getting results.
ILM Level 3 is suited to practicing team leaders seeking to move up to the next level of management and managers who need to lead people through organizational change, budget cuts, or other pressures.
Royal Norwich‘s educational program’s unique element is the extensive additional training and support of John Deere for students.
Royal Norwich: Performance Golf Programme
In addition to these qualifications, the Royal Norwich will offer its Performance Golf Programme, an exclusive opportunity for students to enhance their golfing skills further.
This program provides a range of exceptional benefits, including
- mid-week unlimited access to the golf course,
- state-of-the-art swing analysis,
- 3 x 60-minute coaching sessions delivered by highly skilled instructors, and much more.
Pricing
There are two programs, the Full Player Programme at £4,750 per annum and the Education Only Programme at £3,950 per annum, which does not include the Performance Golf Programme.
My comments
The Royal Norwich educational program is more for those greenkeepers who are seeking leadership positions in the future and has some understanding of sports turf management.
If I were Royal Norwich I would run a 4 year program to be able to provide deep and practical understanding of sports turf management and combine it with ILM Level 2 and 3 in Business Supervision and Management.