The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is calling on the international golf industry to celebrate the sixth annual international Thank a Greenkeeper Day. The day will be celebrated on Tuesday 8 September.
“Thank a Greenkeeper Day” draws attention to the input and sacrifices greenkeepers all over the world make to facilitate millions of people playing the game.
Golfers, club members, golf club managers, owners, suppliers, governing bodies and anyone who values the game will be encouraged to recognise the input the greenkeeping teams make and to show their appreciation. They can do so by utilising the hashtags #ThankAGreenkeeper (in the UK, Europe & Australia) and #ThankASuper (in the USA).
BIGGA points out that this dedicated day of thanks is a social media movement “seen by millions of people across the globe and has a real impact on the working lives of golf course professionals.” Although showing gratitude towards the greenkeeping team shouldn’t be limited to one day, “gestures of support boost morale, increase job satisfaction and foster a culture of mutual respect,” which is why BIGGA, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA), the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) and the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA) will be emphasising this on 8 September.
Serious business
Keeping and maintaining golf courses has become a serious business, and, in light of the challenging weather conditions golf courses, particularly in Europe, have been experiencing this year, maintaining golf courses has become demanding on the greenkeeping team.
They often start early in the morning to have most of the major works done by the time the first players arrive. The pressure this puts on the team, as well as the financial constraints almost all grounds professionals are experiencing, makes it increasingly challenging to maintain sufficient expertise within the team as well as maintain the high standards they have set over the years.
In addition to including the hashtag in social media messages, clubs are encouraged to introduce their greenkeeping team to members, share behind-the-scenes content, or arrange a breakfast or lunch for staff on the particular day.
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