Greenskeepers are the unsung heroes that allow us to play golf at our favorite courses. They are there early, before most of us are even wake up, ready to get the course in the best shape possible.
The greenkeeping staff are the ones responsible for the tightly mowed tee boxes, the plush fairways, and the pure greens. And hopefully, mowing the rough to a reasonable level, repairing normal wear and tear, plus making sure the pins are cut every single round.
Basically, they make it all possible. But there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of greenkeeping, and it’s important to acknowledge all that they do.
Keep reading to learn their main jobs on the course, common terms, and more in our frequently asked questions section.
Greenskeeper Roles and Responsibilities
A greenskeeper is defined as “A person charged with the care and maintenance of a golf course.”
Greenskeepers work under a golf course superintendent, who usually works under the Director of Golf. The size of the greenkeeping staff can vary depending on the budget, popularity, location/seasonality, and other factors of the golf course.
If you’re like a golf of players, you might have asked yourself, “What does a greenskeeper do?”
The answer is – a lot!
They have a variety of roles and responsibilities that take a team of people to make sure your course is ready for play. Some of the most common include:
- Plant sod.
- Water trees and plants.
- Set the golf course up for daily play.
- General construction/landscaping work.
- Perform hand mowing or hand trimming.
- Operate small power mowers, trimmers, and greens mowers.
- Operate backpack blowers on specific areas of the golf course.
Aside from the general responsibilities, let’s review some of the biggest tasks and projects.
Maintain and Improve Course Conditions
Chances are, you don’t know the name of your golf course superintendent like you do your head golf professional. Unless your course is in pristine condition or if it’s struggling.
If your course is in great shape, chances are you want to tell all your friends, family, and golfing buddies about it. And I’m sure you’ll casually mention the name of the guy who made it all possible. Conversely, the same goes for when the course is in bad shape and you wonder why you’re paying a membership fee.
Sounds about right?
The number one objective for the golf course superintendent and their greenkeeping staff is to maintain golf course conditions. That means:
- Ensuring the tee boxes are trimmed and all divots are filled with sand/seed on the par 3 boxes.
- Mowing the fairways and rough so that there is a clear distinction between the two.
- Mowing the greens so that you can putt well and making sure that each green has the same speed. This is a more challenging task on courses where some greens get a lot of sun and others don’t.
- Raking (or using a riding bunker rake machine) to make sure the bunkers are smooth throughout the course.
- Repairing divots throughout the course with sand and seed. While golfers are supposed to do this, unfortunately, it’s not a 100% of the time. Thus, leaving the greens crew to make sure you don’t have to hit out of a huge hole.
- Maintaining the driving range hitting areas and overall facility. This includes filling divots, changing teeing areas, measuring distances to the target, etc.
- Maintaining the putting and chipping greens. This is important because golfers want a putting green that matches the speed of the greens on the golf course. Because as I’m sure you know, there is nothing worse than being fooled on the first few greens from a bad putting green.
- Take the course through seasonal changes such as aeration or overseed (depending on the type of grass and location of the golf club).
- General maintenance that might include removing trees, tree planting, flowerbed upkeep, maintaining pond water conditions, and more.
Measure Green Speed
One of the most important things about being a greenskeeper is making sure the greens are rolling smooth. Personally, this is the most important factor I look at when evaluating a golf course. If the greens are smooth, I’m a happy man.
Putting on solid greens comes down to speed and a smooth putting surface. The speed is measured using a stimpmeter. Most golf courses roll about 10, while more upscale courses and private country clubs usually have fast greens that might roll 11 or even 12 (the PGA Tour usually plays on 13-14 greens).
If they use a stimpmeter and see that the greens are rolling slow, they’ll mow the greens down. Or trim in a different direction, use topdressing, or other methods. Or, they will roll them with a separate machine so that they’re smoother as well.
Cutting Holes and Setting Pin Positions
Another smaller but important task is cutting holes and setting new positions every day or two. By cutting different pins, it allows golfers to get new challenges and also helps protect the course. By moving the pins on a regular basis, it allows parts of the green to get less wear and tear from foot traffic.
Plus, certain pins can make the green significantly harder than other areas. Usually, courses have 3-6 areas where they will put the pins so it’s identifiable for golfers. Most courses will have a pin sheet in the golf cart that will let you know where the pin is on each hole.
For example, a lot of golf courses use a 1-2-3 system. One means a front pin, two is a middle pin, and three is a back pin. Oftentimes, the color of the flag itself matches (red being front, white being middle, and blue being back). This makes it easier to spot the pin location from a distance and have the best approach shot strategy.
Understand Different Types of Grass
Each golf course is very different in terms of the grass that is used in the fairways, rough, and greens. As a greenskeeper, they need to know each type of grass so they can maintain it properly.
Because the absolute worst thing that can happen is dead grass, specifically, dead greens. Not only will this make any golfer (especially if it’s a private club) furious, but very difficult to get it back to peak shape.
Big Golf Course Projects
The greenkeeping staff is also responsible for big projects that occur throughout the year. Not just maintaining the fairways and greens for daily play.
Some examples might include:
- Installing new sprinkler systems. This is usually a very tedious and time-consuming task as they have to dig out the old system. Then, repair or replace so that the grass gets an adequate amount of water.
- Adding new tee boxes and bunkers. New tee boxes are sometimes needed to lengthen a hole or add a new angle to the green. Similarly, an additional greenside or fairway bunker might get added as well. These smaller projects are usually done in house, meaning that the club doesn’t hire an outside firm to do the renovations.
- Aeration and overseed. This will usually result in short-term closure of the golf course to allow the maintenance team adequate time. Not having golfers will ensure the grass heals quickly so that it can reopen sooner.
- Fixing or installing new drainage systems. According to the USGA, “There are three main types of drainage. Surface drainage refers to water moved across the surface as a result of a descending grade. Internal drainage refers to the movement of water through the pores of a soil zone. Subsurface drainage usually refers to the movement of water through underlying drainage pipe or buried gravel layer, such as in a USGA green.”
Planning The Year
There are a lot of intricacies when it comes to being the head greenskeeper. You have to know every detail about the course to ensure it’s ready for play when the weather allows it.
Some of those details include:
- Understand moisture content of fairways and greens.
- Keep track of fertilizers or other products to optimize turf.
- Planning for bad weather and adjusting the course as needed.
- When to aerate the greens.
And a lot more based on the weather, time of year, and planning for big events. For example, if there is an annual member-guest tournament, they want to make sure the course is perfect for the big show. That means rigorous planning in advance so that the course can peak at just the right moment.
The greenskeeping staff knows that their work is much more under a microscope during those tournaments, so they will usually:
- Trim certain areas for more pleasing aesthetics.
- Paint hazards and areas that are ground under repair.
- Roll or double roll the greens for a smooth putting surface.
This is why it’s always fun to play competitive golf events. You get to play with higher stakes on courses that are in immaculate condition.
How to Become a Greenskeeper
If you’re reading this and want to turn this into your job, we got you covered. Here are the steps to help you become a greenskeeper.
So what do you need to be a greenskeeper?
From what I’ve found writing this article and doing a lot of research, it looks like experience trumps formal education. But you almost always do need a high school diploma at the bare minimum.
What you do from there can depend on how quickly you can rise the ranks and possibly even become the head golf professional. You can get a degree in relevant fields like landscaping or horticulture, take turfgrass management courses online, or find other programs as well. Certain golf courses will also offer tuition reimbursement and/or require ongoing certifications to stay up to date with the latest trends.
Greenkeeping Terms
If you want to become a part of the greenskeeping team, it’s best to know some of the most important terms. Knowing these will help you “walk the walk” not just talk the talk.
Here are some of the most important terms to know from the USGA (click to read the full list of terms from A-Z).
Aerate – Process of aerating soils with hollow tines, solid tines, water, or air injection: used synonymously with aerify.
Approach/apron – The fairway areas in close proximity to and in front of the putting green, adjoining the putting green collar. This area is normally mowed at fairway height,
Complete fertilizer – A mixed fertilizer that contains the three major fertilizer elements; nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Dormant – Resting, or non-vegetative state, as it pertains to turfgrass growth.
Fertigation – The application of fertilizer through an irrigation system.
Slicing – A form of cultivation involving a deep, vertical-cutting action, used to open the soil as well as the turf.
Stimpmeter– An implement used to measure putting green speed uniformity.
Sesiccation – Drying. A type of winter injury sustained on exposed turf areas when subjected to high winds.
Grain – As applied to putting greens, the tendency for grass leaves and runners to make horizontal growth in one direction, which interferes with the true natural roll of the ball.
Hydroseeding – A high-pressure spray technique for applying seed, mulch, and fertilizer in a water slurry over a seedbed.
Lip – The greenside bunker edge that is two to four inches above the sand level, and prevents a player from putting out of the bunker.
Overseed – To sow seed over an area that is sparsely covered with some kind of vegetation, or to plant a winter turf of a cool season species within a dormant warm season turf.
Parasites – Organisms that obtain their food directly from living bodies of other organisms. Parasites vary greatly in the amount of damage they inflict upon the host organism.
Rebuilding – A term that refers to practices involving complete changes in the total turf area, i.e., reconstruction of a green, tee, fairway, rough or any other area of the golf course.
Topsoil – A general term applied to the top layer of native or natural soil found on any open land site to be used for agriculture. Normally limited to the uppermost soil horizon, referred to as the “A” horizon of soils.
Topdressing – A prepared mixture of soil usually containing sand and organic matter to a desired specification.
Winterkill (injury) – Term applied to injuries of turf that occur during the winter, and become evident the following spring.
FAQs
Do you have more questions about becoming a greenskeeper or learning more about how they maintain the course? If so, we got answers…
Is a greenskeeper a good job?
If you love golf and working outdoors, then I think you will really enjoy this job. It’s certainly not for everyone, as you have to work outside year round. If you live in cold or warm climates, this can be physically demanding and certainly isn’t for everyone.
But if you love the outdoors and all things golf, you can’t go wrong. It’s a fun way to work outside, possibly get some free golf, and see the course like most players never will.
What does a golf course superintendent do?
The golf course superintendent is the go-to person for the greenskeeping staff. While he or she might still be on the mower from time to time, a lot of their work is bigger picture items that might include:
- Planning aeration and overseed schedules.
- Planning for the golf course to peak for big events.
- Managing the team to ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.
- Adjusting the course (or possibly even closing the course) due to inclement weather, such as frost or heavy rain.
- Working with golf professionals, members, and greens committee so they’re informed of the course and any upcoming changes.
Depending on the course, the superintendent may climb the ranks from greenskeeper to boss. Or, they might hire from the outside from someone who already has formal experience as a head superintendent.
How much do professional greenskeepers make?
According to Glassdoor, “The national average salary for Greenskeeper is $33,545 per year in the United States. Salaries estimates are based on 1793 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Greenskeeper employees.”
Zip Recruiter found the top 10 highest paying cities for greenskeepers and five of the ten in California! Which makes sense as they have some of the most exclusive golf clubs and great weather year round as well.
But it’s important to remember that it is a very broad figure and can change based on location, the golf course itself, and experience. Plus, a lot of golf courses will also offer:
- Paid time off.
- Matching 401K.
- Employee uniforms.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Retail discounts at the golf shop.
- Insurance (dental, vision, and medical).
- Free golf, tennis, or other membership activities.
What does the average day look like?
Depending on the course, number of staff, time of year, weather, and other factors, the day-to-day routine can change a lot. As I mentioned, courses usually make sure the facilities are in perfect condition before a big event… but could you imagine preparing for a major golf tournament? One that is broadcast around the world?
Talk about a ton of pressure to make sure you and your team do the job well. This is a cool YouTube video that shows what it’s like behind the scenes at the 147th Open Championship as a greenskeeper.
Do greenskeepers get free golf?
In general, yes, they usually free golf, but it’s not typically an unlimited amount. Instead, they usually receive a certain number of rounds they can use each month or year. They might also get to bring family and friends as well.
Some courses, that are more exclusive and private, might only do a few select days per year. If courses don’t provide fully compensated days, they will usually offer a big discount as well.
What hours do greenkeepers work?
Greenskeepers work early! If you hate the mornings, it’s safe to say that this job is not for you. Since it’s nearly impossible to get much work done when golfers are already on the course, it’s vital to get an early start on the day.
Most of the staff arrive well before the sun comes out. They usually have a meeting to discuss the objectives for the day and then each greenskeeper has their given assignments. Some will be responsible for fairways, others greens, and others bunkers.
Since the staff does get there so early, they are usually done by about 1 or 2pm. Most courses don’t want staff on the course while golfers are playing, as it’s distracting for players and hard for them to do their job as well.
Final Thoughts
As golfers, we need to appreciate the art of greenkeeping and all of those who work so hard to make sure our golf courses are in great shape.
They’re the ones who are responsible for making sure our golf addiction is enjoyed to the fullest. They make sure all areas of the course are good to go so that you and your buddies can focus on golf above all else.
Being a greenskeeper is also a great job opportunity if you want to work outdoors and be around the game of golf. Plus, since you tend to work super early hours, there is still plenty of time the rest of the day to do what you need, including golf!
The next time you see a member of the greenskeeping staff, do more than just wave. Make sure to acknowledge them and thank them for their hard work in maintaining the golf course(s) that you love.