My record so far is ten people on a course walk and, yes, I have had visits where the greenkeeper was not invited!
increased over the past fifteen years, with women working their way into senior positions at a growing number of clubs. Whilst women are still significantly under-represented compared to the general population, in 2006 there were 180 female greenkeepers in New Zealand. It also appears that the number of women attending entry-level courses and taking up apprencticeships is also on the increase.
One of my STRI colleagues visited New Zealand recently and was surprised to
encounter a top club that had five women on the crew. Another club in the South Island has a trans-gender greenkeeper. It is difficult to pin-point the reason why women have not moved into the turf industry in the UK, although it is worth acknowledging that the Industry Training Organisation has actively targeted females in some of their marketing.
The Disturbance Theory
The Disturbance Theory has received growing interest in both the UK and New Zealand. Henry Bechelet, who developed the theory with Richard Windows, visited New Zealand earlier this year only to find that lots of the greenkeepers there had read their articles. I think that all greenkeepers want to have a greater understanding on the way grasses grow and how they perform. Henry and Richard bring more science into the arena than most
greenkeepers are usually used to, but they have done it in a way that is very appealing and common-sense. It was pleasing to see that the New Zealand greenkeepers had taken the knowledge provided by the theories and applied the principles to their own situations. The UK are definitely leading the charge with regard to the finer grasses, however the Kiwis have been quick to cotton on and it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
I was fortunate enough to travel the UK with both Richard and Henry earlier this year to take part in their Disturbance Theory seminars. This provided the
opportunity to sit down and discuss the bare basics of how we think about greenkeeping and to explore our approach to agronomy and greenkeeping. It highlighted to me the value of sharing ideas on a regular basis. At BTME greenkeepers from around the world joined in the discussion and shared their ideas with us. No single person,
organisation, or even country can come up with the perfect formula for greenkeeping. To truly progress we need to keep talking to each other and to challenge common thinking. I hope that in the future the greenkeepers and agronomists from the UK and New Zealand will continue to exchange ideas in order to continue to improve the greenkeeping practices in both countries.
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