Golf
Derek Daly, Director of Education
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the students here; a real first in the industry with the top students
guaranteed a job after graduation”
The students with course tutors Andrew McKenna and Derek Daly, Ransomes Jacobsen’s Scott Forrest and staff from CSE, Ransomes Jacobsen’s distributor for South Africa
It’s a fantastic opportunity for the students here; a real first in the industry with the top students guaranteed a job after graduation. The course here is maintained by Servest Turf, part of a multi-national facilities management group and they have pledged to employ students at the end of their two-year study programme.” After a convivial dinner, followed by a nightcap around the fire pit at Derek Le Roux’s amazing home on the estate, the next morning began with a tour of the course, during which we came across some indigenous animals on an adjacent reserve. Back at the clubhouse, I had a further meeting with Andrew McKenna and Derek Daly and had the chance to gain a further understanding of the main elements of the programme and the opportunity to meet the students. Derek explained that the St Andrews International Greenkeeping Qualification runs alongside Silver Lake’s Tour Player Development programme, a two-year study period involving playing skills development and greenkeeping theory and practice.
Servest Turf maintain the golf course and have pledged to employ students at the end of their studies
In the first year of the greenkeeping module, students concentrate on turf maintenance skills including setting mower cutting heights, cylinder to bottom blade adjustment, mowing, routine maintenance, course presentation and health and safety. Year two looks at turf quality evaluation, pest and disease identification, calibration of spraying equipment, golf course hazards, turf nutrition and course design and construction methods. Students successfully completing Year 1
are awarded an internationally recognised certificate in Golf Course Maintenance, and those that graduate from Year 2 receive a Professional Qualification of Golf Course Management. Andrew then provided an overview of
Some of the indigenous animals you can expect to encounter in the nearby reserve
26 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
the Tour Player Development programme, which is designed to run concurrently with the greenkeeping module and provides an holistic approach to player development. It features 200, 90-minute group coaching sessions a year, 120 Pilates sessions, monthly mental conditioning group work, nutritional assessments, course strategy, Academy clothing, plus membership at Silver Lakes with unlimited rounds of golf and practice balls on the driving range,
swing motion analysis, annual affiliation fee to Northern Gauteng Golf Union and other benefits.
Sitting on the paved patio outside the clubhouse, sipping a fresh orange juice in the glorious sunshine, I then had the chance to speak to some of the students. Annan Shah is a 21-year old student
from Nairobi in Kenya. I asked him how he came to be on the programme; “I had a friend who was a second year student and he told me how valuable the course had been for him,” he said. “I applied and was accepted and arrived at Silver Lakes in November 2012, two months prior to the start of the 2013 programme. I really did not appreciate the number of machines it takes to maintain a golf course; there seems to be a different machine for every part of the course! I’m thoroughly enjoying my time here and I would recommend it to anyone.” Richard-Dean Gayer, 24, is a second year student from nearby Pretoria; “In the first year we concentrated on basic greenkeeping skills, but now in year two it's much more intensive. I’m particularly interested in the turf nutrition side and I really enjoy getting out on the equipment and mowing. Sure, the initial attraction with this programme is the golf; improving our game and techniques. But, to be honest, not everyone is going to make it on to the Pro circuit, so the greenkeeping side would make a great alternative and I can see this as a really good career option. This is new to Africa and we’re lucky to be among the first to benefit from it.” After thanking the students for their time and apologising for delaying their early morning fitness training, I again spoke to Andrew McKenna and asked him how this programme was being funded; “The complete package costs the students SAR 65,000 (£4,100) per annum, so it’s outside the range of some of the students from the poorer countries in Africa. Some are here after securing funding and sponsorship from their clubs, local education departments or other benefactors. We are desperate to ensure that this programme is open to all and definitely not elitist, so we looked for a headline sponsor.”
“I made some enquiries across my industry contacts and several times the
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