I was delighted to hear about Lorcan Finnegan being selected to join six other greenkeepers from the UK to volunteer for the tournament preparations at The Players Championship in Florida this March. Lorcan is a mechanic and a greenkeeper at Malahide Golf Club in Dublin. The trip he will be involved in is supported by John Deere’s Golf and Turf division. They have been doing this for many years and Irish greenkeepers have benefited from this experience. It is wonderful to know that machinery manufacturers are giving something back to the industry, especially in the area of education. 

Another company giving similar support is Bernhard and Co., through their Bernhard Academy. With collaboration from The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), they bring a delegation of ten greenkeepers to the Golf Course Superintendents of America (GCSAA) Conference and Trade Show each year for an unforgettable and knowledgeable experience. The Bernhard Academy are going one step further this year by offering ten GCSAA members the opportunity to attend BTME in 2025.

Over in the US The Toro Company also gives a grant each year to the GCSAA Foundation for its Rounds 4 Research (R4R) programme. Toro is a longtime partner of the GCSAA Foundation, donating more than $2.6 million since 1987 to help support scientific research, education and scholarships for future turfgrass professionals.

There are many benefits in supporting education, particularly in the sportsturf industry. For example, in the area of agricultural mechanic training courses, it may be beneficial to get involved in offering incentives such as sponsoring students or part subsidising the course, making it financially more attractive for students to participate in these courses. We all know too well how difficult it is to get qualified mechanics in our industry, especially in the sportsturf sector where more specialised skills are required. By creating an easy pathway for students to get qualified could reap dividends for us in the long term. 

Another area of education that needs to be addressed is the safe use of farm machinery. I feel that this is something dealers could get more actively involved with at no great expense. It was only recently that a friend of mine was involved in a farm accident involving a tractor. He is an experienced tractor operator but a simple misjudgement caused him some injury. Thankfully he survived the experience but it could have ended a lot worse. 

It shouldn’t be too difficult for dealers to organise a safety training evening where they could invite their customers to a venue, demonstrating to them, using real machines, how to operate equipment safely. Perhaps several dealers, in close proximity to each other, could pool together and organise such an event. We are well aware of the dangers that exist on farms and sportspitches. Far too many deaths occur on farms each year, most of which result from accidents using farm equipment. If one life could be saved by organising a farm safety event then it would be a worthwhile venture.