THREE NEW MASTER GREENKEEPERS
BIGGA make prestigious awards
Three top greenkeepers are celebrating after achieving BIGGA’s Master Greenkeeper status, one of the most prestigious accreditations within the golf course management industry.
The latest successful candidates are Stuart Ferguson from Dundas Parks Golf Club in Scotland, Matthew Wharton from Carolina Golf Club in North Carolina and Erin Stevens from Emerald Dunes Club in Florida.
Emerald Dunes Club in Florida
For Stevens, the award has come after suffering a family tragedy last year. His wife, Ana, passed away, leading him to withdrawing from the round of exams in October.
Stevens said he almost withdrew again in April – when the latest set of exams took place – but eventually decided to go ahead with the assessment. He said: “I am glad that I continued in the program after the passing of my wife, Ana. She was my biggest supporter and wanted to see me achieve this accomplishment
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“It was a very challenging process and I am grateful to have passed and joined the small ranks of fellow Master Greenkeepers. I would like to thank all my family and friends for their support, as well as all of the staff at BIGGA who were a tremendous help throughout this process.
“I highly recommend this process to all our peers and I know I will become a better manager for having gone through the Master Greenkeeper certification process.”
To achieve the certificate, BIGGA members must have been within the greenkeeping industry for more than a decade.
With the success of the latest trio, the worldwide total of Master Greenkeepers has risen to just 70.
Ferguson, from Dundas Parks, Edinburgh, said, “I felt that as a course manager you should always try to improve your skill set. This accolade is one of the highest in the industry and at this stage in my career I wanted to challenge myself professionally and personally.
Wharton, of Carolina GC in Charlotte, North Carolina, said he was delighted to receive the call saying he had been successful. He added: “I had no idea how I had done in the exams as they were very challenging. My wife and I have been checking the mailbox everyday for the past week to see if the results had been sent through."
Stuart Green, BIGGA’s head of member learning, said: “Congratulations to Stuart, Matthew and Erin. Our Master Greenkeeper certificate is now in its 26th year and attracts golf course managers and superintendents from all over the world. Master Greenkeeper is a learning experience and I would recommend any golf course manager, whoaspires to the highest standards, to give it a go.”
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