9% pay rise recommended for greenkeepers

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The Committee for Golf Club Salaries (CGCS) has recommended a seven percent increase in the salaries of golf club staff for 2024, and nine percent for assistant greenkeepers.

With an increase in the National Living Wage due to come into force from April 2024, this is to ensure all staff remain ahead of that base line, it has stated.

The increases have been added to the salary calculators provided on the CGCS website and take into account the National Living Wage increase, the prevailing economic environment and the importance of golf facility staff to the overall industry.

The salary calculators take into account geographic regions, facility size, core responsibilities, club rating, qualifications and experience, ensuring recommendations can be tailored to individual members of staff.

The CGCS is comprised of representatives of the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA) alongside independent golf club experts.

John Pearson, membership services manager for BIGGA’s south east region, said: “Our hope is that trained golf club staff take these recommendations to their senior management team and have open and professional conversations about salaries and other employee benefits, such as training and development opportunities.

“Highly trained staff are critical to the continuing success of golf, from the grassroots through to elite championship level, and we were heartened to hear that more than 16 million people enjoyed playing some form of golf in the past year. Golf is experiencing a boom and these recommendations go some way towards recognising those who have helped make it possible.

“Today’s greenkeepers are highly trained, knowledgeable members of the golf club structure and if course standards are to be maintained at the level golfers have come to expect, the industry must be an attractive proposition with regards to salaries and working conditions to encourage the recruitment and retention of staff.”