Bedfordshire Golf Club has held its second ‘First Green’ event, in which greenkeeping is promoted as a career to children from a local school.
Pupils from Stanton School visited the club.
Glenn Rayner, Bedfordshire’s general manager, said: “The BIGGA [British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association] First Green programme is designed to promote greenkeeping as a career for students later in life. The event also provides us with the opportunity to engage with our local community and show children some really interesting science lessons.
“One of our members, Hilary Denny, along with our great team of greenkeepers set up four stations.”
The four activities included:
Cool tools, in which the pupils learnt about how greenkeepers use technology to create beautiful golf courses. The technology included the Davis Weather Station with its associated app, an array of mowers and other machinery as well as seeing a demonstration of the hole changer at work.
Bugs and biodiversity, in which the children were introduced to the craft of beekeeping, the work greenkeepers do to promote invertebrate biodiversity on site. They tried their hand at using keys to identify minibeasts in leaf litter.
Putting greens, in which the pupils used a stimpmeter to calculate the speed of roll on the green as well as having a go at putting.
Plants and soils, in which the children learnt about the special properties of grasses that make them perfect plants for creating sportsturf, and how Bedfordshire has worked to create wildflower meadows among the roughs. They also carried out an experiment to compare different soil samples to see how quickly they drain when soaked.
Jenny Bledge, workforce project manager at BIGGA, said: “It was brilliant to see another fantastic First Green event hosted at Bedfordshire Golf Club this June, their second one following a really successful event in 2024 with the same school. We’re incredibly proud of our members at the club for planning and delivering another enriching and inspiring experience for local students.
“These events are such a powerful way to show greenkeeping as a STEM career, highlighting the science, technology, engineering and maths skills involved in managing a golf course. They also give young people the chance to see golf courses as sustainable, vibrant outdoor spaces – not just for play, but as places where nature, education and careers come together.
“We hope every student left with a great memory of the day, and a fresh perspective on a career they might never have considered before. Events like this are key to helping us bring more young people into the industry and show that greenkeepers make golf happen.
“We’d love to see more clubs getting involved, so if you’re interested in running a First Green event of your own, just reach out. We’re here to offer advice, support and all the resources you need to get started.”
Mrs Nicolson, the headteacher at Stanton School, said: “This has been an excellent opportunity for our children to experience something completely different from their usual environment while learning some very useful STEM-related facts and skills. I can already see that we have some budding greenkeepers amongst the party. Thank you to Bedfordshire Golf Club”.