We sat down with Sami Strutt, Education Director at the Bernhard Academy, to discuss all things education. From new technical programmes to leadership pathways, the Academy’s role at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club, and why managing stress in the workplace is essential for success.

Can you provide some background on the Bernhard Academy’s progress in the second half of last year since you joined the team?

Back in 2024, we focused on developing our pathways and course offerings. We built upon our three key pillars: Leadership and Management, Technical and Equipment Management, and the Agronomy Pathway.

Within leadership and management, we established four levels of education pathways, targeting the various stages of competent managers: aspiring manager, confident manager, successful manager and inspirational leader. Right now, we are particularly focused on building content for confident manager and successful manager, aiming to deliver these programmes in 2025.

How has Barry Drennan’s addition to the team influenced the Academy’s development?

Barry Drennan brings 35 years of experience in the industry to the Bernhard Academy, having worked all over the world. He started his career as a greenkeeper and qualified as a mechanic in 1991 and spent a few years with Bernhard and Company as an installer and trainer. In Ireland, he and his brother previously managed the Toro dealership. Barry then also set up the Irish School of Golf Course Mechanics, so his combination of entrepreneurship and practical skills will prove invaluable to us.

Now, he has joined us to develop and deliver our technical programmes, having developed the training programmes himself. The goal is to eventually upskill additional trainers who can deliver these courses worldwide.

You’ve just launched those new technical programmes which are now available for booking. Can you tell us more about those and how they fit into the overall Academy offering?

Since Barry joined, we’ve expanded our technical training. We now offer Basic Machinery Maintenance Training for those working with sports turf machinery — both the operation and maintenance.

On the equipment management side of the business, there is still a lack of information out there in terms of how to become educated and qualified; a lot of mechanics are self-taught.
We also launched the Fundamentals of Turf Mechanics Level 1, with plans to develop Levels 2 and 3. These courses are designed for those individuals looking to develop professionally in the equipment management side of the turf care industry.

Additionally, we will continue to offer the Cutting Unit Setup and Sharpening Techniques course that has proved very successful so far, and invaluable course for both operators and equipment technicians.

When will these new technical programmes be running?

We conducted the first run of these programmes in March 2025, and they will be available again in the autumn and winter. The training calendar is being populated with sessions scheduled for October through March, avoiding the peak seasons for greenkeepers and equipment technicians in the summer.

This was your first year in charge of the Bernhard Academy when BTME and the GCSAA Show rolled around. How were those experiences, and were they valuable in terms of getting the word out about what the Academy has to offer globally?

It’s a hectic time of the year! BTME is an important show and we had strong engagement at our stand, particularly around the technical and equipment management pathway. Our Cutting Unit Setup and Sharpening Techniques class was running across three days of Continue to Learn at our Academy hub at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds. This elevated interest in our technical programmes and we’ll be working to convert that into sign-ups for future courses.

In addition to delivering classes and exhibitions, we also hosted the GCSAA delegation, sponsored by the Bernhard Academy. We rounded off BTME week with some fabulous visits to venues in the north-west. It was a full-on week that was swiftly followed by the GCSAA Conference and Tradeshow in San Diego, where we did it all over again!

Can you elaborate on the Academy’s initiatives around stress management in the workplace?

At the trade shows, we introduced a light-hearted but meaningful initiative to raise awareness about stress and well-being in the industry. We handed out colour-changing ‘mood dots’ to spark conversations about stress levels and coping mechanisms. This tied into the industry-wide push for mental health awareness, something associations and online communities have been promoting for years.

It is also part of the leadership training we offer. We provided a flyer with information on stress management techniques, QR codes linking to breathing exercises and resources for seeking help. Within our Leadership and Management pathway, we integrate personal development training to help professionals understand their stress limits, improve communication and recognise the impact they have on others.

It’s an important year for the Academy with the US Open being hosted at, what is currently, the only US Bernhard Academy hub, Oakmont CC – what can you tell us about that?

We have a major initiative for the US Open. The Bernhard Academy is sponsoring a UK-based equipment manager, James Breeze from Huddersfield Golf Club, to join the support team of volunteers that will be working at Oakmont. He’ll be working on machinery preparation and before he heads out to the United States, he’ll be undergoing training with the Bernhard Academy team to help get him prepped. Additionally, Bernhard Academy will provide education sessions for over 100 tournament volunteers. Each day during the US Open we’re scheduled to deliver two 60-minute self-development and communication sessions to help volunteers enhance their skills and subsequently their career prospects.

This is a significant step for us, as no one has implemented this kind of structured education for tournament support teams before. We hope it becomes a template for future collaborations with tournament organisers worldwide.

Are there any other upcoming events or initiatives?

We were one of the sponsors of the Women in Golf Awards Education Day, where we led two education sessions and facilitated a leadership conversation with Nicole Wheatley of the Women In Golf Awards team.

The BIGGA delegation, sponsored by the Bernhard Academy will be open for applications in June. We’ll be selecting 10 BIGGA members to attend the GCSAA Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando in February 2026. The trip combines education and networking opportunities galore as well as visits to some world class facilities. It’s a leading initiative and it continues to drive our commitment to investing in the amazing professionals in our industry. And above all, we’re looking forward to welcoming as many greenkeepers and mechanics as possible to our sessions throughout the remainder of 2025.