Page 7 - Landscape SA 96

FEATURE

through learnerships or bursaries, helping
young South Africans to participate in our
programme,” he explains.

In 2012, the R&A in St Andrews, Scotland,
and Jacobsen Machinery both agreed to
help fund the early years of the programme,
and still continue to sponsor it. RainBird
Irrigation also supports the programme.
A bi-annual conference is hosted at Silver
Lakes and many of the overseas partners
come to speak to the students; the
conference is open to the golf industry
as a whole, and having the big golfing
brands support the programme provides
credibility and international opportunities.

Next generation of golf course
managers Andrew McKenna,
CEO and founder of the academy
The modern-day golf course
superintendent will be someone who
needs to engage in the business of the
club at committee level and have an
understanding of a club’s financials. pilates, yoga, golf fitness, club fitting and to identify the properties of a soil type,
He will also need to present himself as coaching with radar technology. The turf and what makes it suitable or unsuitable
a professional, be a good golfer and academy students experience all of this for sports turf by completing a textural
play with the members, just as the club and the education as well, so they can analysis;
manager and pro should. McKenna hopes pursue both playing and a golf industry • golf course design and construction:
that graduates from his academy will one career simultaneously. helps students to develop construction
day be the general managers at clubs, and skills and techniques by participating
not only the golf course superintendents. Modules in the construction of features such
as greens, tees or bunkers. They will
Schools are the target market for the Within the full time programme, the also study golf course layouts, course
next generation of golf course managers, following modules are included: types (such as links or parklands), site
and McKenna says he is looking for keen • golf course maintenance: designed to selection, shaping, grading, layering
golfers and young men and women who enable students to acquire the basic and levelling;
aspire to be part of this industry even if practical skills and knowledge required • golf course drainage and irrigation: this
they are not good golfers yet. “We need to maintain and renovate a golf course; module will teach students about sports
to recruit from high schools, grade 12 • golf machinery maintenance: this turf drainage and irrigation. They will
leavers, and we are therefore talking to module describes the working carry out irrigation for a range of turf or
candidates from grade 11 so they know principles, operation and maintenance artificial surfaces and will learn how to
what to expect. Enrolment is our biggest of a range of turf and grounds care detect and repair component faults;
challenge,” he explains. machinery. It compares the performance • tournament preparation, etiquette and
of selected machinery and equipment; rules: this module will help students
Online vs interactive courses • turfgrass identification and production: manage tournaments and prepare
this module presents the various courses for events. They will receive
Greenkeeping/golf course management is grass species found on a golf course. advice on effective interaction with
very much a practical, hands on job, so the It enables students to identify the members, clubhouse management,
Academy’s online platform is ideal for those characteristics of each one and to staff and players so that everyone is kept
currently in the industry, but for those who produce and maintain new grass areas; informed of greenkeeping practices.
want to pursue a new career, it is best to • plant husbandry: enables students to
come to the Academy. A correspondence gain knowledge on how to correctly McKenna has a passion for seeing young
course will soon be offered for those who identify pests, weeds and disease people succeed in the golf industry and
want to start working at a club and study symptoms, how to deal with them and loves to help them through their journey.
at the same time. treat turfgrass diseases; As a result of this, many junior golfers are
• sports turf nutrition: this module doing well in tournaments and his students
The Elmwood college curriculum is in place teaches skills for applying fertilisers, are now working all over the world. The
and is respected worldwide, according to knowledge of plant foods and their Academy has a partnership with Dubai
McKenna. There are no others in South effects on sports turf. Students learn Golf and the Ohio State University, which
Africa based on a practical qualification how to identify symptoms of excess offers students jobs in the Middle East and
and the one from Elmwood “carries a lot of and deficiency, and calculate quantities the USA. LSA
respect globally,” he states. required;
• sports turf soils and root zones: this
The golf academy differs from the module gives students an understanding Text and photos supplied by
performance academy in that the latter of the processes that formed natural soil Andrew McKenna
serves to improve one’s golf. There is also over a period of time. They will be able 076 546 5872

Landscape SA • Issue 96 2020 5