Greenkeeper Apprentice
GILLINGHAM GOLF CLUB LTD
KENT (ME7 2AP)
Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 1 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 16 September 2025
Contents
Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an apprentice to join our small, hardworking, skilled and passionate team.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Golf greenkeeper (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday – Friday (but can be flexible with college)
6am – 2pm
Weekend time TBC.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 13 October 2025
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Founded in 1919, Gillingham Club is a private members’ club located in the Medway Towns in Gillingham, Kent. The Club is seeking to employ a full-time apprentice greenkeeper who can demonstrate the following attributes:
- A strong work ethic.
- A positive attitude.
- An ability to work within a tight knit, hard-working and enthusiastic team.
- A good eye for detail and the ability to help produce the golf course to as high a standard as possible.
- An awareness of the need to operate and maintain a variety of fine turf equipment in a safe manner.
- An ability to follow the Club’s Health and Safety policies.
- A desire to learn new skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- A knowledge of Sports turf maintenance is not essential as full training will be provided, and an understanding of golf would be an advantage but not essential.
The Club operates a modern fleet of greenkeeping equipment. The successful candidate has the potential to gain valuable experience in golf course construction projects, woodland management and preparing the course to very high standards throughout the year. The Club also has many projects in the pipeline and the greenkeeping team will play a part in many of these.
The role is full time working 40 hours week and will include some weekend working. Uniform and personal protection equipment is provided along with a pension plan and staff fund.
Where you'll work
CLUB HOUSE
WOODLANDS RD
GILLINGHAM
KENT
ME7 2AP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
NORTH KENT COLLEGE
Training course
Golf greenkeeper (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Identify and maintain natural habitats and areas of biodiversity.
- Apply irrigation to achieve appropriate soil conditions and golf course playability.
- Handle, store and dispose of golf course waste materials in accordance with environmental or waste management policies.
- Monitor and maintain standards of health, safety and security for oneself, colleagues, golfers and visitors on the golf course and surrounding areas, in line with legislation and company policy and procedures.
- Establish and maintain working relationships with greenkeeping staff, colleagues and others within the golf club environment.
- Keep up to date with advances in working practices and technologies to maintain and develop personal performance.
- Communicate golf course related information to stakeholders, including greenkeeping staff, colleagues and golfers.
- Mark and maintain golf areas in line with the Rules of Golf (including drop zones, hazard/ penalty areas, out of bounds and tee markers).
- Measure, record and communicate green speeds applying the United States Golf Association (USGA) Stimpmeter instructions.
- Position and change golf holes to the required finish and in accordance with the Rules of Golf.
- Set up mowers and mow areas of the golf course in accordance with golf course standards.
- Maintain and present bunkers for play.
- Switch and brush golf course turf.
- Set up equipment and aerate and scarify areas of the golf course.
- Repair damaged golf turf in play (for example, by turfing, plugging or patching).
- Use a range of integrated methods to control weeds, moss, fungal diseases, pests and turf disorder
- Apply top dressing in accordance with golf course requirements.
- Apply fertiliser to playing surfaces.
- Prepare, set up, operate and store tools, equipment and machinery in line with manufacturers' instructions and to the required specifications, to ensure their safe and effective use on golf turf surfaces and surrounding areas.
- Carry out routine maintenance to tools, equipment and machinery used for greenkeeping practices, in line with manufacturers' instructions and company policies and procedures.
- Prepare and operate a tractor with attachments in line with manufacturers instructions, legislation and company policies and procedures (including risk assessment, hitching, and safe stop).
- Maintain and renovate non-turf areas such as pathways, penalty areas.
- Monitor and record soil and plant health data.
- Prepare ground and establish turf and seed.
- Identification of grass type through seed inspection and physical inspection of the plant using either common or botanical names.
- Identify and maintain natural habitats and areas of biodiversity.
- Apply irrigation to achieve appropriate soil conditions and golf course playability.
- Handle, store and dispose of golf course waste materials in accordance with environmental or waste management policies.
- Monitor and maintain standards of health, safety and security for oneself, colleagues, golfers and visitors on the golf course and surrounding areas, in line with legislation and company policy and procedures.
- Establish and maintain working relationships with greenkeeping staff, colleagues and others within the golf club environment.
- Keep up to date with advances in working practices and technologies to maintain and develop personal performance.
- Communicate golf course related information to stakeholders, including greenkeeping staff, colleagues and golfers.
- Mark and maintain golf areas in line with the Rules of Golf (including drop zones, hazard/ penalty areas, out of bounds and tee markers).
- Measure, record and communicate green speeds applying the United States Golf Association (USGA) Stimpmeter instructions.
- Position and change golf holes to the required finish and in accordance with the Rules of Golf.
- Set up mowers and mow areas of the golf course in accordance with golf course standards.
- Maintain and present bunkers for play.
- Switch and brush golf course turf.
- Set up equipment and aerate and scarify areas of the golf course.
- Repair damaged golf turf in play (for example, by turfing, plugging or patching).
- Use a range of integrated methods to control weeds, moss, fungal diseases, pests and turf disorder
- Apply top dressing in accordance with golf course requirements.
- Apply fertiliser to playing surfaces.
- Prepare, set up, operate and store tools, equipment and machinery in line with manufacturers' instructions and to the required specifications, to ensure their safe and effective use on golf turf surfaces and surrounding areas.
- Carry out routine maintenance to tools, equipment and machinery used for greenkeeping practices, in line with manufacturers' instructions and company policies and procedures.
- Prepare and operate a tractor with attachments in line with manufacturers instructions, legislation and company policies and procedures (including risk assessment, hitching, and safe stop).
- Maintain and renovate non-turf areas such as pathways, penalty areas.
- Monitor and record soil and plant health data.
- Prepare ground and establish turf and seed.
- Identification of grass type through seed inspection and physical inspection of the plant using either common or botanical names.
Training schedule
Theory of greenkeeping through one-to-one sessions and portfolio days at college.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Physical fitness
- Positive attitude
- Strong work ethic
Other requirements
Maybe required to work weekends. Must be able to make their own way to work.
About this employer
1905 - 1919 Our club was originally known as The United Services Golf Club, having been set up by serving officers of the armed forces. It is not known exactly when it started, but it was certainly registered with the Royal and Ancient in 1905 as a nine hole course with 50 members. Even the exact site is uncertain, it is believed that golf was played north of the railway line with the Mulberry Inn, on the Lower Rainham Road, acting as a convenient HQ. (It is important to remember that in those days any field could become an instant golf course without the expensive construction work necessary today). In the Great War, the course, by this time on its present site, fell into disuse to become grazing land. In 1919, the Club was re-instated and James Braid was commissioned to lay out a new course. Lt George Taylor RN was an early Secretary. 1920 - 1950 The clubhouse started its life as an old army hut purchased for £40. By 1920 a few civilians were admitted as honorary members at a time when horses were still pulling the mowers to cut the fairways. Three years later, a Ladies' Section was formed At this point it has to be stated that in later years most of the Club records have been lost, but fortunately those of the Ladies have survived to give us an unbroken record back to 1923. The Second War saw the course left in the hands of a few elderly but dedicated civilians, who were able to keep four holes going whilst the remainder was given over to tank traps, anti aircraft rocket and searchlight batteries. 1950-1958 At the end of hostilities, the War Office were persuaded to rehabilitate the course and by 1950, fifteen holes were in use with the others following shortly after. In times of change the civilian element grew and, due to greater mobility, the service membership declined. To reflect this, the name changed to Gillingham and United Services Golf Club. As the War Office at this time seemed unwilling to clarify our leasing arrangements our affairs were, for necessity, run very much on a shoestring. It was not until 1958 that a new lease was agreed. 1960 - 2002 Shortly after in 1960 the whole site was sold to Gillingham Council eventually giving us some security of tenure. So much so, that in 1964 the sorely needed new clubhouse was built. This was further extended four years later to include a steward's flat. All this activity made it prudent to form in 1964 a proper company, Gillingham Golf Club Ltd. 1986 saw a serious threat to the continued existence of the Club when it was clear that a dual carriageway link road was to be built across the course. There was much speculation about alternative sites and a period of uncertainty prevented any further progress and, indeed, a freezing of membership. In the event, the land lost to the new road was partially replaced by a section of the Langton playing fields. This enabled us to construct new holes in good time and to start negotiations for a longer lease, which in turn paved the way for our next new clubhouse. 2002 - Present Day Our splendid new building which was formally opened on 8th March 2002 by Mr Ronnie Corbett O.B.E. From then onwards, steady progress was made and the new facilities settled down to give the Club a home of which members could justifiably be proud. In 2005 Centenary celebrations took place through the year and should augur well for the next hundred years. Copies of the Centenerary book 'A Hundred Years of Gillingham Golf Club' written by Mr J Wigley are available from the office. These are priced at £3 for non members, members can obtain a copy free of charge.
After this apprenticeship
Qualification, experience, visible career path resulting in potential First Assistant - Deputy Head and Head Greenkeeper.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
NORTH KENT COLLEGE
Lucy Penniall
lucypenniall@northkent.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000342170.
Apply now
Closes in 15 days (Wednesday 1 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
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