The team at North Hants enjoyed it as much as the kids!

Golf Course Manager Sam Evans praised his team at North Hants after the club hosted the latest First Green event.

The woodland venue welcomed 48 children from Elvetham Primary School, providing five stations manned by staff whose knowledge and enthusiasm ensured it was an interactive day of fun and learning.

As well as getting their hands dirty feeling different soil types, the children sat on the machinery and used a variety of data collection tools, while also learning about wildlife and habitat management.

“It was amazing to watch the greenkeeping team adapt their roles and really take ownership of each station,” said Sam. “I was nicely surprised at how competent and engaging the team were, and how much they enjoyed the day as well.

“At first they were very much out of their comfort zones, but the nerves soon went and I was extremely impressed with every member of the team.

“The children really seemed to enjoy each station. They were engaged and asked a lot of questions, which helped my team structure each group’s session.

“Our aim was to try and ensure the children learned something from each station, while also having fun. We asked this throughout the day and always had a positive reply.”

Sam hopes the experience will have struck a chord with the youngsters and put greenkeeping on the radar as a career path.

 

 

“The First Green initiative is so important for not only the greenkeeping side, but the golfing industry as a whole,” he said.

“Many of my team, me included, fell into the industry and did not know this was a career opportunity, so to make children aware at a young age that greenkeeping is a career option may help the next generation of greenkeepers and hopefully make the pool of staff more competitive and knowledgeable in the future.”

 

Sam is also a STEM Ambassador, part of a network that supports thousands of volunteers to bring real-life examples of STEM careers into schools, colleges and universities across the UK.

“I am keen to support shaping the next generation,” added Sam. “Being a STEM Ambassador is a great opportunity for this.” GI