Would you like to help host golf's 'fifth major'?
BIGGA’s largest-ever TPC Sawgrass volunteer team is preparing to fly out to Florida today to assist with the preparation of the famous course ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship.
And with THE PLAYERS Championship being brought forward from May to March in 2019, the application process for next year’s event is already underway, giving you the best opportunity to get involved with this incredible experience.
For the first time, John Deere has expanded the programme for 2018, allowing an international member of BIGGA to join the five other successful applicants from each of BIGGA’s five regions.
The BIGGA members who are preparing for this “life-changing” opportunity are: Paul Armour, Dunbar; Joe Barnes, Royal Lytham & St Annes; Nicholas Thorley, Little Aston; Jamie Blake, Broadway; Antony Kirwan, Aldeburgh; Craig Cameron, St Leon Rot in Germany.
You'll be able to keep up-to-date with this year's support team with a daily diary, to be published on the BIGGA website.
The six BIGGA members will receive travel, accommodation, food and uniform as they join the team at the legendary venue for the entire duration of the competition, courtesy of BIGGA Partner John Deere.
Sam Evans of Fulwell Golf Club at TPC Sawgrass in 2017
While in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the BIGGA members will join a volunteer course preparation team of over 90 volunteers from 14 different countries, who work alongside the home greenkeeping team in getting the course in shape for this event, considered by many to be golf’s “fifth major”.
A spokesperson for TPC Sawgrass said: “At the end of the day, the volunteers make all the hard work of our tremendous staff really shine. They also get invaluable experience in preparing the course in exacting, television close-up standards, as well as the opportunity to network and learn.”
We’ll be featuring the adventures of the BIGGA volunteers in the June edition of Greenkeeper International, but if you want to get involved with this incredible experience, be sure to complete an application form.
Volunteers will join the home greenkeeping team at TPC Sawgrass
Proposed timeline for applications:
Stage one: Initial expression of interest via a short online survey, opens 3 May 2018, closes 31 July 2018
Stage two: Three-minute video submission, closes 3 September
Stage three: Regional interviews, begin the final week in September and end the first week in October.
Video submission
Just three to four minutes in length, these can be filmed on your mobile phone and you need to answer the following questions:
Ambition – where would you like your career to go in the next five years?
Plans – what steps do you plan to take to achieve your ambitions?
Greenkeeping interests – what are your favourite aspects of greenkeeping?
Outside Interests – what are your key interests outside of greenkeeping?
BIGGA – what do you believe should be BIGGA’s key priorities over the next five years?
It’s as simple as that!
Click here to apply for a place on the John Deere TPC Sawgrass Volunteer Programme 2019.
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