The team at Bowring Park & Golf course pride themselves on the condition of their grounds, and have a dedicated Greens team and Rangers working in all weathers to keep the site in tip-top condition all year round.
It’s a job that requires stamina, knowledge, resilience and a love of all things green. Harry Kennedy Nation (16), the youngest member of the Greens team at Bowring, demonstrates all of these qualities and more as a Myerscough College Apprentice.
The L2 Golf Greenskeeping Apprenticeship Standard focuses on the skills required to become a competent greenkeeper, by learning when, how and why a wide range of maintenance operations are carried out.
Harry started his apprenticeship in July 2023 and is due to complete the course in August 2025, although his Myerscough tutor Anthony Bailey says he is very impressed with Harry’s work and sees him on track to finish before his course end date.
Harry is a full-time member of the Greens team for the majority of the week, working on grounds maintenance and course preparation, and spends Wednesdays online focusing on his coursework. It’s a role where every day is different, but a typical day might see him starting at 7.45am with a team cuppa, checking the course for weather conditions and damage, checking flags, tee blocks and making sure the site is clean and safe. Depending on the weather, the rest of the day can include going out on the mowers, cutting branches and weeding, as well as attending Greens team meetings and wider Bowring team catch ups.
When asked about his experience of the apprenticeship so far, Harry says “I’m really enjoying learning on the job, and it’s great to be outdoors, especially in the summer! There’s also a great social side to the role here at Bowring.” His colleagues tell us that Harry is a well-loved member of the team, with Head Greenskeeper Tommy Givnan describing him as “a very pleasant and courteous young man.”
Bowring’s Horticultural Officer Nicola Meredith says “Harry is a wonderful addition to the grounds team. His infectious positivity makes a great impact on those around him and it’s been great to see how he is progressing with his apprenticeship and gaining lifelong skills as a future greenskeeper.”
On his future ambitions, Harry says he’s interested in continuing as a golf course Greenskeeper, and as an avid cricket player, he’s also keen to explore seasonal sports turf maintenance programmes in Australia. The team at Oneday who are the Managing Agents for Bowring tells us they have no doubt that Harry has a very bright and successful future ahead of him.