In their own words: BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton

The head of the greenkeepers’ association previews next month’s mammoth BTME exhibition

For all those who work within the golf industry, education is key.

This wasn’t always the case, and over the past 30 years BIGGA has worked hard to develop opportunities for greenkeepers to further their abilities and, in the process, improve the standard of golf courses the length and breadth of the country.

And dare I say it, we’ve been pretty successful at it.

British greenkeepers are among the most highly respected in the world, and that hasn’t happened by accident.

Central to this development is the well-established BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), which takes place each January in Harrogate.

Every year more than 4,000 greenkeepers and sports turf professionals head to the Harrogate Convention Centre and associated venues to take in our spectacular exhibition, and to partake in the more than 250 hours of world class education that we host within the Continue to Learn education programme.

In total, nearly 7,000 hours of education are undertaken by delegates, which is the equivalent of more than two hours of education for every golf course in the United Kingdom. There is absolutely no doubt that the golf industry has benefitted hugely from this annual education extravaganza.

It was this fact that encouraged the UK Golf Course Owners Association to contact us a couple of years ago to see whether we could strike up a partnership that would enable their own event, GolfBIC, to be hosted in conjunction with BTME, and we thought it was a great idea.

If the success of a golf course depends upon the level of education of the greenkeeping team, then it fits that for a golf club to be successful, those in charge of the business must also be highly educated.

Education is the cornerstone of this industry and, although greenkeepers are sometimes overlooked in the management structure of a club, they have been leading the way in terms of personal development and expertise.

For too long golf clubs were operated by those who, although they may be extremely talented and have had huge success running businesses, had very little practical knowledge in the operation of a golf course.

I’m pleased to say that the evidence is clear to see – within the pages of this publication and elsewhere – that this tide is shifting, and the role of the golf club manager now sits alongside course managers and club professionals as being populated by highly-educated industry experts.

This can only be for the benefit of the golf industry.

If you can make it to BTME during January, you’ll discover just how expansive this great industry is. The range of speakers on offer is quite incredible, as is the opportunity to network with some of the biggest names in the industry.

You’re sure to learn something new, and you certainly won’t regret it. I look forward to seeing you there.

For more information, visit www.btme.org.uk