GREENKEEPERS SELECTED FOR AMERICAN ADVENTURE REVEALED

BIGGA and Bernhard and Company have selected 10 association members to engage in a prestigious learning opportunity.. 
 
Each year Bernhard and Company invites 10 BIGGA members to attend the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America’s (GCSAA) Conference and Trade Show, this year taking place in Phoenix, Arizona. A spot on the delegation, says BIGGA, marks out a candidate as among the most dedicated and talented ambassadors for the golf greenkeeping sector. 
 
With experiences designed to elevate the careers of those in attendance, the delegation is a week-long educational trip that features site visits as well as seminars, networking events and educational demonstrations. The successful delegates will also be invited to convene at BTME in January, where they will meet former participants in the programme, many of whom have gone on to great success in their careers. 
 
The BIGGA members selected for the 2024 BIGGA Delegation with Bernhard and Company are: 

• Robert Acheson, course manager, Thonock Park Golf Club
• Harry Cannon, head greenkeeper, Sunningdale Golf Club
• Stephen Davey, head greenkeeper, Queenwood Golf Club
• Michael Gibbons, course manager, Disley Golf Club
• James Hampson, deputy head greenkeeper, Llanymynech Golf Club
• Stuart Imeson, owner and course manager, Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course
• Fraser Jardine, deputy head greenkeeper, Trump Turnberry
• Richard Ponsford, course manager, Clevedon Golf Club
• Luke Sheldon, head greenkeeper, Beau Desert Golf Club
• Richard Stephens, course manager, Vicars Cross Golf Club

Michael Gibbons is course manager at Disley Golf Club. Reacting to being selected, he said, “Having spoken to numerous former delegates, it’s clear the BIGGA Delegation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Being able to soak up all the US has to offer is an incredible personal opportunity but it could also be career-defining. The learning and networking opportunities will be second to none and I hope to get all that I can out of the experience. I feel incredibly fortunate to be one of the greenkeepers picked for it and cannot wait to get going in January.”

Fraser Jardine is deputy head greenkeeper at Trump Turnberry. He spoke of his pride at being selected as part of the team representing UK greenkeeping on a global scale and added, “I can’t wait to get over to Phoenix to meet people in the industry from around the world. I’m looking forward to learning about new technology and sharing ideas and techniques with others that I can bring back home with me. Thanks to BIGGA and Bernhard and Company for such an incredible, prestigious opportunity.”

The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show runs from 29 January to 1 February 2024. As part of their duties, the delegates will attend the BIGGA stand during the conference, speaking to visitors about the association and UK greenkeeping.