A greenkeeper not only has to mow the lawn
The external conditions have to be right, no matter what sport or league it is. Particularly high demands are placed on the quality of a golf course, as the players always want to drive, pitch, chip and putt on well-kept greens that resemble the carpet. A lot of work is done in the background and responsible is the greenkeeper. This profession is now also practiced by frank czarnietzki, who has lived with his family in weichtungen in the district of bad kissingen since 2003.
Immediately caught fire
The trained banker was infected by the golf virus when his boss at the time from a bank in schweinfurt took him to an introductory course in maria bildhausen. "I immediately caught fire. It was super and made great fun right away.", says czarnietzki. When the maria bildhausen golf club was also looking for a club secretary, he jumped at the chance and changed jobs according to the motto "where I do sports, I can also do work." Besides his desk work, czarnietzki was also interested in golf course maintenance. Reinhard michalk, the greenkeeper from bildhausen, took him out onto the course again and again, where he was allowed to move holes, for example. The varied work on the golf course fascinated him and his new goal was to become a greenkeeper.
As an assistant in paris
Since czarnietzki already had golfing experience, he was able to complete a two-year training course in freising to become a specialist agriculturalist for golf course maintenance, or greenkeeper for short. He then worked as an assistant on a golf course in paris for two years before becoming the greenkeeper in charge at geiselwind golf club in 2009.
Here he is assisted by four employees. Three years of successful work are necessary to climb to the next level. Again at the state technical school for agriculture in freising, bavaria, czarnietzki passed his examinations a few weeks ago to become a specialist agriculturalist head-greenkeeper. The certificate is signed by hartmut brunner, state minister for food, agriculture and forestry.
To achieve this high goal, a lot of effort is necessary. Czarnietzki is particularly grateful to his mentor reinhard michalk, with whom he still maintains very close contacts. "Working outdoors with the rhythm of nature", fascinates the dresden native in particular. But that also means, very early out of bed. The rather auberge-usual working time stretches from sunrise to the afternoon.
Numerous tasks are completed before the first golfers swing their clubs. And these activities are very diverse. Maintaining the greens, fairways, bunkers, dunging, mowing, hole mending, repairing, preparing for tournaments, maintaining the woods, but also motivating the staff and communicating frequently with the players. But a vacation in the summer is hardly possible.
The prerequisite for training to become a head greenkeeper is to play active golf. "I have to know how the course can be played and what the players want", says czarnietzki, who currently has a handicap of 17.8. Despite the high demands, too little is known about this rather unfamiliar profession. "It's much more than just the lawnmower", says the newly appointed head greenkeeper, because "nothing works on the golf course without a greenkeeper." The reputation of a golf club and the number of green fee players depend primarily on the requirements and the quality of the course. "Through my hobby, I found my dream job", says the 37-year-old. As other hobbies, he mentions his family and baseball, which he used to play and which he would like to start again with the schweinfurt giants. He played basketball successfully for the SG oerlenbach/ebenhausen for about 20 years. "But that's over after this season", he says.
