ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

Graduation of CIG’s First UAE Cohort

UAE Confirmation Group1
Graduates from the first UAE cohort of the AGIF’s Certificate in Greenkeeping course.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The first United Arab Emirates cohort from the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) Certificate in Greenkeeping (CIG) course have graduated.

Following the Introductory Course at Montgomerie Golf Club Dubai late last year and the Progression Course at Emirates Golf Club in April, the Confirmation Course was hosted by Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club last week.

Richard Walne, Chairman of the AGIF’s CIG committee, said: “Congratulations to all those who have come through our first CIG programme in the UAE with flying colours. It’ s been encouraging to witness at first-hand the thirst for knowledge among superintendents and greenkeepers in this part of the world.

“Special appreciation to Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and their Course Superintendent, Harry Wells, for hosting us and supporting us in every way possible.”

A total of 14 students sat for the Confirmation Course – 12 from golf clubs in the UAE, one from a sports club in the UAE and one from a golf club in Oman.

In order to graduate, the students had to complete five practical assessments, ranging from performance testings to turf identification, disorders, weed identification and soil texture.

They also had to complete written assessments in turf botany, surface management, rootzone management and pest and disease management.

As part of the Confirmation Course, all students also had to make a presentation on two topics of their choice, which were marked by a panel of five assessors – Jordan Fairweather (Cluster Director of Agronomy Emaar Properties – Dubai); Matthew Perry (Golf Course Superintendent, Emirates Golf Club); Harry Wells (Golf Course Superintendent, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) and CIG graduates Brad Cheng (Superintendent, Al Dhannah Golf Club) and Patrick Samonte (Assistant Course Superintendent. Al Mouj Golf Oman).

Oral presentations were built into the course structure as one of the key areas of feedback when the CIG programme was launched was that students should be able to speak confidently in front of others and share their knowledge.

All 14 students were presented with a Certificate of Achievement as the total number of CIG graduates rose to 94.

Top of the class in the UAE was Francis Rodriguez (Jumeirah Golf Estates), with Glenn Canonaso (Montgomerie Golf Cub Dubai) in second place and Miguel Murillo (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) and Jay Castillejos (Al Badia Golf Club) in joint third.

The top four students all had the distinction of scoring more than 90% across the board for their practical, written assessment and oral presentations.

The AGIF’s CIG co-ordinator, PK Ong, and Tara McLeod from the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute (NZSTI), thanked Fairweather, Perry and Wells for their strong support to the CIG programme and to their learners.

They noted the progress made by students, some of whom spent the entire summer involved in making renovations to their respective golf courses or making good their courses that were hit by unprecedented storms in Dubai in April and are still completing their online CIG assessments before being eligible to sit for the Confirmation Course.

Fairweather, who mentored three students in the programme, said the biggest takeaway for him was the confident manner in which the students are now able to carry out their work.

He said they have always been able to do their job, but had lacked formal training – a gap which the CIG has filled.

Written assessments in progress
Students undertaking their written assessment.

In partnership with The R&A and delivery from the NZSTI, the CIG was launched in 2018 with the specific aim of improving the professional knowledge of greenkeeping staff and providing an educational framework for the golf greenkeeping industry in the region.

As well as the UAE, the CIG programme has already made its mark in India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The total number of students who have enrolled in the programme has broken through the 165-barrier with individuals from clubs in 12 countries – Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the UAE and Vietnam.

The CIG is supported by The R&A and Education Partners Jacobsen, Jebsen & Jessen, John Deere, Syngenta and Toro.

*For enquiries about the CIG, please contact PK Ong at pkong@agif.asia or visit https://agif.asia/certificate-in-greenkeeping/ 

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