In response to the general wish following the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) questionnaire on greenkeeper education and training to European Golf and Greenkeeping Federations, Unions and Associations and the reaction given by the FEGGA-members at their annual Conference in January 2006, a group of educational professionals were asked to join a Pan-European Advisory Group.

At its first meeting the advisory group recommended a dedicated Education Unit be established and the Unit to be known as – The European Greenkeeping Education Unit.

The strategy outlines the following:

The EGEU aims to serve the purpose of bringing together European Greenkeeping Education Programmes under the same quality standards of competences. Also, it intends to be composed of representatives from respected educational institutes and administrators from within the greenkeeping sector. Their position has to be seen as independent from their individual countries and is based upon their educational expertise.

EGEU will work in close contact with the EGA, R&A and FEGGA supporting each other in the goal to strengthen and expand Greenkeeping Education and act as an independent Unit.

A European framework for Greenkeeping Education and Training will be built upon a formal set of agreed quality standards. Setting quality standards will make it possible for countries to develop greenkeeping qualifications, to exchange programmes between countries and to stimulate the provision of education and training in countries new to golf. Support will be given to golf developing countries to meet their own particular needs and each country’s Golf Federation, Union and Greenkeeping Association should collaborate to work with the quality standards at the earliest opportunity.