‘Tee-rific’ Jura golf job
Greenkeeping student Laura’s delight at permanent role
After visiting her sister on Jura last year, student Laura Sayer-Hall fell in love with the Inner Hebridean island and quit her job to move there.
While working in the island’s only pub, she got talking to greenkeepers at Ardfin Golf Course who asked if she would be interested in a seasonal job, writes Ellis Butcher.
Laura, 32, originally from The Wirral in England's north west, decided to give it a shot.
Although a far cry from her previous jobs as a laminator in the aerospace industry and a house renovator, Laura took to it immediately.
She said: ‘I absolutely loved it so took on a permanent role at the end of the season and haven’t looked back.’
As part of the role, she received funding to study a Sports Turf Maintenance SVQ Level 2 qualification at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Laura attends SRUC’s Elmwood campus in Fife block release so she can continue to work on the island.
chose SRUC Elmwood as it is one of the most respected turf colleges in the industry,’ she said.
‘The course is a great first step into formal turf education. It will show employers I have received a certain level of training on the theory and practical sides of greenkeeping.’ After finishing the two-year course, she hopes to continue her greenkeeping education by enrolling on either the HNC or HND Golf Course Management course. In the meantime, despite the golf course being closed during the COVID-19 lockdown, Laura has continued working at Ardfin.
Course manager Simon Crawford said: ‘When you take on staff, you’re always hopeful they will love the job. With Laura, she has shown how much she enjoys work every day with her standout attitude. She picks up new skills quickly and has a real passion for the job, Ardfin and life on Jura. She is a great asset.’
Mike Clark, programme manager of Greenkeeping and Golf Management at SRUC Elmwood, said: ‘Laura enrolled on the SVQ2 at SRUC Elmwood bringing a passion and thirst for knowledge for the theory behind the practical skills gained in her workplace at Ardfin.’