Founded in 1997, First Green is an education and environmental program utilising golf courses as the learning classroom.

The First Green program pairs golf courses with local schools to deliver unique Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities for students.

Golf course superintendents, assistants and their teams (or in combination with golf course representatives) host students on excursions to the course, to undertake a range of interactive and engaging activities that provide students with hands-on education in the real-world setting of a golf course. 

Students are guided through a series of activities, such as; testing water quality, collecting soil samples, investigating critical greenspace, understanding local biodiversity, and identifying plants, animals and insects.  Students will also review and discuss native flora and fauna, understand grass varieties and contours in design that impact shade and water movement, and learn about the ecology, sustainability and environmental aspects of their local golf course. 

Students are introduced to a range of other community aspects and benefits of their local golf course, whilst spending time learning outdoors. 

Golf courses offer a range of environmental, health, economic and recreational benefits, along with vital green space to the communities they serve.  Courses are critical parcels of land with healthy biodiversity, flora and fauna, indigenous or native trees and a multitude of other vegetation, providing important wildlife habitats, support urban cooling and carbon management, produce oxygen and filter surface water – all of which can be incorporated as learning modules for school students in a First Green program. 

First Green is a program of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), and delivered in Australia exclusively by the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association.

 

For Schools and Students First Green curriculum benefits young students by helping them apply their classroom knowledge in an outdoor setting. By understanding how STEM concepts connect to real-world environments, students find new inspiration in their school work and in the possibility of a career in golf or a STEM-related field. Schools can engage students with experiential learning opportunities by undertaking a hands-on approach to learning about environmental, sustainability and biodiversity, all while providing a unique outdoor learning opportunity by engaging with their local community golf course.  An education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics can lead to a very fulfilling future. The four areas can offer an enriching and engaging curriculum, allowing students to explore and understand how the world works.

For Golf Clubs  Golf Clubs are able to actively engage with their local community, through hosting a First Green experience at their course.  Through the program, clubs are able to showcase their environmental stewardship activities and sustainability practices to students, and demonstrate the importance of golf courses to their local environment and community.  Who knows – students attending a First Green experience may find new inspiration and potentially gain interest in pursuing a career in golf course management. Students also learn the importance of green spaces and environmental stewardship through First Green.

For Sports Turf Managers Through hosting a First Green program, Sports Turf Managers can engage with their local community, and demonstrate the importance and contribution of golf courses to the local environment. First Green curriculum provides unique hands-on learning opportunities for primary and high-school students in STEM subjects, and sports turf managers can interact with and support the education of school leavers to promote apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship opportunities, or engage with interested individuals for casual, seasonal employment opportunities, as well as increasing the awareness of both environmental stewardship and careers in turf management.   If you are a golf course that would like to host a First Green program CLICK HERE, for schools/teachers interested in booking a First Green excursion CLICK HERE.