17 year old apprentice golf course groundsman Ollie King has a CV to envy: Clare Park Lake Golf Course, Suffolk April 2013-May 2014, Gleneagles Golf Course, Perthshire May 2014-end of the Ryder Cup.

Ollie King mowing a green at Clare Park Lake Golf Course.

A year ago Ollie wrote to Susan Moore, partner Clare Park Lake Golf Course, saying he was interested in an apprenticeship as he knew he wanted to work outdoors. It seems he had even asked for a lawn mower for his 12^th birthday, such was his interest in green keeping!

Clare GC had never had an apprentice before and being such a small course did not even have a full time groundsman. After discussions with Otley College it was agreed to take Ollie on and he spent the last year under the apprenticeship scheme, learning on the job with regular visits from Steve Race of Otley College to check his progress.

Ollie proved to be a keen and competent student, learning quickly and maturing into a capable groundsman within the year. He applied for the seasonal opportunity to work on the course at Gleneagles for the Ryder Cup with no expectations and none could have been more surprised than him to be selected from more than 2,000 candidates.

He did however have to act quickly, finding out on the Tuesday and leaving Clare GC on the Friday. Not the ideal situation for someone so depended upon, and at the beginning of the growing season, but who could turn down such a magnificent opportunity? Ollie’s uncle Andy has stepped in to help at Clare and is enjoying the ‘baptism of fire’ even if it means a few unusual aches and pains.

Ollie’s first day was an induction and the second…playing golf. Could it get any better?

Susan Moore said: “I was Ollie’s mentor and I knew we had someone special: a young man with a good work ethic and very practical and I can’t deny I wasn’t upset to lose him … he knows that. But it is a once in a lifetime opportunity which he had to take and when we watch the Ryder Cup this autumn I will feel that a little bit of us has helped it look as good as it undoubtedly will. Like his mum and dad, we are very proud of him.”