Brad of IGFH recently spent a week at the Soudal Open in Belgium as part of the tournament’s volunteer greenkeeping team. Here, he shares what the experience was like, from early starts on the course to exploring Antwerp between shifts, and how other greenkeepers can get involved in similar events.
If you want to work in international tournaments like the Soudal Open, you need to keep your eyes open. Applications for events like this usually appear online around 6-12 months in advance, but they’re not always widely advertised. Some you’ll only find through knowing the right people (tournament organisers or the head staff at clubs). It’s worth searching around and making contact directly if you want to work events like this one on the DP World Tour.
Brad of International Greenkeepers For Hire spent the week of 22 to 25 May 2025 at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, helping prepare the course for the Soudal Open. It was a big set-up involving plenty of work, with grandstands built around the 18th green and TV crews setting up for live coverage.
Brad was one of 17 greenkeepers from outside the club who’d come to support the team. He got stuck into a variety of tasks, including dewing tees that weren’t in play, raking bunkers, mowing fairways, and anything else the tournament required. He also took on one of the more important jobs: hand-cutting the clean-up laps on the greens. He worked the back nine, including the 18th hole, which meant working around the stands and media setups.
Talking about the event setup for tournament staff, Brad explained:
“We did split shifts, up at five in the morning until about eight, then back on again from around five in the evening through to nine or ten at night. They were long days, but you just got on with it. In between shifts, when we weren’t catching up on sleep, we got the chance to see a lot of the city.”
The experience brought together greenkeepers from across the industry, and Brad made connections that will last well beyond the tournament week. “I made a few really good friends I’ll stay in touch with for life,” he said.
The Soudal Open was hard work, but worth it, with Brad describing it as “exhausting but one of the best working weeks abroad I’ve ever had.”
If you’re a greenkeeper who wants to get involved in events like this, there are plenty of opportunities out there if you look in the right places. Tournaments and sports events around the world need support staff and clubs are often looking for people with the right skills. The best way to find these jobs is by searching online and contacting clubs or organisers directly, but you can also come across opportunities you may be unaware of by following industry social media.
IGFH also helps match greenkeepers with events, so if you’re interested, or if your club needs tournament support staff, send us an email at info@internationalgreenkeepers.com to find out more.
