The Green Section provides services and support to the greenkeepers and maintenance team for the management of championships, including those on the federation calendar, as well as those organized by the DP World Tour and the Ladies European Tour. In 2024, their presence at both the men's and women's Spanish Opens, held at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf, respectively, was particularly noteworthy.

It is the distance a golf ball rolls after sliding down a device called a Stimpmeter. This instrument is a slotted bar, 90 centimeters long, used to roll a ball across a green at a constant and reproducible initial speed. The procedure for its use is regulated by the USGA (United States Golf Association) and consists of several steps:

1. Choose an area of the green with a reasonably flat surface

2. Hold the Stimpmeter by the grooved side, place the ball in it, and slowly lift it until the ball comes loose and rolls in the direction you've chosen. Repeat this procedure with the other two balls. The throwing area is marked with a tee.

3. A second tee is inserted at the midpoint between the three balls. Therefore, the distance between the two tees would be the measurement of the first set.

4. Repeat step 2, using the second tee as the starting point and the first tee as the target. That is, roll a series of three balls along the same line, but in the opposite direction.

5. Repeat step 3, establishing the average distance of the second series of balls.

6. The distance of the first and second series is measured and the average is calculated. This final measurement is what we record as the Green speed.

The speed of a green is measured in feet, and according to the USGA, the different green speed categories for competitions are as follows:

Over 9.5 feet (2.89 m): Fast greens
Between 8.5 – 9.5 feet (2.59 -2.89 m): Medium Greens
Under 8.5 feet (2.59 m): Slow greens

The amount of water consumed by a golf course is not an exact figure, as it depends on numerous variables such as grass variety, soil type, course design, climate, maintenance intensity, level of system automation, etc. However, an average consumption figure can be given, around which needs will increase or decrease depending on the variables described above. As an average, it is estimated that in Spain, the water consumption of an 18-hole golf course with 1 hectare dedicated to greens and another to tees is 7,500 m³ per hectare per year.

Greenkeeper Scholarship

This scholarship offers specialized training in Turfgrass Management Program in the
Michigan State University (MSU) or in the Pennsylvania State University (PSU),
with the aim of training specialist technicians in the maintenance of golf courses and grass sports surfaces.

Scholarship structure:

1. Field training:
   • Paid internship period in the National Centre of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (Madrid), starting the summer before entering university.
   • During this period, the candidate will learn the maintenance tasks that are carried out on a golf course throughout the year.
2. Academic background:
   • Start of studies in the Michigan State University or Pennsylvania State University during the summer following the year of internship.
   • The studies last two years.
3. International internships:
   • During the summers of the two years of academic training, paid internships will be carried out at a golf course in the United States, selected by the student.

Requirements to access the scholarship:

• No older than 35 years.
• Being Spanish, a resident or a citizen of the European Union.
• To hold a university degree.
• Demonstrate knowledge of English.
• Pass the selection tests.