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Course details

National Certificate in Sports Turf Management (Level 4)
NZQF Level 4

About the course

This qualification is designed for people working or intending to work in sports turf management at a supervisory tradesperson level in roles such as greenkeepers, turf managers, golf course trainees, school groundspeople, racecourse managers, or turf management contractors.

This qualification shares standards in common with, and provides a pathway for people who have completed, the National Certificate in Sports Turf (Introduction to Turf Care) (Level 3) [Ref: 0700].

The compulsory section includes the skills related to tractor driving and small engine maintenance; sports turf surveying, draining, and establishment; sports turf and staff management; budgeting; and identification and control of sports turf pests, weeds, diseases, and disorders. People will also have knowledge of soils and fertilisers; agrichemicals and their application; methods of upgrading sports turf root zones; sports turf surfaces; turf botany; sports turf soil water management; and mowing turf areas.

The elective section allows people to broaden their skills required in a sports turf workplace to areas such as agriculture, forestry, horticulture, pest control, generic computing, workplace health and safety, generic education and training, highway construction and maintenance, interpersonal communications, and writing. Candidates may select standards in the elective section of this qualification that can also be used to meet the requirements of the National Diploma in Sports Turf Management (Level 6) [Ref: 1272].

On completion of this qualification people who wish to obtain roles as sports turf professionals (such as managers of sports turf and amenity facilities, golf managers or golf superintendents) may wish to progress to the National Certificate in Sports Turf (Level 5) [Ref: 1558].

The Primary Industry Training Organisation supports the concept of continuing and lifelong education, and recommends people who have completed the National Certificate in Sports Turf (Level 5) [Ref: 1558] to consider progressing to the National Diploma in Sports Turf Management (Level 6) [Ref: 1272].

About the provider

Open Polytechnic is New Zealand's leader in online and distance learning.

What’s our distance learning difference? It’s the almost 30,000 students who join us each year to study and achieve their career and personal goals.

It’s Open Polytechnic being New Zealand’s specialist distance learning provider for over 70 years. 


All our students study by distance.

Distance learning is what we do.


Our programmes are designed exclusively for distance learning. Our online courses include a range of rich content to engage you – readings, videos, interactive elements, case studies, quizzes and activities, and forums.


Our academic staff are experts at teaching by distance learning. It’s what they do.

They will be with you every step of the way to encourage you, and ensure you understand the course content. They will help you gain the skills and knowledge you need, so that you can succeed.


If you need other support or help, we’ve got a range of people here for you. 

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