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Diploma · national qualification

Diploma of Sports Turf Management

This diploma is for people who already work on sports turf and want to run the place rather than just care for it.

Compare 5 providers
Illustration of a person working as sports Turf Manager
How long it takes
1 to 2 years
typical for this level
What it costs
From $7,320
Subsidised at Holmesglen Institute, full fee up to $17,385
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Sports Turf Manager
$85,800 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
5 providers
4 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Diploma of Sports Turf Management asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in planning and managing sports turf facilities
  • a willingness to take responsibility for the work of others
  • good communication skills for leading a team
  • an eye for detail when checking surfaces and systems

Before you start

To commence this qualification an individual must have: completed a Certificate III in Sports Turf Management or an equivalent turf management trade level qualification or a certificate III level qualification in amenity horticulture combined with two years current work experience in a trade level role at a sports turf facility.

Diploma or Certificate III?

The Diploma of Sports Turf Management is the higher level. It covers management of sports turf facilities, including analysing information and exercising judgement, with accountability for the work of others.

See the course

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Sports Turf Manager

    Sports turf managers plan and run the upkeep of grass playing surfaces, keeping golf greens, cricket ovals and stadium pitches safe and playable.

    What else you need

    Complete the qualification and its stated entry and workplace requirements; check employer-specific requirements. Entry requirements: To commence this qualification an individual must have: completed a Certificate III in Sports Turf Management or an equivalent turf management trade level qualification or a certificate III level qualification in amenity horticulture combined with two years current work experience in a trade level role at a sports turf facility.

    Median pay$85,800 (estimate)

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $7,320

at Holmesglen Institute. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$17,385

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • Holmesglen InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $7,320
    Full fee
    $17,385

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 5 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

14 units: 10 that everyone takes and 4 you choose.

  • Managing sports turf programs
  • Planning playing surface construction
  • Renovating worn turf surfaces
  • Soil health and nutrition
  • Irrigation system auditing
  • Budgets, reports and staffing
See all 10 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for AHCBUS511…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It is for people already working on sports turf who want to move into management. It prepares you for roles such as senior curators or arena managers, golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, racetrack managers, senior bowling greenkeepers and turf consultants, where you are accountable for the work of others.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

You must have completed a Certificate III in Sports Turf Management or an equivalent turf management trade level qualification, or a certificate III level qualification in amenity horticulture plus two years current work experience in a trade level role at a sports turf facility. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from Certificate III in Sports Turf Management?

The Diploma of Sports Turf Management is the higher level. It covers management of sports turf facilities, including analysing information and exercising judgement, with accountability for the work of others.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.