Founded in 1986, with more than 800 members drawn from across France, AGREF is one of the largest communities of golf greenkeepers in Europe.
Together members share ideas, discuss, and collaborate in ways to support each other and promote best practices regarding to the preservation of the Environment and the Game of golf .
From 1994, AGREF provides a range of education and training opportunities to help greenkeepers and other golf course and sports fields professionals improve their skills and knowledge.
This includes formal qualifications and certificates as well as workshops, seminars, and online training.
A advanced training program for young graduates enables them to meet a wide variety of professionals throughout France.
In 1998, AGREF initiated the national Golf agreement, the aim of which was to determine the collective status of the employees concerned and govern the relationship between employer and employee.
AGREF advocates for the interests of its members by working with government agencies, industry groups and other stakeholders.
This includes lobbying for social regulatory changes, promoting sustainable golf course management practices and raising awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of golf courses.
AGREF helps members connect with each other through events, local and national conferences, and online communities.
This enables members to share best practices, discuss industry trends and build relationships with other professionals in the golf and sports fields industry.
AGREF provides outstanding career-defining opportunities for its members that propel their career to the next level.
AGREF provides a wide variety of resources to its members, including publications, research, and industry data. These resources help members stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in golf course management.
Founded in 2006, the French Turfgrass Institute IEGE got a national accreditation to evaluate the efficiency of PP products and provide technical data to get their approval for sale.
IEGE is currently conducting 8 innovative experimentations to support the development of IPM and collecting turfgrass management data.
IEGE carries out studies and reports for government departments at French or European level on the state of the art in turf nutrition and health, biodiversity protection and the preservation of natural resources.
IEGE coordinates the turfgrass epidemiology network (which is accessible free of charge) and monitors the territory for invasive pests.