A TEENAGE apprentice greenkeeper from Saltash is heading to the United States after securing a prestigious golf scholarship in Mississippi – a breakthrough that is taking his talent from Cornwall’s fairways to the American college circuit.

Seventeen-year-old Oban Webber, who works at China Fleet Country Club, earned the life-changing opportunity while balancing the demands of professional turf management with a competitive golfing career.

Oban joined the club in 2024 after completing his GCSEs, beginning an apprenticeship on the Championship 18-hole course. Since then, he has combined early mornings maintaining greens and bunkers with a packed training and competition schedule that has seen him represent his county and compete nationwide.

The apprenticeship has proved to be a springboard. Alongside learning the technical precision required to maintain a top-level golf course, Oban has used the club’s facilities – including its Toptracer Driving Range and complimentary membership – to practice up to five times a week.

His hard work has now paid off with the offer of a golf scholarship in Mississippi, opening the door to further education and elite-level competition in the United States.

“I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone; it provides so many more life skills than staying in a traditional classroom,” said Oban. “Working with such a great group of people at China Fleet Country Club has been amazing. The apprenticeship has certainly opened up the world for me and meant that I could pursue my passion for golf while gaining a qualification. It really has been a dream come true.”

National Apprenticeship Week (February 9 to 15) has helped to shine a spotlight on stories like Oban’s, highlighting the role vocational pathways can play in developing young talent.

China Fleet Country Club, located on the Devon and Cornwall border, has built a reputation for investing in both facilities and people. Club leaders say Oban’s success reflects the opportunities apprenticeships can create within the hospitality and leisure industry.

Nathan O’Sullivan, golf course manager at China Fleet Country Club, praised the teenager’s work ethic and commitment.

“We are incredibly proud of Oban and the hard work he does,” he said. “His dedication to the stewardship of our championship course has been outstanding – from the meticulous hand-mowing of the greens to the technical precision required for turf health and bunker maintenance.

“His story is a brilliant example of why apprenticeships are so valuable. They provide a platform for young people to develop genuine professional expertise while pursuing their personal dreams. To see one of our own progress from the fairways in Saltash to a prestigious scholarship in America is a testament to his work ethic and the supportive, high-standard environment we strive to create at the club.”

For Oban, the move marks the next chapter in a journey that began with word-of-mouth advice about an apprenticeship opportunity close to home. Now, less than two years later, that decision is taking him thousands of miles away – proof that talent, hard work and the right support can open doors far beyond Cornwall.