Groundsmanship

The skill and applied knowledge of producing an amenity or sporting surface (which may be formed from natural grass or artificial grass, or a combination of these) to a safe and satisfactory standard for its users.

In 'Practical Groundsmanship' (L.W. White and W.H. Bowles (1952)), the term involves practical problem solving, and for the title of the book they considered "words descriptive of that intangible quality which marks the "good" groundsman, i.e. the ability to apply his knowledge in such a way that the highest possible standard is reached and maintained, and the greatest pleasure and service given to users of his ground."

The suffix 'manship' is added to 'grounds' to create a new meaning, with the suffix meaning that there is human practice and skill which are applied to the ground.

The modern definition included here removes the gender bias of the original description, as this skill is very much an activity for all genders. However, the term itself has effectively been replaced by groundskeeping.