“I had started to feel that the common sense had gone out of the profession”


finally make my decision. My son had been ill and the golf club had been incredibly supportive. I felt torn between a good employer and my family. My wife Claire and I sold the rental property we owned to purchase the franchise for North Hampshire and the surrounding area and I handed in my notice. The club, whilst disappointed, understood my decision and supported it. I volunteered to work a long notice period so I could be involved in recruiting my successor. I felt I owed the club and my staff that much and I wanted my hard work to be continued by a greenkeeper who shared my values and enthusiasm.” “I left the club on 2nd March this year and began work immediately. A vast mailshot in my local area meant I had paid work from day one. Claire is the organiser. She deals with all the administration, ordering and sales. From day one, I worked long days, sometimes not finishing until 10.30pm. I encountered a lot of scepticism at first from potential customers, borne from their experiences of dealing with other companies, but I enjoy customer contact and have achieved around a 90% conversion rate. After twelve weeks I had 200 customers. Once I start working with a new customer, it takes four to five weeks for them to see the difference. I’ve had lots of recommendations from the golfing world and my customers appreciate my putting my greenkeeping knowledge and experience to work on their lawn. They ask me for advice about lawnmowers


and, to me, it’s all part of the service." “Be under no illusion, it has been


hard work. I’ve done more physical work than I was used to and have shed a few pounds as a result! But I had always been inquisitive about self- employment and know I would have kicked myself several years down the line if I had not grabbed the opportunity with both hands and given it my all. I’ve now taken on two casual staff and the business is bringing in a good living for Claire and I. By February 2008 I’ll have two vans on the road with full time crews, when my main focus will become business development, quality control and customer liaison, all aspects of self-employment that I enjoy immensely.”


“Some people have criticised me for ‘deserting my profession’, but what is a greenkeeper? I’m 36 and have been a BIGGA member since I was 18, taking part in regional seminars and golf days, but I had started to feel that the common sense had gone out of the profession - too much science and no feeling for grass. There are dissatisfied greenkeepers in our industry because the expectations placed on them are too high. All year round golf used to be a laughable concept and it’s unachievable at certain courses.” “I’ve been surprised at how


interested my customers are in having a former Course Manager look after their lawn and, trust me, some of those lawns are better than some greens I’ve seen in my time! I enjoy answering customers’ questions and solving their problems. I get such as much pleasure from my work as I did from the golf course. In my opinion it’s narrow minded to think that our skills can’t be used just as effectively in another environment. We all manage turf, just in different situations and we can all learn things from each other. I’ve never been motivated by money but my salary has far exceeded all expectations and I still carry out my work with the same sense of pride and vigour fuelled by a fresh new


perspective. In my eyes, my new venture doesn’t make me any less of a greenkeeper, I’ve simply taken firmer control of my future.”


Projectile vomiting, christmas trees and stand up comedy - not too diverse then!


RICHARD RAINFORD, Managing Director of Amenity Contract Services Ltd: I am 47 years young, married to Dianne with two kids, Jennifer (18) and Robert (16) who are both at college. I was born and continue to live at Catchdale Moss Farm, Eccleston, St Helens. I am a fifth generation farmer on this farm, the first ‘Rainford’ came here in 1850 from Formby. Obviously my background is arable farming


but, when the changes to CAP came in the early 90s, I knew it was time to get out or change and, by coincidence, I was asked to help out a local contractor to spray Wigan Athletic FC’s ground - my very first amenity spraying job. The company is now one of the UK’s largest specialist highways weed control companies covering nearly every Local Authority in the northwest. I don’t really have hobbies or days off, I love what I do and am very proud of what I have created from nothing. A day off is a rare event as weekends are usually taken up in the workshop. I have to go on holiday to get away, skiing in winter, sunshine in summer and the odd foreign weekend away. I never take sick days, I look forward to getting up every morning to get on with the job! I enjoy good food, I suppose you could call me a ‘foodie’. I particularly enjoy caviar, foie gras, exceptional malt whiskies and vodka. I also enjoy good traditional food and green vegetables, there’s not much I don’t like apart from mussels and scallops as they make me ‘projectile vomit’ - an allergic reaction by all accounts! I have just completed an evening class of training to be a comedian, I did my first stand up act in Liverpool last week and it went down a treat, it was a charity gig and people stated they would have paid to see it which was very flattering. I intend to carry this on next year. In the winter I operate a very successful Christmas tree retail site from my farm, something I have done since 1976 when I left school. My wife took it on to the internet ten years ago, which I was very cynical about, we were the first internet site to sell Christmas trees online. There are now dozens on there, but we sold out last January 2007 as we felt we had done all we could with it. The best thing about my job is the people I have had the pleasure to meet on the way to where I am now, many have become great friends. I try not to fall out with anyone as this is such a small industry, it’s surprising who you meet. I don’t get it right all the time and have made some ‘howlers’ but, as they say, “you never make mistakes, you only gain experience”. The future looks as exciting as it did in the early days; there are so many opportunities I don't know which way to turn next some days. We need to get a website done - we must be the only company without one! I miss farming very much and would love to go back to growing my own vegetables and selling them at the roadside.


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