Still a young man, David Procter has followed an interesting career path thus far. His current position at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has seen him move from Greenkeeping to Groundsmanship. Via Westchester to Wimbledon it has been a long ride with many twists and turns along the way.
Dave Proctor at the entrance to the All England Lawn Tennis Club
M
y career in turf started over ten years ago when I was required to complete a week’s unpaid work
experience whilst at school in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Mytton Fold Golf Club was the place and my life in turf had begun. I spent my unpaid week away from school raking bunkers, strimming and many hours on the Flymo but, along with that, I was allowed to mow greens and tees - well, half a green and one tee to be precise. It was this work experience that gave me the bug and, the following summer, I spent my entire holiday working at Mytton Fold, although this time I was paid! At the age of fourteen I had found something that I really enjoyed and, with that in mind, set about finding a place of education. Upon leaving school with the relevant grades I began my National Diploma at Myerscough College, Preston. This was a great course with both a technical and practical aspect to it. As part of the course I was fortunate to spend two seasons at Loch Lomond Golf Club, home of the Barclays Scottish Open,
8
under the watchful eye of Ken Siems and David Cole. I arrived on the Bonnie Banks in spring 2001 at the tender age of 17 for my first placement. Having only been involved in the industry for a short time this was a fantastic opportunity, a daunting prospect and a huge eye opener. The standards at Loch Lomond are some of the highest I have seen and the experience was instrumental in my future career decisions.
At the end of my second spell at Loch Lomond I was fortunate to be put in touch with Mike O’Keeffe of the Ohio State University Programme as I had expressed an interest in working abroad, with America high on the list. I spent the winter of 2002 filling out my OSU applications and securing my visa documentation. This, at the time, seemed like such a big step - I was still below the legal US drinking age of 21! But, in all seriousness, the process was very straightforward and the programme is a great opportunity for aspiring young Greenkeepers.
My first position was at Sand Ridge Golf Club just outside Cleveland, Ohio, during the spring and summer of 2003. Here I was involved in every aspect of course maintenance and even some construction. During my time at the Ridge I was also fortunate to be sent for a fortnight to Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania for the US Amateur tournament; the club has currently hosted more majors than any other in the USA.
Whilst working on the Amateur, and
through Mike, I was fortunate to meet my next employer. I spent the autumn and winter working in Florida at a private club and living in luxury. Following, what was, a winter break
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132