Crossing the Irish Sea
Over ninety Greenkeepers attended over the four days and, probably, not even they were aware of just how much time and effort goes in to making their day worthwhile.
Arriving at Ballingrobe Golf Club Unloading the grinders
workshop, Steve and Ben set up the PowerPoint presentation in the clubhouse. The format of the day was a two hour presentation on the benefits of mower sharpening, a break for lunch, followed, in the afternoon, by practical demonstrations of the grinders. The morning sessions began with Steve and Ben introducing themselves to the twenty-five assembled Greenkeepers from local courses, with an explanation of the role of the company, the history of mowers and how, and why, grinders had been developed. This was followed by a detailed explanation of the benefits of having sharp mowers and the different methods available to maintain mower sharpness. Steve has been with Bernhard for seven years, three and half of those working in America, on tournament golf preparations. Before that he worked as a mower mechanic and Greenkeeper. Ben, like Steve, has also come through the mechanical training route gaining extensive experience working with mower manufacturers. He is also a qualified Greenkeeper. The duo explained how Bernhard
prefer the non contact method of cutting which they believe gives a superior cut, causes less stress to the grass, consequently, improving the quality of the greens, and resulting in the plant requiring less feeding. After a light lunch the assembled
Introduction by Alan Mahon of the GCSAI
Greenkeepers were given a demonstration of how cylinders and bottom blades can be sharpened quickly and efficiently, with the team showing how a complete set of triple units can be stripped down and sharpened in under forty five minutes using the Anglemaster and Express Dual. A Rapid Facer was also put through its paces, showing how the facing edge of the bottom blade can be ground in just a few minutes. Steve explained that, with many
Steve lecturing
Greenkeepers now topdressing on a more regular basis, cylinders are subjected to far more than ‘just cutting grass’ and will, therefore, require more frequent sharpening. With many golf clubs not owning a grinder, mowers are sent to be serviced and re-sharpened during the winter months, returning for use around March-April time, which is probably the worse possible time with so much surface debris on the greens. Usually, by the time of optimum summer growth, the mower cylinders will be cutting poorly because of this.
Steve demonstrating the Rapid Facer
The strong message being conveyed was that regular sharpening of cylinders and bottom blades offered huge benefits over a ‘once a year relief grind’.
It was now late into the afternoon, time to pack up and move on to our next destination and a 150 mile drive to Fota Island Golf Club near Cork, a five star resort owned by the Sheraton group. We arrived at our hotel at 9.00pm,
checked in and then met up for dinner to reflect on the day’s events. The team agreed it had been a good turn out with some positive interest being shown.
As our hotel was part of the golf complex we had no driving to do in the morning, just a matter of having breakfast and walking across to the golf workshops to set up the presentation and the grinders. Over twenty Greenkeepers were in attendance, many of them coming to see the course as much as to attend the road show. Again, there was lots of interest in the rudiments of sharpening mowers with plenty of questions being asked of Steve and Ben. We packed up around 3.30pm and soon got on the road eastward to our third stop at Rosslare, another 130 miles, finally reaching the hotel early in the evening. It was the same routine - dinner, chat, drink (half of shandy) bed and up for 7.00am the next day to deliver the presentation at Rosslare Golf club, a wonderful 18 hole, par 73, links course on the Wexford Peninsular. We set up in the small tea rooms
provided. There to meet us was the Head Greenkeeper, Andrew Doyle, who has been at the club for forty two years, and Alan Mahon, the editor of Greenside, the official magazine of the GCSAI. Andrew walked the course with me and showed me the stunning views. Of great interest to me was something hidden away in one of the sheds - a 1950s Atterton & Ellis grinder in all its glory. A real old treasure.
Our final destination was Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, back up the east coast and close to the ferry terminal, and another100 plus mile drive for Gary! Dun Laoghaire is a truly
magnificent golf course, 27 holes in a beautiful setting with spectacular views dominated by the Irish Sea and Sugar Loaf, the start of the Wicklow Mountains
It is a brand new course, only
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