“Prime condition pay and play courses will soon be essential, but clubs do need to price accordingly”
if I wanted but, for us, that would be too fast. “We hand cut the Downs greens every day using John Deere and Toro machines, and the Park course twice a week.”
Good machinery is crucial to his course maintenance programme, he believes, helped by an understanding estate team. “We are lucky to have such good management that supplies us with
course would be absolutely superb, but that’s not realistic.” Like many course managers, Bill benefits from strong support from the local dealer. “The machinery we have here is really very good. I bought what I thought was best for our needs and we enjoy an excellent relationship with our dealer, Winchester Garden Machinery.” Worries are seldom far away though, Bill concedes. “We have two primary concerns, the weather and the bunkering on the Downs course. With the rain having been unduly heavy in winter and this summer starting
particularly hot and dry, problems can arise with sand exposure.”
“Our main issue with The Downs course The Kennels
what we need. Maintenance we do ourselves on site as it can become costly maintaining machinery through a dealer. Having someone on hand when you need it is essential and I would recommend it to any club.” On the surrounds, the team use John
Deere walk-behind mowers and Toro triplex mowers on the tees. “We used to hand cut everyday but we don’t have the resources to do it that much anymore. It’s really a matter of the more you do it the better the course will be. If we had 50 members of staff on hand then we would hand cut everything and the
74
upkeep though is the bunkers. We maintain them fortnightly with an Atom bunker edger, as I want them to look great. Many would not maintain them to that frequency but I see it as a benefit to our course.” Weed control can bring many a sleepless night to groundsmen, especially when spring is in full bloom. Yet, Bill takes a view converse to many in the industry regarding the application of pesticides - predicting its decline with few regrets. “Poa annua is present on the Park and Downs courses - perhaps 60-80% and 10-20% respectively. A fescue bent mix on the fairways, overseeding and hollow tining throughout the year helps control it.” “We apply precious few pesticides on either of the
courses though and, in a few years, the majority will be banned so, to me, it makes sense to not rely on them and look to other methods. Using fescue helps as it isn’t normally hit by fusarium. Many pesticides we could not do without - selective herbicide is one example.” Bill had a major role in laying down
the greens on the Downs course, he goes on to say. “By putting fescue down, I felt it would be more sustainable. In ten to fifteen years’ time, we won’t be allowed to use any pesticides, but this will not change much in the golf world. Players will have to adapt and younger players,
particularly, will quickly change their game to fit.”
Although club members, traditionally,
are adamant that their course must remain in pristine condition, close- cropped at all times, the pesticides-free era beckoning will necessitate a shift in that mindset, as new generations of golfers acclimatise to sporting life under European Union directives. “One product I’ve had lots of success and brilliant results with is Merit, but many chemicals on the market currently are far too expensive and in many cases not needed,” states Bill bluntly, before criticising the timing of applications at other courses. “Some clubs are putting down products
already, which is far too early in my opinion. We usually lay down Merit around June or July; we’ve been doing this for a number of years and have proven results against chafer grubs.” As far as a yearly programme of feeding is concerned, Bill applies fertilisers to the course, “as often as we need to, although keeping the quantity he uses “as low as possible - about 100- 150kg per acre”.
As something of a sporting Mecca, Goodwood constantly seeks new ways to capitalise on the potential of its vast estate. Their most recent innovation targets golf ’s changing modus operandi, introducing a philosophy that focuses on ‘pay and play’ golfers - one suiting the lifestyle of the modern ‘nomad’. Members now just pay a joining fee (first year only), annual subscription and the cost of ‘Goodwood Golf Credits’ - a scheme that means the more you play, the less the rounds cost. The calendar is split into three
different periods depending on the time of day and time of the year - peak times, popular times and peaceful times - with each costing a different number of credits. Credits can also be used to pay for other items such as golf buggies and balls.
Bill sees golf shifting direction and
stresses the need for clubs to adapt accordingly. “The future will bring far more pay and play sites as demand for it grows. The more flexible a club can be, the more successful it becomes. The days of the traditional club member have largely passed, although some do still prefer the old ways, the fact is that it is becoming less viable to operate solely for that market.” “Prime condition pay and play courses will soon be essential, but clubs do need to price accordingly to ensure they do not attract too many feet onto the turf.”
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