Cut it Out!
Entering the ‘Short Cut’ debate is Ricky Willison, Club Professional at Ealing Golf Club. Ricky is a former Walker Cup player, who played in the 1991 match that also featured Phil Mickleson, David Duval and Padraig Harrington amongst others. He also competed on the European Tour for several years and now has his seniors card.
He has been intrigued with all that has been written and spoken about since ‘The Short Cut’ debate was started by his Course Manager, Greg Evans, two years ago. From personal experience, he has seen what Greg has achieved over several years and feels the negative comments that he has read or heard are most unfair and, sometimes, factually incorrect.
Here he gives his views, but from a different angle - the customers one! He also invites readers to come and visit Ealing Golf Club to judge for themselves
40 Willison I
am writing in response to the debate that our Course Manager, Greg Evans, has caused within the
greenkeeping industry over the past two seasons. I noted that there was a recent article in the Pitchcare magazine criticising Greg’s methods. There have also been several other experts from different publications expressing serious doubts about Greg’s grass management skills. I myself am no expert in this area, and, therefore, cannot pass judgement on whether Greg’s position in these matters is correct. However, I am going to attempt to answer all the doubters in an area that I do feel I can talk about; playing golf.
I have played all over the world,
from Open Championships and European Tour events, to Pro-Ams. From competing in top amateur events to taking weeks away with the members. I have organised corporate events, taking companies to top destinations and so on. I also spent time working in the golf design business. All in all, I have been involved in the golf industry for the past 35 years. My current position is as the Club Professional at Ealing Golf Club. Now, it won’t come as a surprise to anyone that the overriding conversation in most clubhouses up and down the country is about the condition of the golf course. I think it is also fair to say that most of us golfers do not really care how the greenkeeper maintains the golf course, as long as we get quality. Greens, tees, fairways and
Ricky
bunkers need to be in superb condition all year round, or we have something to say about it! Most of us have not got a clue how difficult it is to produce the kind of course we want - firm, fast greens, fantastic fairways and lots of definition. Just like the courses we see on the TV, fifty-two weeks of the year! Condition, I believe, is by far the most important aspect of the golf course. You can play a fantastically designed golf course but, if it is in poor condition, then most golfers will be disappointed. However, play a poorly designed course in great condition, and we will enjoy the day and, more than, likely come again! So, the emphasis is on course managers and agronomists to provide a course in great condition, because the number one concern is pleasing the customer, the golfer. Having worked with some amazing
agronomists and course managers in my ‘course design years’, I am disappointed in the recent comments regarding our Course Manager, Greg Evans, and felt I had to respond. It is true to say that Greg is a friend. However, when he came to Ealing (highly recommended by a respected agronomist from Ireland), Ealing was in dire straits. The condition was dreadful and, as a consequence, membership, green fees and societies were all way down at a time the club could ill afford. At the job interview, he promised to turn it round in six months. He did, and four years into the job, the course just keeps getting better and better.
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