Golf
Built on the site of a famous haunt for highwaymen, Fulwell Golf Club occupies 132 acres of open space just a couple of miles from RFU Twickenham and close to the centre of London. Charged with maintaining this green oasis is the club’s Course Manager, Paul Brown, a man who appears to be in tune with his staff, the members and the environment
Paul Brown
Stand and Deliver...
F
ulwell Golf Course lies in the corner of what formerly was Hounslow Heath, the notorious haunt of highwaymen. Golf began at Fulwell in 1904 on the original layout designed by the then professional at (not yet Royal) Mid-Surrey, J.H. Taylor, Open winner and part of the legendary “Great Triumvirate”. He created a par 80 ‘outer’ men’s course and an ‘inner’ ladies course measuring 5,000 yards. In 1921, Dr Alistair Mackenzie was employed to extend and improve the men’s course with, after World War II, John S. F. Morrison designing an 18 hole course made up of eight of the original “outer” layout and ten new holes from the land previously occupied by the “inner” ladies course; the inner having been given over to growing vegetables to support the war effort. This is the course pretty much
58 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
as it is today. Fulwell is a championship length parkland course of 6,465 yards, par 71, with tree-lined fairways and quality greens which provide an enjoyable and challenging test for golfers of all standards.
The club is situated only two miles from
Twickenham Stadium, the home of England rugby and, although early January is probably not the best time of the year to be visiting a golf course, as I had been to see the RFU’s Keith Kent, it seemed the perfect opportunity to meet up with the club’s Course Manager, Paul Brown and his team. On my arrival, I was immediately
impressed by, what I thought were, brand new workshop and mess room facilities, only to find out that they had been constructed six years ago. Everywhere was
immaculately clean; you could eat your dinner off the floor! Paul explains that he has a strict policy
of keeping things tidy; everything has a place. The mess facilities were spotless, no one is allowed in with dirty shoes - even the sales reps have to take off their shoes before entering! As Paul and I settle down to begin the interview - shoes off, of course - I first ask him how he got into the industry. “I left school at sixteen wanting to be a silversmith, but didn’t quite get the grades I needed. So, I temporarily (at least that’s what I thought at the time!) took up a YTS scheme as an apprentice horticulturist with the local authority.” “During the first year, we spent a few months in each department, one of which was the sports grounds and, in particular, the local bowling greens. This is what
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