Golf
With views out to sea and across Falmouth Bay to Pendennis Castle, Falmouth Golf Club occupies a truly spectacular spot. The Cornwall club’s Head Greenkeeper, Simon Johnson, reckons there is no better place to be on a lovely summer’s day
the current site, was only big enough for 9- holes which frustrated the membership who found another larger site in 1909. This new site was also short lived due to the outbreak of the Great War when the military took over the course for training. This caused so much damage that the membership needed to look again for a site, which brought them to Pennance.
F
This, again, started out as a 9-hole course but, in the late 1930s, more land became available and an extension to the course was opened at Easter 1935. In 1940, the course was again requisitioned by the MOD and all golf was to cease until after the war. From 1950 it has continued to be at Pennance where it has had three owners to date. When golf professional, Bryan Patterson,
took over the ownership he decided to make the course far more challenging. He instigated a tree and shrub planting scheme, whilst new tees were built to increase the length. There was reshaping of the fairways and new bunkers and hazards created, with redundant bunkers being filled in.
almouth Golf Club was originally formed in 1894. It had two previous sites before arriving at Pennance where it is now. The first, which was a few miles away from
In recent years, the club has been under the ownership of David Hughes who has improved the playing conditions with substantial investment on the course. The greenkeeping team are currently in the process of constructing several new holes on land purchased, with a new clubhouse and houses to be built in the very near future. The new holes will be opened this July. Heading up the greenkeeping team is Simon Johnson. He came to the industry following a week’s work experience in June 1986 at Tehidy Park Golf Club, an inland course close to the north coast of Cornwall, midway between St Ives and St Agnes. “In the September of that year, I started a two year Youth Training Scheme (YTS) at Tehidy,” begins Simon, “and, upon completion of this, started full employment at Tehidy Park, working there until October 2007, firstly as an assistant greenkeeper, before going on to become First Assistant.” “I achieved City and Guilds in Horticulture
whilst on YTS and then did my NVQ Levels 2 and 3 in Greenkeeping at Duchy College. I also have certificates in cylinder grinding, chainsaw, strimming, first aid and manual handling,” he continues. It was his qualifications and twenty-one years experience that landed him the Head
Falmouth Golf Club
Serving his Pennance!
28 I PC APRIL/MAY 2014
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