Golf “
My experience of most golfers is that, if they miss that four foot putt to win the monthly medal, it won’t be their fault, it will be ours!
“We look at each different make and choose the best option for us, both practically and financially.” “The quality of cut on fairways has greatly
increased since we purchased the Toro 5500 fairway mower in 2002. We have since replaced this machine with the Toro 5610. Our presentation on fairways really stands out visually now against the backdrop of our views and tree line. Equally, the recent purchase of the Toro ProCore pedestrian aerator will ensure we can make more passes on greens this year in terms of cultural practice, whilst the Thatchaway and vibro-roller attachments on our Toro 3250 greens triples will ensure we can produce good consistent surfaces on greens.”
The boy’s done good!
“We put in a new washdown facility about
nine years ago having consulted with the environment agency. We use an oil separator facility, which allows us to close off the system should we need to.” “We work closely with the Berks, Bucks
and Oxon Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation who advise us on how to manage our long rough/wildflower areas. Chiltern Woodlands Project are currently involved in setting up a woodland management programme for us.” “The flora and fauna at Chiltern Forest is an important part of our site. Our box woods are quite unique and particularly rare. They are good for a range of invertebrates and also breeding birds. We have seen Edible
BEFORE coming out to America, I worked at The Grove in Hertfordshire for seven years, covering spray techniques, irrigation and, for a temporary time, was head greenkeeper. I had some great mentors there, especially Course Manager Phil Chiverton, and appreciate the opportunities I got and the time he spent developing me. I was introduced into the industry through
my dad. I always knew what I wanted to do and loved working on a golf course. I will always look up to him; he has supported and encouraged everything I do. When I left school, he told me he would
never give me a job! That would have been the easy option and he knew that I’d be better if I did my own thing, explaining that a father/son relationship in a small team could go either way. He has a good team at Chiltern Forest and I visit regulary. The best thing about my dad and greenkeeping is talking, I learn so much from him and he always listens to my ideas. For a manager, this is so important to your
Stuart Horwood is currently working as an intern at Quail Hollow Golf Club in North Carolina, where he has four months to complete as part of the Ohio State University program. Here, he explains how he came to get the opportunity to fulfil a long-h ambition
held 34 I PC JUNE/JULY 2014
team. Ideas need to be heard. But, you need to listen and be approachable. A good question to ask yourself is ‘does your team follow you because they want to or because they have to’? My dad has over thirty years of experience, which I couldn’t buy, and I’m lucky and proud to have him as a father. I’ve always been around golf, just like my
dad. My granddad, Jim Horwood, played to a handicap of 1 for the majority of his golfing life and was in the Hertfordshire county side that Nick Faldo and Ken Brown passed through. It has always been a dream for me to
experience working on a PGA tour venue in the USA. The Ohio programme made it possible and I’d encourage any young greenkeeper take the plunge; you won’t regret it.
Dormice (Glis glis) nesting in some of our yew trees. These were introduced to our site over one hundred years ago by the land owner at that time, Rothschild, who brought them into the country at that time. We are also fortunate to host a number of rare plants, including pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera), bee orchids (Ophrys apifera), cowslip (Primula veris) and twayblade (Neottia ovata).” Steven believes that continuous training is
worthwhile. “It is important, in a small team, for everyone to be able to perform all tasks. The team can be more efficient then. It is also important for staff in terms of developing themselves, as it ensures a more
The life experience is something I’ll never
forget. The superintendent at Quail Hollow - Chris Deariso - has given me good opportunities to experience the American culture, including American football, ice hockey, a Thanksgiving dinner, cookouts and tailgating. On the work side, it is nothing like you get back home. Where else could you overseed with rye grass and then transition back to bermuda for the build up to a PGA tournament - the Wells Fargo Championship at the beginning of May. Through the superintendent, I have also been given the opportunity to work at one of the four majors; the PGA Championship at Valhalla in August. After the Wells Fargo in May 2013, Quail Hollow shut for three months to renovate and improve the course. Hole 16 is completely new and seventeen tees have been moved. The greens were completely changed from bent to mini verde bermuda, including new subsoil to USGA specification. Hundreds of trees were taken out, one for better golf holes, but also so the bermuda greens could get more sunlight. I arrived in October, just after my induction in Columbus, Ohio. Here, I managed to taste the university’s nightlife, see the college football stadium - which is around 105,000 capacity - and went and helped out one of the assistants at Muirfeild Village who had previously been an intern at The Grove. It was for the 2013 Presidents Cup and was a great introduction to America. My first day at Quail was quite hectic. They
had recently overseeded, wall to wall, with rye grass and the course was due for its first mow. The course was looking great, with the rye grass establishing and the trees turning colour for the fall.
Member tournaments were a regular
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