Golf
GETTING Personal...
Alan Kellett - speaks his mind, can be sarcastic and would like to win the Open - have Faith!
Family status? Married to Hayley, with a son Edward (16) and daughter Molly (13).
Who’s your hero and why? Seve - like many young golfers growing up you wanted to emulate how he played golf and how, from his background, he worked hard to get to the top, and battled his way to the end of his life (go and watch Seve-the movie).
What would you change about yourself? My sarcasm.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Country music.
What do you drop everything for? My family.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? The extension of Bentham from 9 to 18 holes.
Glass half full or half empty? Half full.
Climate change - fact or fiction? The seasons seem to be changing.
What’s your favourite season? Autumn going into winter.
What are your pet peeves? Patronising people.
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? Disneyland Florida.
What’s the best part of your job? Seeing your hard work year after year being appreciated by the majority.
… and the worst? The lack of respect shown by the minority.
Do you have a lifetime ambition? To win the Open!!!
Who wouldn’t you like to be? Phil Scolari.
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? Faith Hill (country singer), if the wife doesn’t mind.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Retire, maybe buy a golf course without a clubhouse (so I can’t waste money on it), and help family and friends.
34 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? A violin, I can be vibrant and powerful or mellow and melancholy; I used to play violin.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? Always speak your mind, even if it sometimes gets you into trouble.
What’s your favourite smell? Honeysuckle - the hedgerows are full of it here.
What do you do in your spare time? Family history/ancestry, sports (when fit), walking and listening to music.
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? We have a pond on the 9th that has become overgrown with bulrushes. I was recently asked how long it took to plant it up - bizarre!
What’s your favourite piece of kit? John Deere Aercore and the Dakota 410 topdresser.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Hardworking, passionate, humorous (in a sarcastic sort of way).
What talent would you like to have? To be able to fly!
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Retirement age lowered. I can’t imagine working on a cold, wet January morning when I’m 80.
2nd and 3rd holes with Ingleborough and Whernside, two of the three peaks, in the distance
Thatchaway units weekly and, if time allows, lightly topdress occasionally - we still use shovels so, sadly, don’t carry out the task enough.” “We have an ageing irrigation
system with many electrical problems but, as we are in the northwest of England, it is just about adequate for the amount it gets used.”
“Flooding is the course’s major downfall, and high winds cause issues with certain greens drying out quickly. In the mid nineties, I instigated a drainage programme where the club allocated sufficient funds to drain a fairway each year. In 1994, we drained the 3rd fairway which was completed in a day by contractors; since then no funding has been set aside for drainage programmes!” “We have a practice area that
has, at present, got planning permission for a covered area to be built on the side of the much needed improved machinery
sheds. Personally, I don’t think the club, at present, warrants a covered area; it is also situated right next to the first hole which would be ruined if the practice facility wasn’t aesthetically built.”
“Where general maintenance
is concerned; on the greens, we use a wetting agent programme which certainly helps prevent dry patch issues and means irrigation usage is lessened.” “Through the season, the
greens are the only areas that have regular maintenance regimes. They are mown daily at 3.75mm, verticut weekly (if staffing allows) lightly topdressed monthly (if time allows), and given a liquid feed every three weeks with Headland Seamac Proturf, liquid turf hardener and Primo Maxx to keep them ticking over. We star tine each month, or prior to wetting agent application, at 4” depth.” “The tees and surrounds are
Some areas of the course have a parkland feel
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