Golf - Brits Abroad
mountains and taking in the sites. Queenstown is a place that doesn’t sleep. All through the year, people flock to see its beauty.
Sculptures adorn the course at The Hills - here, a samurai warrior is surrounded by wolves “
Not long after the tournament, I got a call about a job in Dubai and my short time in New Zealand came to an end, but every day I miss that place and its people. I had spoken with Paddy Ryan early in 2013 about the possibility of working with him as assistant superintendent at Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai. Paddy was an ex OSU intern and had worked around the world. He impressed me with his passion for the job, as most OSU interns always do I accepted the offer and packed for Dubai. The big reason I got the chance to work in Dubai was mostly down to the fact I had worked on warm season grasses in Florida. I can’t emphasise the importance of working on different grasses/climates; it makes you so much more diverse and opens opportunities anywhere in the world. Working in Dubai is brutal; 45O
C degree
I can honestly say the relationship between the
superintendents and assistants at all the courses in the Middle East is the best I have encountered anywhere in the world
At the Race to Dubai
summers and high expectations. On the other side of the coin, there are some of the best courses in the world, along with some of the industry’s best agronomists. I can honestly say the relationship between the superintendents and assistants at all the courses in the Middle East is the best I have encountered anywhere in the world. Always there if you have a problem or a question, almost like a family relationship between the courses. It’s not surprising to learn that most of the
guys are former OSU interns, or they have been involved with the TOP program to some extent. I learned so much in my time at Al Badia. Paddy, as with most of the superintendents I have worked with, spent time teaching me and giving me the freedom to introduce my own ideas. Working on warm season grasses is where I knew I wanted to be, the high intensity and no down season suited my ambitions. I always hated winter back home; painting benches and clearing snow was not my idea of fun.
We had the Challenge Tour Final at Al
Badia and working as a senior member of the team for the first time was a great experience. I also got the chance to work at Jumeirah Golf Estates for the DP World Race to Dubai final. At the start of 2014, I knew it was time to
move on and look for a superintendent job of my own. I had moved around the world, working with some truly exceptional people, but felt the next part of my development had to come from managing a course myself. I spoke with Mike O’Keeffe (again) and
Good driving holes at Bangalore? 24 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
made some enquires. The thing about being part of the OSU program is that you make contacts around the globe. It’s amazing how many people I’ve met that know someone I’ve worked with. After speaking with a few contacts, I met Robin Evans, Director of Agronomy and Construction for Troon Golf Middle East and Asia. We had a chat and discussed a few options. He had worked with some people I had, so it made things easier, as we both had
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