Golf
What’s in the shed? Toro Flex 21 greensmowers x 3 Toro 1000 greensmowers x 6 Toro 1600 tees mowers x 3 Toro 3250 greens/tees mowers x 3 Toro 3550 fairway mowers x 4 Toro 6700 fairway mower
Toro 3100 reelmaster (semi-rough and grass paths) x 3 Toro 4500 rough mower Toro 175 Multipro sprayer Toro Workman with spinner top dresser Toro Workman with sprayer Toro Workman MDX x 9 Toro HydroJect Toro ProCores x 2 Toro ProForce blower Truturf turf iron Charterhouse 1575 disc seeder Weidenmann Terra Spike XP Ultraplant spinner topdresser Ultraplant Trommel Screener Bracken Basher! Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle Massey Ferguson 362 tractor Massey 1547 tractor Massey 1260 tractor Kubota M7040 tractor Kubota B2410 tractor
The Valley links lies between the East
Strand and the Dunluce. As its name suggests, the course is situated between the huge sand hills immediately along the Atlantic shore and the higher ground on which the championship course is laid out. That is not to say the holes of the course
are routed over anything like plain, level lying land; far from it, as the Valley has more than its fair share of the humps, hollows and undulations to be found on any links worthy of the name. Other staff helping Graeme include Alex McCook, the deputy course manager, who has been with the club for twenty-seven years, and Chris Calvin, the irrigation technician who has enjoyed twenty-two years service. The course employs its own mechanic, Steven Walker, who has been with the club for thirty years. Graeme added: “We use the STRI for
ecology and agronomy services and are into our second season of a five year ecology plan. There are five seasonal staff for divoting and bunker raking and we will add more when needed.” “The course is a sandy loam with a sand
Retired Joe to spend time with grandkids
AFTER 26 enjoyable years service with the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Joe Findlay has retired as the head greenkeeper, or course manager as the job title reads today.
Joe completed his time over two periods; April 1977 to December 1987 and then May 1998 to December 2014.
“I entered the industry through a youth employment agency,” said Joe.
His employment history tells its own tale. From March 1966 to February 1968, Joe was trainee greenkeeper at Croham Hurst Golf Course.
Then it was on to assistant greenkeeper at Addington Court Golf Course from February 1968 to June 1971.
He moved straight away to first assistant then head greenkeeper at Shirley Park Golf Course until November 1974.
38 I PC APRIL/MAY 2015
A job as head greenkeeper kept him occupied at Hindhead Golf Course from November 1974 to March 1977. From then until the end of 1987, Joe worked at the Royal Portrush Golf Course, leaving to be the general manager at Abbey Organics, part of Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey in Portglenone.
A return to a golf club came in March 1991 when Joe took up a position as course manager at Roe Park Golf Club and then at Ballyliffin Golf Course.
He returned to Royal Portrush in May 1998 as head greenkeeper.
“The people who inspired me during my career were Cyril Chamberlin and Fred Hawtree at Addington Court and Jim Arthur,” said Joe.
“I’ve enjoyed my time thoroughly at the Royal Portrush Club. They were a great bunch of
people to work with.”
“I am looking forward to spending more time now with my grandkids, the youngest of which was just born in February.”
“We have all these beaches on our doorstep to explore with the grandkids and I am very much looking forward to that this summer.”
“I still live in Portrush and call down to the club for the odd game and to see my old colleagues,” said Joe.
sub-soil and the greens and tees are a push up sand construction.” “We operate the standard links
maintenance of spring and summer over- seeding, winter verti-draining and ProCore and Hydroject work carried out during the season. All fairways have been verti-drained this winter with approximately 600 tons of sand applied over both courses.” “Being situated on the edge of the
Atlantic, high winds are a huge concern for us. We use Sea Nymph thirty percent seaweed as a turf conditioner to lessen any environmental turf stress and also improving nutrient uptake. We find that this helps during any stressful periods for the turf, whether it is frost, wind or drought. Daily bunker maintenance helps us prevent turf damage from sand blow.” “There are one or two areas on the course which have very slight winter shade issues, which we are addressing with Sea Buckthorn and Rosa Rugosa removal as part of our five year ecology plan.” “We use temporary greens and a total of
six practice greens, practice areas and a driving range.”
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