Sports & Recreation Clubs
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Warily’ and, when sold to Fawley Parish Council for use as a local sports and community centre, it seemed somewhat fitting to keep the name. Its designation has since provided an understandable talking point amongst both locals and visitors. Perhaps somewhat fittingly, the Head
Groundsman, Niall Gibb, is a native Scot. “My family were farmers, so I always knew
I would follow a career outdoors. My father worked in sport, shaping golf courses and building sports pitches etc. as a bulldozer driver. He then had his own landscaping business for thirty years. This gave me an interest in horticulture and I would work with him in the school holidays. He knew a lot of the local head greenkeepers and used to take me into their facilities and he also completed contracting work for some, like new fairways etc.” “I was a junior member at Milngavie Golf Club and loved the sport. When I was leaving school, I wrote to local golf courses to see if
I feel that groundsmanship has really developed over the last decade and there are some fantastic groundsmen out there, from small volunteer organisations up to Premier League standards, all ready to help one another
they had any vacancies for an apprentice greenkeeper, Sadly, however, none were available, but I knew this was what I really wanted to do.” “It had crossed my mind to take
employment with my father, but we both felt it would be best for me to go out and work for other companies to learn my trade. I started as an apprentice in horticulture at a local garden centre, where I had worked on weekends whilst finishing school. I attended evening classes at college and enjoyed growing plants for sale and learning about trees and shrubs. The business model, though, was about to change to become more like a supermarket; we wouldn’t be growing plants anymore and this made me think about my career progression.” “Then, as luck would have it, a vacancy for
an apprentice greenkeeper at Milngavie Golf Club came up, which I was successful in getting, and I studied for my National Certificate at college on day release. I really
enjoyed my time there and learned a lot under the Head Greenkeeper, David Hindmarsh, and his staff.” “I then moved to a neighbouring course,
Hilton Park Golf Club, a 36 holes facility, to further my experience. I worked under the Course Manager John Roberson, who was great on the theory side, whilst I learned a lot of good practical knowledge under the first assistants, Stuart Neil and Gordon Harvey. Stuart was especially good as he was my line manager and taught me a lot about construction. Stuart is the current course manager at Hilton Park.” “I now felt I was ready for a deputy position and moved to Brucefields Family Golf Centre near Stirling. I worked here under their Course Manager, Danny Lauder, who was very knowledgeable, especially with USGA specification greens and Agrostis greens surfaces. The course was a relatively new build with a driving range and a par 3 course. The managing director was John
PC JUNE/JULY 2015 I 37
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