Golf
W
The imposing Harlech Castle dominates the skyline
hen Rhys Butler spent a summer on his hands and knees overseeding greens at Aberdyfi Golf Club, using an old nail board and seed,
little did he realise where that process would lead him or, indeed, that it nurtured a love of overseeding and topdressing that remains with him today.
“My old boss, Richie Williams, got me a
job as an assistant and I went from there,” he explains. “Richie was a good first boss and was always very encouraging, but I’ve also met some fantastic people in the industry over the years, at Harrogate and other industry events.” Rhys completed his NVQ Level 2 and 3
Sportsturf at the Welsh College of Horticulture in Northop (now known as Northop College) and HNC Golf Course Management at Elmwood College in Fife, Scotland. “But, I’ve always been pretty self
motivated to go out there and continually learn, ask lots of questions of others with more knowledge than me and gradually make up my own mind on how I wanted to manage my own course.” “I was also lucky to play a reasonably high
standard of golf when I was younger, which enabled me to visit and play many of the best venues in the UK. I still regularly visit other courses and find it very important for my development ... and to ‘pinch’ ideas and
view other practices. I’m also part of a number of online forums where regular discussions on turf topics help to keep me up to date with modern technologies.” Royal St David’s is a traditional links course on the west coast of North Wales and, at 6,629 yards, is reputed to be the hardest par 69 in the world. This is an area where snow capped mountains greet you inland and the Irish sea throws all manner of ‘weather’ at you from the other direction. Rhys explains that the course is split into two by a public footpath that leads down to the beach, with ten holes on the south side. The closing five holes are regarded as the equal of any. Rhys leads a team of five, with forty year
old Owain Aeron his Deputy Links Manager. Llion Kerry, 1st assistant greenkeeper (25) and assistant greenkeepers Emyr Price (58), Gareth Evans (36) and Gwion Roberts (22) complete the team. “All staff are offered any ongoing training they might require and we regularly attend industry seminars; you should never ever stop learning, it keeps the mind fresh. Familiarity breeds complacency and progress and improvement stops; a dangerous combination! We don’t currently employ a workshop technician; he’s on my list!” “Gwion has joined us on the apprentice scheme. He has developed very well and was taken on for his specific skills and passion for the job. I’d quite happily take on another two apprentices with his enthusiasm.”
PC JUNE/JULY 2016 I 15
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