Golf
“
It’s what you have worked for; the pressure is on, you are working at your full capacity and the results are brilliant and very rewarding
Open qualifying underway
my figure! And then a few of the guys played a few holes at the wonderful Princes Golf Club, courtesy of their course manager, Sean McLean. I used the time to catch up on some sleep,
before a barbecue, this time cooked by Lee Sayers, before the evening duties began. We started a little earlier so we could all watch the England game, which proved a total waste of time! I think I’d have rather have been back on the golf course after watching that - England were out of Europe twice in a week!
Lee Sayers on the barbecue
Next time you have the chance to volunteer at an event, take it - you learn so much and make some friends for life
” 34 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
The final morning came and it was a 3.15am alarm call ready for a four o'clock start. This was part of the job I’ve never forgotten. It always going to be difficult to get eight hours sleep, since at 7.00pm, when we should have been going to bed, we were still out greenkeeping! But there is nothing better than Tournament Day and you forget that you are tired. It’s what you have worked for; the pressure is on, you are working at your full capacity and the results are brilliant and very rewarding. The course looked great, everyone knew
what they were doing and it all went like clockwork. James had it so well organised and having the extra staff there meant that he could have more of an overview role. It is great as a Course Manager to be able to just observe and be in a position to make any small changes, or help anyone when they need it, and communicating effectively with the club or the R&A - rather than trying to do all that while changing holes or cutting approaches. Within a flash, the morning was done and the kit was washed off. We had our final fry- up, James said some thank-yous to all the guys and we took some photos. Most of the boys went out to watch the golf, although the incredibly hard working Greig hooked up a borrowed roller and took it back to Princes! To sum it all up, it was a great few days and there was great camaraderie between all the guys. James and his team did an amazing
job of the course and, as Lars put it, “we just helped with the finishing touches”. It was a great experience and I fully recommend all greenkeepers to give it a go. You get to see some great golf courses,
meet some great greenkeepers, network and also learn new skills. Greenkeepers are very resourceful and I don’t think anyone has ever been to a greenkeeper’s yard and not learned a new way to do something. Seeing a set of bar optics being used to provide an accurate measure to dispense two-stroke mix was my particular learning of the week. I would like to thank James for inviting me
down to support him and his team. The greens staff at RCP were great hosts, presented a great golf course and put on a great event. So, next time you have the chance to volunteer at an event, take it - you learn so much and make some friends for life, and maybe they will help you when you need it!
Daniel Lightfoot
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