Golf
GKB machines manufacture of high quality turf machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf
a year. These, plus head of department get-togethers, give everyone concerned a good understanding of everything that is going on in all aspects of the golf club. Stuart also does regular website reports, so that members are always up to date with work on the courses and what the greenkeeping team is doing.
“No one can say they didn’t know what was going on,” says Stuart. “Members are more demanding these days. They want perfection.” He understands this well. He
is a golfer himself, albeit with a modest 15 handicap. Stuart admits he is quite a
stringent programmer of works and operates a tight schedule to fulfill daily and weekly objectives. “We have to cater for both members and corporate golf on both courses. This leads to a very diverse use of staff and making sure golf interference is kept to a minimum but, at the same time, meeting our objectives.” “During the season, we often
have two tee starts as well as shotgun and, if needs be, we can deploy the whole team to fully prepare one course, then move onto the other. Everybody has to be able to do everything.” He is clearly every bit a
traditionalist. His career path bears that out. A YTS introduction, study at Sparsholt College, early experience at Sunningdale, interspersed with a working period in America then, at twenty-two, his first head greenkeeping role at Princes
Risborough Golf Club spells a thorough grounding. “You have to do the hard
yards to get to be a head greenkeeper or course manager,” he says. He doesn’t like what he calls
micromanagement of so-called head greenkeepers by unqualified outside consultants. “You have to be your own man to do the job one hundred percent professionally, and be in complete control of what you’re doing for a club,” he emphasises. “You only really get to that position by experience, doing all the jobs yourself and, in the early days, working under a skilled professional.” “When you are lucky enough
to manage great courses like Moor Park’s, it’s a combination of careful planning and being able to react to what nature throws at you - crisis management, if you like.” Both the High and West
Courses are parkland on London clay, which is heavy and does not drain well. There are gravel bands running through parts of each of them. The top end of the High Course has a heathland characteristic because of underlying sandy loam. The High and the West get the same care and attention. There is no preferential treatment, but it’s the High that is the championship course, and perhaps under that bit more scrutiny. Every four years it’s the home of the Carris Trophy, which is the European under-18 tournament. The next is due in 2019. The English Senior
Combinator. Fraise mowing and aeration This machine will remove the surface up to 5 cm, with a special rotor allowing three different types of blades to be fitted; fraise mowing, verticutting and a unique hybrid chisel.
Quick-Clean.
Cleaning artificial turf The Quick-Clean is the right machine for cleaning artificial turf both quickly and thoroughly. With a single pass, leaves, branches and other dirt will be swept off the field.
Tel: 07495 883617 Email:
tom@gkbmachines.com www.gkbmachines.com
Agripower Contractors
Sports Turf Contractors
Sports pitch construction & renovation, drainage & irrigation, hard & soft landscaping,
Tel: 01494 866776
info@agripower.co.uk www.agripower.co.uk
50 Years of Good Grounding PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 I 25
See us at Saltex - Stand H082
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