Golf
“There wasn’t an awful lot I could do in such a short space of time, so I decided to tidy up the course to the best of my ability, and to concentrate on the performance of the greens”
reasonable £12,000.
And so Parkstone has continued for the last fifty-two five years. Perhaps the most noticeable and important change in this period was the decision, in 1996, that ladies should become full members, with the eminent good sense of this edict being emphasised by the appointment of one of Parkstone’s outstanding lady golfers, Miss Jeanne Bisgood, as President from 2001 to 2004; her father having held the position from 1949 to 1969.
In 1996, English Nature (now Natural England) used their statutory powers to designate the course a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) as part of the wider South Dorset Heathland Project. This controversial move proved a blessing in disguise, as it enabled the removal of thousands of pines that were steadily choking the fine native grasses essential to the wellbeing of the course. In 2004, the club’s successful stewardship was recognised with a rare award by English Nature for Outstanding Management of an SSSI.
Managing this stunning piece of real estate is Course Manager, Steve Richardson, who was appointed in July of last year.
Steve was initially invited to Parkstone
for an informal interview by the club’s General Manager, Gary Peddie, who was looking to appoint a modern course manager capable of undertaking much needed renovation work within the strict confines of an SSSI.
Steve’s CV is impressive, having worked at over twenty-five televised golf tournaments by the age of thirty. He studied at Elmwood College, completing NC and HNC. His first greenkeeping position was at Bothwell Castle Golf Club in Scotland. From there, he moved to Wentworth, and then to Pinehurst, where he worked for one and a half years as an irrigation technician, looking after eight
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