Golf


At my first interview, I was more scared than excited. I had little real confidence. They had a hundred people applying for the job - it’s not going to be me I thought. I was no more confident when I came out; I knew I could have done better in the interview


”


When did you hear that Le Golf National would be hosting the Ryder Cup?


Like everyone in my profession I knew this before my interview, and it was the purpose of the position being offered to create a Ryder Cup course.


Were you filled with excitement or dread, or did you feel ready for the challenge?


At my first interview, I was more scared than excited. I had little real confidence. They had a hundred people applying for the job ‐ it’s not going to be me I thought. I was no more confident when I came out; I knew I could have done better in the interview. Two or three weeks later, I get a call and I’m on the short list of five people, with the second interview three months later in October.


Now I knew I could do it. I knew there was just one other French speaking candidate which might swing it away from me, so I looked for a French teacher and studied every day for three hours a day. In October, I said I wanted to do the interview in French. I felt I gave the best interview of my life. I felt young and very


confident. I wanted this opportunity.


When did you begin work at Le Golf National?


I was appointed in 2013. The challenge was to install new drainage and complete all the renovations between the two French Opens, with the object to grow the fairways back and in for the 2016 French Open. We worked incredibly hard to heal all the trenches, always prioritising the key areas of play to ensure they were presented to tournament standard. Even if the overall course presentation was improving daily, two weeks prior to the tournament (mid‐ June) we were still turfing large areas and I wasn’t sure how the result would play out.


Following this, we still had 2017 to get through which would see the HNA French Open in June, integrating the Rolex Series, the European Senior Tour Paris Legends Championship and the ‘year to go’ celebrations in October.


Would you say this was the highlight of your career thus far?


The highlight for me has been achieving the changes to the Albatros course; with 200km


of trenches and the course already closed for nine months, in time for the 2016 French Open. I will always remember the first day of the Open when our tournament director announced that the tournament would involve playing the ball as it lies. I was stimping 13 on the green and I won’t forget that moment. One of the biggest successes of my life.


What changes to the course have you had to make to accommodate the Ryder Cup tournament?


The course was closed for nine months in all. During that period, the drainage and the irrigation underwent major alterations, as did many greens and tees. Lake edges were reconstructed as well, bunkers installed with Capillary Concrete, and a full drinking water pipe system to accommodate the 60,000 plus expected crowds.


On top of the regular drainage, diagonally, there is 140km of shallow slit drainage: 22cm deep slits, filled with coarse sand which help the rainwater to drain quickly, where it is further transported through the main drainage system.


The irrigation figures are impressive too; PC JUNE/JULY 2018 I 17


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