Educational Establishments


Established in 1879, St Lawrence College sits on the edge of the Kent coastal town of Ramsgate. It is home to 650 day and boarding pupils from local, UK and international families and welcomes boarders from seven years of age. The establishment’s Head of Grounds & Gardens is a man well known in golf circles; Master Greenkeeper Dan McGrath. In this question and answer session, he explains how and why he took the decision, in March 2016, to move over to groundsmanship with very satisfying results for all concerned


Pitchcare: How did you get into the industry and where did you work prior to your current position?


Dan McGrath: My background was initially golf course construction and maintenance after just missing out on the requirements to become a physio. A full time year studying Sports Turf Management in Colaiste Stiofain Naofa in my native Cork, Ireland gave me a year to get my head over the disappointment of not getting the physio requirements and that is when I fell in love with the turfcare industry, thanks mainly to the teachings of Martin Galvin.


From gaining my City & Guilds, I worked at Fota Island Golf Club in Cork under Steve Byrne and took in the experience of hosting an Irish Amateur Open when there.


Always looking to further my experience, I was extremely fortunate to gain a position on the grow‐in team of The Old Head of Kinsale GC under Mark Collins. The experience of grow‐ins cannot be better. No matter how many text books you read or pieces of paper you gain, construction and grow‐in projects provide all the education one needs. A truly wonderful experience and a fantastic site.


Having now got the bug for golf course


construction, I applied to join the grow‐in team at Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent, under Duncan Kelso. With the initial plan to go there for twelve months and return home. That was back in 1996 and I am still here on these shores!


After working my way up to Head Greenkeeper and fitting in a year to travel with my now wife, I moved to manage a 36‐ hole complex in Surrey. From there, the opportunity to work back on the coast came up at North Foreland Golf Club in Kent and that is where I managed the clifftop chalkland course for eleven years.


Following twenty‐two years within the golf industry, the opportunity opened up here at St. Lawrence College. The opportunity to test myself further on a multi‐use site was too good to turn down.


What training and education did you undertake?


City & Guilds II at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, Cork, Ireland; NVQ III at Merrist Wood College, Surrey; Master Greenkeeper Qualification (53rd in the World), chainsaw qualifications, A1 Assessor, spraying PA1, 2 & 6, chainsaw and many BIGGA workshops and seminars. Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year along with Operation Pollinator Award.


PC JUNE/JULY 2018 I 55


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156