GOLF
It’s also a long course, and it’s tough. In fact, the last four holes are very tough. The pros were coming into the clubhouse afterwards saying how difficult they’d found it. The genuine test appeals to people
”
“This has a lot of fescues and long roughs. The club has also worked over a few years to remove hundreds of imposing trees, to open the course up and recapture that original Harry Colt design.” “We’ve had bunker renovations to get it back to that mode too. It’s also a long course, and it’s tough. In fact, the last four holes are very tough. The pros were coming into the clubhouse afterwards saying how difficult they’d found it. The genuine test appeals to people.”
Matt had always wanted to do something which allowed him to keep active and, having kept greens on day release from his landscaping job, he decided he’d definitely rather be greenkeeping.
Then, he went straight to Myerscough College to undertake a National Diploma, which involved a full-year placement at Limerick County Golf and Country Club. This was followed by two fantastic nine- month spells in the US, at both Oakmont Country Club and Augusta National Golf Club, two of the world’s premier golf courses. After this, he came back to England for a bachelor’s degree, before bouncing between greenkeeping jobs at some of the high-end Greater Manchester golf courses. This is his second time working for Manchester Golf Club, which rests on the outskirts of his hometown, Rochdale, and his second head greenkeeping role. He’s been in the job for just over a year.
“This is the place I always wanted to come
back to,” Matt said. “This is where I started, I love the course, and it’s a dream to come back here as head greenkeeper.” “Mark Jones, who was the head here before me, is someone I look up to. He’s now at Morecambe Golf Club. I worked under him for five years, and I learnt so much during that time.” “He, knowing I was dedicated, took me under his wing. He was always there for assistance and guidance. I still speak to him all the time. He’s the guy I can call if I’ve got any questions.”
“I’d say we share the same attitudes to
greenkeeping, as he’s had that influence on me: low input; low nitrogen; overseeding with fescues; a lot of aeration. I copy it, but in my own little way. I’m perhaps a little bit gentler, whereas he was more active.” “That aeration is fulfilled by verti-draining.
We have our own Wiedenmann machine. We do the entirety of the fairways, not just the greens, with one-inch tines.” “I’ll put one of the lads on a tractor with the unit attached in the morning and say ‘right - that’s you for the day’, and they plod on. It takes about three weeks of solid work to do all 18 holes.”
“The course is over 240 acres. It’s huge. I think it’s the second-largest area of land for
24 PC August/September 2018
an 18-hole golf course in Europe. The other day, a guy came to play. Standing on the first tee, he looked to the horizon and said, ‘which golf course is that?’ ‘That’s the eighth tee,’ I said.” “We had a PGA event yesterday - the North of Lancashire Open - with 120 professionals, and the guys from Formby Golf Club were asking why they’d never been here before, with it being so immensely large and interesting.” “There are huge areas we leave as unmanaged moorland and heathland. That, by the way, is a big debate within the club [the course, almost uniquely, retains features of all the four typical types of golf course].” “There is heather everywhere. You can’t call it a parkland, because of the profile and the openness. You can’t call it a links, even with the bunker types, because… well - it just isn’t one. And you can’t just call it a heathland, because it isn’t on that base.” “The profile is that of a moorland golf
course. But, there is so much heather, the club describe it as a moorland-heathland. Unfortunately, there’s so much of that, it’s unrealistic to maintain with a normal-sized greens staff.”
That staff includes John Glover, deputy course manager and mechanic, as well as Richard Morgan, Dominic Welsby, with apprentices Callum Davis, Jake Glover and Daniel Entwistle. Sam Greenhalgh works for us seasonally.” “John does all of the servicing, which always takes place around March, including oil filters and the like. We don’t have grinders, so we take them to a guy just two minutes down the road.” “That’s Bradshaw Lawnmowers. He does the grinding for everyone in the area, whether it be golf courses, sports clubs, or hospitals - anyone with that kind of machinery.” “John has been here for thirty years, knows the course and its irrigation system like the back of his hand, and the club has just granted him honorary membership for his commendable, long service.”
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
