GOLF


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esides being one the first twelve golf clubs founded in Ireland, it is the third oldest in Dublin and predates Portmarnock Golf Club by four years. A classic links


course set in a rugged terrain and nestled between the highest sand dunes along the east coast, the Island is favourably located in the remote and tranquil Estuary of Donabate and Malahide. We wanted to find out more about the club, it’s current status and of course delve into the vast industry experience of Dave Edmondson.


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


After playing golf as a junior and my dreams of making the European tour fading by the day, I decided the turf industry was something I was keen on getting involved with (after talking to the greenstaff at my local club in Lancashire). During the school holidays, from the age of fourteen until sixteen, I helped out the greenstaff at my


local club and enjoyed every aspect of it. As it was only a small crew, I was given the opportunity from an early age to carry out tasks such as hand mowing tees, strimming, cutting surrounds and also setting up the golf course.


After leaving school, I enrolled on a first diploma in Horticulture that I studied at Myerscough College. Following on from that, I did a three year National Diploma which was fantastic as I got an opportunity to do two six month placements at The Wisley and Luttrellstown Castle here in Dublin. After meeting my wife in Dublin, who worked at the same golf club at the time, we stayed in Ireland for a year and moved to Loughrea as Sarah’s mother had unfortunately passed away and she wanted to be close to her father during that tough family time.


I worked in a men’s clothes shop in County Galway for a year, before returning to Preston for six years where I got a position at Penwortham Golf Club. The club was going through some exciting times


and I was involved with the the reconstruction of all greens from soil based to USGA specification, tee levelling practices, some drainage and a woodland management project.


After six years at Penwortham, four of those being a Deputy Head Greenkeeper, I got an opportunity to move to Paris to a golf club called Golf de St nom La Breteche which was an exclusive private members club near Versailles. I worked with a French speaking large team of twenty-eight staff, with only two Anglophones on the team. I really was thrown in at the deep-end and had to learn quickly.


During my time at St Nom, I worked closely with the superintendent there and was given some fantastic opportunities at the club. These included the management of two courses, a European tour event and various in house construction projects. It was a fun time in my career and one that I will always look back on and say I’m glad that I made the step to come out of my comfort zone, especially with the language barrier.


PC February/March 2019


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