GOLF
L
ooe Golf Club, designed by the legendary six times Open champion Harry Vardon, was established in 1935. It is an 18-hole heath and parkland course measuring 5,940 yards. Set in an area of breathtaking beauty, the panoramic views from the course are stunning; to the east are the peaks of Dartmoor and the Tamar estuary, to the south, Looe Island and the English Channel, to the west and north, glorious countryside and Cornish moors.
Inside the clubhouse, I am given a very warm welcome by Mat Edwards, the Head Greenkeeper ... and much more, as I was about to discover.
Mat joined the club four years ago, after spending ten years running a pub in Looe. So, how did he make the transition from landlord to greenkeeper?
“My very good friend, who was manager and professional here at the time, told me he needed help on the course, so I sold the pub and joined him. It was as simple as that. After two and a half years, I had worked my way up to Head Greenkeeper.” And, had he had any previous
greenkeeping experience? “Not really. I have always played golf up here and always had an ambition to work on the course, but it never happened until quite recently. I have gained a lot of my experience so far through sales reps like David Bevan from ALS, who has imparted a lot of information, although much of it is just common sense. I’ve not been on any courses, except for my spraying licences.”
Mat is more than just the head
greenkeeper for the club though. “I oversee the clubhouse; I have to keep tabs on all the paperwork, manage the golf course and its budgets, and I’m responsible for all aspects of health and safety for the club ... and I now look after the stock in the pro shop. But I’d much rather be out on the course getting my hands dirty than working in the office or pulling pints in the bar.”
Even his staff have varied roles. “My team includes Dan Payas, who is behind the bar now as we speak. He is my deputy head greenkeeper. Greenkeeper Steven Allman also helps out in the clubhouse. And then there’s Kieran Faulkner, who doesn’t do many shifts in the clubhouse, he is our
We are all in a position
now where we are getting the rug pulled out from underneath our feet because we are not allowed to use certain products
Left to right: Mat Edwards, Dan Payas, Kieran Faulkner, Stephen Allman 32 PC June/July 2019
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