GOLF


I know, through experience, what I need to add in the early season to get my NPK levels up. I believe it’s more about the feel and the look of the grass


it is free draining, so it’s a matter of getting through that peat layer which sometimes works and other times not so much. This year, we have had so much rain yet it’s been the driest the course has been in those kind of conditions for years. I have not done anything to the course to make it that way. I think, with the dry period we had the year before, it’s just dried the profile right through enabling the rain to drain through a bit quicker.”


“The amazing thing about this place is that it was a working farm. The owner spent the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to turn it into a grass farm to produce grass, and he couldn’t do it. Then


the land was bought to build a golf course on, so that gives you an idea of the position we are in.”


The club used to own all the hills surrounding it, but over time the land has been sold off, so they are now right on their boundaries which doesn’t give David much to play with. “We have no space to move a tee back and create extra yardage or make a little nine-hole course. This is a good thing in a way as it means we are not spending money on trying to make it longer, to try and get competitions in or attract golfers who like a long course. This enables us to get on with looking after what we have to the best of our ability, making little tweaks here and there.” Helping maintain the course to David’s high standards are Pete Buckley, Deputy Head Greenkeeper, 34 years old who has served the club for sixteen years. He has an NVQ Level 3 in Sports Turf, chainsaw qualifications and tractor and knapsack spraying qualifications. Chris Hyde (30),


First Assistant, who has been with the club for fourteen years. He holds NVQ level 3 in Sports Turf and tractor spraying qualification. Jake Standen (28), Assistant Greenkeeper, nine years’ service. He holds NVQ level 3 in Sports Turf, plus knapsack spraying qualification. Chris Nicholls (21), three years’ service and holds NVQ level 2 in Sports Turf and is working towards level 3 now with Oldham College. He also has knapsack spraying qualification. The club also has an army of volunteers who help out on the course and run the clubhouse day to day. In addition to David’s current staff, he would like to set up an initiative with Oldham College in the near future. This would see him take on two apprentices every two years. “We would give them an intensive training programme to work to. In those two years, we would give them all the skills they need to be a greenkeeper, at the same time gaining a qualification. The advantage for me is the chance to start hand cutting greens in


Left to right: David Roberts, Jake Standen, Pete Buckley, Chris Nicholls and Chris Hyde PC February/March 2020 19


“


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