GOLF
Mark Crossley and his trusted friend - Bailey the Golden Retriever
M
ark first got a taste of working in the sports turf industry after undertaking two-weeks work experience at Skipton Golf Club, working with now
Agrovista Amenity specialist Gary Potter. However, being a greenkeeper was not the career he had in mind at fifteen years old. “My first thoughts were that I wanted to go into the Royal Navy so, when the time came at seventeen, I went to Preston to carry out my physical and interview whilst I already had my bursary in place to do a Sports Science degree at Cranfield University. The navy wanted me to sign up for seven years and, at such a young age, I just wasn’t prepared to give up that many years of my life.”
“So, I was back to square one - what else did I want to do? I enjoyed working outside and was used to the physical aspect as I had worked with my dad a lot who was a paving and landscape contractor. Coupled with my experience on the golf course with Gary, I decided to embark on a career in
greenkeeping and I attended Myerscough College to do a HND in sports turf. I failed my first year, as I was too busy partying - as you do at that age! I knuckled down in my second year and, in the third, I did a twelve-month work placement at Amarilla Golf and Country Club in Tenerife, which was fantastic. When I came back, I took a job as first Assistant Greenkeeper at Nelson Golf Club and completed my HND part-time. I then progressed onto Stockport Golf Club as First Assistant for a few years - first working for Warren Bevan, then under Mike Goodhind.”
At the young age of twenty-four years old, Mark took on his first Head Greenkeeper position in Derby at Mickleover Golf Club, but he openly admits it was probably a bit too soon. “I was a million miles away from being ready, but I will always be grateful to Mickleover for taking a punt on a young lad. As soon as my name was over that door, I learnt an awful lot - not just in terms of the job, but the management of people. Trying to manage a team, not only older than me,
I think it’s good that we are now starting to talk about mental health issues more openly, however it is still too easy for clubs to turn a blind eye
PC June/July 2020 43
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