Golf Monthly UK – August 2019

TRAVELLING GOLFERS

PaulStaples,course

manager, Broadstone GC

Howcangolfersbest

helpwithkeepingtheir

coursesintip-top

condition?

Oneword:etiquette! I

knowwecourse

managerssoundlikea

brokenrecord,but

repairingpitchmarks,

replacingdivots,

removingbrokenteesand

nottakingtrolleystoo

close to greens all help.

Howdoesyourwork

changefromseason

toseason?

Asaguide,thespringand

summeriscuttingand

presentation,whilethe

autumnisoverseeding of

greensandevery

greenkeeper’sfavourite,

leafclearance!Inthe

winter,itisdevelopment

work,suchasbunkering

and tee improvements.

Whatarethegreatest

challengesinmanaging

agolfcourse?

Agolfcourseisaliving

thing;itthrowsdifferent

thingsatyoueveryday.

Onedaythegreensare

greatandthenextday

theylookweaker,and

pleasedon’tgetme

startedontheweather!

I lovetheunpredictability

involvedandmakingthe

rightdecisions,knowing

thatasmalltweakhere

ortherecanplease so

many people.

Q&A

Duringaspringgameatheavenly

SwinleyForestwithacoupleof

industryinsiders,ourdiscussionson

membershipledmetothinkabout

whatitisbeyondthegamethatmakes

beingamemberofagolfclubso

special.I havebeenatTandridgefor 25

years,andeachMaya group of us

enjoyatripaway.

ThisMay, 15 ofusvisitedMadrid

whereoneofuscurrentlyworksand

lives.There,weplayedthreefabulous

courses–Santander,theNorthcourse

atRealSociedadHipicaEspanolaand

Retamares.Designedrespectivelyby

ReesJones,RobertvonHaggeand

JoseMariaOlazabal,thesestunners

arenotreallyontheBritishortourist

radar,butwereopenedup to us by a

personalconnection.

Overandabovethis,itwasthree

daysoflaughter,greatconversation

and companionship with a tight-knit

Themagicof

membership

clusteroffriendswhohavegrown

closerandcloserovertheyears.

Backhome,I enjoyedaworkgame

withJeremyEllwoodatCrowborough

Beacon,aclubheleftfiveyearsago

buthopestoonedayrejoin.Various

memberssaidhelloandcameoverfor

achat,andthisremindedmeofwhat is

suchavitalbutoftenoverlooked

ingredientofmembership:people.It

createsfriendsforlife,andthisis

perhapssomething that clubs could do

more to foster.

●Didyouknow?SirArthurConan

DoylewascaptainofCrowboroughin

1910 andisburied in the garden of his

nearby home.

Photography:

Kevin Murray

139 7

Coursesonthecontenderlist

forthe2020/2021

GM Top 100

Numberofcourses

administeredbytheSt

Andrews Links Trust

ROB SMITHÕS DIARY

ThepicturesqueReal

Sociedad Hipica Espanola

RobandJeremyenjoyeda

game at Crowborough Beacon