When Scythe Was King THIS Special Article Is by N

When scythe was king THIS special article is by N. Fraser story could be told, it was human I'd who was Head Greenkeeper at say, and still talked about today. Fair- Chester-le-Street G.C. for almost 40 ways were cut, yes! But not the rough, years until he retired at the age of 62 that was the farmer's job once a year. for health reasons. But in that time it was not unknown to IT'S A far cry looking back to the old lose a ball, and set down a bag of clubs days on a golf course when man and a to find it, and start again looking for the scythe was maybe the main machinery, bag of clubs. "Real Tiger country", as but in the hands of the right person it it was known. was the only tool for bunkers, bank- Things did improve when the Ran- sides, and general cutting and was an somes "Sulky", 3 units for fairways every day routine; and for this maybe came along, at least it had a seat, and as wages 6jd per hour. In fact the main the horse knew its way round the fair- implements otherwise deemed necessary ways. It was a pleasure. Also hand to fulfil the other work were barrow, machines were improving inasmuch spade, shovel, rake, turfcutter, hole cut- were not so heavy, and so easier to push. ter, and cast iron side wheel machine The main battle was worms. Today for cutting greens, and as often there one never sees a cast owing to modern was no grass box to this, one could worm killers. It was nothing to see men imagine it was often a wet job. Plenty doing battle on a pouring wet day, of grass cuttings and worm casts thrown watering greens with maybe something up on one's legs. like Sulphate of Copper to bring up the Brush the greens first was a must, and worms and brush them off, and what a with a birch broom, that was an art in pride to get one green clean. Mowrake itself to do so, and a great necessity meal took over but still needed plenty owing to the number of sheep grazing, of water. Water laid on to the greens an added hazard to cutting, and also the was unknown, maybe a hand pump only manure the land ever got. But, as from a water-logged bunker or a pond. sheep were maybe one of the main in- comes, a necessary evil! Income was But the greatest evil of all, at least as small, green fees as little as l/6d. and I thought being young, were the drain subscriptions £1.1.0. pipe type rollers filled with cement, one These were the days of unemployment at each green, with a detachable handle, and a job was a job, so with little equip- one carried from green to green and ment, make do and mend, and try again roller to roller. The job ever stays with was the way to find the answer. The me today. But one day the "Pro Green- Greenkeeper over the years built up a keeper" gave me the job to "See" as he knowledge of many things, a Jack of all put it! how far each roller would run Trades to keep things running, but on down the hill to the river. Strange! but the golf side also played the game and they all finished up in the river. A lesson in so doing, knew what was required by today on rolling and its results. all who played. Hence those men will The beginning of the turn of the tide now be hard to replace, and the experi- as it were. For it was the turn over right ence gained still comes in handy today. from only knowing how to feed and Those were the days of the horse, the look after a horse, to the unknown pleasure of the tractor to come. A single whims of a tractor, a big step forward, unit for fairways, which might get cut and start again a new make do and once a fortnight, and of the horse, a mend. .

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