COURSE Feature

What a way to bow out

George Brown will end his illustrious greenkeeping career after this year’s Open. As Scott MacCallum discovered, he couldn’t choose a better way to retire

Photograph: The spectacular surroundings of Golf Course, viewed from above © Leisurecorp

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There are few more iconic “So we’ve all been down this venues in golf than Turnberry. road before. We all know what is There is the magnificent, and expected and they all know what my unique, hotel - white with the standards are. Last year I thought red roof; the famous links; Royal Birkdale was in great nick the white , and and the year before Carnoustie was Ailsa Craig, the giant absolutely fabulous, so the noose is stone-producing rock which getting tighter and the bar is getting stands guard nine miles off the higher. It’s nice to have experience to coast but which often looks draw on to meet those challenges.” much closer. George, who received BIGGA’s When they all come into view at Lifetime Achievement Award at Har- the same time you know you are rogate this January, will have worked in for a special golfing experience for a different Turnberry hotel owner and even more so this month when at each of his three Opens and he Turnberry hosts its fourth Open is delighted that the current owner, Championship. Leisurecorp, places so much impor- Each time The Open has been tance on the golf courses. held in this particular corner of Ayr- Evidence of this is the fact that shire it has been memorable. The the Ailsa Course closed to all play Dual in the Sun – , the 1977 classic in October of last year and has only shootout involving Tom Watson and been open for the odd day occasion- Jack Nicklaus, tops most lists as the ally since March. best Open ever; while Greg Norman “It is extremely rare for this to in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994 happen and rather nice. We knew we “Royal Birkdale was in great nick and Carnoustie looked fabulous, so the bar is getting higher” George Brown emerged victorious in two excellent had a large renovation programme Championships. Expectations are to undertake and we also delayed a therefore high for 2009. few projects because we knew this For one man it will be a particularly was coming. It gave us a free hand to poignant occasion as Courses and get on without golf balls flying at us Estates Manager, George Brown, and all the related heath and safety will have prepared the Ailsa Course issues.” for his third Open and the final time, The team have certainly made full before handing over the day-to-day use of this time and the hard work running of the Greenkeeping team has resulted in some spectacular and taking an ambassadorial/ results over the non-golf period and consultancy role at the club. the previous year. “I’m really looking forward to this All the bunkers have been reno- year’s Open. In ’86 we were really vated and revetted while 21 more thrown into the deep end. I’d only have been added since previous taken over the November before, Turnberry Opens. following the death of the then Head “We’ve got 85 now which is well Greenkeeper, Russell Brown, and below the likes of Carnoustie and we had an exceptionally young crew Lytham, but I think they are in the without a lot of greenkeeping experi- right place. The game is changing who highlighted the cause as the ence,” explained George, as we sat in and the players would just murder problems of powered trolleys with the bar of the Turnberry Clubhouse, the course if we hadn’t put in a few wide wheels, heavy batteries and while, in another room, Open extra bunkers and tees to challenge big bags, as well as new waterproofs Champion Padraig Harrington was them. We don’t want to trick it up or which enable golfers to go out rain giving interviews to media as part of make it unplayable, but it has got to or shine. his sponsorship obligations during a host an Open with the best players “I’ve got a powered trolley myself Wilson corporate day. in the world and offer them a stiff and go out regardless of the weather “In ’94 it was easier as we had the challenge, otherwise they wouldn’t and the number of rounds, coupled appreciate it.” The War Memorial Monument with the extra footfall of caddies we experience of ’86 behind us, and I’ve © Eric Hepworth been lucky that I retained, and I’ll The break for play has allowed have here just adds to the compac- still retain, much of that crew now. the team to carry out some intensive tion.” “Between myself and my three work that wouldn’t have been pos- This year has seen the Turnberry Head Greenkeepers, Martin Loth- sible with golfers playing the course. team return to a greenkeeping prac- ian, Jimmy Johnstone and Tom “Being closed enabled us to carry tice not seen for many years and Cuthill, we’ve got over 100 years of out aeration and vertidraining of George for one is delighted to see it. experience at Turnberry while our all the fairways and rough, not just “We’ve been taking seaweed from Mechanic, Jim Campbell, has also once but three times throughout the beach and mixing it with our been here for more than 20 years. the winter, as well as working on compost and that’s something we Many of our assistants also have a the compacted areas – walkways, used to do but labour costs, and Bunker at the 2nd Fairway: Alisa lot of experience. pathways and semi,” said George, © Eric Hepworth the quality of the ready done mix

20 GI JULY 2009 The white lighthouse at dusk © Eric Hepworth www.hepworthgolfphotography.com

MAIN ABOVE: The white lighthouse at Turnberry sits on the edge of the course, by the sea, overlooking Ailsa Craig, the giant curling stone-producing rock. © Leisurecorp

LEFT: Bunker on the Ailsa course © Leisurecorp

JULY 2009 GI 21 meant we stopped doing it. Now with “With the hotel closed some of the “Between myself and my three transport and fuel costs going up it staff came down to give us a helping is back to being more economical hand and liked the work so much Head Greenkeepers, we’ve got again to take it off the beach and do they asked for a transfer to the it ourselves. It’s got to be better to greenkeeping team, including three over 100 years of experience use natural local materials.” ladies who had worked for house- at Turnberry” While never being complacent keeping but who are now with us on George Brown six weeks out George was confident a full time basis. We probably had We’ve gone from 34 to 50 full time that everything that could be in place around 25 people at different times staff for the three courses and the before July 16 had been done. and they became extra hands for us Hotel grounds,” said George. “We are in the lovely position where doing labouring work, stacking turf “Never had that before, and it we are nitpicking. There is nothing or working on the hotel grounds.” happens just when you’re leaving,” major to be done,” he explained. The additional staff are just an he laughed. While work has been on-going on example of the investment that Perhaps the most dramatic the Ailsa Course a huge multi-million Leisurecorp has put into Turnberry change to the golf course for this pound refurbishment has been car- at a time when most golf clubs are year’s Open is the 16th hole, which ried out on the hotel and it too has experiencing the opposite. is now a superb dogleg. been closed since last October and “We’ve only ever hand mowed I realised by looking at the stats re-opens in July as Turnberry, A greens at Turnberry for VIP Tourna- from previous Opens and major Luxury Collection Resort, , ments, and I had told my bosses that tournaments that the four weakest following completion of the first we didn’t have the resources to do it, holes from a scoring perspective phase of the renovations in readi- but now that’s all changed and we were the par-3s 4th and 11th and ness for The Open Championship. It have purchased a fleet of additional the 16th and 17th and you don’t has resulted in a new supply of staff machinery well as increasing staff- really want two of your easiest holes for the golf course. ing levels. to be so close to the end of a round.

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LEFT: 16th Tee at Ailsa. MAIN LEFT: 17th Tee heading out towards the village MAIN BELOW: 16th green, connected by the viaduct. INSET BELOW: 3rd Tee, divided by the path. © Eric Hepworth www.hepworthgolfphotography.com

“We’d never been able to do much Another hole where George’s “I’m not going to finish up after the with the par-5 17th - at which Edu- input has left a mark is the 10th the final put on Sunday. There is lots ardo Romero, incredibly, hit a drive Championship tee has been moved of work to do after The Open when and a sandwedge during the Seniors’ on to a little rocky outcrop forcing the grandstands and the marquees Open two years ago - because the the a drive over the coastline hope- come down and you’ve got to keep 16th fairway prevented us from fully to the sanctuary of the fairway. an eye on some contractors as pushing the tee back, but we had to “I’d been wanting to build the tee they’re not quite so fussy during the do something. out there for years and finally I got dismantling stage.” One of our greenkeepers, Gary the go ahead to do it.” “It is a lovely way to bow out Bryden, happened to say that it was George, who is 70, had earmarked though. To have been in the busi- a pity we couldn’t move the fairway a this Open for his retirement some ness all these years and then have bit, and that planted the seed. time ago and his successor, Euan the Lifetime Achievement Award “I wrote down a list of half a dozen Grant. and the Open Championship in the positives and presented them to Euan has previous Open experi- same year is a massive bonus. To my boss, and the R&A. They were ence having been Head Greenkeeper have just one of them is something delighted with the idea so the R&A’s of The Old Course, St Andrews, in you’d dream about,” said George. architect, Martin Ebert, came in and 2005, has been shadowing him “I won’t be under Euan’s feet that’s

Ely Bros carried out the construc- for the last few months, doing a George Brown for sure. I’ll play more golf and pop in tion work and we did the turfing good job and taking the pressure of for a cup of tea with the boys now Ambassador of Turnberry in-house. 16th fairway moved over George. Ailsa Golf Course and then.” to became a dogleg and so the 17th However he is keen to play down But you can be sure that there will Courses and Estates Manager tee was moved back 80 yards. the feelings he expects to have when since November 1985 be no prouder man – including the “The 16th is now one hell of a hole lined up at the prize giving and the new Champion himself – standing in Received BIGGA’s Lifetime now while the 17th is also more of a new Champion holds the Claret Jug Achievement Award in 2009 the Presentation Party on that July par-5,” he said. aloft. Sunday evening.

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