The new BIGGA Chairman Clive Osgood begins his year in office with some strong views on how the Association should proceed in the future, as Scott MacCallum found out...

A year after becoming a Head Haynes, that they will work well during organised into a more orderly fashion." ed from the continuity that has been in Greenkeeper, Clive Osgood prepared the periods that I'm away from the golf So you can already see that Give place at the golf club. Not only was Fred a course for a Ryder Cup match which course on BIGGA duties." Osgood is a man of firm ideas with a Dulake Head Greenkeeper for 24 years featured the best Ryder Cup team ever As he settles into the role he has firm quiet determination to move the and Give 21 and counting, James Braid, to compete for the famous trophy. ideas of how he would like the Association forward and it is just those one of the great triumverate and a five But BIGGA's new National Association to progress over the next 12 qualities which has seen him ensure that time Open Champion was professional Chairman says that he didn't probe months. Walton Heath Golf Club has main- at the club for 46 years. Past Chairmen too deeply about the "I'd like to think that the membership tained its place as one of the country's The club has always held important role as it probably would have fright- will continue to rise. I believe there is foremost golf clubs over the last 20 golf events including right back to the ened him. He laughed as he said it still scope for that to happen and it is years. turn of the century when the course was but you can be sure that for him the good to see that the numbers have A local man born and brought up in first opened and Braid played big mon- responsibility of leading the ey challenge matches with his great Association for the next 12 months is rivals Harry Vardon and JH Taylor. It a challenge that compares to 1981 also hosted the oldest professional tour- when he ensured that Walton Heath nament in the world, the News of the was at its best for the historic Ryder World Matchplay which attracted some Cup match. Of course he's jesting when of the finest players of their generation. he says that he didn't look into the work- But the event which brought the course load that a modern BIGGA Chairman to worldwide fame was the Ryder Cup can expect, Give Osgood is a thoroughly in 1981. professional man who doesn't approach "That really was the highlight of my important matters lightly increased over the last 12 months. Walton-on-the-Hill - he's lived there all career and it goes without saying that it Knowing the commitment that is "There are so many wonderful ser- his life apart from a two year spell in was a privilege to prepare a course for a require he gave the matter serious vices available to members but we must Boxhill.. .two miles away! - he joined the Ryder Cup. thought before accepting the role. He is make people more aware of these. We've greenkeeping staff as an apprentice. The American team that year, the first to admit that he is a home lov- heard all this before but it is so frus- 'As a lad, golf was very much a rich Captained by Dave Marr, has been laud- ing family man and wouldn't have taken trating because the opportunities man's game but I got into it through ed as the best ever and the margin, by it on without the support of his family. weren t there when I was younger and the local Artisan Section as a junior and which they retained the match, 18.5- "The club has also been very sup- I feel strongly that people should make I had hopes of being a pro," recalled 9.5, is wide by the standards of the more portive and they look upon it as a great the most of them." Clive, who reached a handicap of 4 and recent matches but still a tribute to the honour for Walton Heath as well as for Give also has strong views about how represented Surrey at Colts, Youth and performance of the European team, me. the collective know how of the BIGGA Artisans level. which included youngsters such as "I've certainly gone into the membership could be put to better use. "I was never going to make it as a pro- Faldo, Lyle, Langer, Torrance and James Chairmanship with my eyes open and "I'd like to think we could pool our fessional but thought that greenkeeping All but one of the American team was I'm now looting forward to getting out knowledge a bit and that we should would give good opportunities to play a Major winner and the other, Bruce and meeting people. I know I shall gain stand up and be counted on the tech- the game. After that I still played golf Leitzke, was a multiple winner on the a great deal from the experience and so nical side a bit more than we do at but greenkeeping took the upper hand." US Tour. The majority of the team will Walton Heath Golf Club as I shall present," he explained. Clive was taken on by Head would be known even in the homes of be looking for ideas as I go round hav- "I think the website should help us to Greenkeeper, Fred Dulake, who was an non-golfers. They were Crenshaw, ing the pleasure of meeting fellow share the vast knowledge that our mem- extremely well respected greenkeeper. Floyd, Irwin, Ipar- famous for his bike and he taught me stood up to it very well and I got some dener. ticular part of the country a great deal about greenkeeping," very nice letters from the players after- "I have absolute confidence in the "This information could be gathered explained Give. wards." team and in my able Deputy, Mick informally on the web initially and then Walton Heath has obviously benefit- The highlight for the greenkeeping staff came when Lee Trevino p( on common land so in more recent tour- constant effort to keep the trees and Mayor four years ago is state-of-the art and into the sheds and had a chat wit naments when entry fees were chained scrub at bay. Surrey is the most heavi- Qive has shown round many other green- this meant extra work. An Act of ly wooded county, would you believe, keepers keen to gain an idea of what they It was early in the morning and he Parliament allowed us to enclose the and if you stand in the middle of the should look for in their own new facilities. came in looking for an axe because the course for one week in the year but we course you are surrounded by trees but "For us it really was a case of from sta- clubhouse was closed and he wanted to had to erect fencing with the help of the for our little patch and we want it to ble block to modem facility We didn't get in to change his shoes so he could local Artisan Section just before the start remain as it is, a heathland habitat with have power or hot water until 1996 and go and hit a few practice balls. It made arid then bring it down as soon as the a feeling of openness. sitting here with our computers and eveiyone's day when he came over," tournament was finished. We had four "Heathland is just a semi permanent security cameras I often think back to recalled Qive. a half miksgrf chestnut fencing at state and there will always be encroach- Fred Dulake and wonder where he Since then Walton Heath has hosted one time but the arrival of the M25Ccut ment At the moment we are in the middle would have parked his bike." several European Opens and many top on access on one side so it made it of a big project dealing quite an acreage," It would be hard to find a better mea- amateur and ladies events and Qive a bit easfer fir us:" he revealed. sure of how far the industry has come admits to enjoying the buzz of prepar- Qive is ©roud t>f the course for which While much effort goes into retaining in the last 20 years and under Clive's ing for tournaments although they have he has hak custodianship over the last the heathland qualities of the golf course a stewardship you can be sure more caused headaches. 20 years. great deal of change, and for the better, has strides will be made over the next 12 "In the old days entry was free and "I'd like to think we have kept it as a taken place in the maintenance facilities. months. there was no problem but the course is true heathland and that has involved a The compound, opened by the local

February 2001 Greenkeeper International 15