GREENKEEPER GI INTERNATIONAL £5.50 | APRIL 2017 Patience & PrecisionHow to get your course in championship condition INSIDE FEATURED ALSO THIS MONTH: BIGGA National Championship | Overseeding Pesticide update | Toro Student Greenkeeper | Irrigation PROVEN HYBRIDS Why trust anything less? Our E-cut hybrid technology reduces potential leak points and controls reel speed for safe, consistent operation and a truly clean cut. And with over 10 years experience in the fi eld, our results are proven. Trusted by the best courses on earth. Freephone 0800 085 25 22 OFFICIAL GOLF COURSE EQUIPMENT BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MA JEST Y THE QUEEN SUPPLIER SUPPLIERS OF AGRICULTURAL, GROUNDSCARE AND HORTICULTURAL EQUIPMENT JOHN DEERE LTD NOTTINGHAM JohnDeere.com TS60110.1ENG_GB_FPH_LET114_PGA_RW TS60110_1_FPH_LET14_PGA_RW_ENG_GB_Greenkeeper International_dispatch.indd 1 09/03/16 13:23 BIGGA Patron WELCOME Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE BIGGA President Sid Arrowsmith MG BIGGA Chairman Les Howkins MG BIGGA Vice President Chris Kennedy BIGGA Board Members Rob Welford, Stuart Taylor, Scott Reeves, Tom Smith, Jaime Acton, George Barr, Chris Sealey BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton | [email protected] BIGGA General Manager Tracey Maddison | [email protected] BIGGA Finance & Procurement Manager Steve Wragg | [email protected] James Bledge, left, with some of this year’s delegates Contact Us BIGGA House, Aldwark, Alne, York, YO61 1UF [email protected] | www.bigga.org.uk mentors and presenters took to Twitter to express Tel – 01347 833800 | Fax – 01347 833801 their delight with proceedings. The official monthly magazine of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers In fact, nowadays you can pretty much follow the Association Limited. progress of anything on social media if you so wish. Recently, I was at a golf club that still has a suggestions book in the clubhouse. It was a years-old GREENKEEPER tome and it was not surprising to see that the WELCOME GI INTERNATIONAL number of suggestions in recent years was miniscule in comparison to the past. I suspect these days EDITORIAL suggestions are more likely to be posted on social Editor media, perhaps even before the round is finished. Karl Hansell Chief Executive Jim Croxton Tel – 01347 833829 [email protected] The Future Turf Managers Feedback is critical if any business is to progress, but a @karlhansell Initiative made possible by a sad result of modern communication opportunities is criticism nearly always comes before any attempt to PRODUCTION Jacobsen clocked up its fifth Design & Artwork Production instalment last month, meaning understand the context or the facts. I know this is one Libbie Waddleton over 100 aspiring greenkeepers of the hardest things for greenkeepers to stomach, [email protected] ill-informed criticism with no thought for the impact Tel – 01347 833817 have been part of one of the most inspirational career on those it affects. It is part of our mission to ensure development opportunities in golfers are better educated on greenkeeping matters ADVERTISING so as to reduce the incidence of these hurtful actions. Business the industry. Development Manager Jill Rodham It was particularly pleasing to see I’m delighted to report that at a recent gathering of Tel – 01347 833800 ext 519 one of the very first delegates, golf’s governing bodies BIGGA received widespread [email protected] support in our desire to communicate the challenges a @JillyPops12 James Bledge of Royal Cinque Ports, who was part of the Class of members are facing, particularly with regard to issues Printing 2013, assume the role of mentor for such as casting earthworm and pest control. Warners Midlands Plc, The Maltings, Manor Lane, this year’s group. Our vision is for Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH This is good news, which makes it all the more Tel – 01778 391000 | Fax – 01778 394269 all of the future mentors to have disappointing to see some of our own industry Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise been part of the programme and throwing around ill-informed criticism. I was horrified reproduced without written permission. Return James represents a key first step on postage must accompany all materials submitted to hear of some really unpleasant abuse received if return is requested. No responsibility can be this journey. assumed for unsolicited materials. The right is by one of our bright young head greenkeepers on reserved to edit submissions before publication. It was a privilege to witness the Twitter, from an anonymous ‘greenkeeping’ account. Although every care will be taken, no responsibility is accepted for loss of manuscripts, photographs sharing of knowledge and network But it was not an isolated incident and there have or artwork. Opinions expressed are not necessarily been several personal attacks on our members from those of the Association, and no responsibility is building that is such a great part accepted for such content, advertising or product within the industry, all of which are upsetting for information that may appear. Circulation is by of our industry. The syllabus for subscription. Subscription rate: UK £50 per year, FTMI includes the key areas that those involved. Our code of ethics prohibits such Europe and Eire £65, Rest of the World £95. The activity, and any member found to be perpetrating magazine is also distributed to BIGGA members, set the great managers apart – golf clubs, local authorities, the turf industry, such attacks will be dealt with accordingly. We are libraries and central government. communication, leadership and financial awareness. hugely committed to supporting the profession of greenkeeping, but it is made harder when individuals Once I’d left Jacobsen HQ in within the profession attack their peers on a public Ipswich it was great to be able to platform, mirroring the type of criticism that most ISSN: 0961– 6977 © 2017 British and International Golf follow the progress of the initiative irritates at individual club level; I would like to think we Greenkeepers Association Limited on social media as the delegates, are better than that. a@BIGGALtd APRIL 2017 GI 3 FROM THE An overview of this REGULARS month’s edition of Greenkeeper 3 Welcome International, with your EDITOR editor, Karl Hansell 6 Across the Board Write a page in 8 Newsdesk BIGGA’s history 11 Young A couple of weeks back I made my way rekindle old friendships and enjoy two Greenkeepers’ to the darkest depths of West Yorkshire, rounds of golf in a spectacular setting. No Committee with a very special passenger in tow. matter what your golfing ability, you’re all CONTENTS invited, and there’s the usual handicap I was heading to the home of Mel Guy, competition to keep everyone interested. onetime head greenkeeper at South Leeds, which is one of Dr Alister Mackenzie’s less No doubt Course Manager Chris Ecology 13 heralded designs. Carpenter MG will have his course looking outstanding. But if you’re hosting your first In my possession was the BIGGA National championship this summer, or if you want Championship Trophy, usually kept safely advice on how to make things a bit special Membership News 14 under lock and key at BIGGA HQ. for a club event, you could do worse than take a look at some of the features in this “My old friend, you haven’t changed a bit,” month’s magazine. said Mel as he greeted the trophy at the 16 L&D News door. He invited us both inside, but Mel’s Steve Chappell, of Gleneagles, is a veteran eyes rarely left the large silver bowl, which host of major events, having been in charge he was first presented with at Verulam GC, of the PGA Centenary Course for the Ryder St Albans, in October 1987. Cup in 2014. We thought he’d be the perfect Industry Update 18 man to turn to for advice on how to get Verulam may never carry as much notoriety your course looking in top condition. These for hosting our first ever championship as aren’t long-term tips, rather they are simple it does for giving birth to the Ryder Cup – it touches anyone can do to elevate the course Greenkeepers was here Samuel Ryder played his golf – but 22 above the everyday standard golfers expect. in many ways it is the BIGGA National As Steve says, if you can make your golfers Training Championship’s spiritual home. feel like professionals, just for those few Committee This month’s magazine features a great days, they’ll thank you for it for a long time. conversation with Mel, where he recalls his Elsewhere in the magazine, Toro Student memories of the day. Greenkeeper of the Year Jimmy Heritage 54 Around The Green Since then the event has been contested at has just returned from a career-defining some spectacular venues across the land, experience studying in America as part of his but for our 30th anniversary we wanted to prize for winning the award. Jimmy’s a great return to the club where it all started. Mel guy and he’s taken the time to have a chat 62 Buyers’ Guide won that first event by a single shot, and the with us about his experiences. entrants to this year’s competition will be I think one of the most important things hoping for similar excitement. Jimmy would say is that he never imagined 64 Recruitment As always, the BIGGA National he would actually win the award, and so he Championship is going to be a great would be first to say that no matter who you celebration, with greenkeepers coming are, it’s always worth entering. You never together from all over the country to know, it could change your life. 66 & Finally 4 GI APRIL 2017 a@BIGGALtd FEATURED THIS MONTH TORO Student IN THIS 24 Greenkeeper Jimmy Heritage talks about his experiences since winning the prestigious award in 2016 ISSUE Sun Safety 28 Skin cancer numbers are on the rise, and greenkeepers OUR CONTRIBUTORS are among those most at risk of harm 24 Jimmy Heritage Pesticide Update 30 What do you need to know A greenkeeper at Maylands in Essex, Jimmy won the 2016 Toro Student Greenkeeper about the latest pesticide of the Year award.