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Greenkeeper FLYING DIVOTS dies in mower • Muirfield's course manager, Chris Whittle, is heading back to his roots to take over the accident head greenkeeper's job at Royal Birkdale. Chris hails A part-time greenkeeper has died from nearby Formby and in a horrific accident involving a started his greenkeeping mower. career at Formby GC in the It is believed that 60 year old early 70s after a spell in a Ronnie Mitchell's anorak draw- bank. He is looking forward to string became entangled in the returning to Merseyside after ride-on mower's driveshaft, drag- nearly six years at Muirfield. ging him into the machine. Twelve-handicapper Chris, Although.the blades missed him, who has just turned 40, will his head and chest were crushed take over when Tom O'Brien in the narrow gap between the retires in October. He beat blade arms and the wheels. nearly 60 candidates to the The engine was still running job of keeping 18 new greens when a colleague at the Bradley on the Open Championship Hall Golf Club, Greetland, near course. Halifax, found him. A single man, Mr Mitchell had • Work has started on a new been the head greenkeeper there 18-hole parkland course at for 30 years until he retired two Walton, near Wakefield. years ago. Waterton Park Golf Club, set in 200 acres, is designed by Taking over the Simon Gidman/Chapman Warren partnership with input David Halford, a from Yorkshire's international senior lecturer at touring pro Gordon J Brand. Myerscough It will open for play in College near September '95 with Preston, has membership restricted to taken over the investors. late John Shildrick's job as secretary of the • Barry Neville, a former British Turf and Landscape Student Greenkeeper of the Irrigation Association. David Year, has been appointed says it will be a hard act to deputy head greenkeeper at follow: "John was, to all intents Stanmore Golf Club, and purposes, the heart of the Middlesex. He was previously Association. I will endeavour to first assistant at Whitehall Golf maintain the standards he set Centre. but it will be difficult." He will administer BTLIA • John Houston, 37, has left affairs from an office at Royal Blackheath GC to take Myerscough which has its own over the course manager's golf course equipped with Highest praise for position at Fulwell Golf Club, virtually every example of Hampton Hill, Middlesex. He sprinklers used on UK golf takes over from the late Hugh courses. BIGGA magazine MacGillivray. Your magazine, Greenkeeper International, is "superb". We're not • Work on a full nine-hole, blowing our own trumpet, it's official. Judges in the prestigious Waste not... double tee course has started Editing for Industry Awards, which are organised by the British at Rustington Golf Centre, Wessex Water is selling bags of Association of Industrial Editors, called it "a remarkable magazine", near Littlehampton, West dried human sewage to golf "which hits the mark spot on". Sussex. The centre, which is courses as fertiliser. The odour- Competing against publications backed by mega-rich companies, close to Ham Manor, already less pellets are made from sludge Greenkeeper International won a Certificate of Merit alongside has a nine-hole par 3 course that used to be pumped into the Esso's "Update". The winner was "Aspect" from British Gas. and a 30-bay driving range. Bristol Channel. The company At a presentation in Edinburgh, former Labour leader Neil Kin- Four greenkeepers will look says that, unlike chemical fertilis- nock presented the certificate to BIGGA's sales and marketing man- after the site. Head man is 24- ers, it can be used quickly while ager Bill Lynch. Mr Kinnock commented that he had seen the year-old Stephen Payne. the course is still in use and it magazine before at a golf course in his Welsh constituency - and does not make the grass grow too was able to recall an article in it from three years ago! • Bill Sibley has taken over fast. The judges took our description of the magazine - "Self-support- as Sisis ing through its advertising content and recognised as an industry Equipment's area leader" - and added: "Therein lies the perfect appraisal of this The East Sussex National representative for remarkable magazine. Jam-packed with full colour ads and till-jan- Golf Club has started giv- Kent, Sussex and gling small ad section providing a healthy platform for well-written, ing golfers information sheets Surrey. He is informative and genuinely interesting features that guarantee which show pin positions and married with a appeal even wider than the captive audience of greenkeepers. It is Stimpmeter readings before son of three and very difficult to fault such a superb magazine which hits the mark they tee off. newborn twin spot on in a specialist market." boys. EUROPEAN NEWS OUTLOOK Pocket-size Vigilance needed Golf has been lumped in with other sports as the Committee guide to for European Normalization tries standardising natural pests and sports surfaces. Of course this is crazy, but fortunately diseases is deliberations are going at the A touch of Florida in Sussex sort of pace that would make launched the slowest golfer look like A 'Florida style' course has opened in Sussex. The Cathedral Harry Weetman. A new all-colour course at the new Chichester Golf Centre, Hunston, boasts huge pocket-sized guide to 'Our' man there, Eric Shiel rolling greens, big expanses of water, winding streams, trees and of the Joint Golf Course Com- help greenkeepers enormous bunkers. There are long holes like the 605-yard 5th and mittee, says: "A lot of time has identify major spectacular holes like the par 3 15th with a bank of Portland stone diseases and pests behind the green and a small lake in front. been taken up trying to get of fine turf is now Consultant Jack McMillan MBE, pictured centre, and owner agreement among different available from Brian Langmead, far right, joined the greenkeeping team at the nations on 'standards for test BIGGA. And thanks opening for this photograph. methods', therefore there has to the Assoc- been no direct impact on the iation's Education game of golf so far. But watch and Development must be kept upon these non- Fund, which is supported by Award-winning golf boffins since, for exam- members of the Golden and Silver ple, when deciding a test Key Circles, it's free. method for 'ball roll' I had to The guide is designed to be used tell them that the Stimpmeter Bridie's 'brilliant' had been used in golf for over out on the course in all weathers with each sheet plastic coated. 40 years, something they Alternatively it can be knew nothing about. Other- incorporated within the GTC time in America wise they would have trainign manual. Diseases covered Bridie Redican, the first woman really is the chance of a lifetime - invented something else to be include fusarium patch, greenkeeper to carry off the cov- I would urge any young green- used for all sports." anthracnose, take-all patch, fairy eted Toro-PGA European Tour keepers to work hard at their col- In addition to ball roll, immi- rings, thatch fungi, red thread, Student Greenkeeper of the Year lege work to ensure that they are nent standard test methods seedling diseases, and insect pests. Award, has returned to Ireland nominated for this year's (Octo- being developed which will Future guides in the series will after her sponsored trip to the ber) finals at Aldwark Manor," impact on golf include: cover dry patch and disorders, USA. And she has joined the she said. organic matter, particle size, turfgrass weeds and grass newly-formed greenkeeping team Organised by BIGGA, the Stu- determination of thatch depth, identification. at the Adare Golf Club, a new dent Greenkeeper Award is spon- sward height and ground The first guide was prepared by Robert Trent Jones 18-hole design sored by Lely (UK) Ltd, Toro cover, saturated hydraulic a BIGGA working group being constructed close to Shan- mower distributors and the Euro- conductivity, water infiltration comprising Geoff Yelland of Rigby non Airport on the south-west pean office of Toro Irrigation - rates and angled ball Taylor Ltd, Gordon Irvine of Mill coast. plus the PGA European Tour. behaviour. Thankfully it was Ride Golf Club, Mike Drinkall of Recalling her recent experi- decided that golf did not need DowElanco Ltd and Neil Baldwin ences in America, Bridie, pictured a test method for a vertical of Service Chemicals pic. right, says she was "knocked for ball bounce, so at least that six" at the size of US greenkeep- was eliminated. ing budgets - and greenkeeper's • The European Golf Associa- Cameron's story salaries. They're about double tion Ecology Unit manage- what they are here. ment committee, which met A computer glitch meant that the final para- for the first time recently in graphs of our Stockley Park feature last Describing her six weeks turf month were missing. Here's a recap of course management course studies at the Brussels, is putting together a manager Cameron McMillan's story, includ- University of Massachussetts as document detailing the posi- ing the missing lines, with our apologies. "brilliant", Bridie teamed up with tive environmental attributes Then, last June, when Stockley of golf courses. The director, Park opened, the father-to-be moved the only other female (an Ameri- round the M25 - and was impressed can) attending the residential David Stubbs of Environmen- with what he found: the flat landfill course "to reduce the odds. There tal Golf Services, says it will site had been turned into a pretty were two of us (women) and over be for distribution to the golf- country park with some of the newly- ing community and will serve made hills giving excellent views of 60 male greenkeepers!" to counter opposing claims the City in one directon, Windsor After completing her studies, about the environmental Castle in another and Concorde tak- Bridie visited the Toro Mower ing off in another.

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