Golf Thread

give it to gordon said:
Remember reading that in his book lol , I could write a book about golfers and no one would believe it !

Had one head of greens who kept telling me the irrigation was leaking down the 15th which is a hill. Told him the irrigation was drained down and runs on the other side of the fairway. Basically called me a liar and order we dig it up to fix the leak. Even thou it was a natural spring !.

He work for the water board so knew a leak when he saw on lol. We put a few spade Mark's in the soil to make it look like we had lifted the turf and dug down ;).

Its because of knobheads like them that so many head greenkeepers are or have quit.

The only head greenkeeper that I know and seems happy is Paul at Royal St George's

I do often wonder if it's a southern thing being rude and up their own area's.
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Possibly a Southern thing but a lot more working class lads are members at our club now, I was told by my first ever boss never be intimidated by anyone but respect everyone from the Cleaner to the Director's, I've never forgotten that, doesn't apply to Rags and Dippers though:-)
 
give it to gordon said:
I do often wonder if it's a southern thing being rude and up their own area's.
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I don’t think that’s the case. I play down south and originated up north. Every time I see a greenkeeper I always stop and have a chat. Other members just ignore them. All the issues I’ve seen at clubs ( must have been a member at about 10 clubs over the years) is retired people who are on committees trying to tell the green keepers how to do their jobs when they haven’t got the first fuckin idea what they are talking about. One guy owned a garden centre and thought he was a specialist in agronomy. They hire people to do the job then stick their nose in when they haven’t got a clue. Then they wonder why the greenkeeper buggers off. Another one who worked in the City thought he was a specialist in heather restoration! Rinse and repeat. Got a mate who is an artisan at RSG. That course is immaculate. Will be good to see what happens this week.
 
Looking forward to the open this week. Fucking stupid restrictions on the players though.
hey come here and play but you cant go out anywhere even if you wear a mask and are fully vaccinated.

on the golf side, have to fancy Rahm.
 
bluemonkey71 said:
I don’t think that’s the case. I play down south and originated up north. Every time I see a greenkeeper I always stop and have a chat. Other members just ignore them. All the issues I’ve seen at clubs ( must have been a member at about 10 clubs over the years) is retired people who are on committees trying to tell the green keepers how to do their jobs when they haven’t got the first fuckin idea what they are talking about. One guy owned a garden centre and thought he was a specialist in agronomy. They hire people to do the job then stick their nose in when they haven’t got a clue. Then they wonder why the greenkeeper buggers off. Another one who worked in the City thought he was a specialist in heather restoration! Rinse and repeat. Got a mate who is an artisan at RSG. That course is immaculate. Will be good to see what happens this week.
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Three things !

You stop and talk plus you say you are from the north !

You are spot on about committees, they drive so many head greenkeepers out, with their lack of knowledge. We had 6 new USGA spec greens built, so I had to grow them in. I had a really fight on my hands as the HoG want to play them to soon ( a member of RSG as well ! ) . He nearly killed them of within a year ,months of over playing them. The guidelines from the STRI and others was to rest them over the winter months for the first season. The HoG had told members they were all year round greens lol. The Captain got involved, He sided with me and we rested them from jan to march and they came back strong, never need a rest again ! 180k worth of greens almost wiped out by a buildiers supply company director !

Chestfield made me redundant after 22 years and only 6 weeks after my mum suddenly died, than put my deputy as senior greenkeeper on his same wages ! Than 6 years later did the same to my ex deputy. Made him redundant after about 24 years and put his deputy he charge. That didnt work,so they went for a head greenkeeper I think he only lasted about 2 or 3 years and left. And now are back with the last deputy who was deputy to my deputy lol who takes his orders fto an ex pro golfer who visits every couple of months I am told lol

Chestfield made us two redundant with nearly 50 years experience at that club, I was only 50 and deputy about 52 so not old. Now employ an ex pro golf with no experience of Chestfield lol

Paul at RSG gets the full backing of his club. He is a very good greenkeeper knows his stuff. I think he employs 2 or 3 ex head greenkeepers who got so fed up with their club committee and left to be greenkeepers. So Paul has lots of experience in his team. I was thinking of going there as Paul asked me if I was interested. But to be honest the last 5 years at Chestfield made me dislike golf clubs.

I really enjoy working on golf courses and I am good at my job but cant stand the brainless committees who dont respect our knowledge or qualifications.
 
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Gaylord du Bois said:
The.
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“Remember, everything they invented, we perfected*.” — Tom Watson to his Ryder Cup team, 1993

* Except football.

Seriously, it’s hard not to like Collin. He went to Berkeley near here and shot 62 or something on my home course the first time he played it in college. He seems a great kid, really talented and hopefully this is the second (or first, in your parlance) of many more for him.
 
lefty goldblatt said:
How did that go, 21 years later?
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Watson might have been a bit, errrr, over-the-hill by then.

With the Douche-ambaux/Koepka feud and that cheating doughboy Reed who no one likes, it will be a wonder if the US team can compete this year without a fistfight breaking out on the course between teammates. It could be like Bob Barker and Happy Gilmore. Just as no one outside the English root for the English national football team, no one outside Americans root for our Ryder Cup team (and truth be told, I know a few Americans who root for the Euros).
 
One question as greenkeepers we would always ask and joke about was society's.

They would all be around the 1st tee watching their mates tee off.

Which was ok but the smell ! You could always smell a society from the first green 400yds plus away.

Why do golf society's smell like an explosion in a perfume factory ?! ;)
 
give it to gordon said:
One question as greenkeepers we would always ask and joke about was society's.

They would all be around the 1st tee watching their mates tee off.

Which was ok but the smell ! You could always smell a society from the first green 400yds plus away.

Why do golf society's smell like an explosion in a perfume factory ?! ;)
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Our Society is now called the "Golf Junkies", we're not drug addicts, our pub is the Junction in Ashton. Previously we ran from the Old Ball and we were the ATGC, "Ancient Testicle Golf Society" I don't think we smell that badly collectively, maybe a slight aroma of San Miguel, nothing more.
 
I like the way Paul is his own man ! He doesnt fit the posh image of a head greenkeeper/ course manager, at a top course.

To many people in greenkeeping get the top jobs because their look posh office workers. They cant do the job but talk a good job. Paul has broken that image.

Paul is a top greenkeeper but looks more like a rock star.

I didnt watch the golf but saw about 10 minutes, the course looked great. It's at time like that I wish I still worked in golf but then I remember dealing with committees.
Perhaps in hindsight I should of accepted Paul's offer, I think it would have been a good crack.

I always saw my self as something of a rebel within greenkeeping, not working 18 hrs aday, not having the bigga ( our association ) hair cut etc etc. Not belong to bigga etc.

So well done Royal St Georges for employing a head greenkeeper on what he can do , his qualifications, his expertise

www.thebiglead.com

Paul Larsen, Head Greenkeeper at Royal St. Georges, is the Breakout Star of The Open

The golf world has turned its eyes to Kent, England this week as The Open Championship will be played at Royal St. George's Golf Club. While the tournament does
www.thebiglead.com www.thebiglead.com
 
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PannickAtTheDisco said:
Ryder Cup shaping up nicely. Americans have all the stars but the Europeans normally pull together better.
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I think we'll get a pasting at the Ryder Cup. Course set up will kill us. It will be bomb and gouge. No rough, let the Americans belt it as far as they can and chip to a pin in the middle of the green. It will be terrible.

It will be a driving and putting contest and we cant compete
 
super_city_si said:
I think we'll get a pasting at the Ryder Cup. Course set up will kill us. It will be bomb and gouge. No rough, let the Americans belt it as far as they can and chip to a pin in the middle of the green. It will be terrible.

It will be a driving and putting contest and we cant compete
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Can't really do that with Whistling Straits, it's a traditional links course. Best opportunity an European team has imo.
 
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