Greenkeepers

[Sheffieldhacker]

So after reading some indifferent threads in the past and the stuff you hear around the clubhouse, the question is:

what do we all think about Greenkeepers?
Are they looked upon with respect?
Do golfers see there job as a true profession or trade?

I’d love to know all your views on this.

 

[srixon 1]

You do know that green keepers frequent this forum. Ours are great by the way.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Our green keepers are absolutely core to the club and we greet them, celebrate them and thank them for their work in providing us with a splendid golf course in superb condition. A very well respected bunch of true professionals.

 

[Backache]

Not sure that I understand the difference between a true profession and a trade, it sounds artificial.
I guess like most things that require knowledge and skills green keeping can be done well and poorly.
I'm very happy with our clubs standards.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

What do you think about golf club greens/management committees ?
Do they stop your greenkeeper from presenting a decent course by underfunding, poor training and understaffing.

For every bad greenkeeper I have seen in my life I have seen a lot more badly managed /funded/staffed clubs.

 

[Sheffieldhacker]

What do you think about golf club greens/management committees ?
Do they stop your greenkeeper from presenting a decent course by underfunding, poor training and understaffing.

For every bad greenkeeper I have seen in my life I have seen a lot more badly managed /funded/staffed clubs.

Agreed ??

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Green keeping absolutely is a trade, a respected profession. Lots of skills and knowledge required.

It doesn't mean all are good, what trade has a 100% success rate?, but you should start from a point of respect until proven otherwise.

 

[tobybarker]

I appreciate anyone doing their job effectively. Why single out greenkeepers?

 

[Jigger]

They are very skilled and good at what they do. However there is a bit of unnecessary them and us attitude. The is, or was a podcast called turfs up which is for green keepers. I listened to the first few episode and there seemed to always be the odd stereotypical whine at us golfers. Now I get the issues. I see them every day in my course but it just seemed like it could’ve been a better platform to educate us who are interested. Transfer that podcast to the course staff and there is the same sentiments I feel. They always seem to be back foot defending rather than winning the hearts and minds of those interested. I do however have one green keepers ear and we have great conversations about what is going. Then why my mates whinge I tell them what the crack is.

 

[rulefan]

They are very skilled and good at what they do. However there is a bit of unnecessary them and us attitude. The is, or was a podcast called turfs up which is for green keepers. I listened to the first few episode and there seemed to always be the odd stereotypical whine at us golfers. Now I get the issues. I see them every day in my course but it just seemed like it could’ve been a better platform to educate us who are interested. Transfer that podcast to the course staff and there is the same sentiments I feel. They always seem to be back foot defending rather than winning the hearts and minds of those interested. I do however have one green keepers ear and we have great conversations about what is going. Then why my mates whinge I tell them what the crack is.

Shortly after I retired I joined our greenstaff as a part timer for a couple of years. I then appreciated what getting out an hour before dawn means to your outside life.
The most common comment about players was 'I wish they would talk to us more and not just ignore us or rant at us when we are finishing off a bunker'. Our head greenkeeper sends out a weekly notice regarding work done and planned. But we still get members complaining when the greens are tined etc. "They are perfect at the moment. Why make a mess of them now?"

 

[Golfnut1957]

Greenkeeping is undoubtably a skill, not one particularly learnt in the agricultural college but honed on the course over many years.

I have always thought that they are at least two types of greenkeeper, the professional grass cutter who moves into it for a job and moves away when something better crops up, and the professional greenkeeper who dedicates his life to presenting the best course for the members that he can. Often over a lifetime.

We have a mix of the two types at our course and between them, they do a sterling job of maintaining the course despite having a constant battle with their biggest enemy, mother nature.

 

[Jimaroid]

It’s a tough job. I have a lot of respect for all ours and have friends who are green keepers at a few places. They are the real engine room of golf and without them we have nothing.

In fact one of my greatest golf irritations is golfers who trot out the “lazy greenkeepers” line. As if these hypocrites have ever put a shift in at 4am when it’s spanking down with rain.

Let’s not forget that greenkeepers were amongst the first golf professionals and Open champions. Old Tom’s presence around St Andrews is still felt, the home of golf is essentially a shrine to a greenkeeper. I think that says it all.

 

[Imurg]

Rule 1
Keep on the Greenkeeper's good side..plenty of praise, plenty of banter and they'll help you out by waiting while you play the hole...go the other way and you hear the mower engines rev on your backswing...

 

[IanM]

Ours are good....

Tough job to have...all your customers are experts despite never having spent a day in the job or attended a single training session.

 

[G1z1]

Greenkeepers at my local course are a great bunch, after a year of playing i know them all quite well and now play golf with a few of them.
Saying that they have told me a lot of members at my club have zero respect for them, they regularly have to dodge balls and get moaned at all the time lol

 

[jim8flog]

Do you mean the 600 odd greenkeepers or the team of 6-8 who are actually paid to do the job?

 

[Voyager EMH]

We have three greenkeepers who are full playing members of the club. Their HIs are +1.2, 5.1 and 10.9.
I believe everyone is very happy with them.

 

[Jigger]

Shortly after I retired I joined our greenstaff as a part timer for a couple of years. I then appreciated what getting out an hour before dawn means to your outside life.
The most common comment about players was 'I wish they would talk to us more and not just ignore us or rant at us when we are finishing off a bunker'. Our head greenkeeper sends out a weekly notice regarding work done and planned. But we still get members complaining when the greens are tined etc. "They are perfect at the moment. Why make a mess of them now?"

Yeah we had the same at our place. The problem is that we are an all year round resort course and people don’t appreciate the hammer the courses get. The club struggle as they are over polite at times as they are a resort mentality and feel they can’t say to members “look. This year is going to be hit and miss as we need to do this major work but you will see improvement” or they fail to have a solid plan to get certain things done. There’ll always be moaners but they could do more to keep people like me on side.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I appreciate anyone doing their job effectively. Why single out greenkeepers?

…because the greenkeepers get singled out for complaints if members aren’t happy with any aspect of course condition or presentation?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Shortly after I retired I joined our greenstaff as a part timer for a couple of years. I then appreciated what getting out an hour before dawn means to your outside life.
The most common comment about players was 'I wish they would talk to us more and not just ignore us or rant at us when we are finishing off a bunker'. Our head greenkeeper sends out a weekly notice regarding work done and planned. But we still get members complaining when the greens are tined etc. "They are perfect at the moment. Why make a mess of them now?"

The classic reply to the last question is that the greens are perfect now because they were previously tined.

In my younger days I recall changing a golf hole cup on a par 3 when I heard a yell of 'Fore' from the tee.
A single player had walked on to the empty tee and must have been waiting there for seconds.
I just stood aside and waited, flag lying on green, half a new hole cut and cup and tools lying on the green
He waved his arms at me and I waved my arms back at him.
He then figured out what a pratt he had been walked on to the next tee with a bit of red face.