Greenkeeping is one of, if not the, most important profession in the golf industry. Heck, I wouldn’t have a sport to write about every day if greenkeepers weren’t busy maintaining golf courses. What would a golf course be without its team of greenkeepers? Up at the crack of dawn and often out of the way before golfers even have a chance to see them preparing the course, it’s a profession that often goes without much regard or praise day to day.
WATCH: Dan Parker joins Head Greenkeeper Jake Field for a day working at Edgbaston Golf Club
Working alongside BIGGA – the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association – I was allowed to spend the day as a greenkeeper at Edgbaston Golf Club in Birmingham. I’d be shadowed by its Course Manager Jake Field throughout the day, who would tell me a little bit about how each task works as well as give me a go on all the important machinery and technology that helps maintain the golf course all year round. With my alarm set nice and early, I set off to central Birmingham to start my day.
5:30 am – Arrival & team meeting
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
I arrived at Edgbaston about 45 minutes before sunrise on a late summer’s day in August. Barely a mile away from Broad Street and on the other side of the road from Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Edgbaston is a parkland golf course and a welcome green burst of energy in the middle of the country’s second-largest city.
No one looks forward to early starts. Anyone who’s met me even a handful of times will know I look forward to these even less than the average person, but with a clear day of weather ahead I was excited to get stuck in to help prepare the course for the day ahead. Each of the eight-man greenkeeping team had their jobs already set out before they arrived and rolled out onto the course with headlights blaring. While they set out their business, Jake and I headed to the 9th green to start some early preparation.
6:15 am – Ironing the greens
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
My first job of the day would be on the green iron. The greens weren’t due to be cut on the day I was working, but on non-cutting days each green is still ironed in the morning.
‘The green iron is incredibly useful to help mitigate any turf stress at this time of year. During competitions or particularly busy periods for the course, we’ll typically cut and roll to help promote a bit of added speed and a nice roll too. The green iron itself comes into its own really during the…
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