Time marches on. In fact, it marches with such merciless purpose, it just about tramples us into the ground. Take technology, for instance. Some cutting-edge contraption you bought just two or three years ago now looks so old-fangled it may as well be housed in a museum next to such antiquities as the turnspit dog and hand-cranked mangle.
In the world of greenkeeping, meanwhile, things have developed at such a rate, Old Tom Morris, that pioneering golf course custodian of yore, would probably have choked on his own hand scythe with excitement had he been around to witness the advances.
At the sharp end of the industry, far removed from a flock of sheep chomping away at clumps of lush rough, smartphones can control irrigation and sprayers, autonomous mowers can trim merrily away themselves while hidden sensors under greens keep an eye on moisture and nutrients and feed soil data back to a centralized hub. The gee-whiz gadgetry knows no bounds.
“This is a message we are trying to get out there to youngsters,” said Karl Hansell of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA). “It’s not just about mowing a green. Look at the amount of exciting technology that’s now available. It’s a wonderful industry to be in.”
Europe’s Graeme McDowell takes a selfie with a group of greenkeepers after putting out on the fourth green during a practice round ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Encouraging a new generation of greenkeepers into this particular industry is one of BIGGA’s key objectives. In an age when everything, from the government, the climate and the cost of living, comes with the word ‘crisis’ attached to it, the greenkeeping business has its own challenges to confront and combat. The startling results from a survey commissioned by BIGGA earlier in the season raised more eyebrows than a cosmetic surgeon and illustrated some of the harsh realities of life at the mower blade.
“Growing anecdotal evidence told us that golf clubs had been struggling to recruit quality staff and we wanted to understand the scale of the challenge,” said Hansell. “We received more than 1,300 responses and the data we gathered was pretty shocking.
“Many – more than a third – said they were actively looking for a job outside the greenkeeping industry. Half told us they were unhappy working in the profession. Is it any wonder that 84 percent told us they struggle to recruit staff?
“For the first time, the survey results presented…
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