GROUNDSKEEPING
been an opportunity to show people what we ’ ve been doing .
“ When you ’ re preparing for an event of this magnitude , for us it ’ s not about modifying the course , adding new holes or making changes to greens and bunkers . It ’ s about doing what we always do but more regularly and without room for mistakes . We take such pride in our work and were excited to showcase our product .” about it : “ There ’ s no doubt that the pandemic gave us some logistical challenges such as getting staff tested and managing teams to avoid social contact .
“ The adrenaline does flow but there ’ s no secret to getting it right . We just focused on our work . We ’ d put all the right preparations in place so at the end of the day my view was ‘ you ’ ve got what you ’ ve got ’.
It may have been the 15th British Open hosted at prestigious Royal St George ’ s in Sandwich , Kent , but for the greenkeeping team headed up by course manager Paul Larsen , the 149th Open was an extraordinary and unique event .
Set in the dunes of the Kentish coastline and bisected with swathes of naturalistic grasses and wildflowers , you ’ d be forgiven for thinking you were in a nature reserve , not one of the most famous and prestigious golf courses in the world . Yet for Paul , showcasing the natural beauty of the area was a top priority .
Paul comments : “ We have amazing views and a unique position as a golf course within a dune land . We made a conscious decision some years ago to move away from the typical golf course with its striped lines and focus on enhancing what makes us special . We brought it back to what it used to be – more wild and natural – and having The Open here has
Supporting Paul was his resident 16-strong greenkeeping team boosted by the help of two support teams totalling a further 34 greenkeeping specialists from other golf courses both locally and around the UK . Work started at 4am each day and the teams were responsible for hand-cutting the greens , cutting the fairways , tees and aprons and raking the bunkers , all on a daily basis .
In order to sustain such a large greenkeeping resource , Reesink Turfcare , the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation products , produced a loan fleet from Toro , global leaders in turfcare machinery to bolster the Toro Reelmaster fairway mowers , Groundsmaster rough mowers , Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid riding greensmowers and Greensmaster Flex walk-behind greensmowers machines already on site .
As a Toro Total Solutions customer , the machines complement the Toro Lynx Central Control System and over a thousand sprinklers across the greens , tees and fairways .
For Paul , having the support from Reesink and Toro is something he is “ so grateful for ”. Paul elaborates : “ There ’ s no blueprint for hosting The Open in a pandemic . It ’ s a unique experience so having the support of the extra fleet from Toro made our job easier , enabling us to double our capacity and help everyone to perform at the top of their ability .”
When asked about dealing with the pressures of hosting a major sporting event in the midst of a pandemic Paul is characteristically pragmatic
“ The nature of our work is always reactive , and we adapted constantly whether it was to the weather or changes in regulations . We were resilient and worked incredibly hard . The players and spectators loved the course and we ’ ve had feedback from members of the sporting press saying it was one of the best Opens they ’ d seen .”
Having welcomed up to 32,000 visitors per day , the course is currently awaiting a full assessment from Paul and his team . Paul elaborates : “ At the end of August when The Open is fully off site we will be able to assess the course and the extent of the damage from footfall . I expect there ’ ll be some areas that require reseeding or new turf . We may have to burn some areas of the rough to regenerate it but essentially it ’ ll be routine maintenance .”
In Paul ’ s ten years working at Royal St George ’ s , the 2021 British Open was one of the highlights of his career , particularly making such a major success of the event in a pandemic .
Paul concludes : “ The biggest achievement ? It was definitely keeping everyone safe . It was a pleasure to welcome spectators back to the sport safely and hear the excitement from the crowd . You could feel the energy and it was a fitting end to all our hard work .”
To talk to someone about how the Toro range would suit your course , call
Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800 .
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