I always have a little chuckle to myself when I sit in the clubhouse at any golf club and listen in to the conversations that go on around me. Almost without fail people will be moaning about the condition of their course.
I often wonder if they ever stop and think about how incredibly difficult it is to present a golf course in pristine condition for 12 months of the year - and give any thought to all the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that we are able to play.
So, I think it is about time that we spent a few minutes to thank the people at our golf clubs whom most of us take for granted.
Greenkeepers
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
We are at the end of what has been a brutal summer, day after day of scorching-hot sun beating down on baked fairways.
Have you ever stopped to consider how difficult these conditions have been for the greenkeepers who work so hard to maintain courses? Like most other courses around the country, my own course, Dunston Hall Golf Club, has suffered horribly. Illness meant I had to step away from the game for about seven weeks and when I returned, I was horrified to see that our fairways had turned white. I have recently started playing again and there are definitely areas where there is no longer any grass. A huge reseeding programme is required and will begin when we start to see some proper rain.
But here is the thing - our greens are absolutely fantastic, like billiards tables. If you hit your putt on line it will drop into the hole.
Throughout the summer the greenkeepers have largely been unable to mow the fairways, so they have focused on the greens and have also worked hard on improving our bunkers.
They are also already planning and preparing for the winter.
Being a greenkeeper is a pretty thankless task because you are always the person who is going to be blamed for playing conditions that are less than perfect, but this year has presented them with huge challenges.
Remember, too, that they have to do their work around us as golfers are wanting to play our courses during every daylight hour.
So, greens staff, please take a step forward and accept our grateful thanks for everything you do - and for the tasks that lie ahead during what will no doubt be yet another extremely wet winter.
Club Pro
Let’s not beat about the bush here. There was a time when club pros made you feel as welcome as a European at a Ryder Cup match in the USA! I have had some dreadful experiences. I remember once turning up at a Suffolk golf club to pay my green fee while wearing my trainers and being ordered by the pro to report back to him with my golf shoes on my feet.
As with many things, those days are all but gone. There may still be some grumpy club pros, but in my recent experience when you walk into the shop you are now greeted with a smile and made to feel welcome. They will happily talk you through the course, telling you about the hazards to be avoided.
And they are also now open to a deal - if you are buying a set of clubs from your pro the chances are that you will now be able to negotiate a discount of some description. And they now almost all have access to proper technology so will be able to get you custom-fitted without any extra cost.
Clubhouse Staff
We tend to take bar staff for granted, even when you walk into the clubhouse and they already start to pour your drink because they know exactly what you want. Good bar staff are also the eyes and ears of any golf club. If you really want to know what’s going on, these are the people who will tell you everything you need to know.
Look after them and they will most definitely look after you in return.
Catering Staff
Once upon a time, golf club food was a laughing stock. Stale sandwiches, overcooked chips, stale, flat beer. But we have seen a revolution in recent years.
We play a number of home and away team matches over the course of a season. These involve 18 holes of golf followed by a meal and I have to tell you that we have all been hugely impressed with the standard of catering we have experienced. The fish and chips we were served at Great Yarmouth and Caister Golf Club may well be the best I have ever eaten.
Handicap/Fixtures Secretary
It is not all about paid staff. At my club we couldn’t function without the tireless work done by our incredible handicap secretary, who has had to deal with the introduction of Golf Genius (there was never a more misnamed golf app), and our Seniors Fixtures Secretary, who has already planned and scheduled all our seniors fixtures for 2026.
And all of this work is done for the love of the game and the golf club.
Seniors Committee
We have around 115 senior members at my club and I have served on the committee for almost three years. This is a group of men who work tirelessly on behalf of their membership.
They listen to what the members have to say and do everything they can to ensure that everything is in place for them to enjoy their golf.
Cleaners
And finally….let’s give some recognition to the cleaning staff who work so hard behind the scenes to keep our changing rooms, showers, toilets, clubhouse and pro’s shop sparkling clean.
In conclusion, we are lucky to play this fabulous sport, and we are luckier still to have so many wonderful people working behind the scenes to make it all possible.
Thank you, one and all!
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