The Green Room Golf Course Podcast

During this podcast we discuss ways in which you can progress your career, not only through your BIGGA membership, but also through industry networking opportunities. All of the panelists have been participated in the Future Turf Managers Initiative, either as a candidate or a mentor (or both) and will be chatting about how this experience has helped them to achieve some of their career goals.   Watch this relaxed and informative discussion and go away inspired to continue on your own career journey.   Panellists: Lee Strutt MG CGCS MS, Les Bordes GC; James Bledge, Royal Cinque Ports GC; Dave Stewart, Walmley GC (soon to be Great Barr GC) and Tim Brewster, Lewes GC. FTMI Jacobsen and BIGGA recognise the importance of preparing greenkeepers to take on the role of Head Greenkeeper or Course Manager. The Future Turf Managers Initiative (FTMI) has been designed to provide practical tools and guidance, to help candidates to pursue their career aspirations through this professional development conference. Working with professional trainers, mentors, Jacobsen and BIGGA staff, the candidates will leave FTMI with a clear understanding of what the future holds and a realistic overview of the expectations that come with the role of Manager. FTMI will take place at Ransomes Jacobsen's headquarters in Ipswich during April 2021, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place and adhering to all the latest guidance and restrictions to ensure a safe event. Find out more and apply here. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

BIGGA's Ecology and Sustainability guy, James Hutchinson and Dr Marie Athorn, Business Conservation Advisor (R&A) from the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) will be discussing all things Ecology on the golf course. Chatting about The R&A and RSPB partnership helping facilitate wildlife conservation on golf courses to a wider, mainstream, audience. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Join us for a behind the scenes discussion about delivering the European Tour UK Swing tournaments at The Belfry and Celtic Manor. Chatting with Eddie Adams, Angus Macleod and Jim McKenzie MBE about the efforts that went into preparing the courses for play, contending with lockdown, furlough as well as all the preparation that goes into delivering a professional golf tournament.   Panellists:    Angus Macleod - Director of Golf Course & Estates at The Belfry Resort   Angus is a 37-year veteran in greenkeeping. He began his career as a 15-year-old apprentice at Inverness golf club in the Highlands of Scotland before moving south to Wales in the 90's, serving 12 glorious years running Newport Golf Club, a private club in South Wales. He then headed east to run Belton woods, a hotel resort complex in Lincolnshire, where he stayed for seven years prior to taking up his current post as director of golf courses & estates at The Belfry Resort.   Eddie Adams – Director of Agronomy at The European Tour   Born and raised in the Home of Golf, Adams started his career at St Andrews in 1985, under the watchful eye of the legendary Walter Woods. He worked his way through the ranks until taking on the prestigious role of head greenkeeper on the Old Course in 1993 where he remained for 12 years, delivering both the 1995 and 2000 Open Championships before joining the European Tour in 2004 as a greenkeeping advisor.     He became director of agronomy in 2018, managing the Tour's Agronomy Department and providing agronomical support to over 50 professional tournaments on the European, Challenge and Staysure Tours, including the Rolex Series and golf's highest profile event, The Ryder Cup.   Jim McKenzie MBE - Director of Golf Courses & Estates Management at The Celtic Manor Collection   Jim has been in greenkeeping for over 40 years, starting as an apprentice at Haggs Castle in Glasgow, progressing his career at both Cawder and Renfew Golf Clubs. In 1990 he moved to Wentworth to look after its famous West Course before moving on to Celtic Manor in 1993.  No stranger to managing tournaments, he was instrumental in delivering the infamous 2010 Ryder Cup when the rain would not abate. Rallying his team and a band of volunteer greenkeepers, they managed to get the course in a condition where play could resume, albeit with the tournament having to extend into Monday. Jim's outstanding effort was rewarded with an MBE for services to sport. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

The golf course can be a dangerous place and the equipment used by greenkeepers can cause serious harm. Despite the best intentions and the most stringent safety procedures, accidents can still happen. This was the case for Stuart Griffiths, the course manager at Blair Atholl and Pitlochry, who was airlifted to hospital after the mower he was using slipped down an embankment, rolling on top of him and crushing him beneath. Stuart's now recovering at home from this accident and he joined BIGGA's John Young for a conversation with Greenkeeper International. He explained have been much worse and gave thanks those who have offered him support in the months since. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

How will greenkeeping be affected over coming decades by the impacts of climate change, resource constraints and regulation?  Golf Course 2030 is The R&A driven industry initiative that aims to mitigate the challenges we face in building resilience and adaptability into the preparation of our golf courses, their condition and playability.   Coping with extremes of weather, a changing toolkit of resources and more testing regulation will demand much of our greenkeeping workforce.  The 14 current Golf Course 2030 projects address some of the key issues such as water management and sustainable options for disease, pest and weed management, which will support our greenkeeping teams as they face the challenges. The role of the greenkeeper is going to be key to safeguarding our golf courses, but adaptation to change is going to be an essential skill. SRUC has been given the task of considering how this may happen, how education needs to reflect the challenges and how the industry can better support and recognise the greenkeeping profession. Presenters:  Steve Isaac, Director – Sustainability, The R&A and Dr Paul Miller, Senior Lecturer – Golf Course Management, SRUC Dr Paul Miller Paul has been a lecturer in Greenkeeping and Golf Course Management since 1993. Paul is qualified in the plant sciences and has previously worked in a USGA accredited soil laboratory. He is a regular presenter at Continue to Learn and contributor of articles for Greenkeeper International. He has a keen interest in golf history. Away from work Paul is an average golfer, a keen cyclist and sings in a community choir in Cupar. Steve Isaac Steve has an Honours Degree in Applied Biology. Prior to joining The R&A in 2003, he was an agronomist at STRI for 18 years. The R&A is the organiser of The Open, golf's oldest and most international major championship. Steve is responsible for The R&A's advocacy of sustainability and for the operation of its sustainability initiatives. These include Golf Course 2030, GreenLinks (The Open's sustainability programme) and support for greenkeeper education. The R&A works in collaboration with many organisations, including national governing bodies, greenkeeper, club manager and architect associations, and the GEO Foundation. Steve has taken The R&A's advocacy of sustainability across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America and the USA. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This week's edition of the podcast was recorded at BTME 2020, where Curtis Tyrrell CGCS MG spoke to Tony Hanson and Addison Barden about water usage on golf courses and the challenges turf managers will face in future about resource availability.   Curtis Tyrrell CGCS MG was course superintendent for the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. He's now director of agronomy at Desert Highlands in Arizona and is the host of the Course Reports podcast.    Tony Hanson is managing director of Environmental Solutions International and has been involved in leisure facility management and commercial property for over 30 years. Tony Spent many years as Property and Environmental manager at The Facilities Management Group, working with clients on commercial property, environmental reviews and project implementation for individual properties and portfolios.    Addison Barden is an agronomist in the USGA Green Section's Southeast Region based in the Peachtree City, Ga., office. Most recently, he was golf course superintendent of the West Course at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. He has additional experience at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, N.J., and at golf courses in the Southeast. During graduate school, he was a graduate teaching assistant at Auburn University while he obtained his master's degree in entomology. His Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and soils, with an emphasis in turfgrass management, also is from Auburn University. ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship BIGGA in conjunction with ICL have developed a scholarship opportunity for BIGGA Members. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn at BTME education programme. The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights hotel accommodation and 15 hours of education. Applications for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship 2021 are now open. BIGGA Annual Photographic Competition The theme for this year's annual photographic competition is you, the greenkeeper. We're looking for photographs that showcase the very best of what it means to work on a golf course. Find out more and enter the competition here. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.  

Craig Tracey MP is the co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Golf. All-Party Groups comprise Members of both Houses and all political parties who support specific interests.  In the case of the Golf Group, Members have decided on the deliberately broad but simple remit “to support the game of golf”. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Craig has worked closely with BIGGA and the governing bodies of golf. Working with advice from the industry, he was actively involved in advising the Government on behalf of the golf industry and advised upon the reopening of golf. BIGGA has been at the forefront of the discussion, offering help and advice at every stage on behalf of the greenkeeping industry.  BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton spoke to Craig about everything that has taken place during the coronavirus crisis and discusses the challenges ahead for the golf industry. ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship BIGGA in conjunction with ICL have developed a scholarship opportunity for BIGGA Members. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn at BTME education programme. The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights hotel accommodation and 15 hours of education. Applications for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship 2021 are now open. BIGGA Annual Photographic Competition The theme for this year's annual photographic competition is you, the greenkeeper. We're looking for photographs that showcase the very best of what it means to work on a golf course. Find out more and enter the competition here. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

During what should have been The Open week, Karl Hansell spoke to Paul Larsen, course manager at Royal St Georges Golf Club about the postponement of major championship. Joining them was be Craig Boath, who has extensive experience of hosting major championships in his role at Carnoustie, where he is links superintendent. ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship BIGGA in conjunction with ICL have developed a scholarship opportunity for BIGGA Members. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn at BTME education programme. The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights hotel accommodation and 15 hours of education. Applications for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship 2021 are now open. BIGGA Annual Photographic Competition The theme for this year's annual photographic competition is you, the greenkeeper. We're looking for photographs that showcase the very best of what it means to work on a golf course. Find out more and enter the competition here. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This webinar will examine how to use the morphological features to help in the identification of turf grasses and weeds. It will examine the most common weeds found on UK Golf Courses and the main grass genus as well as their seed. Additionally it will discuss control measures and how certain weed types can inform the greenkeeper on soil and ground conditions. If you can't tell your Cats-ear from your Taraxacum officinale then this is the session for you. Apprentices on the new level 2 standard must carry out the task of turf grass identification (15 weeds, 5 grasses plus 4 seeds from these grasses) as part of the End Point Assessment (EPA) practical and this webinar will address this part of the EPA.  Presented by Andy Wight, Head of Work Based Learning for the Land Based Industries, Oaklands College Andy Wight has worked in Sports Turf for over 39 years. With a background in the industry he has worked on winter and summer sports as well golf reaching the level of Course Manager before leaving the industry to join Oaklands College. For over 20 years Andy has been involved in the writing of learning materials for Level 2 and 3, helping in both the development of the GTC Training Manual and Greenkeeping Apprenticeships. He is an Independent End Point assessor for the Level 2 Golf Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Standard and is currently Head of Department overseeing Greenkeeping and Sports Turf apprenticeships at Oaklands College in Hertfordshire. BIGGA members can watch the webinar online here. Field Guides BIGGA's Field Guides were developed to assist members to be able to identify flora and fauna on the golf course and provide a reference guide that they could use whlist working on the course.  Each one of the sections has been produced using BIGGA's Learning & Development Fund. BIGGA members can access the Field Guides here. ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship BIGGA in conjunction with ICL have developed a scholarship opportunity for BIGGA Members. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn at BTME education programme. The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights hotel accommodation and 15 hours of education. Applications for the ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship 2021 are now open. BIGGA Annual Photographic Competition The theme for this year's annual photographic competition is you, the greenkeeper. We're looking for photographs that showcase the very best of what it means to work on a golf course. Find out more and enter the competition here. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Presenter: Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager, Germinal GB Microdochium patch affects many cool season turf grass species including annual meadow grass and perennial ryegrass, especially Poa annua, and is one of the primary diseases on UK golf greens. With the loss of key fungicides such as iprodione removing the safety net of using curative chemicals to combat this key turf disease, greenkeepers must look to strengthen the make-up of their greens by coupling the use of disease resistant cultivars with appropriate cultural practises that maximise the population of beneficial grasses which will in turn contribute to improved preventative control. This webinar will explore how the future of disease management on golf greens is reliant on frequent over-seeding using resilient and disease resistant bentgrasses and how to get the best from them. ICL Scholarship The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn at BTME education programme. The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights' hotel accommodation and 15 hours of education. Apply online until 31 July 2020. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

They're responsible for making sure the golf courses are ready for some of the biggest championships in the world and we sat down for a chat with them for our webinar series Continue to Learn Extra. This webinar brings together The R&A Agronomy Team to talk about post-lockdown matters on the golf course; such as essential maintenance, golfer feedback and expectations on courses being maintained with fewer staff. Panellists:   Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy, The R&A Richard Windows, Agronomy Manager, The R&A Adam Newton, Senior Agronomist, The R&A Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Curtis Tyrrell was course superintendent for the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. He's now director of agronomy at Desert Highlands in Arizona and is the host of the Course Reports podcast. During BTME 2020 Curtis hosted the Green Room Podcast Live. Among the various events was a conversation with John Coleman of MTD Specialty Turf and Craig Cameron of Trevisto Plant Solutions. Both are leading the movement towards the use of automated technology as a means of aiding greenkeepers maintain golf courses. How will automated machinery shape course maintenance in future and how can drop technology help identify problems on the Course before they occur? Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

We've heard so much about COVID-19 over the past few months and in this webinar we'll hear what it's like to be struck down by the virus, by the BIGGA members and supporters who have survived it themselves. The panel talk about their battle against the virus and how they see it changing our industry for years to come.   Presented by Karl Hansell, Greenkeeper International editor    Les Howkins MG, course manager at The Richmond GC in Surrey and former BIGGA Chairman.  Les has 30 years' experience in the greenkeeping industry achieving his Master Greenkeeper Certificate in 2004.  He is a past Chairman of BIGGA, a regular presenter at Continue to Learn at BTME and the Future Turf Managers Initiative and has also re-joined the Surrey Section Committee as Chairman. Jeremy Hughes, international business development manager for Symbio Prior to joining Symbio in 2015, Jeremy was a greenkeeper, spending 27 years at Vale of Llangollen golf club – 20 years as Course Manager.  He is an avid supporter of BIGGA and served on both section and region Boards before completing a term as a director on the national board. Jez also plays golf to a high standard representing his club, county and North Wales.    Phil Collinson, is North West Technical Sales Manager for ICL Phil has 17 years of experience working in the turf industry, initially spending almost 10 years at Rochdale AFC as Head Groundsman. He has been in his role with ICL for just over 5 years now where he has gained both BASIS and FACTS qualifications. His day-to-day duties include advising on ICL products to both distributors and end users as well as being involved in research trials whenever the opportunity arises. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Recorded as part of our Continue to Learn Extra webinar series, this podcast provides an overview on the use of seaweed products for turf, why they are used, and how they are marketed. The presentation will link to some published science and research on the topic and highlight some current trial work from ICL.     Presented by Henry Bechelet,Technical Sales Manager, UK & Ireland and Dr Andy Owen, International Technical Manager, ICL. Henry Bechelet is technical sales manager in the UK & Ireland for the turf and landscape business. He has been in the turf industry for over 25 years, having originally trained as an agricultural agronomist but then joining the turfgrass industry as a trainee agronomist in the early 90's. Henry has spent roughly half his career engaged in independent consultancy and the other half on the commercial side of the industry. Over the years Henry has built a reputation as being an enthusiastic and entertaining presenter who has always been very progressive in his views. You can contact Henry by emailing henry.bechelet@icl-group.com Dr Andy Owen is ICL international technical manager for its turf and landscape business. Andy is a soil scientist and agronomist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wales in Bangor. Prior to joining ICL he was a sports turf lecturer at Myerscough College developing and delivering industry-focussed degree level courses to distance learning and in-college students. You can contact Andy by emailing andy.owen@icl-group.com Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Continue to Learn Extra: Conservation in a post-COVID world   Presented by Karl Hansell, Greenkeeper International editor   With reduced staff on golf courses, is golf course conservation a luxury that we can no longer afford or, with less resources available, is now a better time than ever to think about rewilding areas of your facility for flora and wildlife to flourish?   To coincide with World Environment Day, BIGGA's ecology expert James Hutchinson and Golf Environment Award winner John McLoughlin discuss the role of golf course ecology and conservation in a post-COVID world.   Panellists:   James Hutchinson, Membership Services Manager – Ecology and Sustainability, BIGGA   James is an R&A Gold Badge holder. He was previously environmental officer at St Andrews and prior to that has was ecology manager at Fairhaven Golf Club in Lancashire. In his role as Membership Services Manager responsible for ecology and sustainability at BIGGA he provides an amazing service for our members, visiting their courses to learn about what environmental practices they've put in place and offer ideas and suggestions to help improve their environmental footprint. He's visited hundreds of golf courses and is always on the lookout for the next rare orchid or dandelion. Contact James by emailing james.hutchinson@bigga.co.uk or find out more about BIGGA's services for members by emailing info@bigga.co.uk James is also in Twitter using @Ecology1BIGGA   John McLoughlin, course manager, Warrington Golf Club   John McLoughlin is course manager at Warrington Golf Club and is about as switched on as it comes when talking about ecology. Unlike myself and James he's not bad with a golf club in his hands, but it's in greenkeeping that he has really shone. At the start of this year John and the Warrington team were announced as winners of the Golf Environment Award's golf course of the year top prize. Some of the work the team at Warrington does includes composting of all green waste and introducing beehives and wildflower areas to the course. You can find John on Twitter at @johnmac150 Applications are also open to take part in the Golf Environment Awards 2021. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This presentation will explain what entomopathogenic nematodes are, and how you can use them to control turf pests. The talk will also cover how to store and handle nematodes, how to identify the optimum time to apply them, and how to optimise their application. Presented by Dr Colin Mumford,Technical Support Manager, Bayer With a background in golf course management, as well as wide-ranging experience and qualifications in the amenity and sports turf sector, Colin's role as technical support manager at Bayer is largely focussed on advising industry professionals with general management, best practice, and technical advice. Colin also overseas new product trials in the UK and Ireland. This webinar was recorded as part of the Continue to Learn Extra series from BIGGA and a video version can be viewed by BIGGA members. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This episode of the podcast was recorded as part of our Continue to Learn Extra webinar series, which provides members with the opportunity to continue their professional development, despite the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a large number of members unable to work and restrictions preventing educational meetings and turf clubs, BIGGA is keen to provide its members with learning opportunities during these difficult times. BIGGA members will be able to claim CPD credits for accessing the free-to-access, live webinars. Webinars are scheduled to take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week at 4pm. Share your learning and join the conversation on Twitter by tagging @BIGGALtd and using the #C2LExtra hashtag. If you would like more information or help joining the webinar, email education@bigga.co.uk This webinar brings together a panel of course managers and club managers to discuss the reopening of golf courses following the COVID-19 lockdown. Taking part in the discussion were: Andy Laing, course manager, Gaudet Luce Golf Club; James Braithwaite, course manager, Long Ashton Golf Club; Kerry Alligan-Smith, general manager, Redditch Golf Club; Michael Sawicki, managing secretary, Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This podcast brings together a panel of four experienced golf course architects and members of the EIGCA, who will be discussing the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on their part of the industry, for current and planned projects and future work. They  also discuss opportunities post COVID-19 to focus on golf course presentation, redefining golfers expectations and how golf courses may adapt post-lockdown.   Panellists:   Tim Lobb – LOBB + PARTNERS Paul Kimber – Kimber Glen James Edwards - EDI–Golf Ltd Gareth Williams – Faldo Design Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Hi everyone and welcome to this week's edition of the podcast. What an episode I've got for you this week. It's VE Day and that means the country is off work, celebrating the achievements of those who fought in the Second World War and were victorious. But it's another victory we're focussing on today and one that's much more relevant to the current crisis.   Les Howkins is course manager at The Richmond in London, he's also a Master Greenkeeper and many of you will know him as the former chairman of the association, preceding Scott Reeves. What many of you may not know is that we almost lost Les. Although he was never tested positive, Les almost certainly contracted coronavirus and spent weeks in bed, with paramedics called out to his house when his situation worsened. It's a scary story but a reminder of just how serious this virus can be. I think you'll be shocked at some of the things Les has to say.    Afterwards, we've got last Thursday's Continue to Learn Extra session with Dave Cottrell. Stress is the one area of mental health that we all experience and it comes in many forms. Stress in and of itself is actually a path to growth and some stress (providing we recover from it effectively) can make us stronger. However the vast majority of us cope with stress in the wrong ways, either by taking too much in, relieving it with unhelpful methods or a bit of both. In this talk Dave discusses the "work/recovery" model and how this can help us to stop that stress from ever reaching boiling point!   As always, this podcast is presented ad free thanks to the support of BIGGA members and if you've got any feedback or suggestions for topics and conversations, please feel free to get in touch. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This Continue to Learn Extra webinar brought together a panel of four experienced course managers from both large and small, member and proprietary clubs, to discuss the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on their golf courses and teams. Panellists: Mike Bush, Group Course Manager, Crown Golf Andy Ewence, Course Manager, Woking Golf Club Craig Haldane, Golf Courses Manager, The Gleneagles Hotel Scott Reeves, Course Manager, Leyland Golf Club & BIGGA Chairman You can watch a video version of this session and other Continue to Learn Extra seminars on the BIGGA website now. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Glenn Kirby is the Technical Manager for Syngenta Turf and Landscape for UK and Ireland. In this episode of the podcast, taken from the Continue to Learn Extra webinar series, Glen takes a look at some of the myths about plant growth regulators that have crept in over the years and has a fresh look at how they could be best used to help you out in the unusual times. Prior to joining Syngenta, Glen managed turf for over 25 years working and studying in both Europe and the USA. He has managed clubs at both ends of the spectrum with both large and small budgets and experience of working over 15 televised golf events. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Welcome to this week's edition of the podcast. I hope you had a decent Easter.    It's quickly been back to business for the association as this week BIGGA has been working alongside the R&A to produce revised guidelines for what constitutes Essential Maintenance on the golf course.   This has been adapted to recognise that we're three weeks closer to summer and that golf courses have seen reduced maintenance levels for almost a month now and so some practices may need to be reintroduced.   Last week also saw the postponement of the 149th Open Championship for a year. Although we aren't sure what the world's going to look like in July with regards to whether golf clubs will be open for business and tours able to resume, the R&A decided that it's within the current spirit to hold off hosting the event until 2021. With the R&A keen to hold the 150th Open at St Andrews, it was decided that the 149th would still take place at Royal St George's, just a year later than expected. To find out what that meant for the greenkeepers, I gave course manager Paul Larsen a call and we had a catch up about how he and his team have reacted to the news and also how they've been maintaining the course and following the essential maintenance guidelines.   Following that conversation we've got the latest Continue to Learn Extra webinar. Steve Chappell is the former superintendent at Gleneagles for the 2014 Ryder Cup and is now plying his trade at Royal Bled in Slovenia and he gave us a talk about why now more than ever it's important for greenkeepers to understand their role within the golf club as a business enterprise.   Steve has worked in the greenkeeping industry for 30 years managing a wide range of golfing facilities from traditional member owned clubs to single owner commercial operations. Steve has been involved in four Ryder Cups including the hosting of the event at Gleneagles in 2014. In 2018 Steve moved to Slovenia to become the Golf Course Superintendent of Royal Bled Golf Club. This webinar will discuss the notion that a greenkeeping management role is about more than just producing a great playing surface and managing the greenkeeping team. It's about recognising who the golf course ‘belongs' to and how, as the main asset, it has to perform for the benefit of the business. With the current challenges that face us all, now more than ever greenkeepers will have to adapt to the new normal and the challenges of keeping members, committees and the club management satisfied by learning to manage expectations and be adaptable within the limitations of the resources available. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Liggy Webb is an award winning and bestselling author, presenter and international consultant. She is also the founding director of The Learning Architect, an international consortium of behavioural skills specialists. She is recognised as a thought leader on human resilience and works with a wide range of businesses focusing on optimising potential through continual learning and behavioural agility. This 60-minute bite-sized webinar will help you: Understand the value of being resilient  Be more adaptable and agile  Adapt well through rapid change Think more positively and optimistically Take personal responsibility and action  Make a positive difference  Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Today's podcast is going to revisit the webinar that we produced yesterday, with Natalie Hunter from Xact Group giving a huge amount of really important information regarding your rights as an employer or employee at a golf club during this crisis. Xact Group run our HR Helpline service that's available to every BIGGA member and I'd encourage you to give them a call if you've got any further questions.    Also involved with the discussion was BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton, who answered a couple of questions from members and gave some really pertinent advice with regards to how we can all help each other through this crisis. For more information about how BIGGA can help you through the current health crisis, head to the COVID-19 Hub on our website. HR hotline   BIGGA has teamed up with Xact to provide every greenkeeper member with access to free help and advice that will make your workplace a more professional and positive environment.    A team of qualified advisers will be on hand to assist BIGGA members with any HR problems that arise, with instant advice just a phone call away.   From harassment and bullying at work, to help with employee handbooks or discussing your entitlement to paternity and maternity leave, a dedicated team of advisors is on hand at no additional cost to you – it's all included in your BIGGA membership. The advisors can help from the very early stages through to the conclusion of the matter and unlimited telephone and email advice is available for each case.   For more information, head to the Member Services & Benefits section of the BIGGA website. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Mental health issues have really hit the news recently, with some quite tragic consequences. And it's not just celebrities that are affected, with suicide being the biggest killer of men aged under 40 in the UK today. It seems like the problem is widespread and certainly, greenkeepers are finding themselves under increasing and often unwarranted and unreasonable pressure.   The weather's changing, the economy is struggling and tools that greenkeepers have historically used are being removed, making their jobs even more difficult.   This week's episode of the podcast, was recorded at BTME on the Green Room Podcast Live stage, where Curtis Tyrrell sat down with Mick Davie, the head greenkeeper at Hazel Grove who set up a group to allow greenkeepers to support each other through difficult times. In recognition of his efforts, Mick was awarded the Outstanding Contribution of the Year award at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration.   Also on stage was Heather Mulley, manager at Enville Golf Club and Simon Smith, PGA professional and general manager at Aston Wood.   Each is able to provide an insight into their own experiences with overcoming mental illness, with the main message being that it's good to talk. So before I go, I just wanted to remind you that we've got a HR helpine where BIGGA members can get free advice and support. We've also got the Benevolent Fund that is intended to help out members who encounter difficult moments and need financial support. HR hotline   BIGGA has teamed up with Xact to provide every greenkeeper member with access to free help and advice that will make your workplace a more professional and positive environment.    A team of qualified advisers will be on hand to assist BIGGA members with any HR problems that arise, with instant advice just a phone call away.   From harassment and bullying at work, to help with employee handbooks or discussing your entitlement to paternity and maternity leave, a dedicated team of advisors is on hand at no additional cost to you – it's all included in your BIGGA membership. The advisors can help from the very early stages through to the conclusion of the matter and unlimited telephone and email advice is available for each case.   For more information, head to the Member Services & Benefits section of the BIGGA website. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's edition of the podcast.    With the horrendous storms we've had over the past few weeks, I thought we'd take a look at how it's impacted golf courses in the UK and so I had a conversation with Stuart Ross at Brecon Golf Club in south Wales.   Water is the most essential ingredient of golf course preparation.    Without it the turf won't grow. However, two much of it can lead to catastrophic consequences.    In a year that's seen record wildfires ravaging Australia, in the UK the winter has been one characterised by seemingly nonstop rain.   In his regular weather blog, Headland Amenity's Mark Hunt identified how the last 5 ½ months have recorded an average of 81% wet days. Eight out of every 10 days have seen rain since the beginning of September.   Storm Ciara was dubbed “the biggest storm this century” by the Met Office and was quickly followed by Storm Dennis, bringing further high winds and torrential rain.   Ciara hit the north west of England and north Wales hardest, bringing almost 180mm of rain to Honister Pass in Cumbria, while just a week later Dennis dumped an additional 158mm of rainfall on south Wales. Unsurprisingly, inland courses all over the United Kingdom, particularly those constructed besides rivers, were badly hit by flooding.   This meant entire holes were submerged and clubs have been left counting the cost of the recovery operation.   At Mond Valley above the River Tawe in Wales, the golf club revealed it would close ‘indefinitely' while the clean-up operation got underway.   At nearby Brecon Golf Club, Stuart Ross is the only full-time member of the greenkeeping team at the 118-year-old nine-hole venue.   The James Braid-designed course sits beside the River Usk in an area that was heavily hit by Storm Dennis, with further flood warnings on the way.   Stuart took some time out from the clean-up operation to shelter under some trees and talk to me about how he's coping with this year's storms and the hard work he's having to do to get the course playable.   I hope you enjoy our short chat and if you'd like to join in the conversation, head to the BIGGA Facebook page or find us on Twitter. HR Helpline BIGGA has teamed up with Xact to provide every member with access to free help and advice to make your workplace a more professional and positive environment. You can get in contact by email and an advisor will aim to be in contact the same day. For help with your HR matters, email BIGGAmembers@xactgroup.co.uk.  Alternatiely, you can call 0330 332 2636 to speak to an advisor immediately. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Green Room Golf Course Podcast.    This week we're taking a look at one of the largest redevelopments of a golf course taking place anywhere in the country.   The members at Whittington Heath could have been upset when it was announced that the HS2 railway would run directly through the centre of their golf course and Victorian clubhouse.    Instead, they embraced the opportunity presented by the redevelopment and enlisted course architect Jonathan Gaunt to set about designing their new golf course. John Greasley has been brought in as constructors and Rain Bird is installing the irrigation.   The club also hired Mark Fry, the former deputy head greenkeeper at Worplesdon in Surrey. Mark, 44, is tasked with maintaining the existing course during the disruption and growing in the new holes that have been constructed. Mark succeeded longstanding Whittington Heath greenkeeper Trevor Morris in June 2019.    I stopped by for a conversation with Jonathan and Mark to find out more about what's taking place. I hope you enjoy the show. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

We're kicking off this week with a conversation that Curtis Tyrrell hosted on the Green Room Podcast Live stage. Curtis is director of agronomy at Desert Highlands in Arizona and the host of The Course Reports podcast. At BTME he had a great conversation with BIGGA's newly elected president Colin Webber and its vice president Gordon Moir.   Colin Webber is a name that you may not be familiar with in greenkeeping circles, which is a shame because he's one of the industry's top guys. Living in North Devon, Colin used to be a farmer, but economic pressures led to him changing the farm into a golf centre and they haven't looked back. Colin won't mind me saying but he's about as grassroots as they come.   Supporting Colin will be Gordon Moir, who spent the majority of his career right at the other end of the greenkeeping spectrum. Gordon is the former links superintendent at St Andrews, which needs no further introduction.   Both men chartered very different paths to get them to this point and Curtis had a fascinating conversation getting to know them both. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Green Room golf course Podcast, I'm your host, Karl Hansell.   I'm delighted to say that I'm coming to you today from the spectacular Harrogate Convention Centre, where BTME 2020 is due to get underway tomorrow morning.   Continue to Learn has been taking place for a couple of days now and things are going really well. There's been loads happening and yet the show hasn't even started yet.    There's so much going on that it's going to be an absolutely spectacular show.    One of the highlights this year will be the Green Room Podcast Live, where former Ryder Cup superintendent Curtis Tyrrell will host a series of conversations with some of the biggest names in golf greenkeeping.    Curtis is himself a famous name in the industry having been the course superintendent for the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. He's now director of agronomy at Desert Highlands in Arizona and is the host of the Course Reports podcast. If you're coming to BTME, make sure you head to the Green Room Podcast Live stage in the Blue Zone to hear Curtis talking to his guests, who will include Solheim Cup course manager Craig Haldane and Graeme Beatt, who oversaw the hosting of The Open at Royal Portrush last year. There are two days of talks talking place, so make sure you check it out.    Today I was able to sit down with Curtis to find out a little bit more about him. I hope you enjoy our conversation…. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Francesca Bayliss and Tamsin Williams are postgraduate students at Royal Holloway, University of London. Both are looking at biological ways of improving plant health and the potential use of nematodes in boosting turf health. Francesca is investigating treatments to improve soil microbiology and Tamsin is focusing upon the potential uses of seaweed products. From potentially aiding species interchange to alternative methods for disease suppression, the microbial ecosystem is one that greenkeepers may never have considered before. Is it time we started? BTME and Continue to Learn Registration has opened for BTME 2020, taking place in Harrogate this January.    As always, Continue to Learn will kick off the week, with the education programme evolving to better suit the needs of BIGGA members. Taking place from Sunday 19 to Wednesday 22 January, the association's Learning & Development team has put together its largest-ever package of education. Continue to Learn features more than 250 hours of education delivered by over 90 speakers and places are selling out fast, so make sure you don't miss out on this opportunity to take your career, and your course, to the next level. Head to the BTME website to find out more. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This week the pod heads to Royal Cinque Ports, on the Kent coast and just down the road from Royal St George's, which will host The Open in 2020.    Royal Cinque Ports should have hosted The Open at least four times over its 127-year history. Unfortunately, the 1938 and 1949 stagings were relocated to Royal St George's due to heavy flooding and while Royal St George's is preparing to host the championship once again in 2020, golf's oldest major has never been back to Deal.   Working hard to push the course back towards those former glories is Course Manager James Bledge, who has instilled a culture of professional development that is paying off for the greenkeeping team. There's a Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year winner and FTMI graduates among its staff and the Royal Cinque Port members are seeing the benefits out on the course.   I sat down with James in his office for a conversation about how he's encouraged the members of the golf club to invest in the team as much as they're investing in the course. BTME and Continue to Learn Registration has opened for BTME 2020, taking place in Harrogate this January.    As always, Continue to Learn will kick off the week, with the education programme evolving to better suit the needs of BIGGA members. Taking place from Sunday 19 to Wednesday 22 January, the association's Learning & Development team has put together its largest-ever package of education. Continue to Learn features more than 250 hours of education delivered by over 90 speakers and places are selling out fast, so make sure you don't miss out on this opportunity to take your career, and your course, to the next level. Head to the BTME website to find out more. BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards BIGGA and Campey Turf Care Systems have teamed up to offer one BIGGA member a money-can't-buy trip to Jacksonville, Florida.   All you have to do to enter is to put together a feature for Greenkeeper International that discusses your thoughts on an aspect of the greenkeeping industry today. We're looking for you to draw upon your own talent, experience and passion to produce articles that spark debate among fellow members and drive the industry forwards. Each month we'll select an article for inclusion in the magazine, with the author winning £100 in Continue to Learn vouchers.   To submit an article, email commsawards@bigga.co.uk   Additionally, there are two other awards up for grabs.   The New Media award recognises the importance of social media and other digital platforms. Whether you're using social media, podcasts, blogging, video content or anything else to engage with golfers, we want to hear from you.   The Outreach award seeks to reward those BIGGA members who have engaged with their local community to promote their efforts within the golf club. Face-to-face is just as important as other forms of communication and we're looking to recognise those BIGGA members who have reached out into the community, whether by inviting schoolchildren to take part in ecology days, getting involved in local fundraisers, or anything else!   The winners of the New Media and the Outreach awards will both receive a £400 cash prize, with the winners to be revealed on the Campey Turf Care Systems stand at BTME 2020.   To nominate a BIGGA member or team of BIGGA members for an award, email commsawards@bigga.co.uk and put the name of the award in the subject heading, in addition to some information about why you think they should win! Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Welcome to this week's edition of the podcast, where myself and BIGGA's membership services manager for the Northern region, Sandra Raper, took a drive up on to Saddleworth Moor to visit the greenkeeping team in this infamous corner of the Peak District.   They're a great bunch of guys and it was really interesting to sit and find out about the ways they manage the course. Funnily enough though, it was actually more interesting to learn about the team themselves. Which of them has considered bumping off his parents for their inheritance and which one recently sold antique dolls on an episode of Dickenson's Real Deal?   What's clear is that they're a team that gets on really well and when your course is relatively isolated, that can mean the world.    So David Roberts is course manager and he was joined on the podcast by greenkeepers Peter Buckley, Chris Hyde and Jake Standon. BTME and Continue to Learn Don't forget to register for BTME and Continue to Learn today to gain access to more than 150 exhibitors and 250 hours of education delivered by over 90 speakers. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This week we're taking a trip to Camberley Heath in Surrey, where Ross Jones is the course manager.   For those of you who use the BIGGA desktop calendar each year, you'll know that Camberley Heath is one of the most spectacular looking courses in the country. Either that or they just know how to take a good photograph!   I sat down with Ross to have a chat about life at the heathland venue and how staff members taking photographs and sharing images on social media can be one of the best forms of advertising available to your club. BTME and Continue to Learn Don't forget to register for BTME and Continue to Learn today to gain access to more than 150 exhibitors and 250 hours of education delivered by over 90 speakers. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

In this week's episode of the podcast, Karl spoke to Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year winners Jason Norwood and Tom Bromfield. Jason, 30, is a greenkeeper at Rudding Park Golf Club in Harrogate, while Tom has just graduated from his apprenticeship at Trentham Golf Club in Stoke on Trent. Being part of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards allows you to meet and compete with the best greenkeeping students in the UK.  Those invited to interview will be tested on their knowledge, not only of greenkeeping tasks, skills and heath and safety, but it also incorporates understanding of the job role; personal development; industry awareness; the Toro company; BIGGA and career aspirations. The highly coveted Awards will enable you to drive your ambition for a successful career in the greenkeeping industry. Two Awards Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2019 available to all greenkeeping students studying for eligible qualifications Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2019 specifically for greenkeeping students aged 20 years and under at the time of the closing date, 24 May 2019. Greenkeeping students can nominate themselves for the Awards College tutor, assessor or employer can endorse applications Online application process BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems   BIGGA and Campey Turf Care Systems have teamed up to offer one BIGGA member a money-can't-buy trip to Jacksonville, Florida.    The Excellence in Communications Awards recognise the important role that effective communication plays in the life of a modern greenkeeper. BIGGA members are getting better and better at communicating and we want to acknowledge those who are leading the way.    The main prize is the Innovation and Thought Leadership Category. This features a monthly prize whereby if you write an article and send it along for inclusion in Greenkeeper International and it's chosen to be featured in the magazine, you'll win a £100 Continue to Learn voucher.    Then at the end of the year we'll take a look at all the features we've received and select our favourite, with the winner receiving a £750 cash prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Jacksonville, Florida, courtesy of Campey Turf Care Systems. While on the trip you'll visit the Air2G@ factory, TPC Sawgrass, the Daytone International Speedway and TIAA Bank Field, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.   There are also two other prizes up for grabs. The New Media Award recognises the growing importance of social media and other digital platforms to the greenkeeping profession. Whether you're using social media, podcasts, blogging, video content or anything else to engage with golfers, we want to hear from you.    Finally, the Outreach award recognises that face-to-face communication is just as important as any other form. We're seeking to recognise those BIGGA members who have engaged with their local community, whether by inviting schoolchildren to take part in ecology days, getting involved in local fundraisers, or anything else.   The winners of the New Media and the Outreach awards will both receive a £400 cash prize, with the winners to be revealed on the Campey Turf Care Systems stand at BTME 2020.   Get involved with the awards or to submit an article, email commsawards@bigga.co.ukor head to our website. Links and further details are in the show notes. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Did you know that as the golfing season comes to a close, we're already putting together the next edition of Your Course magazine?   Once again the magazine will be sent out to every golf club in the country and will be packed full of features that inform golfers about the hard work of the nation's greenkeepers.   Among the features will be a look at golf course ecology and the vital role greenkeepers can play in creating a network of ‘living landscapes' across the UK. For this feature I visited Brandon Reach nature reserve for a conversation with Ian Jelley, of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, who has been working closely with courses across the region.   It's been reported that Britain's wildlife is at serious risk. One in five mammals is apparently at risk of extinction and it's incredible to think that golf courses can play such an important role in wildlife support and recovery.   I hope you enjoy the conversation with Ian. Hopefully it'll inspire others to speak to their local wildlife trust or other conversation charities and golf courses will begin to be recognised as the havens for wildlife that they so often are.    Don't forget, we're gearing up to the launch of the Continue to Learn brochure for January 2020. The education programme is going to be brilliant once again, so keep an eye out for the brochure included with your October edition of Greenkeeper International. FTMI   Jacobsen and BIGGA recognise the importance of preparing greenkeepers to take on the role of head greenkeeper or course manager. The Future Turf Managers Initiative has been designed to provide practical tools and guidance, to help candidates to pursue their career aspirations through a three-day professional develop conference.   Working with professional trainers, mentors, Jacobsen and BIGGA staff, graduates leave FTMI with a clear understanding of what the future holds and a realistic overview of the expectations that come with a management position.    Applications for FTMI run from September until October, so if you're interested in taking the next big step in your career, head to the Member Opportunities section of the BIGGA website to find out more. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Here at BIGGA, we're gearing up to the launch of the Continue to Learn brochure for January 2020. The education programme is going to be brilliant once again, so keep an eye out for the brochure included alongside the October edition of Greenkeeper International.   Coincidentally, did you know that BIGGA members can access video recordings of many of the seminars and workshops that are held at Continue to Learn each year? By logging on to the members' area of the website, there's a world of digital resources available to you on all aspects of greenkeeping, course management and personal development.   This week's podcast is a taster of the quality of education and the speakers that you'll see if you attend Continue to Learn. It's a talk given by professor Mike Richardson of the University of Arkansas, looking at the topic of cultural practices that impact turf compaction and health. Mike discusses mowing and rolling of greens and the potential costs and benefits of these practices.   Throughout this discussion Mike refers to a number of slides and you can view those through the BIGGA website or in our feature on rollers, which is in the August edition of Greenkeeper International.    Mike covers the physiological responses to these practices and asks whether rolling is ever a bad idea. His research has focused on cultural practices that impact warm and cool season grasses in the transition zone and he's also been actively involved in research to develop a wide range of turfgrasses for various environments. FTMI   Jacobsen and BIGGA recognise the importance of preparing greenkeepers to take on the role of head greenkeeper or course manager. The Future Turf Managers Initiative has been designed to provide practical tools and guidance, to help candidates to pursue their career aspirations through a three-day professional develop conference.   Working with professional trainers, mentors, Jacobsen and BIGGA staff, graduates leave FTMI with a clear understanding of what the future holds and a realistic overview of the expectations that come with a management position.    Applications for FTMI run from September until October, so if you're interested in taking the next big step in your career, head to the Member Opportunities section of the BIGGA website to find out more. Podcast The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

How many BIGGA members have had a run in with their club manager at one point or another?   It's almost inevitable, when two people are so passionate about the product they provide. At the same time, we're all under incredible stress to produce the goods, meaning that sometimes temperatures can get a little heated.   So during the Open Karl Hansell sat down for a conversation with Bob Williams, who is the chief executive of the Golf Club Managers Association. Bob is a former club manager himself and we wanted to hear things from the other side of the table, for some advice on how greenkeepers can help their club managers, and how the two can work together for the benefit of the club.   Additionally, the GCMA have recently launched a qualification that provides solid academic training, providing would-be club managers with the skills to make their careers a success. And we hope that among those candidates signing up to the course will be BIGGA members. The expertise greenkeepers gain out on the course in many ways makes them ideal candidates for a club management position. Head to the GCMA website if you're interested in pursuing a career as a club manager.    Entries are open for the BIGGA Photographic Competition and time is quickly running out. Click here to find out more about how you can get involved.   The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

This week is Women and Girls' Golf Week. It's an initiative launched by England Golf and supported by all the other home unions, the R&A and all the leading bodies in golf.   The concept of the week is to promote golf as not only a fun game for all genders and ages, but also a career option for ladies in what has traditionally been a very male dominated industry.   Here at BIGGA we have very few female members, numbering around just 20 in an association of almost 6,000 greenkeepers and that's pretty representative of the overall greenkeeping industry.    However, the ladies who do work in the profession speak of it with great affection, enjoying the lifestyle and the opportunities for career progression that it offers.   One of those ladies is Caroline Munro, who works at Bonar Bridge and Ardgay Golf Club up in the Scottlsh Highlands.   Caroline is the only greenkeeper working at the nine-hole golf club and so all the responsibilities for the preparation of the course rest on her shoulders.   Hers is a fascinating story and I hope you enjoy our conversation, recorded when I dropped in to visit Caroline a couple of months ago.   If you'd like more information about Women and Girls Golf Week, head to the England Golf website. You can also read Caroline's story in the July edition of Greenkeeper International and on our website.                                                                                                                     BIGGA has launched an HR service, available to every greenkeeper member.   Many small businesses don't have a dedicated HR professional as part of their staff. They're seen as a luxury that you just can't afford. And as such, matters such as employee handbooks, staff development and training, complaints and feedback, hiring the right individuals or overworking will be swept under the carpet and not dealt with effectively, making for a less than ideal working environment.   BIGGA has teamed up with Xact to provide every member with access to free help and advice to make your workplace a more professional and positive environment.   A team of qualified advisers will be on hand to assist BIGGA members with any HR problems that arise, with instant advice just a phone call away.   The advisors can help from the very early stages through to the conclusion of the matter and telephone and email advice is available for each case.   The helplines are available from 9 til 5 Monday to Friday.   The service is completely confidential and no contact will be made with your employer. The only things they'll ask for when you call are your full name, your start date at your current employer and your BIGGA membership number, just to make sure that your membership is still active.   Head to the BIGGA website to find out more. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

The issue of the availability of portable defibrillators on golf courses is one that has received a large amount of publicity in recent years, ever since Bernard Gallagher had his life saved using one.    So many golf courses have that one hole that the locals refer to as ‘cardiac hill' but for many golfers that joke has become a reality and it's a sad fact that incidents on the golf course are a fact of life… and death.   They have a defibrillator at Hickleton Golf Club near Doncaster and no one is more thankful for that than John Blackburn. In September last year John was playing in the club's Senior Open when he suffered a severe heart attack on the first hole. Over the next few hours his heart stopped and he effectively died at least five times. Luckily, however, the club's greenkeeper Carl Flavell is a trained first aider and the club had installed a defibrillator a few years earlier. Carl was able to use the equipment to get John's heart started over and over, until an ambulance arrived on the scene.   Last week, almost a year since the incident, John and Carl were reunited at Hickleton and they invited BIGGA's Karl Hansell along for a chat. If your golf course doesn't have a portable defibrillator on site yet, you're going to want to listen to this one…   The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.  

In this week's podcast Karl Hansell heads to the south coast to visit Phil Helm MG at Goodwood.   Karl spoke to Phil at the halfway house of Goodwood's Downs Course. You'd imagine that such a place, on a gorgeous summer's day on the South Downs, would be peaceful.   But this weekend at Goodwood is the Festival of Speed, where Ferrari, McLaren, racing drivers, celebrities and 70,000 other speed fans head to the estate for a celebration of everything on four and two wheels.   In charge of overseeing maintenance of the estate's two golf courses, farmland, horse racing track, airport and gardens is Phil Helmn, a Master Greenkeeper originally from Morecambe who moved to Goodwood five years ago.   If you've ever wondered how wide and varied the sports turf industry can be, and where golf greenkeeping can take you, Phil is the man to speak to.   So apologies that every now and then a helicopter or private aircraft flies past, but that's what happens when you're in a millionaire's playground! This week, the podcast also tells you about a new partnership between BIGGA and Campey Turf Care Systems.    This has seen BIGGA launch a brand new set of awards, available to  members and with an incredible prize up for grabs. There are three awards available.   The first is called New Media and looks at digital ways of connecting with customers to raise awareness of what you're doing out on the course. Perhaps you host a podcast like this one, your write a monthly blog or you've had success on social media. We're on the lookout for innovative digital ways of communicating with golfers and others in the industry.   The second award is titled ‘Outreach' and we're looking to hear about schemes where the greenkeeping team have got out into the community to build relationships. It can be a scheme with schools or a local group, with the intention of helping raise awareness of the good work that's taking place at the golf club. For both of these awards there's a £450 first prize, with the winners due to be announced at BTME 2020.   The final award is entitled Innovation and Thought Leadership and requires BIGGA members to submit articles for inclusion in Greenkeeper International. Articles can be about greenkeeping or any other topic relevant to life on the golf course. Each month we'll select an article for inclusion in Greenkeeper International, with the monthly winner getting a £100 Continue to Learn education voucher. Then at BTME 2020 we'll announce an overall winner, who will receive a £750 first prize and a money=-can't-buy week in Florida, where you'll visit TPC Sawgrass, the home stadium of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Daytona Beach Speedway and the Air2G2 factory. It's an incredible prize and we're thankful to our friends at Campey Turf Care Systems for their generosity. You can find out more by heading to our website.   The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGAon Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Episode 15 of the Green Room Golf Course Podcast crosses the Irish Sea a month ahead of schedule to chat with Graeme Beatt, who is preparing for the biggest four days of his career.   Following the conclusion of the US Open last weekend, the next and final major on the golfing schedule is the Open Championship, taking place this year at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.   This will mark the first time the Open has been held outside of England or Scotland since 1951, when Royal Portrush again hosted the event. Back then it was the flamboyant Max Faulkner who lifted the Claret Jug, the last Englishman to do so until Tony Jacklin in 1969.   There are some amazing stories waiting to be written this time out. Rory McIlroy shot 61 at the club aged just 16, while hometown hero Graeme McDowell will be playing on a course prepared by his brother and greenkeeper, Gary, who's a part of the Royal Portrush team. So there's tons to look forward to.   For Graeme Beatt, it's going to be the first major challenge of his career. The 39-year-old was born and raised in St Andrews and has been greenkeeping since 1995, when he spent the summer working at Scotscraig. His career has taken him to Kingsbarns, Royal Melbourne, Castle Dargan and County Sligo, before joining Royal Portrush as course manager in 2015, just a few months before the club was announced as the host of the 2019 Open. Throughout preparations for the event, Graeme has kept an incredible blog, that details everything the team has undertaken to get the Dunluce in championship condition for the Open. Head to the BIGGA website to find out more about the BIGGA Awards ahead of the closing day on 31 October 2019.  The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Hosted from 30 May to 2 June 2019, the Brabazon Trophy took place at Alwoodley Golf Club in Leeds.    The Brabazon is the short name for the English Men's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Notable winners over the years include Guy Wolstenholme, Michael Bonallack, Sandy Lyle, Ronan Rafferty, Charl Schwartzel. Alwoodley is a spectacular inland course designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, who went on to design Augusta National, Cypress Point and Royal Melbourne. However, Alwoodley was the first course he designed and so is known as the Original MacKenzie.   Set on Wigton Moor, Alwoodley is a natural heathland course and as such has springy fairways, areas of heather and natural-looking bunkers.   Responsible for maintaining the course for the competition was acting course manager Matt Brighton. Matt took over the role in March following the retirement of long-term course manager and BIGGA life member Philip Taylor.    BIGGA's Membership Services Manager Sandra Raper stopped by Alwoodley to find out how the team was getting on and to deliver some pork pies to keep them going.    While there she sat down for a conversation with Matt and James Crampton, the director of championships at England Golf, to discover what it takes to host a major amateur event. Away from the cameras and glamour that characterises The Open or other professional events, the greenkeeping team at the clubs that host amateur competitions want to put on a show of equal quality. However they must often do so with fewer resources and a smaller team, making the challenge even greater.    Also mentioned in this week's podcast are the BIGGA Awards, for which nominations have opened. The awards are an opportunity to recognise the incredible achievements of BIGGA members. We're looking to find out about those teams who have hosted a major event, like the team at Alwoodley, or perhaps they've completed a major project such as the renovation or rebuild of their course on limited resources. Maybe they've done incredible work to further the reputation of the greenkeeping profession – which can be charity work or just a lifetime of dedication? We want to hear each of these stories, so if you're a greenkeeper and you know of someone who's worked incredibly hard or you're just a member at a golf club and want to see your team recognised for their efforts, the BIGGA Awards are the place to go. Head to our website to find out more and there's also a link in the show notes.   As it's National Volunteer Week, Sandra also spoke to a pair of BIGGA members who have given up their free time to help out at the event.    30-year-old Jason Norwood is a greenkeeper at Rudding Park in Harrogate, while 29-year-old James Dawson is a greenkeeper at Oulton Hall in Leeds.   Sandra spoke to the pair about their reasons for volunteering at the Brabazon Trophy and how they'd found the experience so far. So thank you to Matt, James, Jason and James for talking to us, and thank you to Sandra for being our roving reporter on the day! Image courtesy of Leaderboard Photography. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using @GreenRoomBIGGA on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to our website.

Welcome to this week's edition of The Green Room podcast. This week's show kicks off with a conversation I recorded back at Continue to Learn in January with Mark Doyle, an actor who now [encourages professionals](http://www.the-method.com) to learn some of the lessons of his trade to enable them to perform better in front of an audience, such as management or your committee. Perhaps you find you've got the knowledge and the experience to do a job, but when it comes to an interview situation, nerves let you down and you don't do yourself justice. If that's the case, this is the interview for you.  We'll then follow up that conversation with a visit to [Sherborne Golf Club](http://www.sherbornegolfclub.co.uk) in Dorset to meet the entire greenkeeping team, who had also invited along a bunch of members for a course walk. It was a beautiful, sunny day down at the James Braid designed course. Sherborne was founded in 1894 and offers views over Somerset. In 2000, parts of the course were remodelled and lengthened, while there's a real drive by the team to increase their ecological offering. And I'm happy to say that the members of the club who we met were eager to do their part too.  After the course walk, I sat down with greenkeeper Ed Stant and James for a discussion about some of the things we'd seen. In this week's episode: [Acelepryn renewal](https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/pesticide-product-gets-emergency-authorisation.html)   [BIGGA Benevolent Fund Golf Day](https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/benevolent-fund-golf-day-2019-launch.html) [](https://www.bigga.org.uk/education/toro-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year.html) [Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards ](https://www.bigga.org.uk/education/toro-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year.html) [](https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/entries-open-for-the-bigga-photo-competition-2019.html) [BIGGA Photographic Competition 2019 ](https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/entries-open-for-the-bigga-photo-competition-2019.html) The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using [@GreenRoomBIGGA](https://twitter.com/home) on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using [@BIGGA_HQ](https://twitter.com/BIGGALtd). Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to [our website](http://www.bigga.org.uk).

This week's episode is a double header, starting with a quick conversation I had with last year's winner of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award. Dan Ashelby is a greenkeeper at The Mere in Cheshire, having been nominated at the award while working at Wilmslow Golf Club. As part of his prize Dan was invited to spend eight weeks at the University of Massachusetts and its Winter Turf School in addition to trips to the Golf Industry Show and a Toro manufacturing facility. Dan told me about it on his return to the UK recently. Nominations for [Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year](https://www.bigga.org.uk/education/toro-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year.html) – both the senior and the young categories – are open until the end of May. So if you're a greenkeeping student or you know someone who is a talented greenkeeping student, make sure you get nominating. You never know where it may take you! Following that, I had a conversation with Simon Parfry of [SoilBioLab](http://www.soilbiolab.co.uk). SoilBioLab have been helping growers, farmers and greenkeepers inprove plant health since 2014. The company takes a closer look at microorganisms within the soil and the impact bacteria, fungi, nematodes have on soil. From nutrient cycling to disease supression, a better understanding of soil on a microscopic level will help greenkeepers make the most of the resources available to them. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media using [@GreenRoomBIGGA](https://twitter.com/GreenRoomBIGGA) on Twitter we've also got a [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/golfgreenkeepers) page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using [@BIGGA_HQ](https://www.instagram.com/bigga_hq/?hl=en). Subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-green-room-golf-course-podcast/id1444414652?mt=2). The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding they will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to [our website](http://www.bigga.org.uk).

In 2019 the BIGGA National Championship sponsored by official golf partner Rigby Taylor will be hosted by both Formby and Formby Ladies. The courses have a very unusual set up, with the links of Formby, where only men can be members, entirely encompassing the Formby Ladies course, where membership is restricted - as the name suggests - to only female golfers. It's an unusual set up in today's world and yet, as Karl found out when he spoke to the course managers at both venues, it works, with members at both clubs benefitting from the arrangement. Both genders are able to play on each course, which are situated along England's golf coast in close proximity to three Open Championship venues and others that have hosted major professional and amateur events. For more information about the BIGGA National Championship sponsored by Rigby Taylor, [head to the BIGGA website](https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/bigga-national-2019-entries-open-for-formby.html). The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also get in touch via social media using [@BIGGALtd](https://twitter.com/BIGGALtd) on Twitter we've also got a [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/golfgreenkeepers) where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using [@BIGGA_HQ](https://www.instagram.com/bigga_hq/?hl=en). Subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-green-room-golf-course-podcast/id1444414652?mt=2). The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to [www.bigga.org.uk](https://www.bigga.org.uk)

The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the governing body for golf in the United States and Mexico. They work alongside The R&A to administer golf, including producing and interpreting the rules of golf. The USGA conducts the US Open, US Women's Open and 12 other championships, but for golfers and greenkeepers in the UK, it's probably through their famous and fabled USGA greens that you'll probably have come into contact with them. USGA specification putting greens have been the standard bearer for greens construction for nearly 60 years and you'll proudly hear of golf clubs advertising that they have USGA-specification greens, while others have to make do with 'push-ups'. If you're interested in learning more about the different types of putting green construction, I'd urge you to speak to your greenkeeping team to find out more. In 2018 the specifications for USGA standard construction were revised and we were fortunate that at Continue to Learn 2019, USGA agronomist Elliott Dowling delivered a series of workshops to BIGGA members. Elliott is the former course superintendent at Cress Creek Country Club and the Ivanoe Club in Illinois and undertakes course visits, educational outreach and research throughout the region on behalf of the USGA. While in Harrogate, Karl took the opportunity to speak to Elliott about the work of the USGA and whether he thinks the method of greens construction is still as influential today as it was in the past. We also spoke about the contrasts between American and European greenkeeping and it was fantastic to gain an insight into the intricacies of the golf industry from the other side of the Atlantic. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell, on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also get in touch via social media using @BIGGALtd on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to www.bigga.org.uk

In September 2018 the owners of Maywood Golf Club in Derbyshire announced the course would close its doors on 31 March of this year due to issues such as falling membership an increase in pay and play golfers and the ongoing VAT dispute. The Derbyshire course joins an increasing list of golf clubs that have fallen foul of changing habits, fewer golfers and a saturation in the number of facilities. Between 2014 and 2017, England, Scotland and Wales lost around 100 golfing facilities, but some would argue that 2,577 – the number of golf clubs left in 2017 – is still too many. But you try telling that to the greenkeepers who work at these facilities and who have put their heart and soul into maintaining the course. It's the conversation we all fear. One morning you come into work as normal and your boss calls you into his office. A few minutes later and you emerge, having just been informed that the committee or the board or the owner has made the decision to close the gates. You're just not making any money. Is there anything that can be done? Well, the staff and members at Gloucester Golf Club refused to accept the news when they were told their beloved course would shut down and in the two years since Head Greenkeeper Joe Curtis was called into the office for that fateful conversation, they have managed to turn the club's fortunes around and in the process have brought the members and the staff closer together than ever before. Myself and James Hutchinson sat down for a conversation with Joe to find out just how they did it. This month BIGGA has launched the [Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards 2019](https://www.bigga.org.uk/education/toro-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year.html) with our Partners Toro and Reesink Turfcare. You can find the details of how you can get involved with one of the most prestigious awards events in the industry in the latest issue of Greenkeeper international and on our website. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also get in touch via social media using [@BIGGALtd on Twitter](https://twitter.com/BIGGALtd) we've also got a [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/golfgreenkeepers) where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on [Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ](https://www.instagram.com/bigga_hq/?hl=en). Subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-green-room-golf-course-podcast/id1444414652?mt=2). The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to [www.bigga.org.uk](https://www.bigga.org.uk)

The course we're visiting this week needs no introduction. Wentworth is home to the European Tour and each year hosts the BMW PGA Championship. The courses and estate are under the stewardship of Kenny Mackay, the former BIGGA chairman who previously worked at The Belfry before joining Wentworth following the retirement of Chris Kennedy in 2012. Since then Kenny has overseen a number of changes at Wentworth, including a multi-million pound restructuring of the West course ahead of the BMW PGA Championship in 2017. But this year will see a challenge of a different sort as a mix up of the professional golfing schedule has seen the championship shift from its May date to September. Rather than signalling the start of the UK golfing season, the tournament will now in many ways signal its conclusion. You can be certain that the West will be in unbelievable condition, but don't assume that it won't be the result of an incredible amount of hard work from the home greenkeeping team. I spoke to Kenny about how he has adapted his working calendar to suit the changes and how he anticipates preparations going ahead of the tournament.  The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell, on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For questions, comments or concerns, you can get in touch with me by emailing karl@bigga.co.uk. You can also get in touch via social media using @BIGGALtd on Twitter we've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using [@BIGGA_HQ](https://www.instagram.com/bigga_hq/). Subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-green-room-golf-course-podcast/id1444414652?mt=2). The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get more information about BIGGA and how it can improve your career and your course by heading to [www.bigga.org.uk](https://www.bigga.org.uk)

This week's podcast features a conversation with Kevin Moore, club manager at Whitwood Golf Club in West Yorkshire.  Whitwood is a nine-hole course constructed on the site of a former coal mine spoil heap. It's a modest club, but it's playing a massive role in getting people in the local area into golf. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast and we hope you enjoy finding out a little more about the science and art of golf course greenkeeping in the UK. We'd love to hear your feedback on the podcast and all the other activities undertaken by BIGGA throughout the year. If you'd like to get in touch with me about the podcast or our stable of magazines, Greenkeeper International and Your Course, email karl@bigga.co.uk. Take the opportunity to rate us on Apple Podcasts as it'd be good to get this to the top of the list. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get in touch via social media using @BIGGALtd on Twitter or join our hugely-popular Facebook group which can be found @golfgreenkeepers. We've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. The Green Room Golf Course Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For more information about BIGGA and the work of golf greenkeepers everywhere, head to www.bigga.org.uk

This week's podcast features a conversation with The R&A's director of sustainability Steve Isaac.  Recorded at BTME 2019, Steve discusses the Golf Course 2030 project and how the courses of the future may look, including the increasingly-important role greenkeepers will play in the success of the game. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast and we hope you enjoy finding out a little more about the science and art of golf course greenkeeping in the UK. We'd love to hear your feedback on the podcast and all the other activities undertaken by BIGGA throughout the year. If you'd like to get in touch with me about the podcast or our stable of magazines, Greenkeeper International and Your Course, email karl@bigga.co.uk. Take the opportunity to rate us on Apple Podcasts as it'd be good to get this to the top of the list. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get in touch via social media using @BIGGALtd on Twitter or join our hugely-popular Facebook group which can be found @golfgreenkeepers. We've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. The Green Room Sports Turf Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For more information about BIGGA and the work of golf greenkeepers everywhere, head to www.bigga.org.uk

In the podcast this week, Karl visited Chris Sheehan at West Derby Golf Club in Liverpool, ahead of his becoming BIGGA President for 2019. Chris has been at the club for almost four decades and yet he continues to be an incredible supporter of education and career development within the association. There's also a closer look at the finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2019, with the winners due to be unveiled on Tuesday 22 January at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration sponsored by Jacobsen, taking place during BTME 2019. Thanks for listening to this week's podcast and we hope you enjoy finding out a little more about the science and art of golf course greenkeeping in the UK. We'd love to hear your feedback on the podcast and all the other activities undertaken by BIGGA throughout the year. If you'd like to get in touch with me about the podcast or our stable of magazines, Greenkeeper International and Your Course, email karl@bigga.co.uk. Take the opportunity to rate us on Apple Podcasts as it'd be good to get this to the top of the list. The more people know about the sports turf industry, the more understanding people will have about the hard work of BIGGA members and other greenkeepers. If you'd like to get in contact about any other aspect of your BIGGA membership, including member benefits, support, or learning and development, call 01347 833800 or email info@bigga.co.uk You can also get in touch via social media using @BIGGALtd on Twitter or join our hugely-popular Facebook group which can be found @golfgreenkeepers. We've also got a Facebook page where all the latest notices, news releases and information from BIGGA can be found. We're also on Instagram using @BIGGA_HQ. The Green Room Sports Turf Podcast is produced by Karl Hansell on behalf of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. For more information about BIGGA and the work of golf greenkeepers everywhere, head to www.bigga.org.uk