Architect and Greenkeeper: The Dream Team

EIGCA members, Vice-President Tim Lobb MEIGCA and Steve Ritson MEIGCA, joined a panel of four with Sam Thomas of GEO Foundation and Andy Ewence, Course Manager at Woking Golf Club, England.

Led by Tim Lobb, the discussion focussed on the importance of collaboration between the two professions around the areas of:
+Determining the brief
+Implementing a plan and the design process
+Construction phase
+Ongoing relationships

Six polls were run throughout the webinar which give EIGCA members valuable insight into the thoughts of Greenkeepers.

1. Would you feel confident to carry out remodelling of the golf course features including green, bunker and tee shaping?
+Yes, confident to carry it out myself (14%)
+Yes, under direction from a golf architect (64%)
+No, leave it to contractor and golf architect (21%)

2. Where do most problems occur on the golf course that take time or specialist machinery?
+Greens (53%)
+Tees (0%)
+Fairways (7%)
+Roughs (0%)
+Bunkers and edging (40%)
+Water features (0%)
+Trees and shrubs (0%)

3. Do you think appointing a golf course architect to review the golf course could …
+Help resolve specific problem areas for maintenance? (44%)
+Reduce long-term maintenance costs? (56%)
+Would not be a good investment? (0%)

4. Is your golf course GEO certified?
+Yes (17%)
+Planning to be in the near future (17%)
+No (67%)

5. Should the reduction in chemical availability influence golf course design?
+Yes (70%)
+No (30%)

6. Will robot mowers mean that golf architects should change the way they design?
+Yes (29%)
+No (71%)

The webinar was recorded and is available for EIGCA members in the members’ area of our website. Remember to log your CPD credits after watching it.