84-year-old greenkeeper wins award

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An 84-year-old greenkeeper who has barely missed a day’s work since he joined his club 28 years ago has received a special recognition award.

Jeffrey Jones arrives every day for work at five in the morning – despite having a 45 minute commute, and has no intention of retiring and does not even want a lighter workload.

The long-serving greenkeeper at Carden Park has been rewarded for nearly three decades of service with an ‘Unsung Hero’ honour at the 2024 Chester Hospitality People Awards.

A popular figure with staff and guests alike since 1996, Jones was nominated for the award by his colleagues at Carden Park and was announced as the winner at a ceremony at Chester Racecourse.

Jones has been an established member of the team at Carden Park through a period of extensive change, arriving shortly before the opening of the Nicklaus Course – designed by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus and his son Steve – in 1998. The 84-year-old has scarcely missed a day’s work since, helping to keep both courses in pristine condition for generations of guests.

After 28 years on the job, Jones shows no signs of slowing down and retirement is not on the horizon. With a near-peerless knowledge of all 1,000 acres of Carden Park’s country estate, the invaluable expertise of Jones and his colleagues has helped the venue earn a nomination for ‘England’s Best Golf Hotel’ at the 2024 World Golf Awards.

Peter Pattenden, estates manager at Carden Park, said: “Jeff has to commute 45 minutes to get here every day, but you could set your watch by him arriving in the greenkeeping warehouse and popping the kettle on for his first-morning brew by 5.10am prompt.

“Jeff’s experience, broad skillset and work ethic cannot be rivalled. His manager has tried to implement discrete changes to help ease his workload, but Jeff sees right through this every time! We certainly feel very lucky to still have him as part of the team and it’s fantastic to see him recognised with this well-deserved award.”