A day in the life: Paul Hay

By Alistair November 28, 2024 10:00

The head greenkeeper at Craigielaw Golf Club in Longniddry takes us through his average day.

What time do you arrive at the club and what is your morning routine?

I am usually at the greenkeepers’ complex 30 minutes before our scheduled start time. I’ll open up and, depending on the weather, make any adjustments to the work schedule that I had planned the day before.

How many people are there in your team and do you share tasks?

There are seven of us in total currently, but we will be looking to expand in the near future. In the summer we have two students that help us with setting up the course in the morning. We do share tasks to an extent, however when it comes to cutting fairways, tees and aprons the same people look after their respective sections through the season. Doing it this way, I feel they will maintain their machines better and that presentation is delivered to a higher standard.

How do you motivate your colleagues?

We retain a good team ethic and the staff enjoy receiving lots of positive feedback from the membership and guests. This is the best motivation, knowing that their hard work is paying off. We also try and go out on social nights as much as possible.course.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?

Having an effective team to work with and having a forward-thinking club that supports you and your decisions.

And the least satisfaction?

Probably having the work programme set for the week and not being able to complete the jobs that are scheduled because the course is so busy, or the weather has changed.

Have you attended any courses recently, and if so, what did you take away?

Unfortunately, I do not get much time to attend courses but I do always try to go to BTME in Harrogate. It’s a great opportunity to see new products, machinery and catch up with people that you only probably see once a year.

What’s your favourite season of the year and why?

It has to be the summer – early starts, birds singing and some relaxing views with clear skies.

Are you witnessing evidence of climate change and, if so, how has your job had to adapt to changing weather patterns?

I would say yes in that we are definitely experiencing more frequent and intense weather patterns.

Have you had to overcome any course issues with disease and / or pests?

We tend to unfortunately have issues with pecking on certain greens in the early summer, with crows trying to find grubs. They hang around for a couple of weeks but, thankfully, do not cause too much damage.

What piece of equipment would you say is the most popular and frequently used by you and your team?

The club bought a Redexim Multi-Seeder 1200 three years ago which has been great. We use it a lot on all of our surfaces and being so quick and easy to set up has transformed our overseeding operations.

With a growing focus on sustainability, do you deploy any sustainable practices in the management of your course?

We are part of an estate so we’re always looking at what we do. At the moment, we’re exploring if / how we could harvest our own sand for our bunkers. We are also looking at our rough management, in particular using the cuttings in the winter to create compost that we can then use elsewhere on the course.

What do you do to support wildlife?

The club has bird boxes on the hedgerows, together with a couple of owl boxes. I am also looking into some beehives and producing our own honey which we could then use in the clubhouse.

What are the technological developments that you feel have been the most important in your career to date?

I would say data analytics and the ability to track turf health – tools like weather stations and soil moisture probes and so on.

Do you use social media professionally and what do you think this contributes to the industry?

I use X and find this is a great tool to promote the work that is getting done and promote the golf club as a whole. I also find it a useful education tool as you can see what other people are doing and take inspiration and ideas away to try in your own situation.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?

Unfortunately, costs are increasing across the board for products and machinery, especially since Covid. I can’t help but think that we’re going to see a lot of golf club closures over the next five to ten years, and would like to see the companies that supply the products helping out more to attempt to cap prices.

What advice would you give to a young greenkeeper starting out today?

You need to love the job you do to do it well. Understand the basics first and make sure that you deliver attention to detail on any work that you do. Also, seek mentorship from your peers – there’s a lot of good people out there to learn from.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I enjoy walking my dog in my leisure time. I also play lawn bowls and a bit of golf… if the weather is kind!