A day in the life: James Lockwood

By Alistair October 26, 2024 08:50

James Lockwood, the head greenkeeper at Came Down Golf Club in Dorset, in which legends J H Taylor and Harry Colt were both involved in the design of the course, takes us through his average day.

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

I arrive at the club around 5:40am, check emails and put the kettle on before the team arrive at 6am. Most of the work has been organised the day before, so we have a quick team briefing to make sure everyone is aware of their jobs and then it’s out onto the course.

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

We are a small team of five, including myself. We share jobs around the whole team which is great for developing everybody’s skills and means I can be confident that anyone can cover any task if there are last-minute staff shortages. It also helps to avoid complacency which can occur doing the same job all of the time.

How do you motivate your colleagues?

I would love to say I am a great motivator but as a small team we are great at motivating each other! We all have an eye for detail and enjoy the high praise we get from our members. Sharing our jobs constantly in all weathers keeps everybody engaged and focused to provide the best course we can. Regular briefings give the team the chance to bring their ideas forward and we will discuss the pros and cons together which I find is excellent for keeping the team invested in the golf course.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?

Our job is unique in the way that it gives you the feeling of having two jobs. The greatest satisfaction through the summer months is seeing the course presented and playing to a very high standard, and through the winter I get great satisfaction seeing a project come together – whether it is redesigning bunkers, levelling tee areas or woodland management. The knowledge you are improving the course for the following year is a great feeling!

And the least satisfaction?

The things that give me least satisfaction are pitch marks and unraked bunkers. These are basic golf etiquette and it is frustrating to see areas that we spend most of our time on left in such a poor condition after play. I am trying to improve communication and understanding with our members, which will hopefully change things for the better.

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

I haven’t attended any courses as such but have recently returned from Royal Troon where I was lucky enough to be part of the BIGGA support team for The Open. It was a great experience to be involved with such a big event and it was amazing to see how the course was prepared for the tournament. As a team we also attend Saltex every year, which is excellent for making contacts and seeing some of the cutting-edge technology being brought into the industry.

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

My favourite season has to be spring – finally putting winter’s struggles behind you and seeing the course return to life. Areas of hay rough are starting to grow, they give well needed definition to the holes and the promise of some warmer, drier weather on the way (fingers crossed!)

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

We are definitely seeing changes in weather patterns which are merging the seasons. We are an exposed site and when I first joined Came Down we used to see cold, dry winters which would give us hard ground frosts for weeks at a time sometimes. The last few winters have been much milder and wetter. This has prompted us to do some drainage work to improve and future proof some of the areas which have suffered over the last couple of years, as I believe that wetter winters are here to stay, unfortunately.

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

As an exposed site we suffer little disease and manage to keep it under control using moisture management and cultural methods including aerating regularly, top-dressing and keeping the sward healthy. I have found the use of Suståne fertiliser in our feeding programme really effective in reducing stress and disease in the turf. We have five greens which are sheltered and shady and we treat these with a preventative systemic fungicide in late September and then roughly every four to six weeks based on conditions and weather. At the moment we don’t seem to have a problem with pests but it’s something I keep a close eye on to make sure we deal with it quickly if it occurs.

Do you have a feeding programme for your greens, how do you ensure these retain good colour?

Our greens are kept healthy using Suståne organic fertiliser as a base feed every 12 weeks, topped up with a liquid foliar feed and a liquid ‘root drench’ monthly. I have found Suståne to be really effective, giving great control without the big flush of growth which can affect speed and roll on the surfaces. Came Down is a cold site and we use Suståne 10-1-4 during spring maintenance at the beginning of March to give the greens a nice kick. We then use the 5-2-10+Fe at half rate through the summer and 5-2-4 in the winter. Suståne alone gives great colour but, if required, we top this up using our sprays which I developed in conjunction with Agrovista.

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

Sustainability is a big thing in the industry now and we are aiming to reduce chemical needs by using organic products and cultural methods to retain turf quality. We have also started moving to electric machinery, currently we have two electric utility vehicles but I am looking to continue this into mowing machinery.

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

I have found the advancement of moisture meters crucial to irrigation programmes, with the link to your phone / tablet allowing you to store the information as you take it and giving you great accuracy in delivering water to the necessary areas. This, along with new technology in mowing and aeration machinery, allows you to complete work more efficiently and to a higher standard.

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

I am part of a few greenkeeping Facebook groups but rarely post myself. I find these useful for advice and information from fellow greenkeepers as well as gaining some ideas that may be adaptable to us from other people’s experiences and photos.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?

Greenkeeping is a wonderful career, but I have found most people have fallen into it by chance. There needs to be a drive to make young people aware that this is a career you can be successful in. Salaries at the entry levels are low and when coupled with early starts, working in challenging weathers and weekends this can put off potential employees. I also believe we need to find a way to educate the people using our courses so that greenkeepers gain the appreciation and respect they deserve for the hard work they put in.

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

Greenkeeping can give you a great quality of life. Embrace the challenges, work hard and gain as much experience as possible. If you apply yourself every day, ask questions and learn, this job can take you anywhere you want to go.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I play a little bit of golf but most of my leisure time is spent with my wife and kids.

My wife always has a nice list of DIY jobs for me around the house, but we love to get away when we can and enjoy camping trips through the summer.