“It is amazing having this green space on your doorstep”

By Alistair November 9, 2024 10:08

Here, we take a look behind the scenes of a typical day for James Bledge, links manager at one of the most prestigious links golf clubs in the world, Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake), where he lives.

Here is how James Bledge describes a typical day, even if no two days are the same. In particular he explores how cutting-edge technology assists in course upkeep and seamlessly becomes an extension of the greenkeeping team:

04.50 – Alarm

No matter how many years you have been an early riser, it never gets any easier! I am extremely fortunate however, as my office is a couple of steps outside my front door.

I jump straight in the shower; I’m not quite physically and mentally prepared at this age to have a cold shower, so a nice hot one is just the ticket!

05.00 – Morning stretches

Like many greenkeepers I suffer from a bad back from years of raking, repairing pitch marks, and lifting sodden, wet revetting turf. My dogs love to clamber all over me, and often have a stretch too!

05.15 – Fire up the coffee machine

A coffee always sets me up for the day – flat white, latte or cappuccino.

05.20 – Check the daily plan

I check that the plan is relevant from when it was made the previous night – has the weather changed anything? Do I have the correct number of staff? I make sure I am settled on this before my management team comes in before 6am.

05.30 – Review Husqvarna Fleet Services

I ensure ‘Trevor’, ‘Cilla’ (both Husqvarna CEORA™) and ‘Robochop’ (Husqvarna Automower® 550) have had a successful night cutting and are where they should be. At the moment [early autumn], the machines are cutting the turf nursery, driving range, kids course and pathways. The robots are extremely reliable, and any adjustments we make to their areas and schedules help us achieve our very best from them. The Fleet Services app lets me know how long they spend cutting, charging and parked so I can utilise them as efficiently as possible.

05.45 – Deputy and first assistant arrive

We discuss the day ahead, and often the plan is tweaked as they may have seen a more efficient way to carry out certain tasks or wish to re-prioritise jobs.

06.00 – Team briefing

I sit down with the team on Monday morning and communicate the plan for the week. We check in and make sure everyone is happy and if there are any issues to be resolved. We then discuss jobs in detail and occasionally the football results which are often the reason why the team ‘doesn’t like Mondays’.

06.05 – Course setup begins

Sometimes on a Monday, we top-dress which can be stressful when the weather doesn’t play ball, and you have targets to meet. Our senior greenkeeper sends all the Husqvarna mowers to pre-mapped maintenance points where they undergo their weekly washdown and the blades are checked. If they are showing signs of wear, he swaps them out with discs that have been pre-equipped with fresh blades to ensure the quality of cut remains as high as possible.

06.30 – Onwards

After a check in with our mechanic, I head out to the course to ensure everything is running according to plan. Sometimes I will rake bunkers, set up the range or do some cutting. I try to prioritise jobs that can carry on should I be pulled away to do something else. My morning consists of making sure all the jobs are going according to plan; I often take pictures and make notes about tasks or ‘snag jobs’ that need carrying out by the team in the afternoon.

I will have a lot of emails which I try and action, so I don’t forget them. I also return to my whiteboard during the day to make sure the plan is set for the rest of the week.

The remainder of the day is filled with meetings, budget accounting, reports, rep visits and planning. Lately, I have been collecting honey with our lovely neighbour and we sell ‘Hoylake Honey’ behind the bar for charity. The days seem to fly by and before we know it the team is leaving at 2pm.

18.00 – on occasion, I will have committee meetings in the evening

Usually this involves a presentation which is in front of a committee of eight people, which I really enjoy. I also record a ‘Golf Badgers’ podcast with my friend Sam ‘The Badger’ Cooper, where we chat all things greenkeeping and architecture with a variety of interesting guests.

20.00 – drive around the course with the kids before bed

I love to see the headlights on the Husqvarna mowers as they start their night shift. It’s also good to see any irrigation working away before bed so I can rest easy. Sometimes if there is a nice sunset, I send the drone up to get some photos for the club’s social media.

Some people may think living on-site isn’t for them, but when the success of the golf course means so much, I can solve problems faster and easier which in turn relieves any stress, as issues are dealt with there and then and very rarely taken to bed. It is amazing having this green space on your doorstep.