Meet the course manager: Overstone Park’s Lawrence Ryan

By Alistair August 21, 2018 13:50 Updated

The Northants club was sold last year and its course manager talks about a forthcoming bunker reduction programme thanks to new an investment from the new owner

Set in 193 acres of Victorian countryside, the 18-hole Overstone Park Resort in Northamptonshire was opened in 1992 by Sharron Davies MBE. Within 20 years it was the host venue for the 2012 NGU Ladies and Gents County Championships, and the following year hosted the 2013 County Higgs Bowl, which it hosted again this year.

GreenKeeping caught up with its course manager – the scratch golfer Lawrence Ryan, to find out how his team maintains the venue.

How did you end up as the course manager at Overstone Park and how long have you been there?

I started greenkeeping at the age of 16 after starting as a bunker raker at weekends and school holidays at a course I learnt to play golf.

After finishing school, I quickly learnt that working outdoors in an industry that combines physical and intellectual tests was what I wanted to do – and decided to get a good trade behind me.

I was promptly sent to Moulton College to complete my NVQ2 and NVQ3 complete with spraying and chainsaw certificates to give me a good foundation of knowledge to develop as a greenkeeper.

At the age of 20 I decided I wanted to learn at Moreton Morrell under Andy Turnbull, my club supported me in doing a foundation degree knowing the advantages in knowledge and experience I would gain. These were very long days as I would start at 6am and not finish college often until 8pm having work again the following day. Knowing the advantages and what good stead gaining this qualification would have, I passed with a distinction after a lot of hard work.

I have been course manager at Overstone Park now for two years which was a fantastic opportunity to further my career and again grow as a greenkeeper.

What is the size of your team?

We have a team of five greenkeepers including myself, Craig (deputy), Neil (mechanic), Glen, Tom (apprentice) and a summer seasonal. Along with this I am also responsible for two landscapers, Stuart and Michael, who oversee the outside maintenance for 115 lodges. We do all the mechanics in house using Bernhard Grinders which is playing a huge part in minimising disease, improving surfaces health and playability.

What exactly are you and the team responsible for across the estate and course and how do you manage the workload?

We are responsible for the overall playability and presentation of the whole site at Overstone Park, we now have great communication across the business network with regular head of department meetings set up by our new resort director Neil Campbell.

We plan weeks and months in advance around golf days and competitions, with the course taking number one priority.

You play golf to a high standard, how often do you try to play and in what ways does this help you maintain the course?

I play golf two or three times a week during the summer in scratch team matches, competitions and invitationals, this gives me a good benchmark to determine how we are performing against some of our local courses.

This also gives me the chance to see our course as a member and to understand some of the criticism, although not always just, through their eyes.

How many bunkers do you currently have across the course and are there any plans for renovation and redesign?

As we have recently had a new owner, Kirk Andrews, and resort director, Neil Campbell, they are both very keen to invest and improve the product we offer. As well as listen to the current members and their feedback when it comes to investment. With this said there are plans for major investment towards the course, gym, swimming pool, hotel and restaurant.

We are going to be removing around six bunkers from our 40 in a bid to focus on the playability, drainage and consistency of our existing bunkers. This decision has not been taken lightly but based on the customer feedback we have already received.

The course has a good number of trees with TPOs (Tree Preservation Orders). What challenges does this present and what general woodland management programme do you run for the maintenance of these?

We currently prune and crown raise trees as part of our winter schedule, something myself and the deputy Craig was very keen to implement. We have many trees with TPOs, which we must go through council applications to do work on. To do this we use HTC Arbor Services to consult with the council and carry out the works to the highest standard required as the guides from the local council can be very thorough.

What machinery fleet are you currently running and how does this suit the needs of the team and course? Are you looking for any additions to add, if so, what?

We currently run a mixture of Toro and John Deere machinery with incredible back up from Ben Burgess, our local John Deere supplier.

While I do not prefer any particular brand I believe the after service is very important and getting the right machine for the job at a competitive price is paramount.

What irrigation system are you currently using and how is it set up across the course, what is the source of your water, how do you manage it and how do you ensure maximum efficiency of use to maintain the plant health and playing surface?

We currently use the original Watermation irrigation system but have this year invested £15,000 in a new tank and pumps, increasing the efficiency and reliability which is so key when trying to manage moisture levels. We try to hand-water as much as possible the hot spots in a bid to keep the recommended levels for our USGA spec greens.

You have a SISIS Flexibrush amongst your armoury, please can you give a description of this piece of kit, how it helps and what it does for the course?

This is attached to our new John Deere tractor which we tow behind to remove the dew / worm casts, stand the grass up and increase the after appearance of a cut. It has hydraulic floating arms which is perfect for moving around our course and is so easy to fit on and off.

On what areas and how often do you use the Flexibrush?

We use the Flexibrush once a week for different reasons depending on the time of year, the width makes its such an easy piece to use – and the time effectiveness of it.

How much of a difference does the Flexibrush make to the quality of cut, the health of the plant and presentation of the fairways? How easy is it to maintain?

It is very easy to maintain and is very noticeable the difference the brush makes in the consistency of the fairways and their health and playability.

What do you think are the strengths that have carried you through your career and current position at Overstone Park and what are your goals for the course?

Since having a new owner and resort director their direction and ambition for the business to drive the club forward is fantastic, they are very keen to invest in the right areas and drive the reputation and product of the course forward.

I think getting the unpinning knowledge through qualifications and experience combined helps identify some areas we are all keen to improve and drive forward.

What height of cut do you use across the course and what man hours are spent mowing weekly?

Greens, 3mm-5mm depending on time of year and ground conditions. Tees, 8mm. Semi rough, one inch. Rough, two inches, which takes approximately two days to cut.

This has been reduced dramatically by growing natural rough areas in to add definition and more importantly encourage wildlife and habitat on the course.

You invested a lot of time into your education and training, and understand the importance and value of this. What do you do to ensure Overstone Park is investing in raising the standard of practice and performance of the greenkeeping team members to benefit them and the course?

We have a training budget at Overstone Park as investing in staff is very important, currently have one apprentice and are in the process of advertising for a second as well as having one person doing their NVQ level 3. This is all done through Myerscough College by a former greenkeeper, Simon Dadge; he does regular work-based learning where I have the opportunity to get involved in the development.

What fertiliser programme do you run across the course and what products are you using?

We use Headland Amenity predominantly for all our fertilisers, wetting agents and fungicides, using a programme specifically for our needs.

I have used them for several years and feel very confident in the service, products and results I get, and the in-depth analysis and support Andy Lane at Headland Amenity gives us.

The pressures on the course manager to deliver a better product are growing year on year and the level of professionalism is rising with this. What do you think are the qualities now needed to meet the requirements and demands of golfers by someone in your position and how does this help contribute to the business of golf?

I think having a solid base of qualifications and working experience at private members’ clubs and municipal courses has stood me in good stead for career progression.

Accompanied with my experience as a good golfer helps me communicate and to see the course through their eyes is a huge advantage, even communicating to them for instance helps improve their knowledge and understanding in a way that is not too technical.

I also have a good team around me which is paramount to everything we do in making sure everything is involved in what we offer and develop going forward.

What currently gives you the greatest satisfaction from your job, how do you feel daily when you are moving around the course looking at what you and the team have achieved and what do you feel are your biggest achievements to date?

We hosted the Higgs Bowl at Overstone this year – a prestigious county competition which was very satisfying to get unbelievable feedback and show the standards we as a team achieve.

It gives me great satisfaction the course is improving both health wise and playability, and the team is contributing towards building the reputation of Overstone.

With your experience, what advice would you give to youngsters starting out and wanting to pursue a career in the profession today?

I would suggest get qualifications and knowledge to underpin the experience you will pick up, listen to the professionals around you and learn from mistakes because I’m positive there will be a few.

With all the research done in the industry, products and approaches are changing all the time so nobody will ever have all the answers. It’s a great job and profession and something many people will be envious of.

What changes do you think need to be made to benefit the industry sector and profession of the greenkeeper?

More in educating the golfers and golf clubs in what we do and the challenges we have in an ever-evolving and sometimes stressful industry. We do far more than just cut grass which still a minority of people think is greenkeeping; it’s a trade and a profession and should be looked at as that.