This smartphone picture wins greenkeeping prize

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This image taken on a smartphone has won first prize for a greenkeeper in a competition.

The spectacular dawn image of a greenkeeper preparing his course at a Welsh golf club claimed first prize in the annual ‘BIGGA Photographic Competition’.

The judge’s favourite 12 images have been selected for inclusion in the greenkeeping association’s calendar for 2017. Almost 250 BIGGA members took part in an online vote to help determine the competition winner.

The theme for this year’s competition was ‘Life on the Course’, with images focusing on the hard work and dedication of greenkeepers, most of which goes unseen by golfers.

There were spectacular sunrises and sunsets, beautiful wildlife and a whole load of mud, rain and snow, but in the end there could only be one winner.

Wrexham Golf Club’s acting deputy head greenkeeper John Parry used his eye for a photograph to capture the winning image.

The photograph, taken on his Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone, shows a silhouetted greenkeeper installing a hole on the club’s 6th green at dawn one morning.

“I’m over the moon,” said John. “There were a lot of really good pictures entered into the competition, I can’t believe it. It was a beautiful morning and I was out with my boss changing holes. I took hundreds of photos that morning, and I saw him on the 6th hole with the sunrise behind. He didn’t know I was taking the photo and so it was very natural.”

John scooped the top prize of an Apple watch. He will also be presented with a framed print of his photograph at BIGGA’s annual trade exhibition, BTME.

The BIGGA Calendar 2017 has been sent out to each of the association’s course manager and head greenkeeper members.