The course manager at Tall Pines Golf Club in Bristol, Marc Rossiter, takes us through his average day.

What time do you arrive at the club and what is your morning routine?
We arrive at the club just before 6am. First job is to double check the tee sheets / bookings and the weather forecasts for the day. We’ll then have a quick chat about world affairs (and more importantly football!) before the day’s tasks are shared out and course set-up begins.

How many people are there in your team and do you share tasks?
In total we currently have five greenkeepers including myself – two of the team are relatively new to greenkeeping but are progressing really well. The end goal is that everyone can do all tasks competently as this offers flexibility and variety for everyone when organising daily schedules.

How do you motivate your colleagues?
I try to keep everyone motivated by keeping them well informed of plans and strategies regarding the course and I always take on board their opinions and points of view so that everyone feels involved in the delivery and the direction the course is taking. All positive feedback or reviews we receive are always shared, and during the season we all try and get out for nine-holes after work once a week. We are very much a team, and this is the ethos I like to promote.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?
I’ve been at Tall Pines for 30 years in June and there are so many things that have given me a lot of satisfaction over this time – seeing the course at its best for a tournament or event, watching golfers sink that long birdie putt or seeing someone you have worked with or mentored progress with their career within the industry to name but a few. What has probably given me the most satisfaction is being part of the journey and witnessing the course evolve and mature into what it is today.

And the least satisfaction?
Having to close the course or impose restrictions due to poor weather. People are using their leisure time to visit us and having to take actions which will reduce their enjoyment is very frustrating, even when it’s out of your control.

Have you attended any courses recently?
No, I haven’t attended any courses recently, unfortunately. It is something I need to look at to try and make more time for.

What is your favourite season of the year and why?
I think all the seasons have their plus points, but it’s difficult to beat a good spring day. After a long winter, everything is beginning to show signs of life and you can start presenting the course at its best again.

Are you witnessing evidence of climate change and has your job had to adapt to changing weather patterns?
Up until last year I would have said we are seeing less distinct seasons, but we definitely had a good summer in 2025! Winters do feel warmer and we seem to get a lot more days with very high rainfall over a short amount of time, which can be very destructive.

Have you had to overcome issues with disease or pests?
We’ll always get the odd outbreak of fusarium during the autumn, and over the last couple of years we’ve seen signs of dollar spot on a green and a couple of tees, which is a new disease for us. The biggest pest we’re having to deal with is probably leather jackets and crane fly, which seem to hatch throughout the season now, making any kind of control a challenge.

What piece of equipment would you say is the most popular and frequently used by you and your team?
Our new Baroness LM551 fairway mower is very popular at the moment. Having previously had two LM2700s and being a big fan of those machines, I was worried the LM551 wouldn’t measure up. However, operator comfort, serviceability and its ability to follow some of our extreme contours have all been improved.

With a growing focus on sustainability, do you deploy any sustainable practices in the management of your course?
We took the decision quite a few years ago to move away from chemical and mineral fertilisers as much as possible, and to focus more on soil health and biology, using a variety of natural and organic products, especially on the greens. As a result, the greens are healthier and recover better from times of high stress and disease.

What do you do to support wildlife?
Over the years we have increased the amount of long grass areas around the course significantly, planted wildflower areas and introduced habitat and log piles in out of play woodland areas. Through this work, we are proud to have a thriving and very varied wildlife and bird population, which can be seen around the course.

What are the technological developments that you feel have been the most important in your career to date?
For me, the improvements in the quality and variety of the machinery we get to use nowadays has made so many more jobs achievable even with a relatively small team. I have to say the cutting units on the Baroness mowers were a game changer for us. Going forward I think robot and autonomous mowers are going to play a much bigger part within our industry.

Do you use social media professionally and what do you think this contributes to the industry?
The club uses social media as a channel to keep people informed and promote good things happening around the place which can be very useful as it reaches so many people. Equally, if abused or not carefully monitored, it can quite easily provide a platform for a lot of negativity.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?
The obvious answer is to increase salaries – greenkeeping is way too skilled to be a minimum wage career! While it continues to be perceived as such, it will be difficult to bring new people into what I believe is an amazing and very fulfilling industry.

What advice would you give to a young greenkeeper starting out today?
Speak to your peers and others within the industry, ask lots of questions and challenge the answers! New, fresh ideas is what will keep driving the industry forward… what got us here won’t necessarily get us there!

How do you spend your leisure time?
I’m quite an active person so my leisure time is often spent playing golf, running and spending as much time as possible with my family – watching my son play football or going to the gym with my wife and daughter.