Stephen Leighton, the head greenkeeper at Holme Hall Golf Club in Lincolnshire, takes us through his average day.

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

I generally arrive at the club around 5:30-5:45am and have a short walk out onto the greens and around the clubhouse as these areas give me a pretty good idea of conditions around the rest of the course. I’ll then grab a coffee, check the tee sheet for the day and allocate jobs to the guys with any further information they may need.

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

We have recently recruited a fifth member of staff which has been long overdue. Everyone shares tasks as I think it’s good to have variety instead of doing the same, mundane tasks over and over again.

How do you motivate your colleagues?

I am very lucky in that the team are, in general, all very motivated! The atmosphere is great and we all talk openly and freely with each other if we ever need to. I am also a big believer in giving time off when needed and it’ll only be a very rare case where I’ll say no to leave – the team work so hard here that I think it’s only fair to them to allow that luxury.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?

I am a big fan of winter work. We do an awful lot of that work in-house so to see that all come together before the start of the season is very rewarding. We have just self-installed a full Rainbird IC irrigation system, so when the last head was installed and the system went live on my computer that really was the most satisfying thing to see. I breathed a very large sigh of relief that day! I also particularly enjoy coming out on an evening in the summer at the end of the week and seeing the course prepped and ready for a weekend.

And the least satisfaction?

I think the least satisfying part of the job is when weather conditions undo weeks or months of hard work in a very short period of time. Whether it’s prolonged rain, drought or a late frost, nature has a habit of reminding you who is the boss!

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

I have not attended any courses this year due to workload. The last course I attended was on the R&A 2030 programme at BTME, which was good to get an understanding of how we can adapt our practices and become a more sustainable operation.

What is your favourite season of the year and why?

I would say that spring is my favourite time of year. After a harsh winter, it’s very rewarding to see the turf begin to recover, leaves begin to appear on trees and the golf course beginning to look more vibrant and bright.

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

Over my career, I’ve noticed weather patterns becoming less predictable and more extreme. We’re seeing periods of prolonged drought followed by heavy rainfall events that can deliver a months’ worth of rain in a matter of hours. For a golf course, both present challenges. As a result our approach has had to evolve. We place greater emphasis on water management, drainage performance, moisture monitoring and selecting maintenance practices that improve turf resilience. Planning has become much more dynamic because conditions can change very quickly. Greenkeeping has always been about adapting to the weather, but the range of conditions we now experience means we need to be more proactive than ever to maintain high-quality playing surfaces throughout the year.

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

Like most courses we’ve had to deal with our fair share of turf diseases and pests over the years. One of the challenges we continue to manage is take-all patch on a small number of greens. Alongside this we’ve been working hard to reduce organic matter levels as maintaining a healthy, balanced rootzone is key to producing firm, resilient playing surfaces and supporting long-term turf health. Fortunately, we don’t suffer from significant pest damage overall and our biggest challenge tends to be moles rather than insects or larger-scale infestations.

Do you have a feeding programme for your fairways?
How do you ensure your greens have good colour?

We try to keep our feeding programme on fairways on the lighter side. I’ll usually make a low rate prilled urea application two to three times a season and then additional applications of a wetting agent to keep on top of moisture retention. We have pure sand-based fairways so the wetting agent helps us in keeping some moisture. As for greens we also take a light-feeding approach, applying less than 100kg N/ha/year as part of our strategy to encourage bent grass populations and maintain firm, sustainable surfaces. Throughout the summer we place a greater emphasis on potassium to support stress tolerance, water regulation within the plant and overall physiological resilience during periods of heat and drought stress. We use a combination of Protec and Turfcomplex from Origin Amenity Solutions alongside a wetting agent programme with TerraFirm applications to optimise moisture management and rootzone performance. During the winter months, we switch to Origin’s 20-20-30 programme to provide a balanced nutrient input while maintaining plant health and colour through periods of lower growth and reduced recovery potential. The aim is to produce healthy, resilient turf with good natural colour year-round rather than relying on excessive nitrogen inputs.

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

Sustainability is becoming increasingly embedded in how we manage the course, and for us it’s as much about efficiency as it is about environmental messaging. We operate a relatively low-input nutritional programme and make use of weather forecasting to ensure we’re only applying water and products when conditions actually require it. The data-led approach helps reduce waste and improve consistency across the playing surfaces. A key development for us has been the investment in a fleet of robotic mowers for rough management which are due to arrive any day now. This will significantly reduce our reliance on diesel machinery, lower our overall fuel usage and free up staff time for more skilled agronomic work, while still maintaining standards across the course. Overall, the aim is to run a more efficient, precise operation that delivers high-quality surfaces while reducing unnecessary inputs where possible.

What do you do to support wildlife?

We place a strong emphasis on encouraging wildlife across the course and are fortunate to have a number of naturally suitable habitats already in place. We currently have around 30 bird boxes in use this year, along with two barn owl boxes and two kestrel boxes which have successfully produced young each season. We also have a tawny owl box, with the tawny returning again this year which was particularly encouraging to see. We also have oystercatchers successfully breeding on site, and a red kite has returned to the area which is another positive sign of the wider ecological value of the course. Beyond birdlife, we regularly see deer and a healthy population of brown hares across the course which further reflects the biodiversity the site is able to support. A lot of this work is heavily supported by knowledgeable and enthusiastic members who take a real interest in conservation and help with monitoring, maintaining and even building the boxes themselves.

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

The biggest technological developments in my career have been in data, precision management and efficiency. Moisture meters have probably had the most immediate impact on day-to-day decision making. Instead of relying solely on visual assessment and experience, we can now accurately measure soil moisture and make more informed irrigation decisions, which has improved consistency and water efficiency. Irrigation systems have also advanced significantly, with modern control technology such as CirrusPro, allowing far more precise targeting of water and better responses to changing conditions. We’ve also benefitted from better forecasting tools, turf management software and digital record-keeping, which together give us a much clearer picture of conditions and help us plan maintenance more effectively.

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

I’d say I’m still developing my use of social media. I probably wouldn’t class myself as an expert on it, but I can see its value both personally and for the industry. My deputy is more active and does a good job of sharing what we’re doing on the course. We’re also trying to rebuild our wildlife page, which is something I fully support. From my perspective, social media has been a real positive for greenkeeping – showcasing what we do behind the scenes and giving people a much better appreciation of the detail and effort that goes into course presentation and agronomy. I think the key is using it properly – it can be a great tool when it’s used to show real work and real conditions, rather than just the polished, end results.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?

I think the greenkeeping industry is in a strong place in terms of technical knowledge and standards, but there are a few areas where it could be strengthened further. One is continued investment in training and development. The level of science and technology involved in modern turf management has increased significantly and making sure that greenkeepers at all levels have access to ongoing education is really important. I also think the industry needs to do more to raise its profile. There’s a lot of highly skilled, scientific work that goes on behind the scenes that golfers don’t always see or fully understand, and anything that helps to communicate that better can only be a positive. Finally, I think one of the ongoing challenges in the industry is making sure the level of responsibility and skill involved in greenkeeping is properly reflected in how the profession is valued. Modern greenkeeping is highly technical and requires a broad skill set, and that isn’t always fully recognised.

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

It’s a great career and very rewarding, but it is hard work. You spend a lot of time outdoors, in all conditions, and the standards expected today are extremely high. My advice would be to take every opportunity to learn. The industry has become much more technical, so understanding agronomy, machinery and how different practices affect turf performance is really important. I’d also say don’t be afraid of putting the hours in early on. Experience on the ground is invaluable, and the more situations you see, the quicker you develop as a greenkeeper. Most importantly, take pride in the details. The difference between a good greenkeeper and a great one is often the small things you do consistently every day.

How do you spend your leisure time?

Family time is the priority for me – I’ve got a wife and young son, and they’re a big part of everything I do outside of work. My son is very active, so I spend a lot of evenings watching him take part in different sports and it’s great seeing him develop. My wife will also come down once or twice a year to help on an evening shift changing holes for the two-day competitions. It’s become a bit of a tradition for us and we call it our ‘golf course date night’! When I do get time to myself, I play golf and I’m a big football fan, so I’ll get across to watch Manchester United whenever I can.