South Herts course manager Sean Brocklehurst discusses the reality of greenkeeping in 2026 — from managing record-breaking weather patterns and anthracnose to deploying robot fairways mowers and building an onsite reservoir for long-term sustainability.

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

Depending on the time of the year, I arrive at the club around 45 minutes ahead of the team – so 4:45am in the summer or 5:45am in the winter months. I have always done this to do a brief course inspection and ensure the work plans are adjusted for the day if needed. Most importantly, I can ensure the kettle is filled up and ready for when the guys arrive!

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

There are currently seven of us in the team including myself, though we are running one less at the moment and are actively recruiting. We share most work tasks on the course but I do tend to keep the same individuals on certain operations such as spraying to keep consistency.

How do you motivate your colleagues?

Sweet treats! I try to ensure the work environment is as relaxed as it can be so to ensure everyone is enjoying work and not under unnecessary pressure. I have been fortunate at this club in that I have inherited a very hardworking, dedicated team who really get stuck in and just get on with the job. I also think it’s so important that the sheds and workplace facility that the guys are working out of is kept clean, tidy and organised. This can greatly improve morale and ensure the team take pride in the workplace and their work on the course.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?

I have always been a hands-on manager. I enjoy being out on the course with the team and find it’s so important when running such a tight number of staff for a 27-hole facility. I particularly enjoy working on projects during the autumn and winter months, seeing them through from start to finish and for our members to enjoy the finished results of our work once completed. During the summer months when the course is all presented to its best, there is nothing more enjoyable than to sit on the terrace at the clubhouse (maybe with a beer!), overlooking our first hole and take in all the efforts that you and the team have produced.

And the least satisfaction?

The biggest challenge with greenkeeping is the weather. It has become extremely unpredictable and impossible to judge. In the three years I have been here, I have experienced the wettest year on record and last year, being one of the driest ever on record. It is unsatisfying to put in all your best efforts and work hard on a golf course, for the weather to be against you and cause your work to fail. I know a great deal of course managers struggled last year to combat the summer and the prolonged period of dry weather. Without a sufficient water source and modern irrigation systems, it was challenging for us to say the least.

Have you attended any courses recently?

Unfortunately I have not attended any courses recently, the last event was the annual educational seminar at Oaklands College. Andy always puts together a great day of speakers and it’s always good to network with fellow turf managers. I also find that everyone is so accessible these days for advice and information is so readily available with the internet, that the desire to attend some courses is becoming less necessary.

What is your favourite season of the year and why?

My favourite season is always spring. I love seeing everything start to grow, trees starting to bud and blossom. Last year we did not get much of a spring (if any!) and went straight into summer. This year I am praying for a favourable spring like many course managers. Our fairways were knocked back greatly last year and we have done a huge amount of work to get them back but we now need a kind spring to ensure the full regain of these areas.

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

Absolutely! It is becoming one of the greatest challenges to manage. Winters are wetter and summers are drier. To contend with the winter, we are ensuring our course drainage is inspected and checked regularly. Ditches are scrapped during summer months and outfalls reinstated. We also highlight areas during the winter requiring additional drainage and ensure we plan in work with contractors in the following late spring / early summer. During winter months, regular checking of ditches and clearing is vital to ensuring water is moving off the course as quickly as possible. To deal with the summer months, it’s now become so important to data manage. Daily moisture readings can allow you to keep on top of the plant’s requirements. The appearance of a golf green can be so deceptive with regards to moisture content, with products such as wetting agents effectively masking what’s really going on.

Have you had to overcome issues with disease or pests?

One of the biggest threats for our golf greens in this area is anthracnose. I had little issues with this disease at my previous club, so when seeing it attack here in the summer months of 2023, I was shocked at its relentless effort. I have learnt from this and now act earlier, ensuring products are applied as early as possible ahead of high-pressure windows. I monitor the weather very closely and log data daily from our onsite weather station, which can enable me to better pinpoint times when anthracnose can be an issue. Sensible cutting heights, knowing when to back off and good balanced nutrition is fundamental to managing and preventing anthracnose.

What piece of equipment would you say is the most popular and frequently used by you and your team?

This does change throughout the year for me. We have a package of Baroness machinery that is being delivered this year. Within this are Baroness LM311 ride-on greens triple mowers. When we demoed these machines, the cut quality was unbelievable! I have always been so impressed by the cut quality of all Baroness equipment, so this is something that will make a huge impact to our surfaces at South Herts this year. Also, I can’t not mention our recent purchase of three Kress KR327s. The finish and overall presentation / definition on the fairways since the arrival of the Kress robot mowers has been unrecognisable for us this time of the year. The plan is to run these machines on our nine-hole course during the summer, where they will manage the fairways, rough and the driving range facility. This will save us a great deal of hours which I can then reallocate to our 18-hole Vardon Course.

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

Yes we do. We measure and manage moisture using a moisture monitor and run an electric greens mower on our fleet. We also have a contract with STRI, receiving an annual visit from our agronomist, Stella Rixon. Keeping this relationship and having annual soil analysis ensures we tailor the nutritional programme to ensure our approach is always sustainable. It also allows us to keep up to date with industry initiatives and make changes to the annual maintenance programme if required. We are also in the process of planning for an onsite reservoir, harvesting water from the course to fill it. This will make us less reliant on our borehole during high stress periods and ensure we do not have to use any mains water.

What do you do to support wildlife?

This is something I am very keen to improve on each year. We have in recent years introduced owl boxes across the site and now have a total of 12 homemade boxes around the course. Last year we introduced our first wildflower area which was a huge success. The area was an impressive display for members and guests to enjoy and the plot was thriving with wildlife during the summer months. We have future plans to create a wildlife garden in an area adjacent to our 18th tee, in memory of Harry Vardon. We also plan to install further wildflower areas, with an area already underway behind our 9th green.

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

There have been so many great pieces of software and apps developed in recent years that assist turf managers. I use TurfKeeper to manage my stock, budget and daily work plans. I utilise Weather Check from Origin and use the turf advisor app from Syngenta to allow me to make decisions regarding timing of spray applications and general day to day maintenance activities on the course. That being said, I think it’s important that we do not always constantly rely on technology and don’t lose ‘sense of touch’. Our general senses and walking / observing / constantly sampling our turf and soil can and should give us a huge amount of information and dictate work plans.

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

I am not the greatest user of social media but I do have a LinkedIn account, which I use to follow updates from fellow turf managers. It can be informative at times, but it can also attract a great deal of problems with not being able to compete fairly. Every golf course and its landscape is unique and has to be managed individually. So individuals that tend to copy and mirror others can face some challenges, if not careful.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?

The aspect of the industry that needs to be improved and further addressed is its accessibility. I was fortunate enough to be bought into the industry through my father, who has recently retired after 50 years! I do understand BIGGA is doing a great job in addressing this and new initiatives are being created to allow the industry to be highlighted to schools and colleges. However, I am finding it so challenging when faced with recruitment, to get people through the door. It’s becoming challenging to get young individuals from school and college to choose or even be aware of greenkeeping.

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

Listen to your elders and absorb as much knowledge and advice as possible. I learnt so much watching and listening to well respected people from the industry. Next, work hard though college, do as much education as you are comfortable doing. Apply yourself to opportunities and initiatives such as the Future Turf Managers Initiative, BIGGA Delegation and Toro Student Greenkeeper of The Year. Build your CV and profile up so when you are in a position to be promoted or step into a managerial position, you have a display of achievements to show. Talking is so important too – ask questions and speak to individuals at events such as BTME. That’s something this industry is great at, networking. We all love talking about grass and our golf courses so take all this in and, you never know, one of those connections or conversations could provide the opportunity to take the next steps in your career.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I spend any leisure time I have with my family. I have three young children that keep me very busy outside of work. They also act as a great distraction at times, as we often know this job can be hard to switch off from and something that can quite easily consume us if not careful.