Pete Newton, Course Manager at one of Europe’s longest golf courses, is celebrating after he became the 66th BIGGA member to achieve Master Greenkeeper status.
Pete supervised the construction and grow-in of the course at Rockliffe Hall in County Durham - which only opened six years ago - and has played a key role in its meteoric rise to prominence. The championship course, which measures 7,879 yards from the back tees, has hosted the PGA English Senior Open and the Matchplay Final of the William Hunt Trilby Tour plus various charity events.
Pete Newton
Pete began his greenkeeping career as a trainee at Rochdale Golf Club in 1997 while studying a HND in Turf Science and Golf Course Management at Myerscough College.
He then had spells at the Marriott facilities at Forest of Arden and Worsley Park, gaining vital tournament experience at the English Open and the British Masters, before moving on to a Deputy Head Greenkeeper role on the Brabazon Course at The Belfry.
In 2008 he joined Rockliffe as Head Greenkeeper, and was named Course Manager last October. He heads a team of nine greenkeepers and a mechanic plus four seasonal greenkeepers and four members of staff from the estate.
He said: “I’m obviously really pleased, the first thing I did was tell all the guys here who seem pretty chuffed for me. They’ve put a huge amount of effort into this course and this achievement is as much to do with them as it is me.
“We’ve come a long way, from seeding all the greens and using a Portakabin as an office in 2008 to creating something that so many golfers say is an amazing course.
“It’s been a real challenge. When I first arrived here everyone said we would never be able to sustain creeping bentgrass greens because it’s too wet in the north east. But we’ve proved them wrong and we’ve had so many fantastic comments on the surfaces here from professionals and amateurs alike.”
BIGGA’s Master Greenkeeper scheme is the ultimate qualification for BIGGA members who have reached the highest standard in greenkeeping and golf course management.
It’s a three-stage process involving the awarding of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for education, training and experience, then an assessment of the candidate’s golf course which is carried out by two Master Greenkeepers.
The final stage involves the completion of a case study and a technical exam which is then marked by a panel of assessors.
