Following the festive period, we now move on to our next journey - the start of a new year that will no doubt bring many challenges, opportunities and changes in the way we manage our amenity land assets in the coming year.

There will be exciting times ahead. Managing and maintaining an ever-changing, living landscape has always been a challenge. The sheer diversity of it all is immense. Not only do we have to cope with the expectations of the end users, but constantly be ahead of weather fronts and developing technologies.

Not having a crystal ball makes it difficult to predict what the future holds for our industry and those who work in it. However, for me there are three areas of contention I would like to see our industry overcome in the next few years. These being:

• better recognition of the work of done by grounds professionals that would hopefully lead to better pay and conditions;
• a national recruitment campaign to get new blood into the industry;
• and a review of the education pathways on offer to people working in our industry. 

Essentially, we need to glamourise and showcase what we do to entice the next generation of paid grounds professionals. On top of that we also need the government to recognise the value of public parks and open spaces.

I personally would like to see our local authorities prosper with the availability of enhanced funds to reverse the decline of many parks and open spaces and see many more parks being awarded Green Flag status. Last year we had over 2000 parks awarded Green Flag in the UK.

Technology and innovation are moving at a great pace. Robotic mowers and battery powered equipment are becoming more wildly used in both the domestic and professional sectors.

The use of hybrid powered machinery will continue to grow, while larger petrol and diesel-powered vehicles will come under increased scrutiny.

There is no getting away from it, the smartphone and computer technologies are only going to increase and become a larger part of our industry in the coming years. We are already seeing the development of drones and robotics taking off at a rapid rate. Battery powered mowers are now at the forefront of many mower manufacturers minds. We have an array of cordless mowers and other implements being made available by a plethora of manufacturers.

I personally find it mind blowing to see the total range of machinery and hand-held tools we now have at our disposal, compared to 30 years ago. All are aimed at increasing efficiency, quality of work, and safety of the operator.

As mentioned in my last editorial, I would like to see our industry formally come together collectively to promote the values and opportunities that are available for this next generation and find a way of selling and portraying the values of working in this sector. There needs to be a national strategy that funds the opportunity for the industry to be promoted in every school. We need to show that there are many career opportunities to be had in our diverse sports turf and amenity industry.  

We also need to remind people that most of our work relates to maintaining a living environment that is essential for the wellbeing and survival of mankind.  

Winter works

As for sport, spare a thought for the professional groundsmen who will be getting on with the difficult job of preparing pitches for matches during the months of January and February. 

Greenkeepers will also be busy trying to keep their courses open and playable during this spell of wet weather. Reducing traffic damage is always a priority at this time of the year. Many clubs ban the use of trolleys and golf carts, unless they have a decent pathway or road system running through their course. Planned winter works will be a priority, with ditch cleaning, bunker refurbishment, and tree work some of the jobs that get done at this time of the year.

We should have all made some new year’s resolutions. January is a good time to plan and prepare your annual work requirements. Quite often new budgets are set in January, so it is clearly a good time to start putting things in place. January is also a good time to send your machinery away for its annual service, so it is ready for the start of a new growing season that is less than 12 weeks away.  

And finally, just a reminder that the date of this year’s BTME show in Harrogate has been moved to March and will commence Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 March 2022, with Continue to Learn taking place from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 March 2022. 

Etesia UK say they are delighted to welcome Fentons of Bourne to its dealer network.

Fentons of Bourne

Fentons of Bourne, a local family-owned business situated between Bourne and Market Deeping, say they have recently bolstered in two key areas. 

“We have stopped domestic business and have instead decided to go down the professional and commercial route,” said Glen Bellamy, managing director. “In addition, we have also focussed on increasing the hire side of the business, and we feel the Etesia brand will fit nicely into both of these.”

Fentons of Bourne will be offering the full range of Etesia products in the areas of South Lincolnshire, North Cambridgeshire, and some parts within the Norfolk border. 

“I’ve been familiar with the Etesia brand for many years, and I have been speaking to the company for about 15 years,” continued Glen. “It now felt like the ideal time to become an Etesia dealer because it fits in perfectly with everything we do.

“We are looking at targeting schools and colleges, where there is a big need for products such as those from Etesia. Furthermore, many of our customers have older Etesia pedestrian mowers which could do with upgrading. We feel it is time for them to see just how far the brand has developed because they will see the benefits.”

As well as being optimistic about the products, Glen says that he is looking forward to working more closely with Ian Collington, area sales manager for Etesia UK.  

“With Ian we know his phone is always on and he is there to support us. To be honest it is nice to see that we have an area manager that still has a van with some kit in it and is prepared to get his hands dirty! That goes a long way in my book.”

Taking place throughout January, #Run1000 is back for a second year, with teams representing the home nations (plus New Zealand!), all doing their bit to raise funds for various charities.

TurfPro owner Duncan Murray-Clarke has his running shoes on (and littler collecting bag in hand!) and is running for the England team. You can pledge to support him here.

Duncan said, "Throughout the month of January I'll be taking part in the #Run1000 challenge aiming to walk and/or run as many miles as possible to raise awareness of mental wellbeing in rural areas. It's a great cause that affects all our readers."

Organisers of the mental health fundraiser, say they are looking to set a new record this month. Launched in 2021 by founder Sheena Horner, who started running again in lockdown for the first time in 20 years, the campaign was joined by over 1,200 participants last year who walked or ran during the month of January.

Each step counted towards their country’s collective miles, ultimately raising £51,545 for charity. 

With teams this year from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and New Zealand, the teams are not only competing to be crowned winners but also raise more money for their chosen charities - RSABI, DPJ Foundation, Embrace Farm, YANA, Farmstrong New Zealand, Farming Community Network, The Gamekeepers Welfare Trust and Vetlife. 

If you want to get involved yourself, it's not too late to sign up. Go here, choose the team you'd like to represent and get running!

Shropshire FA has said they are ready to bolster the offering from the new ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign with help from Campey Turf Care Systems.

Jason Mood, Campey Turf Care; Dave Simpson, Shropshire FA Chairman; Andy Weston, facililty and investment lead; Mick Murphy, Shropshire FA business manager

The new initiative from the Premier League, The FA, and the Government’s Football Foundation aims to revolutionise the state of grass football pitches in England. The mission set out by the Football Foundation is to improve over 7,000 grass pitches by 2024 and 20,000 by 2030 to ensure the 12 million grassroots footballers have great places to play.

A significant part of this is reducing the 150,000 cancelled matches due to poor pitch quality last season, and at Shropshire FA, this role falls to Strategy, Facilities and Partnerships Lead Andy Weston.

With over 20-years of experience in football administration, Andy is no stranger to the impact pitches can have. After seeing Campey in action at an open day, he chose to work with them to push their pitch improvement efforts for 180 clubs in Shropshire forward. Jason Moody, product specialist for Campeys, has worked closely with Andy to ensure that the right balance of equipment and back-up support was in place.]

“Campey has a track record of working with a number of other County FAs, and we did a demo day with them at one of our clubs, and they gave a run-through of the machinery they offer, what it does and gave some hands-on tips. We had several clubs come along, and the feedback was great, so we decided to make something more formal to showcase what they do and how it can improve pitches in our county.

“High-quality pitches are vital to the game, and we are in a position now where the funding and opportunities are there to support the volunteers who work tirelessly week in and week out, and the expertise of Campey is really important to what we want to achieve.
 
“The game can’t run without volunteers and particularly at grassroots level. You’re reliant on them, and it’s imperative that organisations like Campey are on hand to work with us to provide that support and knowledge on the ground. In these last 18 months, we have all spent a lot of time on Zoom calls. Still, in this instance, I don’t think you can beat being on the ground and hands-on with the equipment because any little snippets of information they can share with those grounds people is invaluable. I think even the most experienced grounds people will benefit from having a conversation with Campey and listening to their experts.
 
“As well as Jason from Campeys, we are also working with Pitch Advisor Kevin Duffield, so with all those different bodies involved, it is really helpful to the grounds teams up and down our county.”

Teams in Shropshire range from AFC Telford United down the football pyramid to Sunday league outfits. The one thing they all have in common is the need for a good pitch, and through this initiative, Andy aims to make the whole of the county a better place to play football.

SALTEX have announced the results of their post-show survey of exhibitors.

According to organisers the GMA, 93% of exhibitors said the show generated new sales leads, while 96% believed SALTEX was perfect for promoting and maintaining their company profile.

In addition, 81% of exhibitors said that exhibiting was important to their overall business strategy and 82% believed it was a perfect opportunity to meet existing customers.

When asked to rate their primary target audiences, the below sectors received the highest number of responses. 

• Professional sports - 48%
• Local authorities, councils, parish, town planning - 48%
• Contractors – land construction, grounds - 41%
• School, colleges, universities - 40%
• Dealers, distributors, retailers - 40%
• Landscapers - 33%

Furthermore, 71% of exhibitors stated that they will be returning to exhibit at SALTEX 2022.

This year's edition of the show will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 2-3 November.

Dennis and SISIS have confirmed that they will be exhibiting at the 33rd Sports Turf Managers Association Conference & Exhibition (STMA), which is taking place on 19 and 20 January 2022 at the Savannah Convention Center in Georgia.

Since 2015 the annual STMA has been a fixed date in the diary for Dennis and SISIS, who say their products are becoming increasingly popular with sports turf managers throughout the USA. 

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see three products on the stand in the form of the Dennis G860 cylinder mower, the Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower and the SISIS SSS1000 sweeper.

A number of experienced turf experts from Dennis, SISIS and Eckert Golf Sales Inc will also be on hand at the exhibition to speak in more detail about the products and will also be able to provide advice on how to improve a wide range of sports surfaces.

AREAS OF CONCERN

View all of 2021's blogs here

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

THE GREEN REVOLUTION
And Esker Hills

MAKING A CHANGE
Laytown and Bettystown Golf Links

A DAY AT THE RACES
Naas Race Course

WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE VOICE
How the industry needs to proceed

OVER 175 YEARS OF EDUCATION
Wesley College

ELECTRIC EXCITEMENT
Dennis's Ian Howard talks electrification

THE HOME OF CORK GAA
Páirc Uí Chaoimh

LONG POLE BATTERY HEDGE TRIMMERS TESTED
STIHL HLA 66 and HLA 86

OVER 800 YEARS OF HISTORY
Johnstown Castle and Gardens

A CLUB GONE WILD
Kilkenny Golf Club

A GOLF COURSE IN THE GARDEN OF IRELAND
Woodenbridge GC

80 YEARS YOUNG
Charleville Golf Club

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE
Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club

GETTING BACK TOGETHER
Albeit gradually . .

GO WEST
Inishturk GAA pitch – one of the most westerly sportspitches in Europe

WORKING ON A TIGHT BUDGET
Nenagh Golf Club

ON A MISSION
Wrekin Golf Club aiming to enrich wildlife and fauna

WILD AND WONDERFUL
Design By Nature

LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE
Abbey Par 3

TACKLING OBESITY
Vital that schools can provide sport

A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Vital for turf professionals

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
Tullamore Golf Club

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES
At Trinity College Dublin

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

Naas Golf Club was established in 1896 as a nine-hole course. It is one of the oldest clubs in Ireland and has just celebrated 125 years in exixtence in 2021. Originally known as the County Kildare Club it has expanded from a twenty member club to today’s membership of eleven hundred.

When the club affiliated to the GUI in 1907, the nine-hole course was located at the Decoy, just outside Naas. It was to move three more times before finally settling at Kerdiffstown in 1941. In the 1980’s it expanded to an eighteen-hole golf course with the clubhouse overlooking the 1st and 18th holes and the Wicklow Mountains.

David Behan has been a course manager for twenty five years, eighteen of which have been at Naas. He began working there in July 2003 after working previously at Killeen Golf Club and Navan Golf Club. He was president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland (GCSAI and now called the Association of Turfgrass Professionals Ireland) from 2007 – 2009. David is always keen to learn and in 2015 he received a Diploma in Integrated Pest management from University College Dublin (UCD). This qualification means that he can be a legal advisor on Integrated Pest Management in Ireland. David also studied Sportsturf Management at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin.

David Behan, the Course Manager at Naas Golf Club 

Back in 2000, seven new greens were constructed. There were already eleven poa greens (including a putting green) in existence. Dave realised that in order to have the same putting consistency throughout the course, the best strategy was to allow the native poa greens to become the dominant sward. As we all know too well, there is some pain in realising this but once you commit to the idea there is no going back. “It took over ten years for the greens to convert” said David.

During 2015 and 2016 nine holes (2 – 10) were redeveloped at a cost of €400,000. During this redevelopment, which saw the redesign of these holes, temporary greens and tee boxes were put in place. The holes were designed by Jeff Lynch and the late Paul O’Brien of re-Golf Design. One feature that was introduced to some of these holes was a new style of grass bunkers that included a type of revetted vertical grass embankment. I have never come across this feature before on a golf course. It will be interesting to see if it will catch on to other golf clubs. The newly designed nine holes have greatly improved the layout of the course. David hopes to see Naas Golf Club develop into an eighteen hole ‘finished’ course. 

The 12th hole showing one of the new types of grass bunkers that were recently introduced to the course

David has worked with various agronomists and agronomy companies over the years and has seen different styles of management from each. In conjunction with his current agronomist, they have come up with a programme of maintaining the native (and hard wearing) poa greens in a sustainable way. This is a continuous learning curve for David. David feels that, with many of the major tournaments in Ireland being played on predominantly poa greens, there should be more support from governing golf organisations to encourage the growing and maintenance of native grasses. “Poa is a natural predator, so why compete against something that is native to the environment. It’s hard to compete with nature, we try work with it as best we can,” said David.

A view of the 13th hole. Photo David Behan

David believes in best practice for plant health. He achieves this by properly managed fertiliser inputs on the greens as well as using growth regulators and plant protection products in a managed way. “I get my timing of applications from up to date data such as soil temperature, organic matter levels, humidity, temperature and Growth Degree Days. All this information gives me an indication for the best time to apply products”, said David. With regard to disease control, David applies fungicides on a ten to fourteen day preventative programme during high disease outbreak periods. However, as each year passes, fewer chemicals are becoming available to the greenkeeper to treat against disease, due to EU regulations. Those chemicals that are legally available have less efficacy than the ‘old reliables’ that have since been removed from the market. “There is an expectation from golfers that diseases can be controlled in the same way as they were a few years ago. They expect more from less products. Because our choices of chemicals are limited this is not always the case. I think golfers expectations are higher than what is happening in the real world. Getting this message across and educating the golfer on this topic is a challenge in itself ” said David. “I thought that by 2020 we would have no chemicals available to us but, thankfully, there are still four types on the market” he continued. David believes that having a healthy sward will be an advantage when it comes to disease supression “It may take a little longer to control the disease but if you have healthy grass your turf will always recover in the end” said David.

The 7th green features some grass bunkers

Staff

David has five full time staff, which includes a mechanic and also some seasonal staff. He used to have eight but budget constraints within the club has reduced this number. David hopes to get back to eight staff in the future. The staff who operate chainsaws and carry out spraying operations are legally trained to do these jobs. David Garland is David’s assistant. He has seen many changes over his twenty two years working at Naas. 

Some of the staff are keen golfers, which David encourages. “If you play the game of golf it invariably follows that you think like a golfer when it comes to course maintenance. You know what is expected. It comes natural to you” said David who once had ambitions of becoming a professional golfer himself, but when he got a summer job on a golf course he then developed a love for greenkeeping.

The greenkeeping staff from left: Andrew Brennan, Alan Rawlins, Tom Maxwell, David Garland, John O’Brien, David Behan

Covid

David and his team managed to get in some extra projects around the course during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Projects included introducing wild flowers to the 3rd hole, creating an azalea and rhododendron planting bed, clearing some of the woodlands, bulb planting, upgrading the bunker complexes on the 12th hole and even the building of a new practice green. However having the course closed did not sit well for David. “I found it very uncomfortable having no golfers playing the course. It was a very strange feeling not being able to prepare the course for golfers to play on. Even though we still maintained the course and were able to get in some extra projects. However, adding new features to the course was great and the members appreciated them too”, said David. He also believes that a golf course is a safe place to play and is now accepted as an important social outlet.

The new azalea and rhododendron planting bed that was added during the 2021 lockdown

Environment

Talking to David, one would think that he is more of an environmentalist than a greenkeeper. Perhaps he is, (he has three beehives at his home) but either way, the role of greenkeeper and nature conservationist work hand in hand. This is very evident at Naas. The areas of the course that are set aside for wild flora and woodland are huge. There are approximately twenty five acres of unmaintained woodland alone and forty acres of maintained rough (without fertiliser inputs).  In fact the only areas on the course that get nutrient inputs are the greens, tees and fairways which make up around thirty five acres.

Wild flora add a lot of colour to the course during the summer. Photo David Behan

In late summer around two acres of high grass growth is cut down and gathered up. This encourages wild flora, which thrive best in hungry ground. Because of this practise, a natural colonisation of wild flora has occurred. Mindful of these wild areas around the course, David uses anti drift nozzles when controling weeds on tees, surrounds and fairways so as to reduce spray drift contaminating the wild flowers. 

The 17th hole, a tough par three 

Several years ago the club invested in a water recycling facility which avoids contaminated water run off into the drains and water courses. The club is very consciences about their waste management program. This involves using separate bins around the clubhouse and tee boxes.  

Maintaining the course to the highest standard possible is part of David’s daily work schedule. However, David believes that being a course manager is not just about maintaining a golf course. “I believe that the golf course should be treated like a premium product. This product is what the golfer is buying into when they become a member so it must be as near perfect as possible for them, not just from a maintenance point of view but also from a design aspect as well”, said David.  David is a man that always looks ahead to the next project. His ambition is to have an eighteen hole course at Naas that offers a fair challenge to all golfers. “At the end of the day golf is a just a form of recreation for our members but it is also our profession and we are very passionate in what we do. The golf course is a premium product for golfers. In order to keep up with their expectations, continouos investment needs to be put into the course. This is so important” said David. Having a complete course would be David’s ideal legacy. He is well on his way to achieving this. 

The 9th hole is guarded with plenty of bunkers