Message Board: Natural Turf: [CLOSED] what is a groundsman?

24th Nov 2009 by allan m

We are always talking about the image we portray as professional people, so if you had to describe to someone who had no idea, what a groundsman is, what would you say?

Dictionary definition:

'somebody, especially a man, who maintains a playing field or the grounds of a property'

24th Nov 2009 by ANTI FA

Hoop's what if those of political correctness see the
'especially a man' statement.... food for thought

my description would be on the lines of ' a person who cares and provides natural or artificial surfaces for the pursuit of a leisure activity.

that should get the ball rolling LOL

Who said there was light at the end of the tunnel

24th Nov 2009 by Charles Johnson

Is there a groundsman other than a sports groundsman ?

I would not talk about someone who mows verges or maintains an estate as being a groundsman, these people are grounds maintenance contractors or gardeners unless they specifically look after the croquet lawn or grass tennis courts etc.

Someone who brushes an astro pitch or rakes a clay tennis court .... hmmnn ?

People who cut lawns for other people too idle/rich/stupid to do it themselves are certainly not within the definition.

I think tree fellers distinguish between a climber and a groundsman ?

No issue calling the men "groundsmen" and the women "tea ladies" is there ?

24th Nov 2009 by Ellie Tait

Wikipedia offers the following definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundsman

24th Nov 2009 by Mal

All starts out well in reading your posted definition care of wikipedia Ellie that further down the page starts to take on a familiar definition.

In fiction
Groundskeepers have appeared occasionally as minor characters in fiction and moving images. They are usually presented as comic or peculiar characters, often exhibiting a compulsive or obsessive personality defect.

Geography is everywhere

24th Nov 2009 by Paul-Plymouth

A groundsman, the hardest working chap, out there in all weathers, first to arrive last to leave, working tirelessly for perfection that nobody else can understand. The chap with all the responability on his wide shoulders. The reason why we have these level playing fields of green. The unsung hero of sport . oblivious to the office shirt and tie'd and man on the street.
The man who works all hours often over and behind his call of duty, Nothing is too much to tackle and his task go way behond the norm. A chap that can and will turn his hand to any task and solve all your problems with a common sense approach and sometimes damn crazy ideas. But he will pull it all of, Coz he is a Groundsman. The chap that will work with, for and against nature her very self to achieve what others say are impossible. Coz he's a groundsman ;-)

24th Nov 2009 by Aladdin

Groundsman:

Part Scientist (N:P:K being obvious)

Part Biologist (Soil Food Web)

Part Artist (aesthetics and presentation)

Part Mechanic/Engineer (Machinery repair and maintenance)

Part scapegoat (postponements!!)

Question is, is the Groundsman more, less, or equal to the sum of these parts?

From the posh end of the room!!

24th Nov 2009 by bath

How about " Turf Technician. "

24th Nov 2009 by ANTI FA

I would say more a technocrat ?

Who said there was light at the end of the tunnel

25th Nov 2009 by ticky21

Charles...on behalf of my late father i take slight offence to your definition of groundsman, or more to the point, what you deem as NOT a groundsman...my father was born on the same 1500 acre country estate that he gave his working life to and died on the estate, he left school at 14, and worked with my late grandfather who was the estate game keeper, then he went onto the grounds as head groundsman carrying out all the duties keeping the estate tidy, from gang mowing the parks, to hedge cutting, tree work, fencing etc, he didnt do any gardening of any kind as he had 3 men working under him who were the dedicated "gardeners" who maintained all the gardens, beds and borders on all the Manor house grounds and rented properties, he was employed by the family, so he wasnt a contractor or a gardener, so in my opinion the title of groundsman doesnt just mean us guys who maintain a sports surface, or as you would have it, someone who solely looks after a "turf" surface....we are ALL groundsmen as we work on the grounds............

Ticky supports British farmers...!!

25th Nov 2009 by chrismitchell

Bath, how about Fine Turf Technician?

Chris

You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.

25th Nov 2009 by bath

Better still Chris.

25th Nov 2009 by vid

'Fine' narrows it down too much but I like 'Turf Technician', Turf tech has a nice ring to it and isnt as clumsy as turf operative

25th Nov 2009 by Mal

As we seem to delve into biology, physiology, hydrology and deal with machine technology etc. perhapes it should be that we are all referred to as grassologists?

Geography is everywhere

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