Montrose- An in House Bunker Project

In this quick-fire Q and A, James Kimmings spoke to Head Greenkeeper, Paul Teviotdale about the recent bunker projects that have been happening at Montrose Golf Links. In-house seems to be the way forward for Paul as he looks to enhance the course this Winter.

How did you get into the industry and where did you work before your current position?

I started greenkeeping way back in 1994 at Arbroath Golf Links where I served my apprenticeship like most apprenticeships when I was qualified, I was thanked for my time and let go, and after a few months of wondering what I should do next a greenkeeper position came up at Montrose Golf Links and I applied and was lucky enough to be offered the position. Since then, I have worked my way up the ladder at Montrose and was fortunate to be offered the position of Head Greenkeeper in November 2020.

Are you responsible for budgets or do you report to someone else - for example, a greens chairman or committee?

I have a General Manager that I report to, but when it comes to a budget, I sit down with him in February with my wish list and we then work out a budget that hopefully will get everything that I need with a little bit left over.

How would you describe the soil profile?

We are largely sand-based here, which makes things slightly easier when it comes to doing work on the course.

Can you tell us a little more about your staff?

At Montrose, I Have a Deputy Head Greenkeeper, who is Liam Scott, who has been in the greenkeeping industry for 17 years. Then there are three Greenkeepers-Niall Bruce, who has 32 years of greenkeeping experience, Connor Clarkson, with 4 years of experience and Bailey Cromar, who has five years of experience. I have a mechanic, Sean Walker who trained as a greenkeeper in 2006 and then did a mechanics apprenticeship in 2008, since then he has been employed as a mechanic (He also has his own business SW Reeltech a mobile mechanic with the ability to come to your golf course and sharpen and service your machinery).

Finally, we have an apprentice greenkeeper Corry Marshall, who started as a summer helper in 2022. He recently finished his studies at university and asked if we could give him an apprenticeship in late 2023. My son Ben also comes in when he is not at Elmwood College to give us a hand over the past two years.

How long do you expect it to take to complete the work on the bunkers?

We normally start bunker construction in early November and hope to have them all rebuilt before the Christmas break, this year we have 17 bunkers due to be completed, this may increase if the bunker conditions deteriorate over the start of the winter period.

Have you had anyone in (contractors) to help with the bunker project or has this been an in-house job?

All our bunkers are done in-house. This means we know exactly what we are going to do as we set out a clear project with the team. It also saves the club money in the long term.

Has the course stayed open during the process and how have members reacted to the work so far?

The course stays open during the rebuild process, but we do have temporary greens or tees in play to ensure the safety of the staff who are rebuilding the bunkers. The members always seem to be happy with the bunkers that we build, but we always get asked "Are they getting deeper?".

How much planning and resources have gone into the project?

The bunkers are usually planned midway through the golfing season. All turf used in the construction of bunkers is from the course in areas that are planned to be redeveloped, we then buy in turf for these areas, this keeps costs down to a minimum.

Has the adverse weather affected the work in any way?

The weather doesn't affect the work much, if the weather is awful, we try and have inside jobs (tractor work) or jobs around the shed, but the lads are always keen to get the work done and are out in most weather conditions.

In addition to the bunker project does the club have anything else planned this winter?

A new tee is planned for the 3rd hole on the 1562 due to coastal erosion, this has been brought forward due to the recent storms we had in October where we experienced a lot of loss to the sea. We are also hosting the prequalifying for the British Seniors Open which is being held at Carnoustie so there will be a bit of general tidying up to ensure we are in top condition for that.