Playing in the UK to course management in the USA
Pitchcare spoke to former professional goalkeeper, Josh Lennie, after he switched the gloves in goal for the gloves of the green.
Joshua had originally moved to the USA to coach college students, but he could never have imagined becoming a superintendent at Edgewood Golf Club.”
As a goalkeeper, Joshua always had admiration for those maintaining the pitches, he said: “Despite not thinking too much about the amount of work that had gone into the playing surface, I always recognised the work required to maintain a nice playing surface. As a goalkeeper, to see a well-maintained goalmouth is fantastic; no keeper wants to be stood in a muddy puddle waiting to make a save.”
“The industry has come a long way from my playing days - a few of the stadiums back then were slightly tricky to play on due to the standard of pitch. However, in those days, budgets and technological advancements weren’t what they are now. As a player, you appreciate a groundsperson’s work, but the industry is underappreciated by those who are not in it. As I got into greenkeeping, my appreciation for the job increased.”
Changing perspectives
After stepping into turfcare, Josh soon realised the common misconceptions about the trade: “Whenever I say that I am a Superintendent, people will immediately say to me ‘oh, so you cut grass’. They don’t understand the chemical and biological understanding about soil, grass and fertilisers; it is very intense to learn all of the information in a short space of time.”
“The golf industry in America is huge and therefore everyone has a nice lawn or back garden; they think, why is the golf course not as nice as their back garden? If I put 200 people on that lawn every day and drove golf buggies on it, will it be as nice as it once was?… probably not.”
“It seems there is a lack of understanding from members all over the world. They see five guys on mowers and they believe that’s our job. Even when we are doing important jobs like aeration, and the greens become quicker, the members will complain about that because it isn’t what they are used to.”
An introduction to America and turfcare
Josh explained his decision to move to America and told us about his first taste of greenkeeping: “After I finished my football career, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I could have played non-league football for a lot longer, but I wanted a new challenge. I took an opportunity to visit the US to coach at a division one college and where I first took an interest in turfcare. I would help the grounds team out after training, as the coaching wasn’t fulfilling me.”
But why greenkeeping? “I knew I wanted to work outside because that is something that I have done throughout my career. I knew I was not the type to go and sit in an office all day. My wife is a scientist who works long hours, and I didn’t want to be sitting around whilst she is at work. This has given me the perfect opportunity to do something I enjoy.”
“I fell into my first position as a 2nd assistant greenkeeper at Hop Meadow Country Club, which happened to be conveniently situated next door to where I lived. I stayed there for four years, and I learnt a lot about greenkeeping. My Superintendent at the time won the Emerging Leader Award and he taught me a lot about the job, different types of seed and how to manage these, all of the chemicals that you have to be careful with etc… but, the biggest thing I learnt, was the number of things that can go wrong with turf and the number of things that aren’t an easy fix.”
With just four years of experience under his belt, Josh became the Superintendent at Edgewood Golf Club. He commented: “I have only been here for a month, so I am still quite new to the role and the management that comes with it.”
Josh had to complete his degree in Turf Management before becoming a superintendent. “I attended The University of Massachusetts, which is where I first learnt about soil science, chemistry, biology and turf management - I was surprised how much you needed to learn about turfcare.”
The difference between UK and US course management
“In New England, our weather is very similar to England. We experience the snow and ice that you get in the UK in extreme formats… last year, we had six feet of snow. The weather changes quickly though; today it is 28 degrees and lovely weather and we haven’t had any rain for 45 days. However, that can turn to very strong winds and hurricanes that tear through the course.”
“Another similarity is the recruitment crisis. I have a small team here and most of them are over 50 years old. The issue that we have is that no one wants to wake up at 4am to go and work on a golf course, especially if the weather isn’t being kind. Having said that, sometimes the hot weather can be worse to work in than the rain!”
One major difference though is US salaries compared to the UK: “Over here, the pay is quite lucrative for those working on golf courses. A Superintendent job is a six-figure role, and I know of people who are making up to a quarter of a million dollars a year. That was part of the reason I wanted to get into the job, because I knew it could support mine and my family’s needs.”
On budgets, he said: “There is a massive golfing culture over here in the US and, when we are in open season, we could get over 200 golfers per day. This equates to a lot of footfall and wear of the turf, so budgets need to be high; it is always upward of $100,000 a year (which is on the low side compared to other courses in the States).”
The playing days
Josh joined Brentford Football Club as a junior and started playing on a scholarship at the start of the 2002–03 campaign. During October 2003, he was called up to the first team squad to play Barnet in the Football League Trophy first round and made his professional debut in a Football League Trophy first round match versus Milton Keynes Dons in September 2004. He went on to have a career playing for the likes of AFC Wimbledon and Chester FC.