Getting Personal with Steven Horwood

Who are you? Steven Horwood, Head Greenkeeper at Chiltern Forest Golf Club.

Family status? Married for twenty-six years to Connie, with three children - Samantha (25), Stuart (23) and Leanne (18).

Who's your hero and why? Bill Shankly. A man ahead of his time. A terrific motivator and man manager.

What would you change about yourself? My tolerance; at times I have too much.

What's your guilty pleasure? Cakes and desserts.

What do you drop everything for? My wife and kids.

What's been the highlight of your career so far? The day I joined Chiltern Forest. I'm privileged to work for a club with good, caring, passionate people who love their golf course.

Glass half full or half empty? Half full. Eternal optimist me.

Climate change - fact or fiction? Seasons are difficult to predict now because of the changing weather patterns. I'm not totally convinced, one way or the other yet though.

What's your favourite season? Spring. A great time of year to be at Chiltern Forest. We have an abundance of primulas and cowslips in flower and summer is on its way.

What are your pet peeves? Ignorant golfers, unrepaired pitchmarks or, even worse, badly repaired pitchmarks.

If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? To see my son Stuart in America. He is on a twelve month placement at Quail Hollow GC, North Carolina.

What's the best part of your job? Early mornings. Just having the golf course to ourselves.

… and the worst? Too many meetings.

Do you have a lifetime ambition? To visit Augusta National.

Who wouldn't you like to be? David Cameron - a pompous man; not in touch with reality.

Favourite record, and why? Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero? by The Jam. The raw musical talent of Paul Weller at his best. Brings back memories of my youth.

Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? If not my wife, it would be Linda Pizzuti, the wife of Liverpool FC owner John W Henry. We could talk football while we eat.

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Make sure my parents were taken care of in their old age, secure my childrens' future and treat my wife to her dream car.

If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? Drums - I always seem to be beating on about something.

What's the best advice you have ever been given? Be confident in yourself. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but learn from them.

What's your favourite smell? Freshly cut grass in spring.

What do you do in your spare time? I am a season ticket holder at Watford FC, have an interest in National Hunt horseracing and am a keen darts fan. Occasionally, I will have a game of golf.

What's the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? "Is that a bunker you are building?" whilst we, the greenkeeping team, were putting sand into a new bunker. Doh!

What's your favourite piece of kit? Toro Procore - best spiker on the market.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Passionate, committed, eccentric.

What talent would you like to have? To have had enough talent to earn a good living and play golf professionally. What a fantastic life! To tour the world playing on the best golf courses, and to be paid well for doing it.

What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Any good legislation that doesn't need approval from Brussels.