Derbyshire greenkeeping stalwart David Golding was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition in Harrogate last night.
Hosted by the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), the prize-giving ceremony, which took place on the opening evening of the three-day conference, saw other wins for the greenkeeping teams at Abridge Golf Club in Essex and Strathaven Golf Club in South Lanarkshire.
Golding, who has enjoyed a career spanning 50 years, has been described as the unsung hero of greenkeeper education and BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton was delighted his old friend collected the Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by Baroness
“Congratulations to David Golding, a former colleague who I have long admired and who I was delighted we were able to recognise in this way,” said Croxton.
“David was a crusader for the recognition of greenkeeper education standards and he was undoubtedly one of the most influential people in the history of the greenkeeping industry, in terms of bringing the professionalism of greenkeeper training forwards.
“At heart he was always a greenkeeper who believed that education was key to improving the profession for his fellow practitioners.”
Golding also received a tribute from renowned golf designer Donald Steel, who is also a former director of the Greenkeepers Training Committee.
He said: “Having had the delight of chairing the Greenkeeper Training Committee for seven years, I have seen at first hand the lengths to which he went.
“A large part of the incredible low scoring in modern golf is the result of his work. The search and surge for knowledge has in large part been his instigation.”
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Golding began his career as an apprentice greenkeeper at Buxton & High Peak Golf Club in his home town. He spent two years as an assistant greenkeeper at Camberley Heath Golf Club in Surrey before returning north, firstly to Dore & Totley Golf Club in Sheffield.
Aged just 21, he then got his first head greenkeeper role, working with Trafford Borough Council in a position that over the following 16 years would see him take responsibility for two busy municipal golf courses.
Upon the formation of BIGGA in 1987, he was appointed the association’s first Northern regional administrator. In 1989 he became BIGGA’s first education officer and then in 1993 he became education director of the Greenkeepers Training Committee, a position he would hold until his retirement.
Abridge Golf Club’s team were the winners of the Championship Greenkeeping Performance Award, sponsored by Bernhard and Company
The private members’ club in Essex held its first ever EuroPro Tour event in June and July last year. In hosting the PDC Championship, the greenkeeping team overcame major challenges, including one of the driest summers on record, the ‘grow-in’ of a massive, newly-constructed irrigation lake and working around general play during the continuing golf boom.
PGA officials remarked they had never seen such dedication to producing a course for a championship and in his closing address, the CEO of EuroPro stated that Abridge was one of the best venues they had ever been to.
The other finalists in this category were Minchinhampton Golf Club and St Annes Old Links Golf Club.
Scottish Club Strathaven collected the Greenkeeping Project Award, sponsored by Sports Turf Data Solutions.
In 2019, Strathaven was forced to stop playing its seventh hole, to avoid golf balls entering a neighbouring property.
Head Greenkeeper Stephen Hunter suggested redesigning the hole to become a par-3 that aimed away from the boundary of the site. In order to maintain the par of the course.
He also suggested extending the ninth to become a par four. His vision was accepted by the management committee and the club began a two-year project. The six-strong home greenkeeping team carried out the design and construction themselves, with the project being completed in April 2022.
The other finalists in this category were Astbury Golf Club and Prestwick Golf Club.
Croxton added: “My congratulations go to the greenkeeping teams at Abridge and Strathaven for their wonderful achievements throughout 2022.
“Their accomplishments are testament to the ability of BIGGA members to exceed everyday expectations, with no small dose of imagination, creativity and hard work.”
You can watch an in-depth look at the winning entries and all the other finalists on the BIGGA website.