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FairWays Foundation to open grant application

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

FairWays Foundation to open grant application: The FairWays Foundation has now awarded over $440,000 worth of grant funds to 29 projects across the USA, Canada and the UK since 2020. This year sees the foundation carry out it’s 4th grant cycle with the application window opening February 1. The submission window will remain open until […]

Golding oldie

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

Golding oldie: David Golding has been described as the unsung hero of greenkeeper education, but after being presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Baroness at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), that’s no longer the case. Hosted by the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) on the opening evening of BTME, the […]

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

Golding oldie

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

FairWays Foundation to open grant application: The FairWays Foundation has now awarded over $440,000 worth of grant funds to 29 projects across the USA, Canada and the UK since 2020. This year sees the foundation carry out it’s 4th grant cycle with the application window opening February 1. The submission window will remain open until April 30, 2023 and successful grant recipients will be notified in October 2023.

The FairWays Foundation is a stand-alone 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding our environment, supporting conservation-based projects; big and small by granting funds to successful applicants globally.

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

The conservation-focused non-profit encourages all businesses or individuals to apply who are looking for funding assistance for projects pertaining to our environment and natural resources. Find out how to apply.

To view more information about all the projects that have being supported so far, click here.

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Golding oldie

January 25, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

Golding oldie: David Golding has been described as the unsung hero of greenkeeper education, but after being presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Baroness at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), that’s no longer the case.

Hosted by the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) on the opening evening of BTME, the BIGGA Welcome Celebration sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions also saw wins for Abridge Golf Club in Essex and Strathaven Golf Club in South Lanarkshire.

Golding oldie

In a career spanning more than 50 years, David drove educational opportunities for greenkeepers to new heights. Possessing a passion for education and desire to improve development opportunities for his peers in greenkeeping, David’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry helped lay foundations that continue to bear fruit to this day as proven with the recent establishment of the Level 5 greenkeeping apprenticeship and the continued development of the Level 2 and 3 qualifications.

David 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, David 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.

The BIGGA Welcome Celebration is held on the opening night of BTME, the hugely-influential trade show and education programme for golf greenkeepers, and sees members of BIGGA honoured for their achievements throughout the previous year.

At the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, the winner of the Championship Greenkeeping Performance Award sponsored by Bernhard and Company was revealed to be Abridge Golf Club.

Abridge is a private members’ club in Essex, where Course Manager Geoff Smith and his team were tasked with preparing the course for its first ever EuroPro Tour event in June and July 2022. In hosting the EuroPro Tour’s PDC Championship, the greenkeeping team overcame 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.

Also revealed on the evening, the Greenkeeping Project Award sponsored by Sports Turf Data Solutions was presented to the team at Strathaven Golf Club.

In 2019, Strathaven was forced to stop playing its 7^th 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, Stephen also suggested extending the 9^th hole to become a par-4. 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.

You can view an in-depth look at the winning entries and all the other finalists on the BIGGA website.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “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.

“Congratulations also to David Golding, a former colleague who I have long admired and who I was delighted we were able to recognise in this way. 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.”

Fiona Lyttle, Learning and Development Executive – The GTC, worked alongside David from 2000 until his retirement and said: “Working with David, you picked up his passion and dedication to make sure greenkeepers had the right training and education to enable them to further their careers and aim for the top. His work has been the bedrock of all that we do now and for him to be honoured in this way is fantastic and long overdue.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

Golding oldie

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

Golding oldie

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FairWays Foundation to open grant application

Golding oldie

Golding oldie: David Golding has been described as the unsung hero of greenkeeper education, but after being presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Baroness at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), that’s no longer the case.

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