Tag Archive for: Q&A

Q&A with Sophie Allen

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Q&A with Sophie Allen: Sophie Allen started her apprenticeship with Agrovista Amenity as a Trainee Business Support Administrator 17 months ago.  As a keen cricketer and a volunteer groundsperson at her local cricket club, Sophie was already aware of Agrovista before applying for the position.  

In this Q&A Sophie reveals her love of the sport and how she’s developing into her role within the company.

Q&A with Sophie Allen

Q&A with Sophie Allen

Before you started your apprenticeship you worked as a volunteer groundsperson at your local cricket club – are you still doing this?

Yes, I’m still currently at my local Cricket Club, Allscott, where I am captain and organiser of our ladies’ team. There’s a lot of development going on over at the club, with a new clubhouse being built to improve our facilities. This year we are having a big push on bringing new players into all our teams and building the foundations of the club with our junior teams. With this new development, I am also due to become treasurer of our cricket section starting the 2024 season.

With regards to the maintenance of the ground, I work alongside my dad Jason who is the Head Groundsperson and has recently become a county pitch advisor for Shropshire.

Working alongside him is really eye opening due to the knowledge he has, and I am always learning something new. I tend to help him out as and when I can, whether it be after work for a couple of hours in the week or possibly a Saturday morning before the match. I would say that my favourite maintenance task is either marking out the wicket or using the roller to roll the wickets out.

What are your main responsibilities as a Business Support Administrator?

I work within the customer support team, so my main responsibilities are confirming orders from our Ecommerce platforms and our account managed customers, telephone communication with customers through our customer support call centre, dealing with customer support tickets, assisting the sales team, and answering the door to customers.

What does a typical day at work look like?

My average day can be very different but usually consists of opening everything up in the morning and checking if there is anything urgent that requires my attention. If there is, then I will deal with it straight away. If not, then I will get all the orders allocated to me confirmed.

After this, I will check my tickets and emails and deal with enquiries on these. We will usually have a few calls whilst doing these jobs, so if I’m free, I will take as many calls as I can. Then for the rest of the day, I will flick between confirming any new orders that are placed on the system and new enquiries, along with dealing with any issues that I may be chasing with a supplier or courier.

Did you enjoy completing your NVQ and how did you manage to fit your studies in alongside working?

I have recently completed an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration. Within this, I learned about a variety of things, such as IT packages, personal development, project management, organisation, stakeholders, building a project, communication, personal skills, teamwork and many more topics. We were given a certain number of hours that they call ‘off the job hours’ to complete the relevant tasks and coursework. So, I found it manageable to balance this work along with my day-to-day work within the customer support team to complete my apprenticeship.

Learning new skills through my apprenticeship programme has really helped in the development of my skills within my role in the customer support team. One key skill I feel I have developed through my apprenticeship is confidence.

The support from Agrovista Amenity has been really good. If there has ever been an issue, then it has been sorted instantly and I couldn’t ask for a better company to work for.

What are your goals now you have completed the apprenticeship?

Now that I have completed my NVQ I am hoping to progress my responsibilities within the customer support team. I would really like to carry on developing new skills and hopefully gain new qualifications.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Q&A with Agrovista’s John Marland

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Q&A with Agrovista’s John Marland: In January last year Agrovista Amenity was officially launched at BTME in Harrogate, and it is safe to say that a global pandemic was unaccounted for. In this exclusive Q&A, Head of Amenity John Marland, offers an extraordinarily honest insight into how the newly formed Agrovista Amenity has fared throughout Covid-19.  

It obviously was not the start you were expecting but what have the past twelve months been like?

In all honesty it has been challenging – you just cannot plan for a global pandemic. However, it has allowed us to accelerate the integration process between Agrovista and Maxwell Amenity, and has also enabled us to use the time to focus on the business and identify where improvements can be made.

Q&A with Agrovista's John Marland

Q&A with Agrovista’s John Marland

We also completed a major project in which we launched AAMOS. This is a bespoke new online ordering system which allows staff to manage their accounts.  Not only does it allow for better account management and can be accessed on any device including mobiles, but it is also offers a new and improved level of customer service. Ultimately, we are aiming to create an ordering process like the Amazon experience, in which the customer receives notifications and updates, including ETA for delivery, every step of the way. We are incredibly pleased that we have been able to implement this project.

How have the staff been able to assist their customers throughout this time?

We felt from the onset that Agrovista had to adopt a tone and policy that was apt for a global pandemic. We decided that all social media should be focussed on general communication rather than anything adversely commercial and all our salespeople were told to stand down.

In fact, we stood everyone down before the full government lockdown. It was also decided that we would only support customers on site if it were by prior arrangement and only at the request of the customer. I am pleased to say that no staff were furloughed. Everybody was fully employed, even if it were just to continue their learning and develop their skills through our online academy.

With many operations coming to a standstill, have you seen an increase in visitors to the online shop on Pitchcare.com?

Part of the rationale for acquiring Maxwell Amenity/Pitchcare was the online shop and, as you can imagine, the internet has become a safe and viable method to secure and purchase products during the pandemic. People were spending a lot more time in the garden or were at least appreciating green space and it is for these reasons that we did see an increase in online business. What I would say though, is that every upside comes with a downside and it put an enormous amount of pressure on the logistical side of the business. It was difficult because we were, and still are, operating in a Covid-19 secure manner, which meant people were working from home, there were restricted shift patterns and we had limited numbers on-site. I would say that it highlighted stress points in our business, and it enabled us to put certain positive measures in place to address those stress points.

Normally, the team would have been in an office together, and management would have been able to have face-to-face meetings with staff members. Has this had an impact and what have you put in place for allowing people to keep in touch with one another?

We have developed our ways of working and have instigated online team meetings where people can meet regularly and speak – and that does not necessarily have to be about work.

We have been very aware that this period has been testing for everybody and the welfare of our staff has of course been of the utmost importance. With this in mind, we have previously supported a mental health charity and we also have mental health ambassadors within the business so there were already structures in place. We want to encourage staff to always communicate and reach out.

I think you often learn a lot about your organisation in times of pressure and I am tremendously proud of this group of individuals within Agrovista Amenity and Agrovista as a whole. The frontline operation – the bigger business which supports food production in the UK, they had no choice but to stay open. As much as we can talk about managerial challenges, the people who have been working everyday throughout this have done the hard yards – and they are the ones who should be celebrated the most.

Before they were even cancelled, you were quick to pull out of many of the industry shows – can you let us know the thinking behind that? Furthermore, do you think that the industry has missed its trade shows?

First and foremost, the reason behind choosing not to attend any event was employee and customer safety. It was not in any way a snub to the organisations such as the GMA, BIGGA or the STRI – we are big supporters of them all. However, if I cannot guarantee the safety of our employees, then I would be failing in the role that I have.

Shows have been missed without question – they are landmark dates within the industry’s calendar, and we hope for a return to normality, sooner rather than later. The shows would have been an opportunity for us to inform everyone who we are, what we are doing and what we want to achieve. The lack of engagement, the face-to-face interaction and transfer of knowledge has been the biggest loss.

This time last year, you proudly claimed that the launch of Agrovista Amenity was a career highlight. Is this still the case and has the pandemic disrupted any plans that were in place?

Nothing has changed – it has been a highlight and a challenge. We still have such a long way to travel on this road, and I am still enthused by it all. The plans are all there, and yes, our progress has been slightly hampered by this, but we will continue to improve and continue to develop, not just in terms of the products we support, but in the way that we do it.

By that I mean in the way we take our independent view on science.

We do not have factories and are not tied to any one product or brand, so we can continue to look at the market and find ways that we can use all the manufacturers across the world. We have an incredible global reach to find new tools to aid our customers in what is becoming a more and more challenging environment.

We are in an exceptionally good position – the mechanisms we have in place are the reasons we must remain positive.

As an industry let’s make sure we all look after each other, keep each other safe, and let’s look forward to a brighter future.

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Q&A with Tim Yates

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Q&A with Tim Yates: Q&A with Tim Yates, Business Development Manager- Groundcare, Kubota UK 

After 20 years at Kubota, how are you finding your new role? 

The groundcare sector is well known for being friendly one. Since moving into the Business Development Manager role at Kubota’s groundcare division in December, I have enjoyed a warm welcome from our dealer network, many of whom I have known for the last few decades.

Q&A with Tim Yates

Q&A with Tim Yates

I’ve spent that last 20 years at Kubota and, over this time period, I’ve occupied many different roles within the company. Thanks to this, when moving into my new position, I already had a really solid understanding of the UK business and our customer base, alongside the connections and tools often required to make swift decisions and keep business processes fluid. I also possessed an understanding of the Kubota business as a global entity, having worked closely with our European and Japanese colleagues over the years.

These experiences have enabled my transition to be a smooth one. I have taken on my new responsibilities whilst continuing to work closely with the rest of the wider team at Kubota and engage with our dealer network. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for our groundcare division.

Can you tell us about Kubota’s latest updates to its groundcare range? 

From a product perspective our main focus at the moment is to ensure that our line up meets the Stage V emissions regulations which impact products over 19kw. Being the largest manufacturer in the world of industrial diesel engines under 100hp, Kubota are particularly well placed to meet these new regulations and adopt the compliant engines into our groundcare product portfolio.

We’re also currently placing an emphasis on customer and machine support. As part of a push around these areas, we’ve launched Kubota Care. This is a fully Kubota-backed extended warranty option, meaning that customers can now fully cover their machines against unforeseen expensive repair costs for 5 years. This can help to ensure that a customer’s machine is maintained to the highest possible standards and serviced by Kubota-trained service engineers. The entire warranty can be wrapped up as part of a maintenance agreement and by utilising it – alongside the Kubota Finance options we offer – customers can get more value for their money than ever before.

Are there any machines in particular that are proving popular at the moment? Why do you think this is? 

The zero-turn mower market is one that grows each year. These machines make the task of grass cutting quicker, more efficient and more enjoyable. Our ZD1211 model falls under this range of machinery. Designed to offer faster, improved cutting performance, whilst ensuring that user ease and comfort are still front of mind, this machine is proving popular with our customers.

Each year, more and more people are seeing the benefit of cutting around obstacles in on swift pass, therefore we expect this market to continue to grow moving forward.

What do Kubota customers typically look for when it comes to groundcare machinery? How does Kubota look to deliver on this?

Typically, customers are looking for high quality machinery that delivers on reliability, efficiency and cost.

Having operated within the UK market since the 70’s, Kubota brings decades of experience and expert knowledge to the table. We support our customers through their buying decisions and then provide a high standard of after care.

Put simply, over the years, our products have spoken for themselves. That’s how we have the reputation we have today; as a reliable company that provides sound products and caters to its customers. The important role that our strong dealer network plays in this cannot be overstated. They ensure that our customers’ expectations are not only met but exceeded.

Our end goal is always to align our services and products to our customers’ needs; whether that’s today or in the future.

What are your plans for Kubota’s groundcare division moving forward? 

Kubota is an engineering company at heart, so from a product design point of view we know that the machines of tomorrow are being designed today and we always try to be at the fore-front of this.

On the UK business front, we will look to further focus on the aftersales market, with the Kubota Care extended warranty packages, maintenance agreements, leasing and other finance options from Kubota Finance.

Do you think that client demand is likely to change and how? 

Customers will always demand more. After all, everyone wants to develop their business in order to outpace their competitors. This is true of every sector, whether it is groundcare, manufacturing or even retail. In the groundcare space, having the right machinery can play a big part in standing out from the crowd and delivering on productivity and efficiency goals.

Although we can’t be certain about what customers will be demanding from their groundcare machinery in the future, Kubota needs to be one step ahead of the curve. As such, we continually investing in innovations – such as electric technologies – in order to be better than ‘the best’ and keep our customers happy.

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Replay Operator Q&A

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Replay Operator Q&A: A Q&A with Replay Maintenance operator Michael Kelly

What is your current role at Replay Maintenance? How long have you been there and what was your route into the industry?

I became part of the Replay team following a recruitment drive day that Replay held. I have now worked at Replay for two years, as a Synthetic Surface Technician.

What training did you undergo when you started the job?

I began by shadowing an experienced member of the team who taught me the principles of the job and have continued to progress through the in-house training programme. Since starting, I have gone on to learn all of the various Replay Maintenance processes and completed my telescopic handler licence and forward tipping dumper licence. I have also attended first aid and health and safety courses.

Replay Operator Q&A

What time do you start work in the morning, what does an average day entail?

Generally, my start time varies depending on the jobs I have scheduled to do that day, though it is normally sometime between 6am and 7am. My average day usually entails two jobs, one in the morning and then another in the afternoon.

How much information do you receive in advance of a site visit? What technology do you use to track and monitor your work?

All information is fed direct to me on a daily basis through the Replay PitchPassport365 system. I receive the name of the job and the address, the name of the site contact and their contact details along with any information that is specific to that site such as the size, and type, of surface. PitchPassport365 has a job timer on it to which is started on arrival at the site and is turned off on completion. This helps us to track all of our visits. The average Replay Revive® visit takes approximately four hours to complete. The PitchPassport365 system also allows me to add before, during and after photos of the job, as well as alerting the office instantly of any issues that I find on the surface during a visit – fed through using Replay Rescue.

What are the essential pieces of equipment on your truck, to complete the days task?

The Revive machine, which uses a wet and dry filter, is the core piece of equipment I use. I also carry three sieves of different sizes, which gives me the choice of which to utilise depending on the type of surface I am working on, the size of the infill and the weather conditions on the day.  In addition, I have a leaf blower, refuse sacks, weed and moss sprayer and various other items in the van which are used during a site visit.

Most of your work is conducted independently – how much interaction do you have with the facility manager and are there many decisions you have to make on site?

On arrival at a site I will report to reception who will then point me in the direction of the caretaker who facilitates my visit. Working independently, I have to use my initiative when completing the job but if any major problems arise, I will speak with the main job contact.

Replay Operator Q&A

Have you experienced any changes during your time at Replay, and if so, how have these impacted on, or improved, the service you provide?

The main improvement has been the introduction of Replay’s PitchPassport system which has significantly improved the sharing of information between the Replay office, the customer and the operators on the road. The system instantly connects us all, and the work I carry out on the pitch can be viewed ‘as-live’.

Is there a particular service you enjoy conducting? 

There are many elements I enjoy, but in particular, I get a great deal of satisfaction conducting the specialist Revive visits. It’s the service we probably conduct the most often but it’s very rewarding seeing the improvement in the appearance of a surface. I also enjoy familiarising myself with people over the visits, getting to know them, their pitches and working together with them to produce a maintenance regime that works.

In your role you spend a lot of hours travelling between sites – what do you listen to and which song can you be caught singing along to?

When I’m in between jobs, I mainly listen to Radio 1 but if you’re going to catch me singing it’ll likely be to any song by The Courteeners.

How do you spend your free time? 

I spend my spare time with my girlfriend and enjoy socialising with friends. I also follow Nottingham Forest Football Club.

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Q&A With… Paul Armitage

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Q&A With… Paul Armitage: General Manager at Le Golf National-venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

What brought you to Le Golf National and how long have you been here?

I got the job at Le Golf National in May 2014, and started in September 2014. When I saw this job come up, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by, so I decided to apply for it; it’s the kind of job that comes up once in a blue moon. I’ve been working in France for more than 20 years now, mainly in the golf industry. This role seemed like a natural career progression, and the prospect of being involved in hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup, and the Olympic golf competition in 2024 is very exciting.

Q&A With... Paul Armitage

Biggest challenge you’ve faced during your time here and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was to change the culture and the mindset of the club. Le Golf National is 25 years old now, and there were a lot of habits and routines to shake up when I arrived. I wanted to focus the staff on the fact that we are a Ryder Cup destination, the fact that our customers expect high standards and the fact that we have one of the best golf courses in the world. I needed them to realise that we had to achieve those high standards every single day.

What does it mean to Le Golf National and to France to be hosting the Ryder Cup this year?

For Le Golf National, it’s an honour and a privilege to be hosting the Ryder Cup. However, without the tenacity of the French Golf Federation throughout the bidding process and all the way now, we couldn’t do it alone, so all credit must go to them. For the country, it is a huge deal. Pascal Grizot, who is the president of the France 2018 Ryder Cup committee did a fantastic job of accomplishing his vision of bringing the Ryder Cup to France and gaining support from the government as well as local support. Pascal made it into a nationwide bid. You can feel the excitement in the media around the event. With the announcement of Tiger Woods as the US team vice-captain, there’s an even bigger buzz, and the enormity of the event really hits home. It’s very exciting, and a huge honour to be involved.

What is the best piece of advice you could give to anyone wanting to become a general manager at a golf club?

You must love people. It’s not enough to be a passionate golfer, you must have the customer service skills and the ideas and drive to grow the business. It’s important to communicate well with staff, and to motivate them, and it also helps to take time out to speak with customers and ask if they’ve enjoyed their experience.

How does your relationship with Jacobsen benefit the club? What is your attitude when it comes to turf maintenance equipment?

We have a very long and happy relationship with Jacobsen; we have used the brand at Le Golf National for a very long time. To be able to keep the agreement in place, and develop it even more, throughout the Ryder Cup is a huge bonus for us. The golf course is the most important thing, and if you look at some of the remarks on social networks, the standard of the greens, tees and fairways comes out on top, and is commended time and time again. Without the correct resources, we can’t do that. The turf maintenance equipment is key, and we are very happy with the Jacobsen kit, and so are the greenkeeping team we have here.

Can you describe a typical day for a general manager?

No. Every day is different. That’s what makes it so much fun. At Le Golf National, we have three different courses, which offer a diverse offering to our customers. In turn, there is a lot of variety and different aspects to my job. With the Ryder Cup, the 2024 Olympic Games, the French Open, Paris Legends, and other events like that, it adds another dimension, so no two days are the same!

Q&A With... Paul Armitage

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love eating, sleeping, drinking red wine, spending time with my family, and cooking!

What’s your favourite Ryder Cup moment?

The miracle at medina. I got to the golf course early on Sunday morning, slightly depressed about the scores and the task Europe faced. However, there was something about the golf course that morning- it was chilly, windy, and there was nobody there. There weren’t many Americans there, and everybody was supporting Europe. To experience that day at Medina and see that European team turn things around and win the Ryder Cup was amazing.

10 Quick-fire Questions

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a golf TV camera man!

Who is your role model?

My dad is my role model. He’s a very honest and hardworking man and has been a great source of advice throughout my career.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Work hard, play hard.

Most admired sports person?

Not everyone’s favourite, but Nick Faldo.

What annoys you most?

Jealousy.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? 

Le Golf National! Where else would you want to be?!

 If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Cook. It takes so much time to do it well!

 Do you have any hidden talents?

Singing. It’s hidden because I don’t sing often, but put me in front of a karaoke machine, and I’ll sing all night.

 What job would you be terrible at?

Working in a hospital and seeing sick people- I would be awful at that.

What skill would you like to master?

I’d love to learn to play a musical instrument; either the piano or even to be able to read music.

One thing you do to motivate yourself?

Think about bananas. When I used to play bad golf, I was introduced to Sophrology, which is the idea that when things aren’t going your way, you should think of something that makes you feel happy… so I think about bananas!

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Q&A with Craig Haldane

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Q&A with Craig Haldane: How long have you been at Dubai Golf?

I joined Dubai Golf in April 2006 as the golf course superintendent at Nad Al Sheba Golf Club. I transferred to Emirates Golf Club as superintendent in 2007 and in 2011, I took over as director of golf course maintenance overseeing both Dubai Golf properties, supported by our course superintendent at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Matthew Perry and his team.

 Which tournaments have you hosted during your time at Dubai Golf?

I started at Emirates Golf Club in 2007, and my first event was the Dubai Ladies Masters that year, followed by the 2008 Dubai Desert Classic. We host the Desert Classic every year on the “Majlis” course at Emirates Golf Club, and this year’s tournament, which was won by Li Haotong of China, was my 22nd event since I started here.

Q&A with Craig Haldane

The Dubai Golf courses themselves have hosted every Dubai Desert Classic since 1989 except for 1991 when there was no event due to the Gulf War. Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club hosted the tournament in 1999 and 2000 before it returned to Emirates Golf Club where we hosted the 29th staging of the event in 2018.

Have you had any previous tournament preparation experience before your role at Dubai Golf?

When I was in Bahrain we hosted the Arcapita Seniors Open on the European Seniors Tour in 2005. Prior to that I was on the crew for many of the Ernie Els Invitational events at Fancourt in South Africa, working under the golf course superintendent at the time, Greggor Leckie.

Have you ever had any tournament prep disasters?

Disasters? No not really. Challenges however, yes. The events are hosted five weeks apart so that in itself presents some agronomical challenges for sure. The weather has thrown a few interesting challenges our way, including four days of fog back in 2009 if not mistaken. The tour managed to get play done by Sunday but we were running square circles all week as one round was never completed on the same day. It was a lot of fun if being honest.

What the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

Don’t assume anything, ever. Be open to change and don’t be scared to try something new!

Can you describe the course at Emirates Golf Club?

Emirates has two 18-hole golf courses and a 9-hole par three course. The Majlis course has for many years been a favourite of many of our local golfing community irrespective of where they are members. The course has a certain charm about it and is a wonderful blend of parkland and desert. It has matured over the years and the landscape today is vastly different from what it was in the early 90’s.

Q&A with Craig Haldane

The course is not tricked up, you can see where you need to go off the tee and the golf course rewards good, accurate iron play into the greens. The greens are relatively flat (which I love as a feature of a course) – this means you have a fair opportunity to hole putts which is always a means of enticing you back.

The 8th is our signature hole featuring the magnificent Dubai marina skyline as well as the rugged desert landscape to the right, running the length of the hole. It provides an opportunity to tell a story and is one of the most photographed holes in the world today.

Players will be challenged for accuracy off the tee with firmer fairways and some thick rough. This will in turn mean that those playing from the short-mown fairways will be able to control their ball into the firm greens. From the rough, you will struggle to keep the ball on the green at all.

How many staff do you have on the course during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, and do you have a volunteer programme?

As mentioned before, we are a multi course facility meaning we have enough colleagues of our own to help prepare for the event. We do bring in some additional contract labour to assist with the perimeters and desert areas. During the recent tournament, we had 85 for the week of the event. For this reason, we don’t have a volunteer program, however are always open to industry professionals who are about the week of the tournament, to pop in for morning set up’s and come say hi.

We do support the African Turf Academy in association with Elmwood College and supported by the R&A and Jacobsen. One or two students a year are offered the opportunity to come and work with us for two weeks based on their performance and attitude during their studies. It is a great way for us to give them some first-hand experience in what it takes to prepare for an event of this nature.

What do you have in the way of tournament support?

Again, we thankfully have enough resources between our two golf clubs. Depending on how we are presenting the golf course in any given year, we may call in some favours for additional equipment, but we do usually get away with what we have. Jacobsen have been a great support year in and year out and typically will give us some technical support through its local distributor in Dubai, Luxury Carts Arabia. We are offered support from other distributors as well which to me shows the class in those in our industry and their willingness to support irrespective of any preferred agreements in place.

How do you maintain greens/ tees/ fairways before a tournament?

On our greens, we maintain a pretty consistent height of cut year-round meaning we are not needing to “shave” things down nearer to the event. Many get confused with green speed and mowing height. The frequency is the thing that goes up significantly nearer the event along with our grooming and brushing regimes to improve ball roll. Managing moisture is a key focus area for us year-round and this is monitored daily, 365 days a year using our Pogo moisture probe, which allows us to adjust our irrigation daily according to moisture. We roll our greens consistently through the year as well, but do additional rolls during the week leading up to the tournament to help “set” us. Our aim is to be at tournament speed on the Monday practice round, then maintain that for the next six days.

Firmness of surfaces is key. Greens get a lot firmer leading up to the event. This promotes good ball roll and allows the players to really control their spin from the short-mown areas. It highlights their skill without question and puts an onus on hitting fairways.

The fairways are mown daily and we tweak our mowing heights until we get what we consider to be the perfect conditions for a ball to be sitting up nicely on a tight sward. For the past three years we have been innovative in our presentation of the fairways and feel that it brings something unique to the event and the club. It has become somewhat of a talking point on various platforms through the week and is, in our opinion, good for the game. Golf needs to attract more sectors and if we can present something a bit quirky that week, why not.

Q&A with Craig Haldane

Which machinery do you operate across the course?

All our Dubai Golf facilities are predominantly Jacobsen; however, we do have equipment and utility vehicles from other manufacturers as well. Our preferred supplier agreement brings with it value beyond actual product and it is a relationship that has been forged over many years of working together. We are today very fortunate in our industry that the quality of equipment being manufactured around the globe is world class and we are spoiled for choice.

When does preparation begin and what does this involve?

A big part of our annual maintenance plan involves our aeration schedules through the summer. This enables us to be able to present the golf courses as well as possible for the season. We overseed the Majlis in late October and, planning for closures and such, begins a year in advance. Our central reservations department needs to know the key dates when we are closed for maintenance so being proactive in our planning and communication is vital.

Post tournament we would typically review the good, the bad and the ugly, and sit down with the European Tour and our club management to look at areas that we can potentially improve on. It’s an on-going strategy that has worked well for us. We have a very good relationship with the European Tour who appreciate that for the other 51 weeks of the year, we are here to serve our loyal membership base. It’s a balancing act of what we can do for the tour that doesn’t negatively affect our membership and business model.

Our opportunity for project works and remedial works is mid-June through to mid-September, in the heart of our very hot and humid summer. It is here where my team earn their keep as the hours worked are immense. I am very fortunate to be working alongside an engaged and energised team who have been very loyal and who take great pride in the work that they produce throughout the year.

What’s your favourite thing about tournament week?

I think for me; my favourite thing is seeing all the pieces of the puzzle falling into place and watching the pride my team have during this week in particular. It is an opportunity for their family and friends to see first-hand what they have prepared and this is a great moment for them.

What’s your least favourite?

My least favourite thing is not seeing my family. We get in around 3am and return home well after 9pm, sometimes as late as 11pm. The kids kind of forget who Daddy is for two weeks, however the hugs received when it is all done and dusted makes it all worthwhile.

What’s your proudest achievement?

Personally, it has to be my family! I have two amazing kids and my wife Aneisha is without question the person I look up to the most in life. From a work perspective, I would say being presented with a replica trophy after completing my 10th Omega Dubai Desert Classic by Mr. Mohamed Juma Buhamim; that was very special indeed.

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