Harrogate Golf Greenkeepers Show BTME

Comment from Harrogate week – BTME, Clubhouse & Continue to Learn Latest news update from the BIGGA’s annual turfest Harrogate Week. I was planning to update my blog from the show each day, but as usual long discussions on golf course maintenance issues have got in the way. Of course all this talk makes you hoarse so lubrication of the vocal chords is also vital and time consuming!

First impressions, well it seemed to be quieter than usual on Tuesday and heaving yesterday. As expected all the talk is of the economic downturn and how incomes, budgets and jobs are going to be affected. There are worrying stories from Ireland of clubs shutting down and others putting greenstaff on a three-day week. Many clubs in the UK are experiencing membership non-renewals with reports of 40 to 50 memberships being lost. I have no doubt that once the spring renewal period is over there will be even higher losses than this.