A day in the life: Joel Chappell

The head greenkeeper at Kilworth Springs Golf Club in Leicestershire, a course that overlooks Avon Valley, takes us through his average day.

What time do you arrive at the club and what is your morning routine?

I arrive at around 5am then proceed to open up, check the weather and the tee sheet for the day. I’ll then move on to amend any scheduled jobs that may have been affected by changes in the weather. This happens quite frequently, as we all know, the British weather can change quickly! We then start at 5.30am, half an hour before the first golf tees off at 6am. Being a free draining site, our course is busy all year round so I do what I can to make sure we’re out of the sheds quickly and ready for a busy day.

How many people are there in your team and do you share tasks?

There is myself, my deputy, two assistants and one additional seasonal member of staff. We share the majority of tasks, however I do all of the spraying and my deputy looks after the mechanical side.

How do you motivate your colleagues?

I think in a small team, if you have the right staff then you don’t have to motivate too much. I have a young, enthusiastic team who all play golf themselves so understand the importance of what we do. They’re all very focussed on making the course look its best.

What aspects of your job give you the greatest satisfaction?

Receiving criticism on the greens during renovation work, only to be told by the same members how great they are just a matter of weeks later!

And the least satisfaction?

The occasional butting of heads with members over what route to go down agronomy wise.

Have you attended any courses recently, and if so, what did you take away?

I struggle to get away from work due to us having a small team, but I did attend a number of seminars during BTME in January and they were fantastic! I learnt a lot more about the benefits of wetting agents and the fact that they can be used all year round.

What’s your favourite season of the year and why?

Summer! The busiest season which means very little sleep and lots of stress… But it’s in these months that the course can look its best and you really see the result of all your hard work.

Are you witnessing evidence of climate change and, if so, how has your job had to adapt to changing weather patterns?

The golf course that I manage has sand greens on an old gravel pit, so the heat does take its toll. However, with the usage of a quality wetting agent, and increased aeration with our Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain, we are overcoming the challenges of the changing weather a lot better.

Have you had to overcome any course issues with disease and / or pests?

Yes! Our irrigation lake is fed by a natural spring which means we have a lot of issues with take-all patch. We also have a lot of badger sets and badgers which like to make holes in our greens!

What piece of equipment would you say is the most popular and frequently used by you and your team?        

It has to be both our sprayer and trusty Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain. Keeping our greens healthy and hydrated is our main focus, meaning quality products and lots of aeration for us is key!

As mentioned previously, the course is built on an old gravel pit which gets easily compacted so we go out with our Verti-Drain every month of the year, as much as three weeks out of every four during the winter months.

With a growing focus on sustainability, do you deploy any sustainable practices in the management of your course?

In terms of sustainability, we are an inland links golf course, so we have large areas of natural rough that are only cut once a year. We also only use plant food products on our greens and are working on trying to only put down fungicides when it is absolutely necessary.

What do you do to support wildlife?

We only maintain areas that are in play – areas around ponds and the long rough are unmaintained for the majority of the year which makes for good habitat. I am a big believer in the idea that golf courses should co-exist with the wildlife, and we try to do this at Kilworth as best we can.

What are the technological developments that you feel have been the most important in your career to date?

For me its wetting agents, a few years ago I used to think all wetting agents did was give you a soft surface, but with the use of Evolve I have managed to keep our greens, that suck out moisture on a daily basis, consistent in their moisture levels. Considering how dry my site is, it has really helped to improve the quality of the surface and the grass in the sward.

Do you use social media professionally and what do you think this contributes to the industry?

Yes, I have both Twitter and LinkedIn accounts which I enjoy using though I do have to be careful what I say on them as a lot of my members have found my profiles! I have also learnt a lot from using both platforms. It is a great way to follow people who are at the top of the industry, read their thought processes and learn from what they do.

How would you improve the greenkeeping industry?

I think it would be to encourage more head greenkeepers to push their deputies and staff to better themselves.

When I first started in the industry, I was at Kirby Muxloe Golf Club and the head greenkeeper there offered me the opportunity to be a deputy, which gave me a huge amount of responsibility and undoubtedly put me on the front foot when it came to moving onwards to be a head greenkeeper.

What advice would you give to a young greenkeeper starting out today?

Work hard, take opportunities to travel when young and stay true to yourself. I am not the most gifted greenkeeper, but I have worked hard and been rewarded for all my efforts.

How do you spend your leisure time?

Recovering from the stress of being a head greenkeeper! Time off is spent with my lovely wife Val and Pippa, our Irish setter puppy. I used to play rugby and cricket, but I’ve now transitioned to watching rather than playing!