these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

Golf
In October last year, Ian
Robson, UK and Export
Manager for Hunter Grinders,
travelled to The Defence Raya
Golf Resort in Lahore, Pakistan
to install a new Hunter
Grinder ATI.
Ian is from Newcastle and was
interested to discover that
John Tate, the Course
Manager, was also a local
Newcastle boy. Ian wanted to
John Tate
Sitting in ‘downtown Lahore’, I am
fairly sure few will know what a
popular sport golf is in Pakistan.
There are four courses in Lahore
alone, with another under
construction; the older courses having
been built in the colonial era. Presently,
the golfing community is growing at 20%
per annum.
It is true to say that I am pretty well
travelled. In the late 80s, after a short
spell in Southern Ireland, I went off to
Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. To say it
was a culture shock is a bit of an
understatement. However, being pretty
open-minded, I soon settled.
After being dumped in a ‘life camp’
36 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012
know how John came to be in
Lahore, and what on earth it
was that kept him in what, on
the surface, appeared to be a
pretty inhospitable place.
Talking to John, Ian realised
that he was neither a typical
greenkeeper, or Geordie for
that matter, and, in fact, had a
history of being part of golf
development in many places
around the world where,
full of Germans, off we went to work on
the construction of the IBB International
which, I think I’m correct in saying, was
the first ‘green’ greens course in West
Africa. Having never seen or worked with
Bermuda grass, I had to learn quickly -
twenty odd years later and I’m still
learning about it! Once I had grasped an
understanding of the climate, it became
quite easy to produce a high standard of
turf although, admittedly, a workforce of
one hundred and twenty helped!
Grass, trees, flowers grew 365 days a
year, so we planted the course with a
different colour on every hole - Delonix,
Regina, Jacaranda, Acacia, Mango etc. -
with superb results.
despite the humidity, the dust
and the intense heat, the
challenges of achieving
excellent golfing conditions in
such an environmentally
difficult place was stimulating
in itself.
John Tate has been Course
Manager of the 18 hole
championship course for over
a year now, and recalls how
he found himself in Lahore
THE LIFE AND TIMES
OF A ROVING ‘GEORDIE’
GREENKEEPER
Never
a dull
moment
The wildlife was fairly exciting, with
crocodiles and snakes everywhere! The
smaller crocs would run away, but we had
one that appeared to be about 5 metres
long and an aggressive ‘blighter’ who
upset many a midday fishing
competition. The boys even refused to
jump into the lake when I unfortunately
had a hook snagged!
Golf in Africa was never dull, especially
when invited to play with my dear friend
Baba Kingerbe who, at the time, was the
Nigerian Interior Minister, and a couple
of other friends. Off we went but, after
about two or three holes, we could hear
gunfire! After eight holes we could hear
the bullets passing over our heads. I did