Soil Scout Sensor 7

INTERVIEW
In pursuit of
excellence
There are many facets to
the pursuit of excellence.
Often it starts with the
person themselves and
then develops with the
people who teach them. In the case of
Beaconsfield Course Director Stuart
Langhorn, it’s a healthy mix of both.
Like many others in this industry, his love
of sports led him to his current job. Playing
football, rugby, cricket and running cross
country at school is evidence of his passion
for sport, but finishing his rugby career as
a 40-year-old league winner cements it.
His initial plan was to work as a Premier
League groundsman, which led him to
Myerscough College. Deciding to join his
best friend, who was spending the summer
at Wembley, Stuart went to the All England
Tennis Club under Eddie Seaward in the
pursuit of excellence.
“We both wanted to work somewhere
that was top of its game and to learn that
excellence,” Stuart explained. “I spoke
to a couple of guys who had been to
Wimbledon the previous year, and they
said Eddie Seaward was the guy to learn
from.
“I think it’s the attention to detail and
the accuracy. It’s more than cutting grass,
and there’s just no stone left unturned, and
if you do turn a stone over somewhere like
that, you turn it over a second time, a third
time and a fourth time. You make sure
you’ve tripled checked everything to make
sure it’s right.
“That’s something that I’ve always taken
with me in every job, that bit of excellence.
“From there, I planned to move into
football, but I was still playing pretty
competitive rugby, and that being on a
Saturday meant I had to look for a different
option. Someone suggested greenkeeping
to me, and from there, I landed a job at
Woburn on the new Marquis Course in
1999.”
Wimbledon gave Stuart meticulous
attention to detail, but Woburn taught
him greenkeeping. Arriving as a 20-yearold,
Stuart had no experience, but
his enthusiasm for learning and the
environment he was working in took him
forward and eventually to Burhill Golf Club
and Leisure.
“At Woburn, it was all about excellence
and providing for the best players in
Europe. We were a big venue for visitors
paying a lot of money, and I’d really learnt
Soil Scout has been the biggest
thing that has revolutionised our
approach to greenkeeping
Stuart Langhorn
Words Blair Ferguson | Pictures James Baylis
6 soilscout.com | @Soil_Scout | #GainADeeperView