Hazel Grove course manager Michael Davie (left) recevies his BIGGA Outstanding Contribution Award from Jacobsen’s Will Carr for his work supporting mental health issues

GREENKEEPER Michael Davie – who set up a mental health support group to help his fellow professionals in the turf industry – has picked up the top award at the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association’s annual convention.

Davie, the course manager at Hazel Grove Golf Club, in Stockport, has tirelessly supported many BIGGA members and other greenkeepers, having overcome periods of depression in his own life.

In recognition of the incredible effort he has put in to supporting his fellow greenkeepers, Michael was awarded with the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award, sponsored by Jacobsen.

After receiving the award, Michael Davie said: “I’m exceptionally humbled to receive this. It’s totally unexpected and really amazing.

“I’m retiring from greenkeeping in a few months and I hope the extra time that gives me will allow me to develop the mental health side of things.

“I’m looking into how I can try and help as many people as possible, so this is just the start!”

Michael established the ‘Greenkeepers mental health support group’ on Facebook so his peers could come together to support each other.

Michael also hosts a regular meet-up in Manchester, where greenkeepers discuss issues and provide a helping hand.

The UK’s best and brightest greenkeepers were recognised at a dazzling awards ceremony hosted by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association at the opening night of BTME 2020.

BTME is the UK’s leading exhibition for those in the golf greenkeeping and sportsturf industries, with more than 5,000 BIGGA members, industry leaders and influencers expected through the doors of the Harrogate Convention Centre for the duration of the three-event.

The traditional curtain-raiser of the exhibition is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems and hosted by television presenter Naga Munchetty.

A number of awards were handed out to BIGGA members who have done extraordinary things throughout their careers.

The Outstanding Contribution award is one of three BIGGA Awards given out to members during the event.

The other two are the Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year – sponsored by Rigby Taylor – and the Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness and Kubota.

Grant Peters and the team at Parkstone Golf Club in Poole were winners of the Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year Award after successfully hosting the Ladies’ European Amateur Championship, in July, which was won by Berkhamsted’s Alice Hewson.

Also nominated in the same category were Craig Haldane’s Gleneagles team for the hosting the 2019 Solheim Cup, and Graham Brumpton and the team at Ipswich Golf Club, which staged the English Ladies’ Open Amateur Championship at Purdis Heath last summer.

The Greenkeeping Project of the Year Award was won by Darren Anderson MG and the team at Cheshire’s Bromborough Golf Club.

The team replaced a 46-year-old irrigation system, alongside rebuilding greenside bunkers. Completing the work in-house, it is estimated that the greenkeepers saved the club around £150,000.

Also nominated in the same category were Master Greenkeeper Andrew Kerr’s team at Surrey’s Surbiton Golf Club and Robert George’s team at Essex’s Thorndon Park Golf Club.

For the first time, a new set of prizes were introduced at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration.

The BIGGA Excellence in Communication Awards sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems seek to recognise those BIGGA members who have embraced communication as a vital tool available to the modern greenkeeper.

Awards for the best use of social media and work in the community will be handed on the second day BTME on the Campey Turf Care stand, but at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, the winner of the Innovation and Thought Leadership Award was unveiled.

The award is given to the BIGGA member who had written the most thought-provoking article for BIGGA’s monthly magazine, Greenkeeper International, with Ryun Holden, of Switzerland’s Golf Club Wylihof, claiming the inaugural prize for his feature discussing the importance of conveying a positive message from the greenkeeping team to golfers at their club.

Ryun received a £750 cash prize and all-expenses paid trip to Florida, where he will visit the Campey Air2g2 factory, Daytona International Speedway, TPC Sawgrass and TIAA Bank Field, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton said: “I take immense pride in the BIGGA Welcome Celebration as it is the opportunity for our association to recognise the unbelievable hard work and dedication that BIGGA members all over the world demonstrate every day of their working lives.

“As we saw once again through the story of Michael Davie, it can become all too easy to get caught up in all the negativity that surrounds the golf industry.

“Yet there are many passionate and hardworking greenkeepers who have dedicated their careers to ensuring this great industry has a strong and vibrant future.

“BIGGA is nothing if not a community where members can come together to support each other through the bad times and the good.

“Thank-you to all our sponsors and to everyone who came along to support this brilliant event.”

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Last year’s award winner Jack Percival from Chipstead Golf Club – who will scoop the 2020 prize when the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition is held in Harrogate from January 21-23?

FROM England’s south coast to the Perthshire hills, the finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2020 have once again shown what talented and passionate greenkeeping teams can achieve, when supported by the clubs where they work.

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition will be taking place once again at the Harrogate Convention Centre later this month.

More than 5,000 turf managers, greenkeepers, golf club owners and decision makers are expected to take part in the industry’s premier exhibition and educational programme.

The finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2020 are:–

Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year sponsored by Rigby Taylor

• Craig Haldane and his team at Gleneagles Hotel and Golf Courses for hosting the 2019 Solheim Cup in September.
• Grant Peters and his team at Parkstone Golf Club for hosting the European Ladies Amateur Championship, at the Dorset Club, in July
• Graham Brumpton and his team at Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath) for hosting the 2019 English Women’s Strokeplay, in Suffolk.

Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness and Kubota

• Darren Anderson and his team at Cheshire’s Bromborough Golf Club
• Master Greenkeeper Andrew Kerr and his team at Surrey’s Surbiton Golf Club
• Robert George and his team at Essex’s Thorndon Park Golf Club.

The winner of the Outstanding Contribution of the Year – sponsored by Jacobsen – will be revealed on the night.

One of the highlights each year is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored for the first time in 2020 by Campey Turf Care Systems.

Taking place on the opening night of BTME – and hosted by respected journalist and golf enthusiast Naga Munchetty – the Welcome Celebration will reveal the winners of the prestigiouJs BIGGA Awards 2020.

Surrey greenkeeper Jack Percival was awarded the Outstanding Contribution of the Year for his work helping homeless in his borough.

Jack’s homeless initiative scoops prize at 2019 BIGGA Awards show

BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton said: “Last year’s refreshed BIGGA Awards were an incredible success, with the story of our member Jack Percival – and his efforts to support the homeless in his home town – leading to a standing ovation, and bringing a fitting end to the Welcome Celebration.

“We thought it may be a tough act to follow. But I’m delighted that throughout the past year BIGGA members have once again redefined what it’s possible to achieve out on the course – and what it means to be part of the greenkeeping community.

“The nominations we received this year were of an incredibly high standard, and it’s testament to everyone who got involved that the judges had such a difficult decision in determining the finalists.

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a BIGGA member or team of greenkeepers this year.

“I look forward to seeing each of the finalists at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, in Harrogate, for what promises to be a fantastic opening to our annual exhibition.”

BTME runs from Tuesday, January 21 to Thursday, January 23, with more than 150 exhibitors taking part.

There will be a range of new initiatives, such as the STRI Innovation Zone and the Green Room Podcast Live stage.

This year saw a record number of nominations, with teams recognised for their efforts by golf club managers, championship hosts and even representatives of the professional golf tours, in addition to their fellow BIGGA members.

•The BTME smartphone app is the comprehensive guide to the exhibition and is available to download now through the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can register online now for BTME or head to www.btme.org.uk for more information.

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HERTFORDSHIRE’S England international Alice Hewson booked herself a place in this week’s AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn, after producing a last day charge to win the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Dorset’s Parkstone Golf Club.

Hewson, from Berkhamsted, started the final day just inside the top 20 after opening rounds of 72, 70 and 73.

But the 21-year-old stormed though the field with a six-under par 66 that included six birdies and two eagles.

That was enough to see her tie at the top of the leaderboard with Finland’s Krista Junkkari on seven-under.

The pair were still level after a three-hole play-off before the two-time Curtis Cup player won with a par at the second hole of sudden-death.

The new champion becomes just the fourth English player after Emma Duggleby (2000), Joanne Morley (1992) and most recently Bronte Law (2016) to lift the trophy.

The Clemson University player can now look forward to spending the next week in the company of the world’s best players as they compete for this year’s fifth women’s major at Woburn.

“This is incredible,” said the Berkhamsted player moments after holing the winning putt. “Going into today I just went out there and tried to get as low as I could. I was brave out there and it paid off.

“I was quite far out of it this morning. I played really solid earlier in the week without really getting anywhere but today I made a lot of eagles and birdies.

“As I said before, I just tried to be brave. I gave my putts a little extra and it worked.

“Playing in the Women’s British Open is going to be absolutely incredible,” added Alice who was the first Englishwoman to play a competitve round at Augusta, in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, in April.

Hewson, who can’t wait to tee it up in the Women’s British Open against the best players from the LPGA and LET, said: “It’s going to be my first major and being so close to home will to make it even more special. I can’t wait to get started.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Krista,” she added. “It was a really great play-off. She played absolutely great all week.

“She’s been there or thereabouts all week. She made four pars in the play-off at a time when she was probably just as nervous as me. She played really well.”

Further down the leaderboard Italy’s Caterina Don closed with a two-under par 70 to clinch third place, while Norway’s Franziska Sliper played the shot of the day when she holed out for an albatross on the sixth on her way to finishing fourth after posting a 68.

It was also a great week for Hewson’s England international team-mate Annabell Fuller, from Roehampton, while Western Australian Kirsten Rudgeley, finished tied-fifth.

She finished alongside Scotland’s Hannah Darling who fired a bogey-free 68 to lead after three rounds. Darling, who celebrated her 16th birthday last week, was bidding to become the first Scot to claim the European title,

Darling, the second youngest player in the 144-player field, said after her third round: “Obviously it’s a big tournament but it’s still the same golf course.

“There’s no pressure on me to be honest, I’m only 16, so I’m just going to enjoy it and see what happens in the end,” added the Broomieknowe member.

Her final round 77 left her in a six-way share of fifth alongside Sweden’s Linn Grant, Denmark’s Karen Fredgaard and Italy’s Virginia Bossi.

Rudgeley, the current Western Australian Amateur Champion, who made her debut in the Toyota Junior World Golf Cup in June, will play the English and British Girls, as well as the English Ladies Strokeplay while visiting the UK in her bid to improve her world ranking.

Kirsten has spent recent summers playing in England to broaden her experience.

For full scores from the European Ladies Amateur Championship can be found at the European Golf Association’s website here.

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