Message Board - Natural Turf: Golf vs Grounds

5 Sep 2011 by Shaun Devon

Having worked on golf courses and on cricket wickets and ovals which job requires the most skill?

Im going to put my vote with cricket wickets and ovals as the amount I have learnt switching from golf has been an eye opener. I think the basic principles of golf maintainence are very simple.

5 Sep 2011 by turf maniac

ovals i say too i do soccer / rugby / turf cricket wickets / athletics and maintain a 50 metre pool . golf is just golf very over rated.

6 Sep 2011 by turfersparadise@gmail.com

it all depends on the size of the ball being used. anybody can mow an oval or park to kick a soccer ball or hit a cricket ball around. So for what its worth my order is ( drumroll)
1. golf
2. wickets
3. ovals

That should heat things up a bit.

As we all know each sport has its little intricate methods to acheieve the desired result. After all we are all over glorified lawnmower operators.

turfersparadise

6 Sep 2011 by turfersparadise@gmail.com

turfersparadise

10 Sep 2011 by James Goodwin

It is a lot harder to manage golf greens in summer than maintaining a sport field thats for sure, however sports field are a nightmare in winter due to over use from winter sports codes.

13 Sep 2011 by Peter Bass

Golf hands down harder!

grounds have like 3 or 4 people looking after a area the size of one fairway!
Give each golf course 4 people per hole and imagine what it would look like!

We should be on double the pay as well

You Can't Handle The Truth. Bass atYa

13 Sep 2011 by Roadmaker

Great question Shaun,

But one of those questions that can only be answered by someone who has worked everywhere within our huge industry.

I am not that person but I have been lucky enough to work on bowls, golf, croquet, cricket wickets and sporting ovals. And all of these jobs have been at both the lower and higher levels of clubs or courses of the above.

Each field has its own skill and to say which one is tougher or more skillful well thats up there with which came first the chicken or the egg.

As you get up higher in the quality of sport that you are preparing, they all come under the same scrutiny but not just from a few local members but from the media or public who veiw it.

I would like someone out there to tell me that at the higest or lowest level of which ever sport that one person is better than the other.

And I would be surprised if someone could because there are too many outside factors that infulence what someone can or can't achieve. eg budgets, ceo, boards, staff both numbers and there ability, previous maintenace practices, where do you stop.

But for what it is worth, No 1 - cricket, none of the 22 will like the strip and even the umpires who have no idea will find something to mark you down on their pitch report. And mother nature never seems to help. ( another outside infulence)
No 2 - golf, there are more members normally than than the other sports which usually means more whingers and with golf its normally the 5% at the top or the bottom that complain eg. A and C grade.
But thats normally easily fixed by setting the course up to the standard of the president.

15 Sep 2011 by Dr Dilby

Depends what the challenges are.
Ive worked at some golf courses that were easy to maintain. ie great infrastructure and good staff.
Also have worked at a golf course that was in an ideal setting, but a absolute nightmare to maintain- shade/trees/duck problems/bad management.
Likewise with tennis clubs I have worked on, good clay soil courts - easy to get the bounce required compared with sand based contruction- almost impossible to get good bounce without droughting the surface out.

19 Sep 2011 by Shaun Devon

Interesting replies.

Seems a lot think Cricket as well, nothing against Golf but cricket wickets are more of an art form IMO

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