HARNESSING TECH TO ENHANCE THE ROYAL DORNOCH EXPERIENCE
BETWEEN them, Eoin Riddell and Scott Aitchison have amassed nearly 70years’ experience tending the fairways and greens at Royal Dornoch.
To coincide with BIGGA’S fifth annual “Thank a Greenkeeper Day,” the pair have been reflecting on the vast changes they have witnessed in their working lives, with the club’s Championship Course nowadays hailed among the world’s finest links.
Course manager Eoin (pictured right) and deputy Scott have seen their roles change beyond recognition in their time at Royal Dornoch.
In April next year Eoin will mark 40 years at the club, starting as a raw 16-year-old straight out of school as part of an eight-strong team.
“It’s not just the job and the technology we use that has changed, the traffic on the golf courses and, in particular, the Championship Course, has escalated hugely,” said Eoin.
“We have 22 full-time staff and one seasonal worker this year. Nowadays the club is the biggest employer in the town.
“In 1986 when I started out, we didn’t have anything like the play that the courses experience these days.
“In the 1990s it could be quite sporadic after an early morning rush with members.
“Now there’s golfers teeing off every 10 minutes from 7am through to 4pm over a six-month period. The course handles around 35,000 rounds a year.
“Add in the caddies and that’s a lot of footfall causing inevitable wear and tear on the paths, tees and greens. Our task is to present the Championship Course, and our Struie Course, in the best possible condition.”
Colleague Scott arrived at Royal Dornoch in 1998 from Prestwick St Nicholas.
“One of the key changes was when the club gave us managerial roles and far greater responsibility, reflecting the growing respect for the roles that greenkeepers play in our industry.
“Technology is changing all the time, as in any walk of life.
“Data collection and scientific research have become crucial elements in presenting the courses.
“The new irrigation system on Struie has made a huge difference to our jobs.The smart technology is incredible. Everything is at your fingertips now.
“We can target specific areas of the course, with the precise amount of water required, using a phone app to switch on individual sprinklers. It is a different world.
“Future proofing is part and parcel of the investments being made here as we look towards the new course envisioned for land adjacent to the Struie.”
In recent weeks the team have been trialing the latest autonomous, or robotic, mowers on semi-rough and fairways on the Academy holes.
It a far cry from the hand-driven petrol mowers Eoin handled when he started on the job.
“The greenkeepers did have one triple ride-on mower which I believe was gifted by a club member. There weren’t many about, certainly in this part of the world.
“We were very fortunate to have it. Not that I was allowed anywhere near it!
“Every piece of equipment we use has changed but the human touch is still crucial to the presentation of the golf courses.
“The technology frees up time for greenkeepers to focus on key areas of course presentation which demand greater precision.
“We make use of moisture and stimp meters, and various data, to make sure all the greens are consistent when the golfer takes out the putter. That is what we want.”
Eoin recalls working out of an old Nissen hut in his early days.
Now the countdown has begun in earnest to the club’s new state of the artclubhouse.
“When I started out, we had a wee tea room with an old cooker and some chairs that had been chucked out of houses in the town.
“That all changed seven years ago with the club’s major investment in new facilities, with showers and toilets, drying area, offices and undercover storage building for the growing fleet of vehicles.
“At that stage with visitor numbers escalating, the courses, and their condition, took precedence over the new clubhouse.
“But in recent times it has been great watching the new clubhouse coming together. It is going to be fabulous and a huge asset to Royal Dornoch.”