Pebble Beach Dream: UK Greenkeepers' Star-Struck Pro-Am Trip

A trip to California to be part of the team during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am provided an experience two UK-based greenkeepers will never forget.

Few golf courses evoke the same degree of awe as Pebble Beach. You don’t have to be a fan of the sport to admire the beauty of its setting, but the finer details of its playing surfaces are best appreciated by those who know their turf, and the California links is as good as it gets.

For Elgin Head Greenkeeper Calum Forsyth and Stirling Deputy Course Manager Euan Bogle, who volunteered there during February’s AT&T Pro-Am, it was the experience of a lifetime. The opportunity came about through some good old-fashioned networking, with the pair having struck up a friendship with Ruben Aitchison, who was then at Royal Aberdeen, while they were all part of the volunteer team at Wentworth for the BMW PGA.

They remained in touch via a WhatsApp group which also included Bramhall Course Manager Ian Kirwan, and when Ruben went on to join the Ohio State Program he invited them all out to Pebble Beach.

“We didn’t even hesitate,” said Calum, who had the full backing of his club. “We ended up booking flights and we were out there.” Although the Monterey Peninsula course was familiar to them, seeing it in person was akin to meeting a major celebrity. There was something almost surreal about it.

“I’ve seen a lot of amazing golf courses before, but somewhere as iconic as Pebble Beach, to actually be standing on it and part of the team, was unbelievable,” said Euan. “You never get used to those views; it never sinks in. It really felt like living in a bubble for a week.” Calum was similarly star-struck, adding: “You’re stood there as a golfer and a greenkeeper on a course that you’ve only seen on TV or played on a simulator, and you’re actually there. You almost have to say it to yourself, ‘I’m standing on Pebble Beach’ – it is a pinch-me moment.”

The pair were immediately struck by the impeccable playing surfaces, with barely a blade of grass out of place. Attaining something so close to perfection requires attention to detail on a level rarely seen, if only because in most cases there just aren’t enough hours in the day. That was perfectly captured in one passing moment that Euan happened upon as he was making his way from one hole to the next to go about his duties.

“I drove by one of the assistants lying down in the rough with a measuring tape and a camera trying to measure how long the rough was to determine how much it had grown in two days,” he laughed. “The fact that they were even able to have time to do that while getting ready for a tournament was just mind-boggling.”

Calum was put to work on gathering data to feed into the supers and first assistants, as well as the PGA. While he cannot disclose the numbers, he did reveal some work had to be done to bring green speeds down in light of the weather conditions.

“I was collecting data on trueness and smoothness, green speeds and so on,” he said. “That data helped the team work out how they were going to approach things the following day. We had some quite high winds, so it was important to get the speeds right and avoid having balls oscillating on the greens.” Everything about the scale of the operation was on another level, with a dedicated and well-drilled team all setting about their tasks with care and precision. For two guys from average-sized teams who are used to turning their hand to any conceivable task on their own courses, it was an eye-opener to see how specialised and specific some roles were.

“There’s one guy in particular who has done the same job for 14 years,” said Euan. “He cuts the same four greens every morning, he rakes the same bunkers every morning, he fixes pitch marks on those same greens and he trims the sprinkler heads in the afternoon on those four greens. That’s his job and he’s an absolute expert at it; nobody could do it better.”

Euan was on bunkers once the tournament started and even that was “next level”, though it did provide him with inspiration for his own course. “They double-raked every morning and had dedicated teams adjusting the sand levels in the evenings,” he said. “Obviously, we don’t have a team of 30 and an unlimited budget, but there are small tweaks we can make, like bunker preparation techniques and ways to maintain course consistency. Even just refining simple things like raking methods can make a difference for members and daily players.”

The on-site machinery also represented an embarrassment of riches, with every piece of kit imaginable there in duplicate.

“The shed, which they called a shop, was incredible – it had everything from buggies to greens mowers, fairway mowers, hand mowers,” said Calum. “There were three mechanics, which in itself is impressive, on a team of 25-35 people. They had brand-new strimmers and blowers still in their boxes and ready to go if something packed up. It all just shows the scale of the operation over there.”

The pair will both continue to put their names forward to volunteer at events, though when you show willing it can often be the case that such opportunities come to you.

“It’s not just about the experience; it’s about meeting people who can help you grow in your career,” said Euan. “You go to one event, and suddenly, more doors open.

“You never know when you’ll get that message asking, ‘Fancy coming to work here?’ — but if you put yourself in the right place, those messages will come.”

Calum added: “The big reason I do it is for networking and the opportunities that come with that. The more people you know in the industry the better. It opens doors, whether it’s trying to get involved in tournament support or getting jobs. If you’ve been to these top courses and done tournament set-up, that’s on your CV and it helps to build your career.” GI