Stephen Bernhard worked in his father Jeffrey's turf nursery and landscaping business from a young age. He expanded the export division of his father's business and created several other companies before purchasing Atterton and Ellis in Suffolk and renaming it Bernhard and Company in 1972.

Throughout its history, Bernhard and Company has built a reputation for providing a range of innovative sharpening tools alongside educational support for greenkeepers and groundspeople. Working alongside Jacobsen, they developed a non-contact blade sharpening programme and became a leading name in spin grinding in the United States in the 1980s with its renowned Anglemaster and Express Dual machines. This culminated in Bernhard and Company becoming the first UK company to exhibit at the GCSAA's annual trade show.

In 2008, Bernhard and Company was awarded the Queen's Award for Industry and in 2014 Stephen was installed as Master of The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, again following in his father's footsteps. Through initiatives such as the BIGGA Delegation to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, the company continues to underline its desire to give back to the industry so loved by its founder.

Managing Director Steven Nixon was enjoying life as a greenkeeper when Stephen persuaded him to join Bernhard and Company. He has come to know him well in the 24 years since. Steven said: "I've never met anybody who has worked as hard as he has. He would work – and I say this without fear of exaggeration – 18 hours a day, every day, if he wasn't travelling. His drive, his passion and the way he led from the front was what drove us to success and to where we are today."

"Stephen always said, 'Let's be successful so we can invest more back into the business and the industry'. His focus has been 100 per cent on giving back and he always put the customer before profit. He has been one of the most pivotal people in the industry for driving positive change."

We hope you're able to join us at the BIGGA Celebration with Kress on the opening evening of BTME to celebrate Stephen's incredible career and commitment to the greenkeeping industry.

Cowdray completed the largest project in the club's history in 2024 when the Sussex venue opened the doors to its renovated course and new five-hole par-3 layout.

The £1 million improvement plan, which included new practice facilities, has, in the words of Director of Golf Tim Allen, "future proofed the course for generations to come".

All bunkers have been reconstructed, reshaped and integrated into the downland landscape through the use of native grass borders. A new 9th tee has been constructed and EcoPath recycled rubber pathways have been installed throughout. 

Elsewhere, Swan Golf Designs created a new 'heart of the course' by restoring the famed double green for holes 7 and 14, created a new seating area at the halfway hut and oversaw landscape management throughout the course. 

In keeping with a venue within the South Downs National Park, the landscape management work included the introduction of more native grassland areas and the removal of non-indigenous species to highlight historic oaks and traditional downland specimens. 

All greens on the par-3 track were built to USGA specifications, designed to mimic those on a main course kept in impeccable condition by Course Manager Jonathan Smith and his team.

The whole project was underpinned by Jonathan's excellent planning, having prepared a native turf nursery a year in advance of the work being approved. Despite the weather causing some delays, the team remained flexible throughout, adapting to the conditions to ensure timely delivery of the project.

"My guys are very proud of what we've done," said Jonathan. "You can feel it within the team, they're happy with what has been achieved."

Course Manager James Braithwaite found himself spinning plates as Long Ashton underwent a rebuild of the putting green to USGA specifications while simultaneously undertaking a major drainage renovation.

Fortunately, the skill and dedication of James and his team ensured their ambition did not outstrip their capacity.

It has been a consistent theme of James's 28-year tenure at the Bristol venue to outperform the confines of limited resources. This latest undertaking was a prime example, as James oversaw the full rebuild of the 560m² putting green entirely in-house. The project required meticulous planning to utilise the existing infrastructure while enhancing the green's size, shape and drainage capabilities.

The greenkeeping team undertook everything from excavation to final grow-in. On top of this, they implemented drainage improvement on holes 6 and 7, balancing two major undertakings alongside members' expectations and day-to-day course preparation.

The project faced significant challenges, particularly due to weather patterns that exacerbated the already poor drainage on the soil-based greens.

With the putting green having been out of action for 132 days between October 2022 and 2023, the dire need for the work was evident but fate conspired to make it an even tougher job that it first appeared. Unexpected complications arose as old, brittle irrigation pipes broke while the infrastructure was being mapped. 

The wet ground also posed a challenge, with heavy rain making material transportation difficult without causing further compaction and damage. Through perseverance, James found innovative solutions, such as adjusting the construction schedule and implementing frost sheets to protect the seedlings during germination. 

Rather than completely replacing the existing green, cores from the course's other established greens were utilised for overseeding, aiming to create a bent-dominant putting surface. This not only reduced costs but also aligned the putting green's playing characteristics with the rest of the course.

Additionally, James introduced techniques to drainage design, incorporating subtle contours to optimise surface water movement and prevent future pooling.

While juggling the workload of two ongoing projects, James ensured both progressed without major disruption and his efforts extended beyond just the physical aspects as he kept Long Ashton members informed throughout the process with a website providing frequent updates on the works.

Parkstone's Course Manager Grant Peters loves it when a plan comes together, especially one that's been on the agenda for several years.

He and his team had the green light to proceed with a 1st tee and putting green project in 2019, but the rising cost of building materials set the work back as the construction of a new greenkeeping facility was prioritised. COVID delayed things another three years, meaning plans had to be resubmitted to a new management committee for approval, and Grant still had to win over the members to vote in favour of funding the project. Thankfully, his presentation secured unanimous backing.

The project brief was to flatten out the putting green to offer more level putts for warm-up and practicing – the old putting green only had 85m² of usable putting area in a green that measured over 600m². The green and surroundings also failed to match the rugged and beautiful heathland environment that blesses the rest of the course.

"We wanted to offer a wow factor as soon as people arrived in the car park," said Grant. "This could only be achieved by seamlessly blending the new green, surrounds and 1st tee with the rest of the course."

Ground was broken on 31 October 2023 and the project was completed in-house with the help of course shaper Shane Ringwood. The work was carried out through one of the south coast's wettest winters, with Grant keeping members updated on progress via weekly videos.

John Warner, chairperson of the Parkstone Management Committee, said: "Despite the obstacles that had to be overcome, the project was completed on time, to budget and to a very high standard. The quality of the greenkeeping work was such that there have not been any teething troubles with the green, tee or extensive heather banks that add to the appearance of the 1st hole." 

Burnham & Berrow's greenkeeping team demonstrated remarkable resilience and skill to revive the club's Championship Course after drought struck in 2022.

Final Open Qualifying was scheduled to be hosted there in 2023 but had to be pushed back a year as the parched fairways had lost any hint of green.

The team of 11, supported by the course director and R&A agronomists, produced an inspirational comeback to have the course in stunning condition and welcome some of the world's best golfers, including Justin Rose, in July 2024.

At one point that reality seemed little more than a distant dream. Despite the club installing a 24,000 cubic metre irrigation lake back in 2011, the winter of 2021-2022 brough exceptionally dry conditions, followed by an extremely hot and arid summer in 2022. The severe weather conditions put unprecedented strain on the facility's water resources, threatening the quality and playability of the fairways.

In response, the club – in collaboration with The R&A's agronomy team – implemented a comprehensive water management and recovery strategy. This included exploring alternative water sources, expanding storage capacity, optimising water use and establishing a contingency plan for purchasing additional water.

Yet, none of this could have been accomplished without the tireless efforts of the greenkeeping team. Their dedication and hard work were instrumental in executing their recovery programme. From routine maintenance to advanced turf management, their expertise was crucial in preparing the course for this major event.

Seven dedicated volunteers from across the industry lent their expertise in the final days leading up to the event, ensuring the course was in pristine condition and ready to meet the highest standards of play.

When the opportunity came to host the Welsh Club Team Championships, Morlais Castle seized upon it with vigour. Having implemented significant umprovements to the course and club infrastructure over the preceding years, the Merthyr Tydfil venue was more than ready. With 32 qualifying teams competing from across Wales, the pressure was on to deliver – and Morlais Castle stepped up to the mark.

Describing the work that went into preparing the course for the event, Stewart Freeman – who moved to the club in 2018 and became head greenkeeper in 2020 – explained how preparation specifically targeted at the Welsh Team Championships started in January 2024. New paths were built by a contractor, although much of this work was delayed from 2023 due to bad weather and was not restarted until May 2024.

Stewart added: "That was ongoing until the week before the competition. As a result, we were taking down soil stones and seeding right up until the week before. This meant some of the area was inevitably GUR."

New tees were built specifically for the championship, which then had to be turfed and regularly cut by hand.

Stewart said: "General maintenance continued as usual, but we were also faced with damage to greens, which we had to repair shortly before the tournament."

Course signage was cleaned and replaced where necessary. With a small team to call upon, Stewart was able to count on a dedicated group of volunteers, who included among their number his wife Tessa.

"In the final weeks leading to the championships, we divoted tees and removed unsafe trees, inbetween keeping on top of cutting the course," said Stewart. "This was challenging with only three greenkeepers and so we were grateful that my wife came in to help divot, move markers, edge bunkers and change holes.

"We also coordinated club volunteers in repairing divots on fairways, planting and maintaining flower beds."

During the championship, the greenkeepers returned in the evenings to cut tees, fairways and some rough and generally tidy up the course and check for tlitter to free up time for the next day.

"We were in early to change holes for that day and prepare the course for the day's play," said Stewart. "All in all, a very busy period for our small team of greens staff."

Woburn has flown the flag for inclusivity in golf as the host venue for The G4D Open in the past two years. Having held the inaugural event in 2023, the Bedfordshire venue reprised its role in 2024, providing a fitting stage for the biggest date on the G4D Tour calendar.

Staged in partnership with The R&A and DP World Tour with support from EDGA, The G4D Open is a truly inclusive event, featuring nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups and a field consisting of men and women, professionals and amateurs.

Nineteen nations were represented at this year's event, with Woburn's greenkeeping team providing exceptional playing conditions and seamless accessibility via a series of adaptations to the Duchess Course.

"Hosting a tournament of this scale is tough at any time of the ear, but to host it in May does come with considerable challenges," said Tom Moore, deputy head greenkeeper on the Duchess. "Coming out of a tough autumn and winter and preparing the golf course to tournament standard is quite the challenge, particularly when we've had significant rainfall, very low growth and the continued increase to participation levels since COVID.

"From an agronomic perspective, our challenges revolve around sustaining and conditioning grass cover throughout the winter period."

Additional considerations needed to be made for hosting The G4D Open, with Woburn having pulled out all the stops to ensure accessibility for players with a variety of needs.

Tom explained: "One of our biggest challenges was access across the course, with a majority of players in the 80-strong field requiring a buggy to play their round and the seated players needing to access bunkers and drive on the greens to take their putts. Works undertaken over many years to protect the golf course from players in golf buggies, such as steeper edges and steps, had to be re-designed to facilitate access to players using single seat buggies or ParaMotion vehicles."

Greens also had to be firm enough to take seated players driving and turning on them without being too punishing for those trying to make an approach stick.

An access ramp was also installed in each bunker to ensure a safe and manageable entrance and exit for players. Tom said: "This meant a thorough process of design and testing was required to invent a construction process that could be adapted to any bunker size or shape, be contained within the hazard, be soft enough to prevent the bounce out of golf balls but safe enough for players with the minimum impact on play. This was no mean feat!"