Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of columns detailing a move to England to become deputy head greenkeeper at The Royal St. George’s Golf Club.
It was a major move. As is often the case on roads less traveled (and, for a Canadian, the wrong side of the road), there were bumps along the way. But at long last, we arrived at the links: The Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England.
Long before leaving Toronto for England’s southeast coast, I knew there would be challenges I couldn’t fully predict or understand. New country. New club. New culture. New everything. That uncertainty was exactly what made the opportunity worth pursuing.
While any amount of preparation never seems to be enough when pursuing something new or difficult, doing the homework was for me an essential first step. Balancing professional and personal sides of a substantial change was just as important. And having something completely separate from greenkeeping, a passion project, provided some respite from the anticipation, excitement, nervousness and uncertainty that inevitably arrives with such a big move.
Doing the homework
In my search for new challenges and broader horizons, I had already worked at six golf courses in the Toronto area before making this substantially bigger move. From a family-owned, nine-hole executive course with a four-person greens crew to a 45-hole private club with a crew of 50, I was fortunate to experience a wide spectrum of operations, leadership styles and turf-management techniques. Each taught me something different.
Having made all these moves previously, I’d gotten used to change and being comfortable with being uncomfortable. And I’d learned how to prepare. Before making the move to England, I did my homework: reading everything I could about links management, fescue surfaces, wind, firm conditions and how differently water and other inputs are viewed compared to courses in Canada. Instead of dwelling on the unknown, I prepared for it. From the comfort of my brother’s home in Niagara Falls, I tried to learn as much as possible about what I was getting into.
A major setback
No matter how much preparation goes into a big move, there are always going to be bumps in the road — uncontrollable or unforeseen challenges. For us, the growing pains started well before we arrived. To make a long story short, there were visa complications. (Thankfully, my wife is English.)
Initially, hearing the news was difficult. Instead of counting down weeks until departure, we were counting months. We’d already left our apartment. I’d resigned from my previous position, and suddenly the future we’d planned was on hold. There wasn’t much we could do except wait and decide how to make the most of that unexpected time.
Focusing on silver linings, we had a well-spent fall, winter and spring while staying with my brother. Besides having extra time to prepare for the move, I also finished a side project: writing a speculative fiction novel. Diving into something totally separate from work and, more importantly, reconnecting with myself and the people around me, has made me a better greenkeeper.
Balancing act
How we balance our lives is different for everyone. I’ve not always achieved this in a long-term, sustainable and overall healthy way. When big changes happen, this balance, and how we achieve it, become more critical.
Writing, or what I’ve always called my “passionate side hobby,” has played a large part in helping me maintain balance. Writing fiction helped me achieve this before operating my first greens mower or raking my first bunker.
Besides developing habits that improve the body, mind and spirit, having a variety of interests and pursuits that diverge from our careers plays a key role in achieving and sustaining balance.
As well as having an unexpected opportunity to write, I had time to prepare for the move. And, maybe most importantly, I had time to work on myself and my relationships with friends and family. A greenkeeper’s life can at times make it hard to do the things that are most important, not only for our own health and those in our personal lives, but for the health of our career.
After many challenges and changes along the way, we finally made the big move and arrived at the links. Now, to settle in at Royal St. George’s.
Mark Wiebe is head deputy greenkeeper at The Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, and a 10-year GCSAA member.