Genesis Scottish Open Golf 2024 Renaissance. Club

 

It's time again for the Scottish Open at work, busy busy last few weeks prepping coarse ready for the week long event and this year the coarse is looking amazing, hats off to an amazing team of Greenkeepers and what they have achieved in the last 12 months with changes made and new bunkers constructed, in a Country of dying Industries and trades today I can happily say Greenkeeping in Scotland - The home of golf is a strong as ever,

I will add more pics to this post as the week goes on but here are some pics from early morning starts and evening out on coarse with approx 30 odd volunteer Greenkeepers from other clubs who get paid accommodation and food for the week to help out a 20 Greenkeeping team here. Even I work 14 days straight!, as it is the time of year we all take our job very seriously and although the coarse is imacculate we always say it can still be better and we never rest on our laurels  

Up at 3am and leave 3:30am for work to arrive 4am and get ready for 4:30 prep as Group, then out on coarse for Sunrise 4:45am

Here is a film from Monday,

I enjoy the week and split shifts while tiring I enjoy as only for a week and something different, esp enjoyable if the weather plays game and I can use the Enfield 350!

So that film was from Monday, previous day I got the chance to fly the Drone around over the coarse and as most of the contractors had now left and prior to players practicing Mon and Tues it was perfect chance with weather calm, here is a 5 minute edited film to Boards Of Canada track Dayvan Cowboy

And longer full unedited 20 mins of drone footage

Film from the Man cave after it all over

More soon...

Catch up - a busy July...

Here are thumbnails for just some of the many films I made through July, daily commuting my 3 day week then 10 days working split shifts mostly during the Scottish Golf Championship Open...

the split shifts were ok as we mostly had dry weather if it was the usual weather for this July which would see a sunrise, then cloud over in evening, no two days the same, in fact I think there was only one day I went to seep under a clear Skye and wok at 3 am to a clear sky, the weather was so changeable, but I just filmed when the weather was good for filming,

inbetween the Golf Open and now I got away with G in the new van to Aberdeenshire which you will see in the last 3 cycling films. Not done any cycling on the coast since, just my daily cycle along to the shops -keeps the legs spinning!,

 

I did a series of short films on my YouTube channel about the preparation work done for the Golf Open, a massive work team of over 50 guys as we we joined by Greenkeepers from all around the world who come and volunteer their skills helping to do the work it takes to prevent a World class golf event...

And each day I got a committing film notched up...

A second Go Pro Hero 1p camera was bought to add to my filming kit, and last week a media mod kit added to that, there will be another blog post on that,

Go across to my Youtube channel and see all the films from July here;  

Coastrider Scotland

And just to add a film for this blog post here is an excellent film by French Greenkeeper Tibo who caught alot of all of us during the week on hi Go Pro and edited up this brilliant wee film,

Enjoy

more soon...

Busy Week, roll on the weekend and hail the Fatside!!!

Been some week at the coal face...
Hard to believe it`s the end of May and under a month until the longest day with these cold temperatures of May. Spring has been a long one this year!...

Monday; started real nice with dry weather-great for mowing!,
Tuesday was overcast but dry and had a cold but fun evening cycle with Christian..
Wednesday it got colder again as that biting cold North to North easterly onshore wind returned and it was baltic up on the hill, cut you to the bone!
Thursday it got even colder wind chill with the drizzle and i was in the tractor mowing all day only getting out to refit a thrown drive belt a few times...
Salvation came on Thursday evening toasty in front of the stove and a big glass of wine...
Friday the drizzle gave way to Sea Harr!, it was pea soup up on the hill!, day in the shed doing maintenance...
Some phone pics from the week...

A sign!!!

Some new friends over the fence...

They don`t say much!...

Tuesday heavy fore casted rain moved north over the Forth all day....

Every morning starts with some maintenance on something or other... moneys worth out this filter!...

Wednesday big sky day!...

Stripes...

Easterly tailwind cycle home everyday was nice, loving the Dawes Ultra Galaxy for commuting...

Thursday horrid cold easterly rain!....

Home sweet home...

Friday and freezing two hours mowing Driving Range  in thick Sea Harr then washed grease and Back lap fairway mower...

Most younger generation Greenkeepers will have no idea what this job is unless they work on a budget run course with old kit and no mechanic and grinder, but it helps keep it\s cut....

Jungle Warfare;  Here's what i am always on about, this will have to wait until next week to wash and grease, its the weekend!, time to ride bikes!!!

Update...

You want to see the filth on the country roads around here, they are minging (Scottish for rather filthy) with lorries driving soil from a new housing project in nearby Haddington,
Then there is the trails to the coast-saturated with the wet winter, time to refit the fat wheels and i stuck on the old Pugsley wheels with the chunky Surly Nate tyres...

Across a saturated Becky`s Strip Byway, `Nate`ocross (get it?)  and was thinking this Byway will now not get mowed this season...

Up the hill and great views...

Down to Scoughall and along the beach and a 0.8m mid morning low tide gave loads of riding options here this morning, i headed out across the exposed Carr rocks and after a short walk over the greasy rocks i reached the wreck of the SS Poderosa, which ran aground and was wrecked here in 1896...

More pics and info on the wreck in a previous blog...

Some dune trails and surfing and it was along the beach,

Life is Good indeed :)

Heading home, selfie of the beard...

More Natocross riding home through Binning woods...

I did some filming today with the Go Pro and the mono pod
Song is `Garden` by Phontaine

Vimeo

Surly Pugsley; Peffersands cycle  Feb 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

And YouTube


More soon...