2017 TOCA Media Intern: Ireland will forever shape my professional opportunities

By Martin Richardson, TOCA media intern with TurfNet.com

The time I’ve spent in Ireland this past summer as the 2017 TOCA media intern was one of the best opportunities of my life. I have had so many rich experiences and opportunities that I personally believe will forever shape and influence my professional life while fostering personal growth and development. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn about a new country including their values, traditions and beliefs while meeting many fantastic people. For me, these achievements are the direct result of the effort invested in me by the partnership between TurfNet, TOCA and Bayer.

Bray Head cliff walk in Co. Wicklow.

This internship has provided invaluable hands-on training and experience through the participation in my daily tasks and projects that allow for the practical application of my academic knowledge and the development of course maintenance skills necessary for a career in turf management. As a member of the grounds crew at The Island Golf Course in Donabate, Ireland, I worked side by side with other coworkers for the preparation of a links course from day-to-day play all the way to professional tournament play. Additionally, I felt that I was able to contribute to the course by assisting coworkers, offering my experiences, and working on projects throughout the summer.

Most of my days were spent at The Island where my supervisor, Dave Edmondson, and fellow coworkers, Mark, Kevin, Mitchell, Jordan, Keith, and Pat taught me the processes for maintaining a links course. But I also really appreciated that Dave provided me independence and times where I was given opportunities to offer my opinion, discuss my past experiences, and make decisions. All in all, it was fascinating to see how the elements and course conditions of this country are intertwined to create a beautiful yet challenging golf courses. Everything is taken into perspective including the Irish Sea, the dunes, the grasses and grounds native to this country. It was so interesting to learn how there are differences and commonalities compared to my work experience in Minnesota at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Marty, shown at left, with the rest of the TurfNet Team volunteering for the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open the first week in July. They had to go home after the event while Marty had more time in Ireland!

While I was able to learn a lot from my position at The Island, my most memorable experiences were four tournaments this past summer. I worked on the grounds crew at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Portstewart Golf Club, the (British) Open’s  Regional Qualifier Tournament and Captains Day both at The Island Golf Club, and I attended the British Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. These tournaments gave me first-hand insight to the amazing courses in Ireland and the UK. They also enlightened me on the hard work that goes into maintaining a links style golf course. Waking up at 4 am just to get to the course to prepare for the day to start.  Then back again at 5 pm to prep the course for the next day.  It was all well worth the long days to see a beautiful product come together and to see some of the world’s best players on the courses I helped prepare.

Marty Richardson is on his way out to mow tees during his time as a volunteer at the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Portstewart Golf Club.

In addition to working hard on these tournaments, I’ve developed personally in my communication, written and interpersonal skills. Part of my internship was writing a weekly blog. Before now, writing was not a strong suit of mine. I enjoyed improving my writing skills through meetings and editing sessions with Jon Kiger, John Reitman and Peter McCormick of TurfNet. They were an enormous help in giving me stellar guidance as to what to write and how to describe things for my blog. By the end of the summer my blogs improved and they did not need as much editing before being posted on TurfNet. Back home members of my family enjoyed reading the blog and it was through it that they could follow my activities on an almost daily basis.

Another exciting part of my personal development has been the expansion of my networking skills. From the very beginning of this process when the superintendent at Hazeltine, Chris Tritabaugh, introduced me to Mike O’Keefe from Ohio State International Internships Program, to the annual TOCA meeting where I met suppliers, agencies, media representatives and TOCA staff members through this summer where I connected with many locals on and off the golf courses, it has confirmed to me how genuinely nice all people are no matter where they are from. It has taught me patience, understanding and the appreciation of my listening skills when trying to understand what they are trying to convey to me. I am now able to meet people more openly and I’ve also learned how a good “pint” can bring many together and break the ice to a conversation that’s more exaggerated and fun.

Internships provide practical lessons but also encouragement, inspiration, and role models for upcoming generations. This summer program has provided me significant opportunities for networking from superintendents, golfers of all ranks, media writers like Karl Hansell a Communications Executive at BIGGA, to industry organization leaders like Jon Kiger and John Reitman of TurfNet; Mike O’Keefe from Ohio State; Den Gardner and Kristy Mach from TOCA, and Jose Milan and Pat Morrow from Bayer.

As for being an intern, I have a couple of suggestions for future interns to make this the best experience possible. First, is to have an open mind and be willing to have new experiences. Being adaptable for learning new situations and meeting new people are a must for success. It’s important to understand the reasoning behind their processes and procedures. The second is to make sure that you put in as much as you can into the internship. The more you put in to this experience and allow yourself to open up and take all of it in, the more you will get out of the experience.

Overall, my internship in Ireland has been a success and has offered me a tremendous opportunity to grow and develop. It has propelled me to be able to overcome challenges and develop my career in turf management. I was able to gain practical skills, work at and visit many fantastic courses, and make connections that will last a lifetime. I will be able to apply these to my career and life, I could not be more thankful to all of you that have been with me throughout this journey one way or another.

Read Marty’s Blog here.