Gordon Irvine on Jim Arthur

Gordon Irvine reminiscences on Jim Arthur:

1982 and I was one of Maggie Thatcher’s YTS trainees at Turnberry GC.

Gordon Irvine speaking in America.

Early morning on the course and I was filling my Divot bucket, when my Boss approached with the famous agronomist Jim Arthur . We had all been warned how important he was so keep busy. All I could think was please don’t speak to me.

Jim strode over and asked me what I was doing ? I answered “hagging fairways”. “A good Ayrshire term” said Jim. He asked what I was mixing ? I said soil and seed, he asked what kind of seed ? I looked at him and declared grass seed thinking how he was meant to be the clever one. Jim just smiled and said “If I stuck in at the job someday I would be lucky enough to understand how special that seed was.”

That day un-be-known to me was my first lesson in the fine Fescues.

I was blessed that ten years later Jim became my mentor and great personal friend or “fighting partner “as Jim signed in my copy of Practical Greenkeeping.