Matthew Gallagher
Surrey
Summary
Greenkeeping professional with hands-on experience in maintaining and improving golf course turf, ensuring optimal playing conditions. Knowledgeable in using mowing equipment, applying fertilisers, and managing irrigation systems. Committed to maintaining high standard of course presentation through regular inspections and timely repairs.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Greenkeeper
Walton Heath Golf Club
09.2024 - Current
- Maintained greens, cut fairways, tees, and bunkers on old course to ensure optimal playing conditions.
- Monitored disease management, moisture levels, and managed heather to support course health while mentoring junior staff in greenkeeping.
- Revetted bunkers on old course to enhance playability and overall course experience.
1st Assistant Greenkeeper
Tandridge Golf Club
04.2024 - 08.2024
- Collaborated daily with course manager and deputy to set up golf course for centenary celebrations, hosting events such as England golf Under 16/Under 14 championships and clutch pro tour at Tandridge Golf Club.
- Assisted with course maintenance using various greenkeeping equipment, completed summer renovations, and delegated tasks to assistant greenkeepers while providing guidance based on my extensive greenkeeping experience.
Senior Greenkeeper
Wisley Golf Club
12.2021 - 04.2024
- During the summer period I jointly led teams with the superintendent/ assistant superintendent in maintaining all aspects of the course from tee, fairways, bunkers and greens.
- Led small teams on winter construction projects, including renovating greenside bunkers and managing woodland maintenance.
- Oversaw morning setup of course during superintendent's absence, ensuring readiness for daily play.
- I assisted with the daily setup of the Mill course (back 9) at the Wisley Golf Club.
- Other jobs and responsibilities I undertook solely are spraying roughs with a mixture of selective weedkiller (enstar), to woodland areas where total weedkiller is used (gallup), Irrigation repairs and replacing toro irrigation heads to rainbird heads across the mill course.
Senior Greenkeeper
Hankley Common Golf Club
11.2020 - 12.2021
- Oversaw and supported apprentices and seasonal greenkeepers in completing various tasks, small projects, and course set up.
- Worked as part of a team on a very intensive renovation of the greens, approaches and tees through pro-coring, graden maintenance and top dressing operations.
- Collaborated with small teams on first phase of golf course rebuild, including bunker reconstruction, reshaping approaches, re-turfing large areas of greens, and installing heather bunkerfaces (holes 1, 2, 3).
- Other construction work included rebuilding pathways, assisting with the installation of the new holding pond 800m3 in size.
- Facilitated daily set up to ensure specific and high standards for course play.
- Sprayed and fertilised the course.
Senior Greenkeeper
Royal Automobile Club
11.2018 - 11.2020
- Oversaw and guided junior team members and seasonal greenkeepers in daily greenkeeping duties and small construction projects to enhance team capabilities.
- Executed spraying operations on old course using toro 1750/5500 to maintain turf health.
- I regularly used the Toro Lynx irrigation IT equipment, with TDR moisture metres to achieve the best results on the old course greens.
- Organised daily jobs for team of 14 greenkeepers on old course to ensure efficient operations.
Assistant Greenkeeper
Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club
01.2015 - 11.2018
- Performed daily tasks including cutting greens, tees, fairways, and semi-rough, as well as setting up pin positions and tee markers for player readiness.
- Collaborated with a team of 15 greenkeepers to maintain Taylor and Barton courses, ensuring optimal playing conditions.
- Regularly worked weekends to ensure courses met tournament conditions, contributing to high-quality experiences for players.
- I have excellent experience with the verti drain tractor attachment, pro core with various types of tines and with construction of a number of barton course bunkers.
Seasonal Greenkeeper
Loch Lomond Golf Club
03.2014 - 10.2014
- Started work at 5.30 am to set up golf course, cutting greens, approaches, fairways, tees complex, and performing full bunker flymo operations.
- Gained extensive knowledge of drainage construction operations on tee carries, replacing large sections of rough and sandcapping newly laid turf.
International Exchange Programme Greenkeeper
Mountain Air Country Club
03.2013 - 04.2013
- Collaborated with an international team to assist permanent greenkeepers in maintaining greens, performing tasks such as top dressing, hollow coring, and course setup to ensure optimal playing conditions.
- Experienced a serious road accident in the USA, which prematurely ended my 8-month J1 working visa contract.
Greenkeeper
Sallandsche 'De Hoek' Golf Club / Burggolf Haverleij Den Bosch
07.2012 - 11.2012
- Gained greenkeeping experience in Holland, performing golf course setup with various machines and managing weekend operations to ensure course readiness.
- Organised visa preparations for employment in the United States after returning early from Holland.
Landscape Gardener
City Care
Christchurch
10.2011 - 03.2012
- Worked for city care local authority in Christchurch during working holiday.
- Maintained over 200 gardens of various sizes to support reconstruction efforts in Christchurch city centre.
Groundsman
Pendle Borough Council
Burnley
03.2011 - 08.2011
- Maintained bowling greens, cricket wickets, and football, rugby league, and union pitches for council authority, ensuring quality playing surfaces.
- Operated various mowers, top dressing equipment, over seeding equipment, and granular fertiliser spreaders for summer renovations, enhancing turf health and playability.
Landscape Gardener
Trafford Center
Manchester
08.2008 - 03.2011
- I assisted in maintaining the grounds and gardens of the trafford centre, using a variety of equipment from hand pedestrian mowers, hedge trimmers.
- Finally using the knapsack sprayer occasionally to spray roundup weedkiller on walkways.
Education
Certificate - Turfgrass Irrigation technician
Lantra
11-2022
Certificates - Spraying
NPTC
07-2014
High School -
Mount Carmel RC Science College
06-2004
Higher National Certificate - Golf Course Management
SRUC College
03-2019
Level 3 National Diploma - Sportsturf
Myerscough College
Preston, UK03-2006
Skills
- International and British Experience
- Ryder Cup 2016
- French Open 2017
- Paris Legends of Golf 2018
- Wembley Stadium 2015-2017
- Sallandsche "De Hoek" Golf Club 2012
- Landscape Gardener, Christchurch New Zealand 2011
- Mountain Air Golf Club North Carolina USA 2013
- Loch Lomond Golf Club 2014
Custom
- Ryder Cup / French Open / Paris Legends Le Golf National, Greenkeeper, 2016-06-01, 2017-09-01, 2018-09-01, Paris, France, During my 3 occasions I worked in France my primary responsibilities were to prepare all areas of the golf course for european tour golf tournaments which lead to my eventual involvement in the 2018 Ryder cup.
- Wembley Stadium, Groundsman Matchday Staff, 2015-08-01, 2017-08-01, London, UK, My job role covered the pre match setup and post match recovery of all sporting matches that would be played at Wembley Stadium (football, rugby union and league, NFL). Specific maintenance to perform mowing the pitch, removal of goalposts and the setup of grow light systems and divot repair operations.
Timeline
Greenkeeper
Walton Heath Golf Club
09.2024 - Current
1st Assistant Greenkeeper
Tandridge Golf Club
04.2024 - 08.2024
Senior Greenkeeper
Wisley Golf Club
12.2021 - 04.2024
Senior Greenkeeper
Hankley Common Golf Club
11.2020 - 12.2021
Senior Greenkeeper
Royal Automobile Club
11.2018 - 11.2020
Assistant Greenkeeper
Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club
01.2015 - 11.2018
Seasonal Greenkeeper
Loch Lomond Golf Club
03.2014 - 10.2014
International Exchange Programme Greenkeeper
Mountain Air Country Club
03.2013 - 04.2013
Greenkeeper
Sallandsche 'De Hoek' Golf Club / Burggolf Haverleij Den Bosch
07.2012 - 11.2012
Landscape Gardener
City Care
10.2011 - 03.2012
Groundsman
Pendle Borough Council
03.2011 - 08.2011
Landscape Gardener
Trafford Center
08.2008 - 03.2011
Certificate - Turfgrass Irrigation technician
Lantra
Certificates - Spraying
NPTC
High School -
Mount Carmel RC Science College
Higher National Certificate - Golf Course Management
SRUC College
Level 3 National Diploma - Sportsturf
Myerscough College