Great ideas usually have many fathers in order for them to become a reality. But, there was only one father for the founding of the International Greenkeeper’s Association: Donald Leslie Harradine.

The final encouragement that transformed the idea in to reality came from the former president of the Golf Club Bad Ragaz: Dr. E. Eugster.

Babette Harradine remembers that it all began in the restaurant of the golf club in Bad Ragaz. “It was in 67 or 68 when the president gave a worried look at the greens and told Don: “Something must happen, we must send the people who are responsible for the maintenance of golf courses back to school. But, who am I to say this to you, as we both know that there are no specialized schools teaching this subject”. Don Harradine knew what he was talking about. Especially Don, who’s greatest wish would have been to start such a school immediately. He already had many ideas in his head “the organization of specialized conferences and meetings in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Holland is one thing. But, the practical work on the actual golf courses is something completely different” stated Don.

“We have to combine theory and practical experience. I already have the support of other golf courses and the right contacts to machinery, specialized tools, fertilizers and seed suppliers are also not missing. They will all help us to form an association”. After a short pause, Don continued: “We will organize the first greenkeeper’s educational course in the very near future”. As the two men said their good-byes Don said: “The Bad Ragaz golf club will set a good example by becoming the first member!”

There was a lot to talk about when Don came home, he told me about his discussion with Dr. Eugster and said: You know that I am only at home on weekends and we still do not have any income for such an association. This means that you will have to help me. We must send invitations in, two languages, naturally. We will also issue a bulletin that will contain specialized articles written by greenkeepers, club members and experts. We will organize the editorials and we will publish the bulletin three times a year. Will you help me?” I knew very well that this question was not a question at all. His wish had already become a reality.

Golf in Central Europe was still a very “modest” market when Don Harradine began designing and building golf courses from his office in Caslano. He was actively supported by Babette, his lively and vivacious wife who was an ideal complement to the quite and level-headed Brit.

Anybody who worked with Don Harradine would spontaneously think of numerous traits that marked him out and made him unique: his unwavering honesty and fairness, idealism and tendency to be a workaholic. He was certainly a typical example of British understatement. He was definitely not a good businessman as his main priority was to build golf courses by safeguarding the best interests of his clients.

He fitted his courses into the existing landscape by enhancing the natural attributes and beauty of the surrounding environment. He was very frugal with his earthmovements and fought for the preservation of each tree. He was a real “Green” in the most positive meaning of the word.

His thoughts and profound knowledge about golf course maintenance continues with the schooling he created for Greenkeepers.

Many golf courses would not have been built if it was not for Don Harradine, as he also designed and constructed projects that only had very limited budgets.

Many developers and employees in the golf course industry including thousands of golfers can thank him for his undoubted contribution. He was an excellent ambassador and true expert of the sport of golf and a great person who provided healthy recreation which prompted acknowledgement, thankfulness and admiration from everybody.

Milestone

Don Harradine regarded the design and construction of the course in Athens as one of his most important milestones. Another “high point” was his meeting in Washington, with Gerald Ford, former President of the USA.

During his long career as Golf Course Architect he designed over 500 courses in West, Central, Eastern Europe and Africa. The influence of Don Harradine is recognizable on many courses.

History of the International Greenkeepers Association (IGA)

In the 50’s and after the second world war, golf experienced a revival on existing courses in the English and American occupation sectors.

Players of the occupying forces played on seized or newly built courses.

Only a handful of greenkeepers involved in the maintenance of courses before the war returned to their old jobs.

The German Golf Association established itself in Wiesbaden. Mrs. Nora Zahn, the first general secretary of the German Golf Association was asked to invite the German Greenkeepers for their first assembly in Weisbaden in 1966. The main Speaker at that meeting was the former German Golf-Pope Dr. Von Limburger.

Unfortunately, that first meeting did not produce the desired aspiration for schooling and further professional development. The only possibilities for such an education were to be found at the two golf courses nominated by the German Golf Association in Kefeld and Köln run by our colleagues Benger and Karl Sohn.

The wish to progress with the education of greenkeepers by organizing yearly conferences and seminars could not be achieved. Further invitations by the German Golf Federation were not forthcoming.

We found out in a roundabout way that they were planning professional development courses for greenkeepers in Switzerland. The father of this idea was the English Golf Course Architect Donald Harradine who lived in Caslano. He had contacts with many golf courses in Europe that were actually created by himself. He wanted to establish the possibility of a good education and schooling for greenkeepers as was already the case in England and the USA.

Don’s idea led to an informal preliminary meeting in Caslano in 1968. Our colleagues Schilling (Bad Homburg), Bauer (Saarbrücken) and Fleischer (Kronberg) representing Germany and Kressig, Benzoni, and Ladner from Switzerland attended that first meeting.

Everyone realized the importance of creating the possibility of educating and providing further development for greenkeepers and this target was fixed for the following year. The association would include all Europeans living on the continent and the headquarters would be in Caslano.

After many intensive verbal and written communications between Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France, the creation of the international greenkeepers association (IGA) was established during the last week of October 1969.

The first general assembly elected Don Harradine as the first president. Mrs. Babette Harradine declared that she was willing to take over the responsibilities of secretary and treasurer. That very first assembly also included representatives of the golf industry such as Mr. & Mrs. Hirschi, who pledged their support. Statutes were elaborated during the following year and the International Greenkeepers Association was officially registered in Switzerland as a non-profit organization.

Unfortunately, none of the national golf associations supported the initiative and all moves to involve them remained completely unsuccessful. In fact, they observed the founding of the new association with great caution.

The first educational courses were held in Caslano and Regensburg, and we must particularly thank Mr. Hellstein for those first seminars. Babette Harradine must be praised for the publication of the specialized bulletin which was sent to each member and was called “The International Greenkeeper”. The support by the industry and patrons was always generous.

In the early eighties the educational courses were held in Arnheim-Papandal in Holland and were a great success for the association. Unfortunately, the occupation of greenkeeper was still not recognized as a learned profession.

After long preparations a manual for greenkeepers in the german language was finally published and a few specialized journals were published with the English greenkeepers association.

The first contacts with the Deulaschule in Kempten were initiated in 1988 and a curriculum with examination papers were elaborated and approved by the Rheinland Chamber of Commerce. This was a breakthrough as the education and graduation was finally recognized by the state. The first classes at the Deulaschule began in 1989.

Thanks to Mr. Müller-Beck, a new ‘Greenkeepers Journal” was published together with the specialized magazine “journal”.

The IGA had grown to over 550 members and there were attempts to work on a national level especially our French colleagues who felt at a disadvantage due to the continuous problems created by the difficulties associated by the language barrier.

Various educational courses were held in Austria and Holland and the organization of the IGA was slowly changing direction.

The general assembly in Bad Kissingen in 1992 was informed about the foundation of a German Greenkeepers Association. This new association was actually established on the 20th of March 1993.

Translated from Mr. ZOPF’S message, immediate-past president of the Austrian Greenkeeper‘s Association.

The German, Swiss and Austrian associations were the only ones that supported the IGA during the last years of its life.

The events held by the respective national associations were usually held in spring and autumn and became strong competition to the events organized by the IGA. It was therefore decided to disband the IGA.

The final decision to say goodbye to Don Harradine’s IGA was not easy.

The last committee meeting brought back many memories of the first steps taken to educate greenkeepers and the multiple exchanges followed by endless discussions.

Don Harradine’s IGA still lives on within the different national greenkeeper’s associations and that is why the Germans, Austrians and Swiss wanted to organize a memorial tournament on a rotating basis in order to send a clear signal of their gratitude.

The most important consideration was to ensure that the name of Don Harradine would not be forgotten and secondly, to fulfill a wish of many previous IGA members who wanted to meet again and reminisce about “the good old days”.

A consultation with the Harradine family brought about an immediate acceptance of the idea and the memorial tournament became reality.