The Carr Golf mantra is comprehensive: plan everything, monitor everything, measure everything, and enact. That is why they have a golf course portfolio in Ireland to marvel at. Under the stewardship of Director of Agronomy, Andriu Jackson, the company is in safe hands with a promising future.
Jackson has nearly 30 years of experience in greenkeeping. His main remit is to direct the agronomic operations across all Carr Golf courses. He sets the plans, oversees the team of regional superintendents, and they report back to him.
One of Carr Golf’s flagship projects is Seapoint Golf Links, which last month hosted the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship for the second successive year. In 2025, the course presented a traditional links set-up with firm, fast fairways and greens, accompanied by wire-thin fescue rough. This year, following a seemingly endless winter, the challenge of preparing a championship golf course for tournament play was significant. However, Jackson and his team met it head-on and produced a superb test of golf for the country’s finest amateur players.
“We have an agronomic plan and we would have tailored it in the run-up to the Irish Amateur,” said Jackson when asked how to prepare a golf course to host a tournament. “We use certain products to slow the growth of the grass to achieve higher green speeds. We also have a product that firms the grass up, which further improves speed.
“With our plan, it’s a regular light frequency of applications to give consistency to the greens. The teams work double shifts around a tournament — in the morning and evening — to cut the tees, greens and fairways, and to divot the course and tee boxes. The quality of cut is excellent, and the mechanical team thoroughly examines all the machinery to ensure the golf course looks and plays the part.
“We increase the frequency of cutting and then attend to the finer details: making sure tee markers and distance markers are clean, edges are trimmed, ropes and stakes are neat, and hole cups are spotless. It is this level of detail that sets a course apart. When preparing for a championship, it’s those small things that make the difference.
“It’s a difficult time of year to present a golf course in May. It’s been a horrendous spring – one of the worst on record. We’ve had persistent, cold easterly winds which have held the grass back. It’s been tough for the team, but they have done a magnificent job.”
Uncertainty surrounding the environment and the challenges posed by climate change have affected golf courses and greenkeepers significantly, presenting a fresh set of hurdles. When Jackson began his career, there was an array of highly effective pesticides and fungicides available, which greatly reduced concerns over disease and insect attacks. These days, one can no longer simply reach for the spray bottle.
“Nowadays, the chemicals and products we have are far more limited and not as effective,” he explained. “We have had to change how we do things to ensure the grass is as strong and resilient as possible on its own. The chemicals can only be used when applied correctly – otherwise they simply won’t work.
“The resources we have are not the same as before, so we must think differently. In fairness, it is for the betterment of the environment, and the products are much safer than those used in the past.
“Some of the chemicals we currently use will be taken off the market, and the new ones coming through are not going to be as effective.”
There is a strong argument that golf courses are being unfairly scapegoated regarding the use of green spaces and chemical applications. In reality, golf courses are excellent at promoting biodiversity, providing wild areas and valuable habitats for flora and fauna.
Part of Jackson’s remit with Carr Golf is to help courses make better use of their green spaces, which in turn enhances the experience for members and visitors alike.
“There is a misconception that golf courses apply large amounts of harmful chemicals, but when you look at land use, we only treat around one hectare intensively – mainly the greens – for disease and infection,” he said. “Compare that to a tillage farmer who treats every inch of his land far more frequently with similar chemicals to produce food crops. On a typical golf course, we might treat only two and a half acres out of 100, whereas a 200-acre farm is treated across every inch.
“With links golf courses in particular, there is far greater opportunity for biodiversity. The long grass areas, wildflowers and gorse bushes create excellent habitats for flora and fauna. Even a public park would struggle to match what we have here. Golf courses are actually very environmentally friendly.
“We are introducing different initiatives to improve habitats. As part of my role, I seek out opportunities for biodiversity and sustainability on golf courses and guide our client courses in adopting practices that enhance their environmental credentials.
“I am a qualified pesticide advisor, and part of my remit is to ensure that what we use is within legislation and applied responsibly. When used correctly, chemicals are not a threat to anyone.”
Jackson was recently promoted to Director of Agronomy, with the vastly experienced John O’Sullivan succeeding him as Regional Superintendent. O’Sullivan has enjoyed a decorated career at Waterville, Druid’s Glen, Dundalk and, most recently, Edmondstown.
“John O’Sullivan has many years of experience, having worked as a General Manager at courses and as an advisor at others,” continued Jackson. “He is very knowledgeable and will be a huge asset to the company.
“We are trying to build our portfolio of golf courses while also strengthening our team so that we have the strongest agronomic team in Ireland, capable of producing the best golf courses in the country.”
Carr Golf is a company heading firmly in the right direction. With 28 golf courses in total, including five in the United Kingdom, Jackson is looking to help the company increase its portfolio in Ireland while expanding further into the UK and Europe.
“We are trying to expand the business. We currently have 28 golf courses, five of which are in the UK. We have been trading successfully in Ireland for many years and now see the UK as a strong opportunity for growth. We started with five courses around the London area and we want to grow that presence and expand into Europe.
“We have a very good model that works extremely well, and we believe it will prove just as successful in the UK and beyond
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