Getting up at 5am and finishing sometimes more than 16 hours
later has been the price a group of hard-working volunteers
at The Hills have had to pay for the past week, to ensure the
championship golf course is in pristine condition.
About 10 of Otago Polytechnic's turf management students,
based at the Cromwell campus, have been assisting The Hills
greenkeepers to prepare the golf course for the 2010 Michael
Hill New Zealand Open which finished yesterday.
Bob Steel, of Otago Polytechnic, said the first-year students
had been raking bunkers and filling divets every morning and
night in addition to clearing weeds from the course.
It was course-related experience.
"The polytech has done this every year it's been here.
"It's experience for [the students]. They're all volunteering
to do it again next time they get a chance," Mr Steel said.
Previous graduates of the two-year course had been given
full-time positions at The Hills, and with 14 students for
2010 it was hoped more would get the opportunity, he said.
