The hand behind the greenest grass in Krugersdorp
Your weekly game of 18 holes wouldn't be nearly as pleasant, or the golf course as beautiful, if it weren't for this grounds-keeper's hard work over the past three decades.
Wilson Setaga has worked as a grounds-keeper at the Krugersdorp Golf Club for 31 years, and at age 55 he is still one of the hardest working men in the field.
Wilson works alongside 17 other men, each having their own section of work which is integral to the upkeep of the golf course. Wilson is in charge of maintaining all of the putting greens on the course, ensuring that each is smooth, firm and clear of unwanted cavities.
His responsibilities include watering, adding wetting agents (which allows liquids to spread more easily) and the sodding of greens, which comes down to cutting out and removing damaged grass surfaces and replacing them with fresh and clean blocks of grass which are grown in a greenhouse right on the golf course.
Wilson said he had only ever once been struck by a stray golf ball, years ago, pointing to his forehead just above his left eye.
Wilson is considered the go-to person when it comes to sodding, and is also the man they call when paving needs redoing. After so many years working on the golf course it’s almost second nature to Wilson, and he can make any patch of green look brand new within record time.
Wilson doesn’t only have green fingers when it comes to his job, but even has a small piece of farmland at his home, although there his focus is more on cattle and poultry. He is very proud of his farm and couldn’t stop smiling as he talked about it.
So, when you see Wilson watering or repairing the field while you make your way to the next green, be sure to give him a friendly hello.
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