ASSN REPORTS GCSAQ ASSOCIATION REPORTS
M
ore than 400 people attended the Queensland Golf Industry Awards held on 10 March at Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast. It was a fantastic night with the GCSAQ recognising its high achievers across five categories.
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION AWARD
Industry Recognition Award recipient Rod Cook (right) with GCSAQ president Ben Tilley
Superintendent Achievement Award recipient Mick McCombe with Living Turf’s Dave Morrison
Rod Cook from The Grand Golf Club was the very popular recipient of GCSAQ’s Industry Recognition Award. ‘Cookie’, as he is affectionately known by his industry colleagues, is one of Australia’s most highly respected superintendents having spent over 35 years in the industry, including stints as assistant superintendent at Indooroopilly GC, superintendent at Mcleod Country Golf Club and for the past 19 years as superintendent at The Grand. Rod has overseen the presentation of courses for many high profile events including the 2001 Australian Open at The Grand, the first Open to be held outside a state capital. He has also served on many industry education committees and held the positions of committee member, treasurer and president of the GCSAQ. Rod has given his time to assist other golf courses to improve their facilities and through his commitment has become one of the leading practitioners in the industry. He is regarded as an outstanding mentor to many up and coming superintendents and has given many years of support and guidance to the GCSAQ.
SUPERINTENDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
E-par Environmental Award recipient Kelvin Nicholson with GCSAQ board member Shaun Cross
Maroochy River’s Stuart Campbell won the Assistant’s Recognition Award 70
A strong field of finalists was named for the GCSAQ’s Living Turf Superintendent Achievement Award including the likes of Mick Kelly (Toowoomba GC), Jason Lavender (Riverlakes GC), Phil Soegaard (Lakelands GC) and Todd McNamee (Coral Cove Resort). However it was Mick McCombe from Maleny Golf Club who received the award for his superb work establishing the Sunshine Coast hinterland course. In a little over a year since he was recruited as Maleny Golf Club’s inaugural superintendent, Mick has played a pivotal role in transforming a weedridden, largely abandoned dairy farm into a ninehole operational golf course which is receiving high praise from members and visitors. Mick demonstrated a capacity to interpret the design of golf architect Graham Papworth and to influence the ongoing bulk earthworks already underway on his arrival. He was able to work with and add value to the volunteer engineers and surveyors who were directing the local earthmoving contractors. This required considerable skill, tact and dedication to win over these older teams and to gain the confidence and support of Papworth. He assumed responsibility for reversing some of
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 18.2
the construction errors and effectively assumed leadership of the team for the final shaping of the greens, tees and transition of pastures into fairways. Above all, his personal capacity to work with and motivate volunteers and contractors has played a huge part in constructing a good golf course in a short time frame and with a modest budget. His ability to collaborate with Paul Spencer, a top golf agronomist, early in the construction phase, has assisted the club in avoiding some of the errors encountered by much larger and well-resourced golf clubs in construction and turf management of the greens. Mick has led by example, skill, relevant knowledge, extensive experience and hard work. He has earned and enjoys the full confidence of the club’s management committee, its various sub-committees and members. This respect is entirely based on the positive outcomes by Maleny Golf Club’s affable and unassuming course superintendent. As winner of the Living Turf Superintendent Achievement Award, Mick will represent the GCSAQ in the final of the AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award.
E-PAR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD Pacific Harbour’s Kelvin Nicholson received the E-par Environmental Award. During his 11 years at the Bribie Island course Kelvin has seen it grow into a wonderful natural layout that fits into the environment seamlessly. The club’s vision is for the course to continue to blend in with the natural beauty of Bribie Island and promote the preservation of the native flora and fauna throughout the community to achieve a facility that all visitors to the island can enjoy. The course has now become home to many species of birds and wildlife including kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, echidnas, emus, lizards and snakes. As the course sits between a National Park and Marine Park, Kelvin is very restricted on what type of fertilisers and chemicals he can use. The club currently tracks water movement through the site and is required to monitor the water that is discharged into the canal system which in turn flows into the Pumicestone Passage. Water nutrient levels are monitored and controlled so as to not adversely affect the water quality in the canals. Pacific Harbour is also home to the endangered Wallum froglet which is sensitive to fertiliser applications, especially phosphorous. The club promotes the use of organic products for its agronomic programme to reduce the impact on the Wallum froglet. Kelvin trains all his staff on the importance of environmental stewardship and constantly updates them on their responsibilities. The club has also