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FTMI candidates are put through an intensive two-day programme of workshops and personal development sessions
Before completing his time at St Andrews, Lindsay was fortunate enough to be appointed assistant superintendent at Hamilton Island Golf Club in Queensland, a position that he has currently held for the past two years. The club recently hosted the PGA Professionals Championship in early November.
BLAINE KNOX Palm Meadows GC, Qld Blaine Knox joins the 2018 AGCSA FTMI fresh from having been on the crew at Liberty National Golf Club for the 2017 Presidents Cup. Knox is currently the assistant superintendent at Palm Meadows Golf Course on the Gold Coast and has experienced a lot in just his nine years in
NZGCSA FTMI CANDIDATES ANDRE ARTHUR Kauri Cliffs, NZ Arthur completed his apprenticeship at Tauranga Golf Club, NZ in 2006 and immediately decided to take his trade overseas. He would end up spending a total of nine years overseas, working in various countries including Australia, Sweden, the UK and The Netherlands. This was an invaluable experience at such an early stage of his turf management career and exposed him to all levels of golf course management, working for clubs with as many as 35 staff and as low as three. Major highlights while overseas included working at the prestigious Sunningdale Golf Club in the UK during which time he was involved in preparations for the Senior British Open. Another was working at the European Tour’s Turkish Open. While overseas, Arthur worked his way up to a deputy head greenkeeper position at Roehampton Golf Club in London which he held for two years before deciding to return to New Zealand. After a number of short-term roles in Auckland, in November 2016 he was appointed as course foreman at Kauri Cliffs.
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SAM DAVIS The Hills GC, NZ A love for golf since the age of 10 and a promising career as an amateur helped propel Sam Davis into the turf management profession. For a five year period Davis was a member of the Bay of Plenty Interprovincial Men’s team, captaining it for three of those years and being a part of the winning team in 2012. It was while playing full-time that Davis took on a summer seasonal role at Omanu Golf Course over a two year period before joining Tauranga Golf Club part-time as an unqualified greenkeeper. That part-time role turned into an apprenticeship and in 2016 Davis was awarded the Central North Island Turf Managers Association Trainee of the Year Award which afforded him the opportunity to work at the 2016 New Zealand Open at The Hills in Queenstown. Davis made such an impression on general manager and former superintendent Brendan Allen during that tournament that he offered him a job on the last day, with Davis going on to complete his apprenticeship there. Upon finishing his apprenticeship, Davis was selected to participate in the 2017 New Zealand Industry Award Exam and currently holds a team leader position on The Hills crew where he is responsible for managing a weekend crew of seven staff.
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 20.1
the industry. Knox started as a casual groundsman at Ipswich Golf Club and straight away found a passion for the industry. Going on to complete his apprenticeship at Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club, Knox then took up an internship at Liberty National through The Ohio Program. Returning from the US, Knox joined Palm Meadows and took on the role of assistant superintendent in what he rates as his career highlight to date. In addition to that, Knox rates his time spent volunteering at major tournaments, among them the 2014 Emirates Australian Open, the Australian PGA Championship, The Barclays and 2017 Presidents Cup, as memorable highlights.
PETER MCNAMARA The Brisbane GC, Qld Hailing from Grafton in northern NSW, Peter McNamara started his apprenticeship at the Clarence River Jockey Club. In 2010 he headed north of the border and finished the final two years of his studies at Indooroopilly Golf Club. In September 2012 McNamara was successful in gaining an internship through The Ohio Program and was placed in South Carolina where he worked two PGA Tour events at Harbour Town Golf Links and Sea Island Golf Club. Returning to Australia in 2013, McNamara landed at Brisbane Golf Club where he has risen to be the current assistant superintendent. During his time at Brisbane he has played a major role in the club resurfacing all 21 greens as well as two practice precincts to Champion bermudagrass, the first club in Australia to use the hybrid variety. McNamara has also assisted in preparing the course for the hosting of two Queensland Opens in 2016 and 2017. He also volunteered at the 2015 Australian PGA Championships at RACV Royal Pines Resort.
CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL Sanctuary Cove G&CC, Qld Cabarita Beach Bowls Club would be the launching point for Christopher Mitchell’s turf management apprenticeship under head greenkeeper Max Whatman. Once completing his trade certificate, Mitchell was fortunate to obtain a greenkeepers position and an introduction to the golf course industry at Lakelands Golf Club under then superintendent Darren Moore. When Moore left Lakelands in 2006, Phil Soegaard was appointed superintendent and he duly promoted Mitchell to the role of course foreman. Working closely with Soegaard, Mitchell spent the next nine years learning and progressing his knowledge in all aspects of the turf management industry. In 2014 he completed the Diploma of Sports Turf Management through Ryde TAFE, receiving a recognition award for the highest pass mark at distinction level for the year. In 2015, after feeling it was time to further his career and bolster his management experience, Mitchell contacted