24 Lowlights and highlights
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COLUMNS PETER MCMAUGH JOHN NEYLAN JOHN FORREST KATE TORGERSEN TERRY MUIR AND VICKI CROWE
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Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Volume 22.1 (January-February 2020): Jared Armitage (Emerald GC); Phil Beal (The Australian GC); Beyond Blue; Martyn Black (Golf NSW); Lincoln Coombes (RACV Royal Pines); Jimmy Correll (STA ACT); Vicki Crowe (PGA of Australia); Euan Diver (Thredbo Resort); Idris Evans (Western Australian GC); John Forrest (Forrest and Forrest Horticultural Consultancy Services); Richard Forsyth (Royal Melbourne GC); Andrew Glen (KDV Sports); Cameron Hall (Kew GC); Headsup.org.au; Kyle Hegland (Sand Hills, US); Steve Hodson (NZGCSA); Brent Hull (Moruya GC); Blaine Knox (Beenleigh RSL &GC); Harley Kruse; Steve Lewis (Royal Hobart GC); Paul McLean (GCSAQ); Peter McMaugh (Turfgrass Scientific Services); Dylan McMeekin (Leongatha GC); Terry Muir (epar); John Neylan (SportEng); Luke Partridge (Manly GC); Eva Ricci (TGA WA/STA WA); Albert Sherry (NTEWG); STA Victoria; Mark Stravato (Royal Melbourne GC); David Thomson (Bermagui CC); Kate Torgersen (Environmental Golf Solutions); Mark Unwin (AGCSA); Brad van Dam (Manuka Oval); 2020 Class of FTMI.
alk about being worlds apart. I’m sitting in the stands at the MCG with my boy (who’s now officially taller than me by the way – at just 13!) and his best mate watching the BBL derby between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades when my phone goes off. It’s Brent Hull, superintendent at Moruya Golf Club. A few days earlier I had contacted Hully via Facebook to see how he and his crew were faring given the bushfire crisis that was enveloping the NSW South Coast. While I was sitting in the top tier of the Olympic Stand, Hully was sitting inside his horse transporter/truck that was parked up on the Moruya Showground, having a few days earlier evacuated his home at Bingie Point some 12km away. Hully and his wife Jean were among thousands of local residents from Moruya and the surrounding district who descended on the showground as the fire front descended. We laughed about it at the time, but looking back now it seems preposterous. There I was at the MCG watching Maxwell and Stoinis tonk balls over cow corner, while the likes of ASTMA members such as Hully were facing catastrophic conditions and living out a waking nightmare. Puts things into perspective doesn’t it… In this edition we recount Hully’s story and that of his South Coast counterpart and ASTMA Board member Dave Thomson who was also forced to evacuate his place at Bermagui. In doing so, he and his extended family had to drive through Cobargo which only a few days earlier had been razed to the ground, some of his close friends there losing everything. While it has been a summer to forget on many fronts, there were also many highlights which we cover in this edition, none more so than the 2019 Presidents Cup. The famed Composite Course was at its very best last December and witnessed a slice of history as the US Team, captained by the GOAT, came from behind on Sunday to win by two points. The team that director of courses Richard Forsyth had around him that week was top notch and they more than deserved the plaudits that came their way. From the Men’s Australian Open (The Australian) and Australian PGA Championship (RACV Royal Pines), to the more recent tournaments such as the Vic Open (Thirteenth Beach), Women’s Australian Open (Royal Adelaide) and Australian Ladies Classic (Bonville Golf Resort), tournament golf has never been better. And add to that the performance of our overseas professionals, six of whom have already collected major Tour titles in 2020. And speaking of plaudits, Royal Adelaide was again in exemplary condition in mid-February for the Women’s Australian Open. We will cover it in the next edition, but mention must be given to the fantastic photo that went out on Instagram in the hours after the tournament had concluded. American professional Christina Kim, one of the great characters of the LPGA Tour, was snapped with superintendent Nathan Bennett and crew inside the Royal Adelaide maintenance facility celebrating after a huge week. Although not winning – she finished tied for 10th – Kim made the effort to visit the crew and pass on her congratulations. Her Instagram post read… “So many thanks are in order for this week, but none greater to the staff at @royaladelaidegc. Your tireless hours spent preparing your national championship to be one of the finest courses in the world did not go unnoticed by the Moo (Kim’s boyfriend and caddie Duncan French) and me. We cannot thank you enough from the bottom of our hearts for the week’s worth of 3am wake up calls, hours of careful tending and nurturing of the golf course and for the rollicking great after party that you all deserved!!! I hope you all get absolutely bladdered and keep being a source of inspiration for the rest of the world of work hard, work towards perfection, as well as party like there’s no tomorrow!!! Thank you for letting the Moo and me crash your party! I’m sure the reason you guys had to get up at absurd hours every morning was the last thing you wanted to see at your celebration but thank you for being so gracious to little ol me!!!! You all are amazing!” Now that’s what you call gratitude! Enjoy the read…
Brett Robinson, Editor JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020
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