Australian Turfgrass Management Journal - Volume 26.4

CELEBRATING THE EFFORTS OF AUSTRALIA’S SPORTS TURF MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

ISSN 1442-2697

www.astma.com.au

VOLUME 26.4 JUL-AUG 2024

A site to behold

Royal Sydney’s Hanse revamp reaches the halfway mark

Secrets success

Excellence award caps off super year for Tristram

Punt pays off

Hay helps Elwick get back on the right track

Above and beyond Suncorp Stadium crew’s Team of the Year honours

Opportunité Olympique

Calder crews up for Paris 2024

PROVEN. POWERFUL. PERFECTED.

JOIN THE CHARGE WITH .

THE ECLIPSE 360 ELITE

sincerely

Jake

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PHOTO: BEN JARED/PGA TOUR/IGF

CONTENTS

8 COVER STORY

OPPORTUNITÉ OLYMPIQUE

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While Australia’s athletes enjoyed their most successful campaign at an Olympic Games, one Australian sports turf manager was playing a small but important role behind the scenes in Paris. Scott Calder, superintendent of the Old Course at The National Golf Club on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, was the sole Australian on the 100-strong tournament crew at Le Golf National which hosted the men’s and women’s Olympic golf events. In this edition’s lead story, he looks back on one of the more unique experiences of his turf management career.

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PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

Cover: The 12th hole of the Albatros Course at Le Golf National, host of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games golf events. Photo: Supplied by International Golf Federation. Inset: Scott Calder (The National GC, Vic).

22 FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS EDITION… Foreword Thinking – Mark Unwin Best on ground – Socials Around the Trade Association Reports 2

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RSGC: A site to behold RSGC: Above, below and beyond RSGC: Passion project Brisbane brings it No secret to Tom’s success Suncorp crew salutes Punt pays dividends for Hay Mates meet up

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

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Tassie’s finest

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30 COLUMNS

KATE TORGERSEN BEN GIBSON

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Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Journal Volume 26.4 (July-August 2024): Shane Baker (GCSAWA); Ryder Bradbury; Scott Calder (The National GC); John Forrest (Forrest and Forrest Horticultural Consultancy Services); Ben Gibson (The Toolbox Team); Justin Groves (SAJC/ Morphettville); Mark Hauff (GCSAQ); Chris Hay (Ladbrokes Park Elwick); Leon Hennessy (NSWGCSA); International Golf Federation; Adam Lamb (VGCSA); Adam Marchant (Royal Sydney GC); Matthew Oliver (Suncorp Stadium); Jason Perkins (NZGCSA); Natalie Scalisi (Turf Queensland); PGA Tour; Royal Sydney GC; Albert Sherry (ASTMA); Kate Torgersen (Torgersen Gilbey); Tom Tristram (Secret Harbour GC); Mark Unwin (ASTMA); David Warwick.

still clearly recall visiting Barnbougle Dunes for the first time in late 2006. Danny Brown was course superintendent and as we were standing atop the par three 16th tee late on a fine yet blustery November afternoon, he pointed across the adjacent inlet to a mountain of marram-covered dunes on the other side… “You think this land is good, wait until you see what’s over there!”

Fast forward to autumn 2010 and I am back at Barnbougle, but this time on the other side of that inlet. I’m standing on the tee of another stunning par three with new superintendent Phil Hill, his legendary border collie George (RIP) and Barnbougle owner Richard Sattler. That hole, the 4th, affectionately dubbed Sally’s Point in honour of Sattler’s wife, is part of the new Lost Farm layout which is due to open that December.

Hill had arrived at Barnbougle back in August 2007 after more than a decade as superintendent at Launceston Golf Club and 15 years at Mowbray Golf Club. Following Brown’s departure earlier that year, Sattler was keen to lure a home-grown superintendent with an intimate knowledge of the unique Tasmanian conditions. Hill was the man he targeted and he had the considerable carrot of a second course being constructed to dangle in front of him. Sure enough, within three months of starting, Hill was walking those rolling dunes with architect Bill Coore staking out what would eventually become Lost Farm. After its opening in December 2010 and the enormous success that followed with having two world-class courses in its stable, the Barnbougle precinct was added to in 2021 with the opening of the 14-hole Bougle Run short course all of which Hill and his loyal crew oversaw.

About to tick over into his 18th year in one of the most coveted sports turf management roles in Australia, 61-year-old Hill made the announcement in late July that he was hanging up the hole changer and heading to warmer climes. Set to finish up on 18 October, Hill and wife Paula are swapping Bridport for Broadbeach, relocating to the Gold Coast where they recently brought a property. In doing so, it will be the end of an era for one of Tasmania’s (and Australia’s) muchloved and respected superintendents who has devoted 44 years of his life to the industry.

“It has been a great gig – the gig of a lifetime,” reflects Hill on his time at Barnbougle. “We have achieved a lot from the turf and golf side of things. When I started, Richard said there’d be a second course and at the time I thought he was kidding. Now we have Lost Farm, Bougle Run and also the polo field. This place has become a real destination. To have played a role in helping to deliver the courses and seeing them maintain their rankings both nationally and internationally has been very satisfying.

“The real highlight of my time here has been the people I have worked with and the people I have met on a professional level, many of whom have become lifelong friends. Of course I am very proud of what we have achieved here with the turf and the presentation of the courses and to see where Barnbougle now sits within the industry. But it is really the people and the opportunities that have been afforded to me through this job that has been the most rewarding aspect.”

Of all the golfing facilities constructed in Australia over the past 25 years, none has captured the imagination quite as much or proven to be more successful than Barnbougle. Moulded on the Bandon Dunes model – where one course is a curiosity, two is a destination – Barnbougle has set a precedent for high-quality public access golf in this country. It also provided the catalyst for Tasmania to become a golf tourism haven, paving the way for the likes of other world-class courses in Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes and the soon-to-be opened Seven Mile Beach.

At the coalface of the Barnbougle success story has been Hill. Not only did he bring Lost Farm and Bougle Run to life, but together with his hard-working team he consistently produced some of the finest fescue surfaces in the country. Ever-accommodating and willing to share his wisdom, Hill has ensured Barnbougle remains an industry benchmark and one of the must-visit places not only for golfers but sports turf managers across the country and around the world.

While it will be the end of a celebrated tenure when Hill hands over the shed keys come October, he can do so secure in the knowledge that he has played a defining role in one of this country’s most pioneering golf establishments. Congratulations Mr Hill on all that you have achieved at Barnbougle and across all your roles in the Apple Isle during an influential career.

Enjoy hitting that pause button and for goodness’ sake make sure you spend some time working on that golf game! Enjoy the read mate…

Brett Robinson, Editor JULY-AUGUST 2024

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FOREWORD THINKING WITH MARK UNWIN, CEO

Brisbane 2024: Recognising excellence and expanding minds

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eturning to Brisbane after five years, the 2024 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition was an outstanding event from both delegate and exhibitor numbers as well as feedback from those who attended. Outside of Melbourne in 2022, the June event was the largest attended conference for our association, and combined with the GMA, who also had record delegate numbers, the event was a resounding success on a number of fronts as it continues to grow.

Feedback has been very positive following the conference, with delegates, trade and visitors making note of the variety of speakers and educational content throughout the week, the size and variety of exhibitors in the trade show and Brisbane always being a favourite destination to attend.

Monday evening of the conference saw the crowning of this year’s winners at the National Turf Industry Awards, with some outstanding individual and team contributions recognised.

I would like to acknowledge all winners who were honoured in front a full house of more than 320 industry colleagues and friends.

Paul Gumbleton (Teven Valley GC, NSW) won the coveted ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award (sponsored by Syngenta), while Tom Tristram (Secret Harbour Golf Links) continued Western Australia’s strong performance in our longest-running award by winning the ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award (sponsored by Envu).

As we were in Brisbane it was fitting that the Suncorp Stadium crew, headed by grounds manager Matthew Oliver (CSTM), won the ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award (sponsored by Repco Commercial), while Chris Hay from Ladbrokes Elwick Park in Hobart was a popular winner of the ASTMA Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award (sponsored by Toro).

The next generation of turf managers was also on display across the week, with all state Graduate of the Year winners attending the conference, representing their state associations and vying for the national titles.

For 2024, these honours went to Darren Wardle and Kelsey Lovell. Completing his training at Murray Downs Golf and Country Club and now on the crew at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Darren, Victoria’s representative, was adjudged Australia’s top golf course turf management apprentice after delivering an outstanding presentation and technical evaluation in Brisbane. Kelsey, who completed her apprenticeship at Blundstone Arena and has since moved to a role at the Museum of Old and New Art, represented the Tasmanian 4

A highlight of this year’s National Turf Industry Awards held in Brisbane, Gary Beehag was bestowed the ASTMA Distinguished Service Award

2024 ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award winner Paul Gumbleton

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

association and was duly recognised as the 2024 Sportsfields and Grounds Graduate of the Year winner. Kelsey was one of three female sports turf managers as graduate finalists this year which is extremely encouraging to see.

In a special mention, I would also like to pay tribute to long-serving sports turf management consultant, teacher, researcher and author Gary Beehag who received the ASTMA’s highest honour – the Distinguished Service Award. With a long list of award winners, the 2024 recipients will be profiled over the next two editions of Australian Turfgrass Management which will make for compelling reading. This edition includes Tristram, Hay and the Suncorp team.

Over the three days of conference education, particular highlights were the presentations delivered by Jay McCurdy (University of Tennessee, US) and Erwan LeCocq (winstonGOLF, Germany) who spoke in relation to the changing approach to automation in turf management throughout Europe. In all, over 200 hours of combined education with the GMA was delivered over the course of the week.

After the final session, it was announced that the conference will be heading to Homebush Convention Centre in Sydney from 23-26 June, 2025, some 24 years since it last visited there. Homebush provides an outstanding location, with eight venues in the precinct including the likes of Giants Stadium, Stadium Australia and NSW Cricket Academy.

This will provide multiple opportunities for additional education streams, venue tours and interactive engagement on-site.

Activities with the ASTMA’s training division (RTO #46011) have also increased considerably over the past few months, with more than 60 students now studying their Diploma or Certificate III in Sports Turf Management. The association recently welcomed Chris McCulloch to the team, who will work with training manager Albert Sherry to deliver the Cert III course to apprentices in South Australia. Chris has hit the ground running, with his varied career in turf management being a huge asset already.

August also saw applications open for the 2024/2025 Future Turf Managers’ Initiative (FTMI). This is an outstanding learning and development opportunity for emerging leadership talent, with 70 per cent of past participants being promoted to leadership or senior management roles. This year’s graduating cohort included turf managers from all sectors – golf courses, racecourses, stadiums, councils and lawn bowls. In conjunction with FTMI sponsor Jacobsen, we look forward to welcoming the next intake which will be announced in October.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Best

on ground ATM showcases some of the best social media posts and pictures from around the sports turf industry in recent months.

BESCHEN POU “Just captured this photo of the boss man mowing.” (GCSAWA Graduate of the Year Beschen Pou snapped this stunning image of The Links Kennedy Bay superintendent Mark Bilsborough cutting greens on an idyllic Western Australia winter morning.)

WILLIAM BRIERLEY “We have two amazing women in Rachel Wood and Brooke Francis working in the team this year and today they mowed, marked and set up Centre Court ahead of the Ladies Final… We’re all very proud of them both.” (Brierley, senior groundsperson at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, pays tribute to Adelaide Oval groundsperson Brooke Francis and UK’s Rachel Wood who had the ultimate honour of preparing Wimbledon’s hallowed turf for the women’s final. Francis is currently on a seasonal placement there.)

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

NATHAN BRADBURY “Proud of the young bloke, does everything except spray pesticides. Not a scholar but lives and breathes grass aged 11.” (Proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…

Nuturf territory manager and former Eastlake GC superintendent Nathan Bradbury recently posted these photos of his son Ryder expertly manicuring the home front lawn and nature strip on the NSW Lawn Fanatics Facebook page. Ever since he was five, Ryder would go in with dad on weekends to rake bunkers and help with course set up at Eastlake. He learnt to use a cylinder mower at the age of seven and now has a small mowing run of three customers that dad takes him to every second weekend. To top it off he even has his own Instagram and YouTube channel, both called ‘RyderMowsBest’. Like and subscribe! Australian Turfgrass Management salutes you Ryder – keep up the awesome work legend!)

JULY-AUGUST 2024

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PHOTO: TRACY WILCOX/PGA TOUR/IGF

PARIS 2024

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

Opportunité

Olympique As Australian athletes enjoyed their most successful campaign at an Olympic Games, one Australian sports turf manager was playing a small but important role behind the scenes in Paris.

The National Golf Club’s Scott Calder reflects on being the sole Australian in a multinational

P

tournament crew at Le Golf National which hosted the two Olympic golf events in August.

reparing a course for tournament golf is often considered the pinnacle of our careers as course superintendents. Over my time in the industry, which has just ticked over 30 years, I’ve have been fortunate to experience a number of major events. During my apprenticeship at Royal Melbourne I was part of the team that prepared the course for an Optus Players Championship and Greg Norman Holden Classic, while I also worked at an Australian Ladies Masters when I was at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast. As assistant at Moonah Links we hosted the 2003 and 2005 Australian Opens and more recently at The National Golf Club, where I am superintendent of the Old Course, we have hosted a couple of Australian PGA Tour events on the Gunnamatta and Moonah courses.

With four courses at The National – three at the Cape Schanck site on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and Long Island in Melbourne’s southeast – we have a pretty sizeable crew. In most years, COVID excepted, we have a number of seasonal staff join the team for around six months. They come from all parts of the world and in recent years we have had a number of French greenkeepers take up the opportunity.

As is one of the great aspects of our industry, you form lasting friendships with your crewmates and so was the case with three of our French casuals – Thomas Meunier (who worked with us in 2018), Laszlo Weitling (2022/2023) and Johan Schneider (2023/2024).

In 2023, while on a family trip to France, I was

able to catch up with Thomas and Laszlo who have gone on to hold senior management roles at different courses there. It was during this visit they mentioned the 2024 Olympic Games and how host venue Le Golf National was looking for course volunteers. It was something that I had never even considered, but after getting contact details from Laszlo and talking to the club and my family about it, I applied and received notification of being accepted last Christmas.

Following a bit of back and forth with the French immigration department over some paperwork and also having to apply for Olympic accreditation, everything was finalised by the end of April 2024 which meant I could start locking in my travel plans. Le Golf National had stipulated from the start that all volunteers needed to be on site for at least two weeks given that the men’s and women’s events would be held in the first and second week of the Games respectively. I arrived in Paris on 24 July and after picking up my

accreditation and uniform I officially started with the crew on 26 July, six days out from the start of the men’s event.

L’ALBATROS Le Golf National is located southwest of the Paris CBD, just a few kilometres from the famed Palace of Versailles. Designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert von Hagge as France’s national golfing facility, the complex comprises three courses – the Albatros course, which hosted the Olympic events, the 18-hole Aigle course and nine-hole L’Oiselet course.

Originally flat farm land, more than 1.6 million cubic metres of soil had to be moved to create the amphitheatre-like mounding around the Albatros course as well as the nine hectares of water hazards which feature prominently. Purpose-built for tournament golf, the Albatros course was opened in 1990 and has hosted the Open de France every year since 1991. In 2015, European Golf Design undertook some renovation work to the

PHOTO: BEN JARED/PGA TOUR/IGF

Left: Scott Calder (far left) was part of a four-person course set up crew at Le Golf National for the two Olympic golf events during the Paris Games. He is pictured with (from his left) Dutch volunteer Han Bergsma and Le Golf National crew members JeanPascal Largeau and Antoine Maquet Right: Jason Day, resplendent in green and gold, hits his opening tee shot of the men’s Olympic golf event

JULY-AUGUST 2024

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PHOTO: CHRIS CONDON/PGA TOUR/IGF

PARIS 2024

‘The Island’ at Le Golf National – an island green complex which houses the 15th (background) and 18th (foreground) – provided an iconic setting for both the men’s and women’s Olympic golf events. The Poa/bentgrass greens were initially cut at 3.2mm before being brought down to 2.9mm

course, remodelling the 1st and 16th greens, redesigning the 11th and lake edging on 1, 2, 15, 16 and 18. In 2018, the course staged the 42nd Ryder Cup where Europe defeated the USA 17.5-10.5 and in 2022 it hosted the World Amateur Team Championship.

When I arrived at the course for the first time, everything was very green. France had experienced a wet spring and summer and therefore the usual drying out of the long rough and the contrast that it normally gives hadn’t occurred. Instead, the rain had allowed the large weeds in the long rough to flower which gave the course a vastly different look.

While the course has a links appearance, it didn’t play that way. The fairways offered plenty of run, but the approach into the greens did not, making accuracy a premium. The greens varied in size. The 15th and 18th island greens (grouped together and known as ‘The Island’) were the largest, while others were as small as 15 metres wide but almost 50m long.

The Albatros greens are a bentgrass/Poa mix with a collar cut at 9mm. This collar then turned into an approach at the front of the greens that were hand mown for the events.

Fairways are a mix of ryegrass, fescue and Poa and were also mown at 9mm from tee to green. Fescue had been oversown into the ryegrass fairways a few years ago, but they stopped that for a couple of years due to the lack of fescue coming through. It wasn’t until 10

they had a couple of dry summers where the ryegrass and Poa started to decline that the fescue started coming through. Since that time they have re-started the oversowing program with numerous fescue varieties. Tees are the same cool-season mix as the fairways and were hand mown also at 9mm. The roughs varied in height – there were two step cuts at 24mm and 63mm, with the rest at 83mm.

LE PERSONNEL Le Golf National is home to course superintendent Lucas Pierre who has been at the club for eight years, including the past six in the top role. Prior to that he was one of the assistants. Lucas’s usual crew of nearly 40 was bolstered by around 60 volunteers who came from all across Europe and Scandinavia, including France, England, Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Estonia, Denmark and Finland. I had the honour of being the sole Aussie on the crew, while there were also three Americans. Fifteen French turf management students also joined the team for the two weeks and were given a great opportunity to help prepare the greens.

To cater for the tournament staff, a marquee was set up in the shed compound complete with table tennis and foosball tables, coffee machines, lockers, televisions and couches. This was our meeting point each morning and afternoon with whiteboards and

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

projector screens installed to communicate all tasks. Along with all this there were QR codes you could scan for each of the playing surfaces that gave you information on the general requirements of a particular task on a specific surface.

All meals, transport and accommodation were provided along with snacks (and the occasional beer). We would get picked up at the hotel an hour before our start time. This gave us enough time to get through an airportlike security checkpoint and then walk the 10 minutes to the shed. As you would expect, security was tight. Even the full-time staff couldn’t drive into the course and had to park offsite and walk the rest of the way before also going through security.

Usually our morning shift ended between 9.30am-10am and we would have breakfast in the marquee and be back at the hotel by 11.30am. Most of the volunteers would sneak a bit of sleep as we were back on the bus by 2pm heading in for the afternoon shift. Upon arrival we would head to the dining hall for lunch and then get to the marquee for 3pm where we would work until 7.30pm-8pm. After dinner we were back at the hotel by 9pm. My roommate was Danish superintendent Jacob Mandel Bjerg. Jacob spoke very good English which was lucky as my Danish starts and ends with ‘Skol’ (‘cheers’) which did come in handy, but that’s a story for another day.

LES HOMMES Having already experienced wet weather in the months beforehand, in the days immediately preceding the men’s event (1-4 August) it was back. Eight millimetres fell on the Wednesday before the first round with another 8mm in the early hours of Thursday meaning preparations had to be altered. Fairways and approaches weren’t mown that morning but had the dew removed. Tees were mown and greens still got a double cut. Rolling greens wasn’t going

PHOTO: BEN JARED/PGA TOUR/IGF

Being the only Australian was quite the novelty and although my French was very limited, most of the French crew and European volunteers spoke some level of English. The morning briefings were conducted in French and English with a few humorous moments when some things got lost in translation.

Overall, Lucas and his team leaders (Hugo, Eva, Jean-Louis, Pierre-Vincent and Antoine) were very accommodating with all the volunteers.

Phillippe Pilate, Le Golf National’s director, cooked us breakfast each morning and divotted fairways most afternoons. With the Olympic organisation taking over the clubhouse, he would come down to the sheds to help out where he could. Interestingly, Le Golf National couldn’t sell any of its branded merchandise during the Olympics. They had to pack up the pro shop so the space could be used for the events and only Olympic merchandise could be sold.

Interaction among the volunteers was great and it turned out that I’d met one of the guys from Finland 18 months earlier while he was playing the Old Course. My roommate Jacob had roomed with Thomas at a Scottish Open and many of the guys knew Laszlo and Johan from working various tournaments together. It turned out that all of the foreign volunteers had worked at Le Golf National for previous Open de France tournaments, so connections and reconnections were being made everywhere.

Leading up to the Paris Games, Le Golf National worked with Jacobsen to electrify most its machinery fleet

to happen until a couple of hours into the preparations when the management team felt they could get the rollers going. From that point on until the last day of the men’s event, greens were double cut up and back on the same run (what the French call ‘back-tracking’) morning and evening followed by a roll.

Lucas was aiming to get the greens to 12’ which was achieved prior to the aforementioned rain. After the rain they were closer to 11’. After lowering the greens heights from 3.2mm to 2.9mm on the morning of the second round, by day three the greens were still a little on the softer side but were back up to 12’.

One interesting aspect of their preparations was how protective they were of the perimeter cut around greens. They would always mow two handmower widths but only every second day with the outer of the two laps being 0.3mm higher than the greens height. The inner lap would get mown in the morning, with the outer lap cut in the afternoon. They were very strong

in communicating to the rolling team that they were to stay off the perimeter laps as much as possible.

During the mornings of the men’s event I was fortunate to be part of a four-person team changing holes. I was teamed up with 30-year Le Golf National veteran Jean-Pascal Largeau (affectionately known as JP) and together we took care of the odd-numbered holes. The other team, comprising Le Golf National team leader Antoine Maquet and Dutch volunteer Han Bergsma, looked after the even-numbered holes. For the afternoon shift I had various duties, anything from following the last group collecting flags and markers, smoothing out bunkers, watering fairways and greens, flymowing lake banks, mowing rough, changing practice holes, divotting and hand weeding fairways.

On the last day of the men’s event the volunteers were given the afternoon off to watch the golf while the full-time staff started making adjustments for the women’s event

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PHOTO: TRACY WILCOX/PGA TOUR/IGF

PARIS 2024

The Olympic tee markers were taken back to the IGF team hotel after each round for safekeeping

starting in two days’ time. It was decided that the rough heights around fairways and greens needed to be lowered to make conditions less difficult. Roughs around the greens were lowered from 100mm to 85mm and done so with a fleet of normal household pedestrian mowers. Roughs around the fairways were lowered from 83mm to 75mm and mown out wider in some areas. These works took place as the women were starting their practice rounds and the men were finishing their last round. It took a couple of shifts to complete the adjustments along with the associated clean up and tie-in work with the grass bunker faces.

LES FEMMES

LES DIFFÉRENCES The Olympics was certainly different to any other tournament I have been involved with.

Being held across two weeks, there were a lot of tired people coming into the last day of the women’s event. All the volunteers had worked 16 days straight and the full-time staff often worked later into the evenings once the volunteers had finished. Not surprisingly, there was a fair bit of emotion on the final night at the end of tournament BBQ. Unfortunately, a lot of the French volunteers had to make their way back to their own courses after the final morning set up due to it being peak golfing season there at the time.

With only 60 players for both events, the later start times did make things a little bit easier. During the lead up and practice days we started at 5am and during competition days 6am. With both events being a one tee start at 9am, it was fairly relaxed as we assembled for the morning briefings. Generally, greens were all mown in 2.5 hours, rolling took about 3.5 hours, fairways 2.5 hours and tees and bunkers about three hours each.

Changing and painting holes took us around three hours as we had to wait until the mowers and rollers were off the greens along with any watering that was needed. The Olympic ring tee markers (pictured above) were set up each morning by members of the International Golf Federation (which officiated the Olympic events) and they were very protective of them. We would collect

PHOTO: TRACY WILCOX/PGA TOUR/IGF

Admittedly, everyone was a bit weary at the morning meeting on Monday 5 August after the men’s event had finished. With another six days of preparations to be carried out, it was starting to hit everyone about how long this event was. Once we got started though you could sense the mood picking up as everyone started to get back into the swing of things.

During that meeting plans were laid out about how the course was going to

be prepared for the women. With the course already in great condition and the management team happy with the playing surfaces, we were told that greens wouldn’t be mown in the afternoons. With some hot weather forecast, the focus would instead be on irrigation.

Cutting heights stayed the same, as did the morning regime of mowing and rolling, but in the afternoons there was a lot more hand watering taking place to keep the speeds at 12’ and manage firmness. Every morning and evening two PGA Tour representatives along with a couple of staff collected speed and firmness data on all greens which helped guide the management team in how much water needed to be applied.

Interestingly, greens were fertilised after the women’s first round. With the intensive mowing and rolling regimes during the men’s event, the greens had started to lose a bit of colour and vigour. Conditions were also ideal for dollar spot, so an iron and biostimulant mix was used to give them a boost.

As the women’s event continued, watering ramped up as the warmer weather started to dry things out. Hand watering on greens

and fairways complemented the overheads, with moisture levels constantly monitored.

As well as using TDR handheld probes, the fairway mowers had turfRad moisture scanning equipment mounted on them. Each morning as the units were cutting the fairways, the turfRad sensors took readings which were then downloaded and printed out for the waterers to reference. This was used in the afternoons, along with the TDRs, to target areas that were stressed but not yet showing physical signs.

The 12th hole of L’Albatros during the second round of the men’s Olympic event. Purpose-built for tournament golf, the course was opened in 1990

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

them in the afternoon but they were always taken back to the hotel room of one of the IGF representatives every night for safekeeping!

One of the intriguing aspects of my time at Le Golf National was hearing about the very challenging regulations that golf courses in the European Union (EU) have to operate within, especially regarding chemical and fertiliser use. The French Government imposes even stricter requirements than their EU counterparts on what, how and when the few remaining products they have at their disposal can be used.

French superintendents only have two herbicides that are allowed to be used and only at a certain time of year. As a result, the other two courses at Le Golf National don’t receive any herbicide applications, with clover flourishing as a result. Four fungicides are available for use, with dollar spot the most prevalent disease issue on French courses.

Talking to a few of the local superintendents, they were saying that only one of those products seems to be effective in controlling it. As for insecticides, I won’t even go there as they have nothing available to them.

To counter the lack of products available, cultural practices are evolving with some success. Biostimulants and products containing potassium are used frequently along with growth regulators, but it seems that

The Le Golf National crew numbered almost 100 for the Olympics, including nearly 60 volunteers

the timing of these applications influences their success in disease prevention. Therefore they are regularly applying these products to make sure the playing surfaces are in good health.

Some of the French greenkeepers I spoke to talked about how they hand spike and seed bentgrass into the dollar spot patches to help with recovery. Also, a method used to eradicate fog grass from their tees is using a stiff broom to rough it up on a hot day and then frequently mowing the tee. They said that this method had pretty good success

particularly if the weather stayed hot for the following days.

Interestingly, the climate debate doesn’t seem to exist in France. They have accepted that the climate is changing and are readily adopting alternatives to limit their impact on the environment. Electric mowers and vehicles are more common than not, with Husqvarna robotic mowers popular on smaller courses.

With Le Golf National being home of the French Golf Federation, sustainability is a major pillar of its Strategic Plan, with

JULY-AUGUST 2024

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PHOTO: TRACY WILCOX/PGA TOUR/IGF

PHOTO: CHRIS CONDON/PGA TOUR/IGF

PARIS 2024

A wet spring and summer meant Le Golf National was a verdant green for the tournament. Pictured is the 10th

Say ‘Fromage’! Final round of the women’s all done

electrifying machinery and striving for energy neutrality among their key sustainability goals.

To that end, Le Golf National worked with Jacobsen over an 18-month leading up to the Games to electrify pretty much the entire fleet that would be used during the two events. That began with trialling an SLF1 ELiTE fairway unit at last year’s Open de France and comparing it against their conventional fairway mower, followed by an all-hands trial in early May this year after which Lucas was comfortable that the electric machines could handle the demands of the course and tournament preparation.

In total, Le Golf National had an impressive fleet for the Games – 21 Eclipse 2 ELiTE walk-behind tees and greens mowers, eight SLF1 ELiTE fairway mowers and 24 Cushman

and Janne and Alex from Finland who had some great stories about working in sub-zero temperatures.

Then there was JP, who I spent just about every morning with. He was a barrel of laughs, whether it was his appalling dad jokes, playing music and dancing while changing holes, or the mini lightsaber he had sitting on the front of our Cushman with the Star Wars theme playing as we entered the course each morning.

Team spirit was a term I heard mentioned a lot from the team leaders and it was very clear there was a positive environment among the staff. Milestones were celebrated, jokes were shared and the marquee felt like a soccer stadium at times with chanting and singing going on. No-one was immune to a bit of friendly international banter.

Seeing some of the best men and women golfers in the world playing a course you helped to prepare was a thrill and the atmosphere generated by the parochial crowds was electric. Given it was the Olympics and national pride was on the line, it just seemed to have more excitement than a normal tournament. There were lots of people dressed in their national colours and you certainly knew when the French players were going well! The first thing you saw as you entered the course from the sheds every morning was the Olympic rings behind the first tee which put an extra spring in your step.

It was a one-of-a-kind event to be part of and I cannot thank The National enough for supporting me and my wife Michelle and kids Jai and Isabelle for the sacrifices they made so I could spend the two weeks there.

Big thanks must also go to Lucas and his team at Le Golf National for the opportunity.

Being host of the Open de France every year as well as a Ryder Cup, they know how to prepare for a major tournament and it showed.

The course was in great condition and was an absolute credit to them and their hard work.

Hauler Pro-X ELiTE mower transport and utility vehicles. They also had four AR1 ELiTE semi-rough mowers and two TR1 ELiTE fairway surround mowers which Jacobsen had converted to electric specially for Le Golf National.

LES SOUVENIRS The highlight, aside from seeing some incredible golf and being involved in one of the biggest sporting carnivals in the world, was the people I got to work with. The full-time staff were very welcoming and fun to be around.

The other volunteers were great – Sergei from Estonia, who I spent a few evenings watching basketball with; Jacob, my roommate, who loved potato chips more than me, even at 5am before work; and Grega and Jan from Slovenia

Superintendent: Lucas Pierre.

Tournament crew: 38 Le Golf National staff and 56 volunteers.

Greens: Poa/bentgrass initially cut at 3.2mm and brought down to 2.9mm. Double cut up and back on the same pass (‘back-tracking’).

Greens crew of 18 – 12 mowing and one person for each pairing moving turning boards. Target green speed 12’.

Rolling: Three staff rolled greens each morning with a back-up roller available and sometimes used.

Fairways: Ryegrass/fescue/Poa mix cut at 9mm by a crew of 11 plus one team leader who would be in a Cushman leading them from hole to hole and coordinating the emptying of catchers. Five staff would walk the fairways with backpack blowers taking care of any clippings that were left behind.

Approaches and tees: Ryegrass/fescue/Poa mix hand mown at 9mm by two crews of six.

Bunkers: Bunkers were raked each morning by a crew of 11. Firmness of the faces was a 14

PHOTO: BEN JARED/PGA TOUR/IGF

AT A GLANCE – LE GOLF NATIONAL, PARIS 2024

big focus. As the white sand became soft if left too dry, bunkers were watered frequently.

Paint rollers with grey tape wrapped around the foam (as pictured above) were also used to firm up the faces in the mornings.

This was an arduous process as the rollers were only 30cm wide. The rest of the bunker faces were smoothed out with the back of a rake and then the bases were raked. In the afternoons the bunkers were smoothed out on the faces and bases using the back of a rake before being watered.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

ROYAL SYDNEY

PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

Starting in January, Royal Sydney Golf Club closed its Championship Course to undertake a complete redevelopment at the hands of renowned architect Gil Hanse. The course, located in the inner eastern Sydney suburb of Rose Bay, is due to reopen in March 2025

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A site to

behold

One of the biggest golf course redevelopments currently underway in Australia has just ticked over the halfway mark.

ATM editor Brett Robinson recently caught up with Royal Sydney Golf Club superintendent Adam Marchant and over the next 14 pages delves into the many unique components of this all-encompassing and groundbreaking project.

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C

ourse superintendent Adam Marchant stands on the sandy mound of what will eventually become the new 4th tee at Royal Sydney Golf Club and surveys the scene like a proud custodian. Before him there is a flurry of activity happening as one of the biggest course renovation projects in the country at present continues apace on a squally Sydney midwinter’s day.

A skid steer loader spreads the gravel layer on the new 3rd green, while two excavators work in unison to shell out the greenside bunkers to the right. About 50 metres the other side, another skid steer spreads the rootzone layer on the 8th green, while further up the hole a group of Royal Sydney crew members are stacking layers of revetted sod around the edge of the fairway bunker complex.

Up in the distance, in the shadow of the iconic Royal Sydney clubhouse, world renowned US golf course architect Gil Hanse guides a D4 bulldozer as he shapes the large fairway bunker complex on the left-hand side of 18. Up at the green, the cavity of which was only completed the day before, Hanse’s righthand man Josh McFadden artfully manoeuvres the excavator bucket as he puts the finishing touches to the rear greenside bunker.

This is Hanse’s third visit to Royal Sydney since ground was broken in January and, as Marchant will tell you, whenever he is on site it’s like a hurricane has hit and its pedal to the metal for everyone involved. In this two-week late July-early August visit alone he will end up smashing out seven greens complexes.

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PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

ROYAL SYDNEY

The pace at which the course works are now proceeding is in complete contrast to the protracted, and at times tortuous, journey Royal Sydney had to go through before it could even contemplate turning the first sod.

It was back in July 2016, over eight years ago, when the club first engaged Hanse to come up with a new routing for its Championship Course. Signing off on his new design in 2019, that October the club lodged its first Development Application (DA) with the local Woollahra Municipal Council. It wouldn’t be until December 2022 and a NSW Land and Environment Court appeal ruling later that the club would get the green light.

As then club president Chris Chapman noted at the time of the ruling: “In working extensively with Woollahra Council and heeding the feedback of the local community since the original DA lodgement in late 2019, we have produced what can be considered the most exhaustively detailed golf course renovation plans in Australian history. At more than 1000 pages and including numerous expert reports on matters ranging from ecology and horticulture to flood planning and the extensive civil works involved, no stone has been left unturned and absolutely nothing has been left to chance – nor will it be.”

Over the past eight months, those detailed renovation plans have progressively come to life as the project crests the halfway mark and begins the run towards a highly-anticipated re-opening next autumn. To say that a transformation of quite epic proportions is taking place at the Rose Bay site doesn’t do it justice. The once tight and confined parkland-

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

style layout has disappeared and in its place is a layout boasting a new sense of scale and grandeur. Sweeping playing corridors and greens complexes which marry in with the landforms around them feature prominently and will, in time, be complemented by a landscape canvas set to triple the number of native plant species on site.

“I think the scale of the place will be the most-talked about aspect of this redevelopment,” states Hanse during a five minute break from his seat inside the D4’s cab. “It’s not a spacious property by any stretch, but speaking with the members they were saying it’s like we’ve found all this extra space – it was here but it was covered over and not of any use. It’s amazing when you get up to the clubhouse now and look back down across the course, all the way to the 4th which you couldn’t see before. It’s pretty surreal.

“The one thing we talk about here is that the presentation of the course was very modern with a lot of aggressive shaping. What we are hoping to bring is a course that will feel a lot older and more natural-looking that fits in with the original shape of the land, but one that also has all the modern infrastructure in place.”

TRACKING NICELY There are so many elements of the Royal Sydney redevelopment which make it an intriguing project. The landscape component, once complete, is a story all its own (read more, page 28). So too the impressive level of infrastructure going into the ground to hopefully set the club up for the next half century. Then you have the new greens

Left: During his July visit, Hanse shaped seven greens, including the 18th and practice putter (pictured). As of September, 16 greens had been seeded Right: The new vista looking from the 3rd tee, across the 2nd green (about to be seeded) and all the way to the iconic Royal Sydney clubhouse. Tree removal has helped to dramatically open up what was once a tight and confined parkland-style layout

complexes, featuring Pure Distinction bentgrass and a rootzone profile tailored to produce firm and fast conditions, and the bunkers with their unique mix of revetted elements (read more, page 22).

Then there is the design and strategy of Hanse’s new layout which aims to bring a touch of Sandbelt golf to Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Indeed, the new short par four 13th is an homage to and mirror image of Royal Melbourne’s famed 10 West. This project marks Hanse’s first foray into Australia and he couldn’t have landed a bigger job. As he notes, his company knows know to build golf courses and can do them quick and do them well, but what makes this project particularly special is not only the scale of the transformation taking place but the stature of the club involved.

Also adding a little to the pressure is the timeframe which it is all being delivered in.

Having closed the Championship Course in the middle of last December, the club has given an undertaking to members that it will reopen in March 2025. During that time members are playing a composite 18-hole layout made up of the nine-hole Centenary Course (not touched as part of the renovation) and the neighbouring public nine-hole Woollahra Golf Club.

The initial months of construction saw excellent progress made, with Hanse on site for around 10 weeks between January and

March. Starting on the boundary holes, nine holes were quickly shaped with the first six greens seeded in late April. During his second visit across 10 days in May, Hanse completed holes 1 and 9 and the new short game area which also doubles as the club’s new 19th hole. Hanse’s July-August visit saw greens 3, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18 and the small putter shaped and he will return in mid-September to finish off the 16th green.

Officially, as of September, 19 of 20 greens have been shaped. Sixteen have been seeded and Marchant is hoping to have the last green (16th) down by mid-October. All couchgrass surfaces (Santa Ana) are being solid turfed with around 15 hectares of 22 already laid to date. Elsewhere, 91 of 100 bunkers have been shaped, while more than 100,000 landscape plants and nearly 1000 trees (small and large) have been put in the ground.

The only aspect of the project timeline that is keeping Marchant awake at night at the moment is the construction of their new dam. Supposed to be undertaken as part of preparatory works last October, construction

of the 8ML storage dam, which resides to the left of the new 16th tee complex and behind the 3rd green of the Centenary Course, was delayed due to permits. While frustrating, Marchant is hoping that construction will be completed over the next couple of months and fully operational ahead of the all important first full growing season.

“Off the back of Gil’s most recent visit, we are well over the halfway mark which is really pleasing,” says Marchant. “We were going well for the first few months and then had a real wet period between April and June which put a halt to that momentum. We were having to work where we could as opposed to where we wanted to, but since then construction has progressed well and we are back on track.”

THE RIGHT PEOPLE A project of this magnitude involves many moving parts and for the club to ensure a successful outcome it means having the right people involved. That starts with Marchant and his team which has been expanded to cater for the demanding timeline that has been set.

EXC LUS IV E IM P ORTERS F O R MANU F ACT U R E R S I N CL U D I NG

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ROYAL SYDNEY crew and is exposing them to new skills that will serve them well as they progress their careers. To that end, there are mechanisms in place for the salaried staff to be earning extra money for working extra hours which has been beneficial due to the additional workload.

“We have some really good people across all areas of the project which is helping to make things run well,” says Marchant. “That starts with Gil and his team. Gil is a great guy, very humble, and when he’s in the dozer he’s in the zone. When he is on site it’s hectic because we know his time is precious, but everyone works in well to make sure everything is ready for when he gets here.

“The Atlas team have been world class.

This project is extremely difficult, especially as it relates to the infrastructure that is going in the ground and more importantly the conditions of consent that need to be adhered to. Jim Norfolk and his highly skilled team have managed this process really well.

“At the end of all this, once I sit and reflect, the big thing for me will be how well ‘our’ team did. I knew they were good and I knew they were going to enjoy this, but I have been blown away by how they have bought into it.

“My senior team – Thomas, Matt and Christian – have been superb. I know that in our morning meetings I can go bang, bang, bang, this is what needs to happen today and I can leave it in their capable hands to implement which takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. That allows me to then make sure that Gil’s guys are all good and concentrate on the other things that I am responsible for – communicating with the club and ensuring all the ordering (plants, trees, turf, sand, gravel) is done and everything is coming in when it is supposed to so that everything keeps moving.”

Royal Sydney superintendent Adam Marchant (left) with assistant Thomas Jones (centre) and senior foreman Matthew Broad. In the dozer behind them is Gil Hanse shaping the 18th fairway bunker complex

by young Scottish shapers Reece Haspell and Rory Paul, with all three being housed locally by the club for the duration of the project.

As part of that, the club also purchased all construction machinery – two D4 bulldozers, two 13-tonne excavators, a six-tonne excavator and bunker bike.

Working alongside the Hanse team is the crew from Atlas Golf led by Jim Norfolk, Peter Phillips and Glenn Woolcock. Once the green cavities and bunker complexes have been shaped by the Hanse team, the Atlas crew come in to install the required infrastructure (drainage, SubAir etc…) and the respective gravel and rootzone mixes. Working in and around them are a number of other contractors (e.g: irrigation installers) and Royal Sydney staff who look after the bunker revetting, solid turfing and greens seeding.

Marchant has made sure that his team is heavily involved in almost all aspects of the project and as part of that budgeted for an additional 10 staff, with six added so far. The project is a rare opportunity for Marchant’s

A MASSIVE YEAR

PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

Marchant’s senior crew is led by assistant superintendent Thomas Jones, who joined the club in early 2018, and senior links foreman Matthew Broad. The senior team comprises a mix of extremely skilful people who all specialise in different areas – irrigation technician Christian Pink, foremen Alistair Dunn and Kenny McNamee, head horticulturist Todd Stark, Sporting Areas operations manager Wendy Lloyd, Northern Areas turf manager John Flaherty and clubhouse horticulturist Brandon Brightman. All these staff are playing crucial roles in the project and ensuring all other areas of the club that aren’t impacted by the project are being maintained and presented at a standard the club aspires to.

This team and the entire Sporting Areas team have been instrumental to date and Marchant has been impressed with the buy in from everyone to ensure a successful outcome.

The Hanse design team have three fulltime staff on site. Canadian McFadden is lead shaper and essentially acts as Hanse’s eyes and ears when he isn’t on site. He is assisted

A project of the scale of the Royal Sydney redevelopment involves many moving parts and for the club to ensure a successful outcome it means having the right people involved across all areas

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

Having the right team certainly makes Marchant’s job a lot easier due to the allencompassing nature of the task at hand.

As well as overseeing all the various work and teams out on the course, Marchant also provides that critical communication conduit to the club, its various committees and a passionate member base regarding the ongoing progress of the redevelopment.

To that end, the club is documenting every stage of the construction, with Marchant fronting regular videos outlining the various works and features as the course comes to life. While Marchant admits he’s not exactly a natural being in front of the camera, the videos are proving a hit with the members and are the most effective way of showing the progress that is being made each week.

In a way, this project has brought Marchant full circle. He initially joined Royal Sydney back in 2001, arriving at the club from his hometown of Mudgee and slotting in as a

junior member of a crew headed by the great John Odell. Within a year, between 2002 and 2003, he found himself involved in the Ross Watson redesign which focussed on greens and bunkers and can fondly recall being on the end of a shovel shelling out bunkers.

After leaving for a two-year period to work for an irrigation company, Marchant returned to Royal Sydney in 2008 as a senior greenkeeper, rising to foreman then assistant and eventually taking over as superintendent in 2018 after the departure of Kiwi Steve Marsden.

While the 2002-2003 works were significant, they are but a patch on what is currently being undertaken. And therein lies the challenge for Marchant who after 21 years at the club is now playing one of the leading roles in one of the biggest projects not only of his career but in the club’s history. The scale of the transformation taking place is equalled only by the level of expectation from the club and its members which Marchant is only all too aware of. Despite that, he is revelling in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and with the project now over halfway can envisage how good the finished product will be.

“It is full on and the weight of expectation is pretty heavy,” reflects Marchant. “My name, my crew’s name, is all over this and it has been for a long time. And we can’t say we

Gil Hanse (dozer) and Josh McFadden (excavator) work their magic on Royal Sydney’s new-look 18th

don’t have the money or the time, so there’s definitely no excuses on our part. It is pretty all-consuming and at times you do feel like you are being pulled from pillar to post. I live on course too, so you can’t exactly get away from it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My wife Yvette and kids (Max, Willow and Mackenzie) have been really supportive. They have ridden the rollercoaster of the last six-anda-half years that I have been superintendent.

It gets difficult at times trying to manage the project and family. Thankfully they all know how much this project means to me and have allowed me to allocate the time needed.

“But this is the bit now that for me is really enjoyable. I knew it was going to be a massive year, but this is the stuff I love.

Making it that little bit easier is knowing we have the right people involved. Gil and his team are unbelievable at what they do. I’m glad the club stuck with him and stuck with the redevelopment despite all the challenges.

“The last couple of years getting the DA approved were pretty brutal, but if anything that period gave the committee and club more motivation and drive to see this project through. Now that we can see all the work finally happening and the new course taking shape, it makes all that effort worthwhile.”

Editor’s Note: ATM wishes to thank Adam Marchant and Royal Sydney Golf Club for allowing publication of this significant project update. For further details on the Championship Course renovation visit https:// championshipcourse.rsgc.com.au/.

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ROYAL SYDNEY

Above, below and

beyond Whether it’s the aboveground features of the new Gil Hanse design or the impressive infrastructure going into the ground, the redevelopment of Royal Sydney’s Championship Course is setting it up for many decades to come.

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T

he breadth of the project to revitalise Royal Sydney Golf Club’s Championship Course is huge, with practically every area of the existing layout being reworked by appointed architect Gil Hanse. The new design makes some significant routing changes, with the playing corridors vastly wider and more connectivity between holes.

Holes 1-6 follow the old routing along the site’s undulating boundary terrain, with the new par four 7th cutting back inwards and playing down what was previously the corridor of the par three 14th. From there, the new 8th and 9th holes return to the clubhouse along the route of the old 15th and 16th. The old 17th becomes the 10th, which when finished will be a 200m par three. A uniquely-styled halfway house will be constructed adjacent to the tee which will feature a slate roof and flagpole identical to those which sit atop the eastern tower of Royal Sydney’s famous clubhouse.

Royal Sydney’s new-look par three 6th green complex with the 15th (left) and 12th (right) greens just above.

In the background to the left is the new par four 13th

“Even the new 12th (old 13th) grabs you with the way the hole moves, the positioning of the bunkers and the width. Flatter works better when its wider and you’re not hemmed in by trees. Those flatter middle holes were always going to be the challenge for Gil, but what he and his skilled team have come up with is really elevating that section of the course.”

WORDS: BRETT ROBINSON. PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

PURE GREENS

The new 11th and 12th holes play along similar corridors to the old 12th and 13th holes, leading to perhaps the most significant change to the routing. The old par five 7th, which previously hugged the O’Sullivan Rd boundary, has been sliced into two, making way for two cracking short par fours – 13 and 14. The 13th, as noted in the previous article, is Hanse’s homage to Royal Melbourne’s 10 West. The green boasts a wicked false front while there is a yawning hazard short and to the right which is nearly as large as the green.

The old 8th and 9th holes become the par five 15th which is currently a makeshift construction compound and will be the last fairway worked on despite the green being among the first to be built. At just a touch over 300m2 each, the new 15th green and neighbouring 12th are the smallest on course.

The closing three holes – 16 (playing down the old 10th), 17 (old 11) and 18 – are tailor made for a tournament grandstand finish, while the

short game green, between the 18th green and 10th tee, doubles as a 19th hole.

“It has been so interesting watching Gil do his thing and listening to him and Josh (McFadden, lead shaper) talk about the new design,” says Royal Sydney superintendent Adam Marchant. “There is a reason behind everything they do and as part of this whole process it’s going to be important that as a club we capture that so we can explain to members why things were done a certain way.

“The big one for me are the new angles they are producing. The new 7th (old 14) is a perfect example. The corridor is essentially the same, but by taking some trees out, widening the corridor, creating new grassing lines and cutting the bunkers into an area which already had movement, it has created a completely different look. It’s the same with the new 8th (old 15th). That hole was arguably the most boring on the course, but once the trees were removed it had a completely different feel.

To complement the new routing, Royal Sydney’s turf varieties are also being updated.

Gone are the Penn G2 bentgrass greens replaced by Pure Distinction, while the Wintergreen couchgrass fairways and roughs make way for Santa Ana. Pure Distinction was chosen following comprehensive trials which began back even before Hanse was engaged in 2016. The new generation bentgrass was a standout and in conjunction with perched water table greens construction and a SubAir system, Marchant is confident it will provide exceptional playing surfaces for many years to come.

As mentioned in the previous article, as of the middle of September, 19 greens out of 20 have been shaped and 16 dry-seeded.

Greens 5, 6, 12, 13, 14 and 15 were seeded on 22 April, followed by further batches of two greens – 4 and 7 in May and 1 and 9 in June.

Following Hanse’s midwinter two-week visit, the 2nd and short game greens were seeded in early August, with greens 3, 8, 18 and the practice putter seeded mid-September. As this edition was going to print, greens 10, 11 and 17 were being prepped for seeding, which will leave just the 16th to do.

One of the main criticisms of Pure Distinction is its propensity to thatch up aggressively during establishment and more so in Sydney due to the increased humidity.

To combat that, Marchant took a judicious approach when seeding the new greens.

“The benefit of having that prolonged DA period enabled us to work out how we were going to do things,” explains Marchant. “We knew what the Pure Distinction was like so we seeded them at the lowest rate possible.

With the first six greens we knew we weren’t time poor so there was no need to rush things, although the seed probably ended up going out a little later than I had hoped.

“We seeded in late April and had five days of really good weather. They all germinated but then we had 200mm of rain across two days which washed a lot of seed out. I did question whether the low rate was such a good idea after that, especially because in the worst areas we have had to go back and do a lot of plugging. (Senior foreman) Matthew Broad JULY-AUGUST 2024

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ROYAL SYDNEY

The new Royal Sydney greens feature a perched water table construction along with Sub Air infrastructure

has been an absolute gun looking after that for us. The greens have come back well and I am happy with where they are at.

“The 13th, which has a big false front, was a nightmare, but we persevered with the plugging rather than reseeding sections and having the grass at different stages. We ended up using some covers to protect the greens from further washouts. We had some old tarps from when we hosted the Davis Cup in 2011 and we also borrowed some from the SCG. “We are deliberately keeping the greens lean and being patient with them and throwing a heap of sand on them. We have done six heavy topdressings already and making sure we are managing that thatch accumulation.

Those first six greens are now about 21 weeks old and they feel firm underfoot already without really doing much to them. We just put a mower on them, haven’t rolled them and just keep up with regular dustings.”

Assisting Marchant with the grow-in phase and helping him formulate programs both onsite and at the turf farms (more on them below) is Cowra-based agronomic consultant Allan Tarrant. Since taking over as

superintendent in 2018, Marchant has been working with Tarrant to focus on soil health across all areas – the golf courses, lawn tennis courts, bowling greens and croquet lawns.

“It’s all about promoting good soil health and getting the environment right for the turf to do what it needs,” explains Marchant. “Allan said to me, ‘You tell me what you want out of your grass and then we’ll talk about what needs to happen underneath’. The big thing is not giving the turf anything it doesn’t need. We want to make sure that we are in control of the grass at all times and can easily ramp up or down when needed. As far as the grow-in goes, that has been working really well for us.”

SOLID APPROACH In contrast to the greens, all other playing surfaces – tees, fairways and roughs – are being solid turfed due to the project’s tight timeline. That equates to around 23 hectares of Santa Ana couchgrass, with Marchant utilising two separate turf farms. Primary supplier is Dad and Dave’s Turf based near Pitt Town west of Sydney, while around seven hectares is coming from Thoroughbred Country Turf

in Aberdeen (upper Hunter Valley) owned by Ellerston superintendent Rod Hinwood.

The reason for having two separate suppliers was that the club needed a flood contingency. In recent years, many of the turf farms situated along the Hawkesbury River in the Pitt Town area have suffered devastating flooding. Were that to happen during the Royal Sydney redevelopment it would cause significant delays. Marchant therefore ventured to Aberdeen to inspect the Santa Ana turf there and knew that with Hinwood’s experience as a superintendent and having the right equipment he could deliver that contingency.

The club has three pads of fairway turf at Dad and Dave’s, with the rough turf being grown at Southern Cross Turf. As part of the turfing process, early on Marchant had two of his course staff – Lisa Thorncroft and Lawson Grant – based at Dad and Dave’s full-time, along with dedicated mowing and spraying equipment. The idea was that they could keep on top of a specific fertiliser program, weed spraying and cutting requirements to ensure that when the turf was harvested it would arrive on site at the desired quality and height.

“The turf guys have certainly made our lives easier,” says Marchant. “Graeme Colless and the entire team at Dad and Dave’s, including Paul Saad at Southern Cross Turf, have been amazing, as has Rod in Aberdeen. With a project of this scale and the weather impacting the way it has, it has been difficult at times to exactly forecast when turf will be needed. These guys have always accommodated our needs. With so much going on, it’s a huge relief to be working with people like this who can pivot quickly to ensure we get the turf when we want it and, at times, on very short notice.”

BUNKERS AND SAND SELECTION Bunkers have always been an area of intense scrutiny at Royal Sydney and the redevelopment has provided a perfect opportunity to remedy some inherent issues.

As a result, the amount of work that has gone into determining the best bunker construction methodology and sourcing an appropriate sand has been significant.

Over the past five years Royal Sydney trialled no less than 15 different bunker sands, yet when the project started still hadn’t chosen one. At that point three were in the mix – two from Sydney and one from Victoria. Marchant was a fan of the interstate sand as it provided a point of difference from the two local options which were already widely used at other courses across Sydney. The only issue with The new Pure Distinction greens were seeded at deliberately low rates to combat the variety’s propensity to thatch up quickly. That did, however, create issues when washouts occurred, with the team doing a heap of plugging to ensure full coverage

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

the Victorian sand, sourced from Langwarrin in Melbourne’s southeast, was the significant difference in cost due to transportation (effectively a 2000km round trip). A month into the project, Marchant remained steadfast in his Langwarrin recommendation and was able to convince the club to sign off on it.

“It is a fantastic product and will provide us with something different,” states Marchant.

“I thought the logistics of it would be a nightmare, but Burdetts have been fantastic.

We stockpile the sand on site and when we need some more they will send a couple of trucks a day for the next couple of weeks.

“Throughout this whole process we have worked with John Neylan (SportEng) and Civiltest, not only with the bunker sand but also the greens sand and gravel. We have conducted hundreds of tests to ensure we were choosing the exact materials we wanted.

John has been amazing. I know I have hassled him a lot and probably tested more than what was necessary, but from my end it was important to get this aspect right.”

From a bunker construction perspective, Royal Sydney has opted to go with the Better Billy Bunker Method (BBBM) which is replacing the old geofabric liners installed as part of the Watson rebuild. The BBBM is essentially a locally-sourced gravel which is spread to a 50mm depth across the base of the bunker and then sprayed with a special binding polymer which cures over a 24-hour period.

Combined with the BBBM, Marchant is using a combination of synthetic and natural sod revetting to construct the bunker lips.

Once the bunkers have been rough shaped and handed over by Hanse’s team, the Royal Sydney team come in and hand excavate a 300mm-wide ‘bench’ around the perimeter of the bunker. The Atlas Golf team then comes in and shells out the bunker and puts in the drainage before the course crew go back in to place the gravel which is spread up and over the ‘bench’. Atlas then sprays the polymer.

Once cured, staff then install three layers of DuraTurf synthetic revets on top of the bench. One layer of natural revetted sod is then initially placed on top of the synthetic revets before Hanse’s team come back and indicate how many more layers of natural sod are needed to provide the desired shape and final look. That can be anywhere from two or three layers for the fairway bunkers and up to six or seven for the greenside bunkers.

“It’s something unique and while it sounds quite complicated it is working really well and providing the look we are after,” says Marchant. “The idea for the DuraTurf layer

Due to the redevelopment’s tight timeline, all couchgrass areas are being solid turfed with Santa Ana

came after some discussions with Nelson Caron at Seminol in the US who had worked with Gil and was doing something similar.

The theory behind using the synthetic revet is that it will provide a permanent marker of the original shape and design of the bunker, even if the natural sod wears away or we get sand movement. The synthetic revet will never be seen as the bunker sand will come up to the bottom layer of the natural sod revet. We have also been playing around with burning the sod which gives it that black look and makes the bunkers pop out and more defined.”

IMPRESSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE While the aboveground features of the new course will all be impressive elements of the finished product, it’s also about what’s going in the ground that is, for a superintendent anyway, just as exciting. In a bid to set the club up for decades to come, much thought and attention has gone into the infrastructure set up. Whether that’s in the form of macro drainage systems, a specially-designed irrigation system or SubAir infrastructure in the greens, little expense is being spared.

The new Rain Bird irrigation system is a case in point and from Marchant’s perspective will be the big game-changer for his maintenance operations. In a word it’s supersized and once you add in the new 8ML dam and state-of-the-art Grundfos pump station, it will be one of the most sophisticated irrigation systems in Australia. Designed by leading irrigation consultant Paul Jones, the new system will cater for Royal Sydney’s water needs well into the future.

“The brief we gave Paul was that we wanted to be able to run an entire par five hole all at once – tee, fairway and green – and to give us the pipe size, pump capacity and control system that would be able to do that,” says Marchant. “That’s where it all started and that’s what has taken the design from a normal irrigation set up to something where, in Paul’s words, you probably won’t see a bigger pipe network on an 18-hole golf course.

“With the old system, if we were putting out a wetting agent on our couch surfaces, say on our par five 2nd, I could get the spray rigs out the door and the fairways sprayed quickly.

But to then water it in ahead of play took three

Royal Sydney is using the Better Billy Bunker Method in its bunkers which comprises a locally-sourced gravel spread to a 50mm depth and then sprayed with a binding polymer. The photo shows how the gravel goes up and over the 300mm hand-excavated ‘bench’

JULY-AUGUST 2024

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ROYAL SYDNEY

A unique combination of synthetic and natural sod revets is being used to construct the new Royal Sydney bunkers

“The collaboration on this system has been so enjoyable,” says Marchant. “Between myself and the senior team, in particular Tom and Christian, we are heavily involved in final placement to ensure that everything makes sense once construction is over. Our approach is that we will be using this system daily, so it’s best to get everything in the right position now.

Josh is great with advising where valves and heads are best placed and runs all irrigation positioning. Gosford Irrigation Water Services (GIWS) are installing the system and they have been great to work with and are doing a fantastic job given the scale of it.

“The important part here is getting the golf design right first and then the irrigation. This makes it difficult at times as there is no way to get in front as the design on the plan could change once Gil and his team start shaping.

There is never any issue from the GIWS team if we need to change the design which is great.”

GETTING AIR In addition to the irrigation infrastructure is a SubAir system which will allow Marchant to eventually moderate and control subsoil

PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

separate stages because we didn’t have the pipe capacity. We wanted a system whereby we could do it all at once so we could get those practices done ahead of golfers.

“To do that, our pipes are big. The old mainlines were either 100mm or 150mm.

We will now come out of the pump station at 355mm. The majority of the mainline is 250mm and drops down to 200mm at the smallest. All our laterals are 90mm whereas the old ones were 63mm. To put it in perspective, we could deliver 70L/s out of our old pump station. With this new system, which has six large pumps, we will be able to deliver 170L/s.”

The system features back-to-back Rain Bird sprinklers on all greens, with all 100 bunkers having their own dedicated heads to keep sand moist and consistent. Each green has a back-up potable water loop with QCV, while there are two isolation valves that feed the front and back of each green with a QCV on each. Other thoughtful additions include running the pipe network beyond where it would normally end and capping it so that the system can be expanded easily if needed in the future.

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

environmental conditions in the greens.

It was back in 2017 when Royal Sydney reconstructed its trial green and first installed a SubAir unit with the view of ultimately rolling them out across all greens.

The SubAir system essentially hooks into the drainage network via a ring main around all greens, with the appropriate inlet and outlet pipes hooked up to dedicated units.

The club hasn’t purchased the units as yet but is installing all the necessary infrastructure (pipework, electrical) so they can be connected in the future.

The SubAir system will provide a number of benefits. The primary one will be that when the units are in ‘vacuum/suck’ mode they will be able to pull water through the profile quicker when it is at field capacity, effectively increasing the drainage rate. The rootzone profile being used, which has been specced in conjunction with John Neylan, is on the firm side. Having firmness and a free-draining profile doesn’t go hand in hand, so having the SubAir system will assist with drainage rates while still allowing Marchant to keep the desired firmness levels.

The other benefit that Marchant sees, although one that will be harder to quantify, is that when the units are in ‘pressure/blow’ mode they will effectively be aerating the profile. Combined with renovations and regular use of their Air2G2 and needle-tining, Marchant can see some great benefits. Pressure mode can also assist drying out the greens.

“Underground I’d like to think we are futureproofing the course and setting the infrastructure up for at least the next 50 years,” says Marchant. “If that’s the case and Gil gets the architecture right, then the only thing that might need to happen in the next 50 years is perhaps re-grassing the greens if a better variety comes onto the market. There won’t be the need to change the shapes of the greens or the infrastructure in the ground because of the work we are doing now which is a pretty good result I think.

“We have also done work outside of our own infrastructure. There were two large council stormwater assets running through the course which we sought approval to replace at our own cost. It was a case of we had the machinery on site to do it, so while the ground was open it was a good opportunity to replace it. If we had left the old infrastructure in the ground we could have run the risk of something breaking and council coming in down the track and ripping it all up. It was a no-brainer to do that work and it now gives us peace of mind that everything in the ground is up to date and will last a long time.”

After trialling 15 bunker sands over a five year period, Royal Sydney has opted for a sand that is coming all the way from Langwarrin in Melbourne

Advertorial

Women in Turf Program shines spotlight on female greenkeepers COBRAM Barooga Golf Club again hosted a group of female volunteer greenkeepers for the 2024 Webex Players Series Murray River as part of John Deere’s Women in Turf Program.

“All the women bring their own diverse range of skills and experiences into the team. The attitude and professionalism they showed throughout the week was infectious for the rest of the team.”

Returning to the site of the program’s successful launch in 2023, the six volunteers had the rare opportunity to work alongside other women as they supported club Superintendent, Terry Vogel, and his team to prepare the picturesque course for the PGA event.

At just 17 years old, Bella Browne was the youngest volunteer in the program, but said she was made to feel like one of the team.

John Deere Golf and Sports Turf Key Account Manager, Corey Clark, said the program is about creating career pathways for female greenkeepers.

“On top of professional development, it also helps them build support networks and gain confidence plying their trade at a big tournament like the Webex Players Series,” he said.

“I was a bit nervous coming into it, but all the staff and the other girls were so welcoming and helped me settle into the week,” said the Thurgoona Country Club apprentice.

“It’s all male staff where I work, so it’s cool to see there are other women in this industry, and to hear where they’ve come from in their careers.”

Susie Rawlings is relatively new to the industry, starting at Toronto Golf Club in Newcastle only 12 months ago after spending 20 years in the telecommunications industry.

“I’m used to working in male-dominated industries, so this was a unique experience for me,” she said.

“You can do a lot of different things in this industry, and the Women in Turf Program is a great stepping stone to experience different sides of the role.” Susie Rawlings Sophie Warren from Glenelg Golf Club and Bella Browne from Thurgoona Country Club connected through the John Deere Women in Turf Program.

The Women in Turf volunteers also included Tegan Lewis from Hartfield Golf Club in Perth, Shana Stopp from Green Options in Brisbane, and Holly Ross from Bayview Golf Cub in Sydney.

“Terry and his crew at Cobram Barooga have been super receptive of hosting the program again, and the volunteers have fitted in really well with them.”

John Deere Production Systems Manager, Stephanie Gersekowski, said the program reflected John Deere’s wider commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Mr Vogel said the club jumped at the chance to host the volunteers again.

“It was incredibly successful last year, so we were ecstatic when John Deere asked us if they could run the program at Cobram Barooga again this year,” he said.

“The program not only provides invaluable professional development opportunities, but creates a sense of community among female greenkeepers, which is important in a typically male-dominated industry,” Ms Gersekowski said.

“We really feel like we’re still at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact this program can make.”

ROYAL SYDNEY

Passion project The redevelopment of Royal Sydney’s Championship Course is set to triple floral diversity on site

A

and reinstate a more natural heathland aesthetic.

primary component of the Royal Sydney redevelopment, and one which the club has invested significant resources into as part of its Development Application (DA), is the landscape. Guided by a detailed Biodiversity Management Plan which stretches to 217 pages, the club has undertaken to incorporate 500,000 landscape plants and 2187 trees as part of the redevelopment.

Those numbers are to offset the 595 trees that were removed as part of the initial works, 330 of which were large paperbarks. The removal of those trees has opened the site up magnificently, creating some incredible vistas across the property and providing a new sense of scale which had otherwise been hidden.

This will be complemented by a strategic landscape design which has been devised by architect Harley Kruse who is working in conjunction with Royal Sydney’s head horticulturist Todd Stark.

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As part of the DA requirements, 250,000 of those landscape plants must be in the ground before the course can reopen next March. As of September, more than 100,000 have been planted, with Royal Sydney superintendent Adam Marchant looking to accelerate that now the bulk of the earthworks and shaping has been completed. Through the diligent and hard work of Sporting Areas operations manager Wendy Lloyd, Marchant is keeping detailed records off all plants coming on site, with upcoming nursery deliveries scheduled for September and December complementing those already in March and May. Despite the number of trees removed, there will be a net increase of 1592 trees across the property by the end of the project.

As of August, 438 of 948 ‘advanced’ trees had been planted, while 482 of 1239 smaller trees have also been put in the ground.

The new landscape plantings will include a plethora of endemic heathland species,

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

including endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and naturalised native grasslands. Prior to the redevelopment, there were 30 different species of trees, plants, shrubs and grasses identified around the course, but by the end of the project this will be increased to more than 100 native species.

“This project is all about reintroducing the flora back into Rose Bay which is a huge passion of mine,” says Stark, who has been at the club for seven years. “This a perfect opportunity to reintroduce a much more diverse plant population which will eventually lead to a greater abundance of fauna on site.

Golf courses provide unique areas where rare and endangered plant communities within urban environments can thrive and this project gives Royal Sydney the opportunity to showcase that and lead the way forward.

“Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the new par three 6th hole will progress. From a pure horticulture perspective,

WORDS: BRETT ROBINSON. PHOTO: ROYAL SYDNEY GC

Royal Sydney will incorporate 500,000 landscape plants and 2187 trees as part of the current redevelopment. Pictured is the new 7th which features extensive landscaping in front of the tee and to the left of the fairway

to see the plantings that we are putting in there, it will be one of the standout areas on the course for me. It will be really interesting to look back at the before and after photos in a few years’ time and see the transformation.”

LOCAL PROVENANCE Due to the scale of the landscape component, the club has been working closely with a number of specialist nurseries over the past four years to grow the required trees and tubestock from seed and cuttings. One of those is Harvest Seeds and Native Plants based in Terrey Hills, with managing director Marina Grassecker and her team growing around 120,000 plants. Marchant says the club is fortunate to be working with passionate individuals like Grassecker who sees the positive role golf courses can play in being sanctuaries for endemic species to flourish.

“It’s a huge component of the overall project – getting them from seed and cuttings into tubestock at the nursery and then into the ground at Royal Sydney,” says Marchant.

“Someone like Marina and her team are a big part in helping us do that and helping us

understand what the requirements are going forward. We are really excited about all the plant material that is going in the ground and how it will enhance the new course layout.”

Effectively tripling the number of species on site and the sheer amount needed to be planted is quite the logistical exercise and the task of incorporating them all is an art form. As Kruse explains, the decision has to be made as to where the plants go and grouping them together accordingly so that they complement one another, while also being mindful that they are part of a golf course setting.

“It’s a bit like a painting I guess,” says Kruse. “You have the base canvas and then you build up the different layers. It’s all about getting that diversity of mix right and making sure that they work in with the golf course.

“Getting all the native and rare and endangered plants back on site is a really important part of this project. It means the course will have an established community of these plants, so that if they do get lost elsewhere this place can become a source.

It’s great to see Royal Sydney working with the local nurseries and challenging them to

Top: Royal Sydney superintendent Adam Marchant (left) with head horticulturist Todd Stark (centre) and landscape architect Harley Kruse; Middle: 2000 lineal metres of ‘habitat logs’ need to be incorporated back into the landscape; Bottom: Milled paperbark timber will be turned into course furniture, providing a sustainable link back to the old course

grow some of the rarer plants. It’s similar to what has been done in Melbourne where the likes of Royal Melbourne work in conjunction with Bayside Nurseries who collect seed and cuttings from the course and propagate them.

These are then planted back into the course and made available to the local community.”

In addition to the substantial native plantings, as part of the DA requirements the club must also incorporate 2000 lineal metres of ‘habitat logs’ around the course. During the tree removal process, a separate milling company was brought in to cut the logs at the required lengths which have been stockpiled throughout the course for placement later on.

During that milling process, a stock of paperbark timber was also preserved which will be turned into course furniture, providing a sustainable link back to the old course. A number of different designs for tee signage, tee plates, tee markers and sand bins have already been fabricated. One end of the large machinery storage shed has been turned into a makeshift timber stockpile which will be processed in the Royal Sydney workshop once the final designs have been agreed upon.

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BRISBANE 2024

Brisbane

T

he Board and staff of the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA), together with the team at Golf Management Australia (GMA), wish to thank everyone who attended the 2024 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition in June. Held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the conference attracted a combined total (both ASTMA and GMA) of just over 620 delegates across three days of education sessions, with a total attendance of 1674 including 107 international visitors. It was the second time in six years that Brisbane had hosted the annual conference and the second time in three years that it was a combined venture with GMA. “The conference in Brisbane was an outstanding success, bringing together industry leaders and turf professionals from across the country and overseas,” says ASTMA chief executive Mark Unwin. “The level of engagement in the education sessions and interaction and atmosphere in the trade exhibition were remarkable to see. We were thrilled with the positive feedback from both delegates and exhibitors and we now look forward to Sydney next year as we continue evolving and developing the event.”

At the conclusion of the week in Brisbane, the ASTMA announced that the conference will be returning to Sydney in 2025 after a long 30

WORDS AND PHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON

brings it

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre played host to the second combined ASTMA-GMA conference in June.

hiatus. It is the first time since 2001 that the annual conference has ventured there, with the Sydney Olympic Park precinct to play host from 23-26 June. In mid-August the ASTMA held a 2025 Trade Exhibition launch at the Sydney Showgrounds Complex with over 50 trade representatives touring the exhibition halls and demonstration areas, viewing exhibition build options and talking through engagement and innovation ideas. Exhibition floorplans and applications will be available from 1 November, with delegate information to be released soon after.

FROM AI TO GEN Z AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN From leadership and workplace culture, understanding the rapid (and eye-opening) advancements in AI technology and what it means for our working lives, through to

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

behavioural science, staff engagement, communicating with Gen Z and managing multi-generation workforces, a plethora of topics were covered in a stimulating Plenary session which kicked off the education component on the Tuesday. Headlining the day was tech guru Adam Spencer who was supported by superb presentations from Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb, Cameron Schwab (who had previously spoken the last time the conference was in Brisbane in 2019), Olly Bridge, Mark Carter and Claire Madden.

The ASTMA was delighted to welcome a number of international experts, among them Dr Jay McCurdy from Mississippi State University who delivered three presentations on weeds and weed management, including a workshop with ASTMA senior agronomist Bruce Macphee and Envu’s Jyri Kaapro.

He was joined by Frenchman Erwan LeCocq who is based at Germany’s 45-hole WINSTONgolf facility where he is head greenkeeper and technology specialist. In that role, LeCocq has been at the forefront of innovation and has helped WINSTONgolf become one of the first golf courses in the world to embrace and deploy autonomous mowers on a large scale.

There was standing room only for his Thursday Golf Stream presentation which looked at the role of automation and electrification in sustainable turf management

Left: Tech guru Adam Spencer spoke on the rapid progress of AI technology and its increasing use in a workplace setting. He was widely rated by delegates as one of the best speakers of the 2024 conference

and his experiences using this new technology.

Speaking with delegates afterwards, LeCocq’s presentation inspired a number to them to consider trialling robotic mowing equipment at their facility.

Other internationals included Steve Wilson (Bernhards) who provided a case study on football World Cup pitch maintenance, while Chris Gray and John Kemp headed a fourstrong delegation from The R&A that updated delegates on the work they are doing in the sphere of golf course sustainability.

While the international contingent often headline such conferences, having local sports turf managers and industry experts presenting is a hugely important part of the breakout streams which run across the Wednesday and Thursday. Backing up from their ASTMA Award wins at the 2023 conference, the City of Boroondara team of Paul Locke and Nick Marino spoke on their operations which led to them winning the ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award.

Likewise, Craig Walker from Devonport Country Club in Tasmania, fresh off a plane from volunteering at the US Open the previous

As one of Australia’s leading behavioural scientists, Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb focussed on understanding and using behavioural evidence of teams to explore complex leadership issues and assist workplaces to develop solutions to improve team performance

weekend, spoke on his unique course management set up and team achievements which saw him bestowed last year’s ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award.

With the conference being in Brisbane, two of the city’s most prominent turf managers – Suncorp Stadium’s Matthew Oliver and The Gabba’s David Sandurski – combined for a Sportsfield Stream session on managing their respective facilities, with Oliver dedicating a large chunk of his presentation to their hosting of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. Two of the turf industry’s most passionate environmental management advocates – Kate Torgersen and Monina Gilbey – also teamed up for an interactive session which explored some of the common roadblocks that clubs and turf facilities face on their journey to becoming more environmentally sustainable (read more about their session on page 52).

From a trade perspective, it was another busy week in Brisbane for the many companies who exhibited and held special functions and events for their loyal customers.

ASTMA Silver Partner Jacobsen conducted a ‘Show ‘n’ Mow’ demonstration event on the eve of the conference at Suncorp Stadium where delegates were able to get handson with a range of Jacobsen and Cushman equipment.

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BRISBANE 2024

WINNERS ALL ROUND

There was standing room only for Erwan LeCocq’s fascinating talk on automation in turf management

Jacobsen was one of more than 70 companies that featured during the two-day trade exhibition (Wednesday and Thursday), with feedback from a number of companies suggesting that engagement and lead development was one of the best in years.

VALUABLE INSIGHTS Everyone’s experience of conference week is different and the learnings that are taken away can be applied at both a personal and professional level. For Andrew Anderson, who last December took over the reins at the Ranfurlie and Amstel courses in Melbourne’s southeast, it was his first conference as a fullyfledged superintendent. In a post on LinkedIn the following week, he perfectly summed up the sentiments of many around the important role the conference plays for turf managers across all sectors of the industry.

“Last week marked a milestone for me as I had the incredible opportunity to represent Amstel/Ranfurlie at the 2024 ASTMA/GMA conference alongside Benjamin Hartley, my dedicated assistant superintendent,” Anderson wrote. “It was a week filled with insightful

sessions, networking with industry leaders and exploring the latest innovations in turf.

“Weeks like this remind you just how wonderful our industry is – full of friends who are navigating the same daily struggles and sharing their journeys. The thought-provoking seminars provided valuable insights and practical takeaways that we can implement in our work back in Melbourne.

“The conference kicked off with engaging keynote presentations that set the tone for the week. The sessions covered a wide range of topics, from sustainable practices to the latest in turf technology. I thought it was particularly important to attend sessions that addressed the evolving role of a superintendent. With seminars focusing on innovation, leadership, politics and emerging technologies, it’s clear that our roles are becoming more dynamic and require a diverse skill set.

“Networking was another key aspect of the conference. It was fantastic to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones. The conversations we had were enlightening and will undoubtedly foster collaborations and innovations in the future.”

South Lakes Golf Club superintendent Jordan Sherratt kicked off his conference week perfectly when he collected his second Toro Red Jacket. Sherratt carded a rollercoaster 1-under 72 around a superbly presented Royal Queensland Golf Club to claim the 2024 ASTMA Golf Championship stroke title.

The one-time touring pro was unstoppable at the Australian PGA Championship host course, cruising to a five shot victory. In doing so he beat home fellow South Australian superintendent and defending champion Ben Hallam (Tea Tree Gully GC) in what was a reversal of last year’s result at Royal Adelaide.

While it was the South Australians who dominated the stroke, the Western Australian contingent also had a day out. The Cut’s David Cassidy claimed the stableford trophy and anchored the WA team alongside Fraser Brown (Lake Karrinyup CC), Jason Kelly (Royal Fremantle GC) and Nick Kinley (Hartfield CC) to win the state title. Matt Campbell (Numurkah GC) won the nett trophy.

Later that Monday evening, at the National Turf Industry Awards held during the Syngenta Presidents Dinner, the ASTMA handed out seven awards as it celebrated the achievements of Australia’s sports turf management professionals over the past 12 months. The highlight of the evening was bestowing the ASTMA Distinguished Service Award upon NSWGCSA life member Gary Beehag who became the 27th recipient of the award. In winning it, Beehag joined fellow NSW luminaries Peter McMaugh AM, Peter Martin, Rube Walkerden, Vince Church, Reg McLaren, Peter Brown, Frank Dempsey, John Odell and David Warwick.

“When I look back on the past recipients of this award, I can’t help but feel there are others who are probably more deserving, but I am very humbled to accept it and sincerely thank the association,” Beehag noted during his acceptance speech. “The turf industry has been exceptionally good to me. I have been fortunate to travel extensively and one of the things that I have learned from meeting many people, past and present, over many years is that there is always something to learn and that you should never stop learning.”

In this and coming editions of Australian Turfgrass Management Journal we will profile this year’s winners, starting on the following pages with Tom Tristram (ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award), Chris Hay (ASTMA Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award) and the Suncorp Stadium grounds team (ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award).

South Lakes superintendent Jordan Sherratt on his way to collecting his second Toro Red Jacket at the ASTMA Golf Championship held at Royal Queensland

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

ASTMA AWARDS Secret Harbour Golf Links is a coastal public access course located between Rockingham and Mandurah south of Perth

No secret to

Tom’s success

Western Australia’s strong showing in the ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award has continued

I

with Secret Harbour’s Tom Tristram collecting the honour at this year’s National Turf Industry Awards.

t has been a remarkable year for Secret Harbour Golf Links superintendent Tom Tristram. In June, at the 2024 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Brisbane, he was honoured with the ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award, sponsored by Envu. To win the association’s longest-running award at just 30 years of age underscores Tristram’s rapid rise in the industry over the past five years and followed on from his GCSAWA Superintendent of the Year Award at the WA Golf Industry Awards held in March.

Tristram exemplifies what can happen if you set high standards and focus on 34

outcomes. As with many young people, greenkeeping wasn’t even a consideration when he left school. University was never an option either, but a job at a local nursery would instead led to some landscaping work.

It was a role Tristram enjoyed, especially the opportunity to be hands-on and work outdoors, but it was a chance conversation with a friend he played cricket with that would bring about his first foray into the world of turf management.

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At the time, Nick Kinley, course superintendent at Hartfield Country Club in Perth, was looking for a groundsman to join his team. After contacting Kinley by email and giving him his phone number to arrange an interview, Tristram screened his calls as he was unsure whether he wanted to work on a golf course. Although he played cricket, golf was a sport he had little involvement with.

He duly took on the role but informed Kinley that he was likely going to look at joining the Australian Defence Force or Police.

A few months in, Kinley offered Tristram an apprenticeship. Unfortunately it wasn’t an option due to the low wage, but a compromise

The Secret Harbour Golf Links crew have worked tirelessly over the past few years to improve the course. Pictured (from left) are Brody Cooper, Mitchell Clay (assistant superintendent), Tom Tristram (superintendent), Ollie Smith, Tyler Crudeli, Jamie Robertson and Harry Bentley

was reached and Tristram continued being on staff while completing his Certificate III in Sports Turf Management via night school which he did over an 18-month period.

Complementing the solid theoretical foundation from his studies, his time at Hartfield allowed Tristram to gain some solid practical, on-the-job skills. He started working with the course’s irrigation system alongside then assistant Lance Knox (who would go on to win the Excellence Award in 2022). Hartfield was a good place to learn about irrigation, especially maintaining an aging system.

Tristram also learned a lot about assessing and improving irrigation efficiency and was involved in the club completing its Bronze accreditation as part of the Golf Course Waterwise Program.

Tristram’s time at Hartfield was followed by a stint as 3IC at Mount Lawley Golf Club and then assistant at Marangaroo Golf Course for Turf Care WA which had the maintenance contract for the City of Wanneroo’s public courses, including Carramar Golf Course.

While at Mt Lawley, Tristram was involved in setting up a trial on the practice chipping green with two bentgrass varieties (007 and 777) as part of the club’s investigation into a future greens reconstruction program. At Marangaroo, Tristram learned about man

management under superintendent Ryan Whitson and while there won a Hunter Emerging Leader in Irrigation award which afforded him a trip to visit Hunter’s facilities in California.

All those previous roles and experiences – working under different superintendents, managing different grass varieties and working at clubs with different budgets and resources – gave Tristram a good appreciation of the different approaches to golf course management and would ultimately lead to his first superintendent posting. Not hesitant about taking the next step, at just 25 Tristram accepted the top job at Carramar and would hone his management skills there for two years before embarking on his current endeavour.

MOVING SOUTH Secret Harbour Golf Links is a coastal public access course located between Rockingham and Mandurah, south of Perth. Owned by the TenGolf Group, the course was designed by Graham Marsh and opened as a nine-holer in the mid-1990s before being expanded to a full 18-hole layout in 1999. Over the years, the suburb of Secret Harbour has progressively built up around the course, with the layout now weaving its way through a dense residential community. The course’s tall fescue roughs create a strong contrast with the couchgrass fairways (Windsorgreen on the front nine and Wintergreen on the back nine), while the greens surfaces are 1019 bentgrass.

Arriving at Secret Harbour in 2021, Tristram’s development as a superintendent has continued to steadily progress. During his tenure he has consistently strived for excellence and that dedication has seen him achieve great results with a focus on the course’s long-term goals. This has been reflected in the success of the course in recent

times, with playing rounds increasing by 42 per cent from 2021 to 2023 and membership jumping by 33 per cent from 2022 to 2023.

Overall feedback about the course has also improved, with five-star Google reviews increasing 60 per cent from the end of 2022 to the start of 2024.

With a small budget of only $15,000/ hectare of maintained turf, Tristram has shown his dedication to finding innovative approaches to maintaining Secret Harbour’s 54 hectares of turf while consistently being under budget and improving the playing surfaces year after year.

He has been able to see through a number of small but important course improvement projects which have helped to improve turf quality and remedy some challenges that come with managing a course bounded on all sides by housing.

Given WA’s harsh summer climate and the pressures it places on turf, water management has always been a focus for Tristram. Since starting he has overseen some irrigation system enhancements and played a major role in getting approval for a $3 million irrigation upgrade which is about to get underway.

The first step towards modernising the system occurred last October with the installation of a new pump station by Nutrien Water. The existing pump system, which had been in operation since the course first opened, was showing its age, with constant failures, mainline breaks and sprinkler blockages due to an obsolete filter.

Sourcing parts for repairs was becoming difficult which necessiated many out-of-thebox solutions and constant temporary fixes.

Tristram and his team would also have to spend countless nights monitoring and fixing issues in order to apply the required amount of water through their hot, dry and often windy summers.

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ASTMA AWARDS six heads per week. The improved distribution uniformity has lifted the condition of the fairways, while having greater pressure helps combat the strong winds that Secret Harbour can experience, especially overnight.

BOUNDARY BATTLES

Tristram became the ninth WA superintendent to win the ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award

The new pump station is a state-of-the-art design that can irrigate up to an extra 30 litres per second, taking total volume to 120L/s at night. Once the new irrigation system is installed this will shorten the watering window at night from 13 hours to eight while also reducing power consumption. The new system will come out from the pump station at 375mm and into a 150mm mainline, up from the current 80mm. All sprinklers will be valve-inhead. During the pump station upgrade, the team worked manually off one pump for over a five-week period and watered greens with a spray unit. It took a massive team effort for the course to thrive through October without a functioning pump station.

In addition to the pump upgrade, Tristram has also made significant tweaks to the sprinkler set up to remedy pressure issues.

With the original system designed 30 years ago, applying water uniformly to the fairways

and tees on the front nine holes in particular was challenging and verging on impossible.

Many of the sprinkler banks had up to 15 sprinklers and the system did not have the capacity to supply the water needed at the required pressure. Compounding matters, the aquifer from which Secret Harbour draws its irrigation water from has high levels of calcium.

High bicarbonates drop the calcium from the solution, with the resultant scale clogging pipes and blocking sprinkler heads.

To fix these issues, 25 fairway banks were split from 15 sprinklers down to seven to increase pressure at the base of the sprinkler.

As a result, larger nozzles can now be used, while the existing ones have an increased radius. Having greater pressure has also led to less blockages. Prior to splitting the banks, staff were having to unblock on average 70 sprinkler heads each day following overnight irrigation. That has now been reduced to just

Last October, work began on the redesign of Secret Harbour’s par five 3rd hole to remedy balls leaving the property and hitting nearby residences

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As the main image on the previous page shows, Secret Harbour is routed through a dense residential community. House numbers have only increased over its 30 years of operation and as a result boundary and safety issues are a constant challenge for the club.

Last October, work began on the redesign of Secret Harbour’s 3rd hole, a 460m par five. The club was experiencing a dangerous level of errant golf balls striking houses, with up to 50 per week during busy periods. With only 100m boundary to boundary, this called for a creative approach to remedy the issue.

The concept arrived at was to create a lay-up landing zone about 210m off the tee to make players think about their first shot.

Works began with the removal of 2000m3 of the existing profile to make way for the construction of eight new bunkers which complemented the five existing small pot style bunkers (one on the left and four on the right).

The new bunkers would be surrounded by 80mm rough forcing players to opt out of using a driver and laying up (see before and after aerial photos top of next page).

Bulk earthworks were outsourced, with the final trim, bunker shaping and irrigation upgrade completed inhouse (pictured below left). Over 350m of 50mm HD poly pipe was installed along with two new stations, while two older old irrigation stations were split. A 2500m2 area was then hydromulched with fescue, couch and rye to combat the site’s high winds and erosion.

As summer kicked in early this year, the Secret Harbour team was put under a lot of pressure to maintain this new area. Despite that, the outcome of the renovation has been outstanding and not only has it assisted in decreasing the number of balls leaving the property, it has also become a key feature hole of the front nine, significantly adding to the unique character of the course.

As well as the 3rd, issues were also cropping up on holes 10 and 18. With further land sales over the past five years around these two par four holes, safety issues were starting to increase. Not wanting to take away from the golf course and turning them into two par threes, Tristram decided to construct a new white/public tee to the left of the existing tee complexes on both holes. The idea behind this was to force a different shot shape for the hole, pushing the average golfer to the right-hand side of the fairway where no houses are. Both holes also had an alignment pole added to help mitigate errant golf balls.

PHOTO: NEARMAP

With previous construction work contracted out prior to Tristram starting, the decision was made to buy a new Case SR210B skid steer. This allowed the team to complete these tee upgrades inhouse with staff learning all aspects of the job and saving the club money in the process.

The new teeing ground on the 10th was constructed to replicate the existing areas – a couch tee and fescue surrounds.

Over 300m3 of sand was added to create the height needed for the tee complex, with turf harvested on site and irrigation installed all in house. Mature trees were planted alongside the tee box and hill to create a ‘forceable’ shot towards the target line, with the option of taking on the dogleg no longer possible.

The 18th tee was designed differently with a more natural approach. Native shrubs were sourced from a local nursery and railway sleeper steps installed. This will be the approach with any new tee boxes going forward, incorporating more natives to help reduce water use requirements. The site of the new 18th tee box was originally a weedinfested mound but it is now an attractive sight and has also addressed the aforementioned safety issues.

Although not entirely safety-related, another small reconstruction project completed

by Tristram and his team included converting the practice chipping green in front of the clubhouse from couchgrass to bentgrass.

The existing 250m2 green was removed in late 2022, including 300mm of the profile, with a new 450m2 A4 bentgrass built in its place.

A redesign of the green’s irrigation was also completed, while the bunker lip was decreased by a metre to mitigate safety concerns of golf balls flying over the back of the chipper onto the adjacent 9th green.

The 3rd hole before (top) and after (bottom) the redesign works. The addition of a fairway bunker complex and lay-up area about 210m off the tee encourages players to think about their first shot

Next to the bunker, a new grass tee was added which now gives the club the option of hosting demo/fitting days on a turf tee (which it had previously lacked) and added a practice tee box for group lessons to be held on. All these features have seen the profit of the range increase by 35 per cent from 2022 to 2023.

CHANGING PRACTICES Secret Harbour is situated on a sand dune system and the issue of holding on to nutrients or water has been problematic ever since the course was first constructed in the early 1990s. The site’s harsh conditions, including extreme wind, heat waves and poor-quality irrigation water (alkaline soil and water pH that can reach 9, high bicarbonates and elevated salinity), all contribute to a hydrophobic environment that impacts the health and overall quality of turf.

To counter those issues, Tristram has started injecting seaweed extract and humic and fulvic acid through the irrigation system to improve soil conditioning, which is starting to show promising results especially over the summer months. To achieve this, a 1000L tank was modified with an agitation mixer which is able to inject up to 300L each night into the irrigation system. The raw product has been researched and sourced from overseas and imported through a southwest WA wholesaler, with the price playing a huge factor in being able to commit to the program.

Previously only able to treat greens and tees with the liquid form of these products, Tristram is now able to treat all maintained turf areas with great results being achieved. Since regular injecting started, no wetting agents have been used on the fairways or irrigated rough since Christmas 2023. The playing

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ASTMA AWARDS

Additional tees have been recently constructed on holes 10 (pictured) and 18 to alleviate safety issues

STAFF AND INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

Tristram injects seaweed extract and humic and fulvic acid through the irrigation system which has resulted in a big improvement in the quality of the couchgrass fairways and tall fescue roughs

surfaces are holding their colour for longer and overall turf quality has improved, even after the region recorded its driest summer in 35 years.

Elsewhere across his operations Tristram has worked closely with local John Deere dealer AFGRI Equipment to update the machinery fleet. Secret Harbour became the first golf course in WA to purchase a GPSguided ProGator 2030A spray unit. Upgrading from their old 2011 unit has reduced chemical and fertiliser use by up to 40 per cent.

Secret Harbour has also committed to two 2750 Precision e-Cut hybrid greens mowers.

With 880 houses surrounding the course, noise is a huge issue with residents and not only do the new hybrid greens mowers operate more quietly, they also save about 40 per cent in diesel per year on the previous models.

Tristram has managed to upgrade the old fleet where mechanical downtime was a big issue, while still managing his current lease package budget. This led to outsourcing the

servicing to a part-time mechanic once a fortnight, with Tristram and staff taking care of minor mechanical issues that arise which helps the apprentices learn another side to the trade.

WHS compliance has also been a key focus for Tristram. Prior to his arrival, the Secret Harbour maintenance shed had been sold to a local gym and a new shed erected next door. The size had shrunk from the previous shed and it had never been fully completed.

The existing chemical storage area was far from compliant, with two shelving racks tucked away in the corner of the shed.

This led to Tristram signing up with epar, with all staff undertaking training. Risk management strategies are now in place, with daily toolbox meetings and weekly meetings recorded. A new 10-foot chemical container was purchased to become compliant, with all chemicals now outside of the shed. Two hazardous chemical cabinets were also purchased and hold all flammable liquids.

Secret Harbour superintendent Tom Tristram (centre) with representatives from ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award sponsor Envu at this year’s National Turf Industry Awards dinner

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While all the improvements that Tristram has overseen have played a significant role in elevating Secret Harbour, perhaps his biggest achievement has come with the staff. With attraction and retention such a challenging issue for many clubs, Tristram has worked hard to develop the skills of his young crew and ensures they are continually engaged and willing to learn. Tristram’s crew of six currently includes three apprentices and he has enjoyed a 100 per cent retention rate of qualified staff over the last three years.

The golf club plays a huge role in the community given that the suburb over time has grown around the course. Tristram has employed six apprentices during his time, with three currently remaining from the local high school and the most recent finishing her apprenticeship and being employed full-time as a qualified greenkeeper. Tristram regularly engages with local schools, welcoming workplace experience kids for a fortnight at a time who gain hands-on experience working alongside the Secret Harbour crew.

Tristram has also been a proactive member of the GCSAWA, serving on the committee for the past four years. During that time he has helped to organise the association’s popular Trade Challenge golf day which Secret Harbour has hosted for the past three years. He also keeps in close contact with TAFE, hosting ‘walk ‘n’ talk’ days with apprentices and offering up the course for any TAFE requirements. He and his staff are also regular attendees at workshops throughout the year, including chemical refresher courses.

“Tom is an absolute asset to the course,” sums up Secret Harbour general manager Ben Sweeny. “His full-scope mindset has seen the overall consistency and playability of the grounds significantly improve while also focusing on major upgrades and renovations to improve the foundations of the course for years to come.

“Alongside the improvements to the course, the existing team has also flourished under Tom’s leadership. Recognising that the strength of any company lies with its people, Tom has supported and grown a small but highly efficient and motivated team with a workplace culture to match.”

ASTMA AWARDS

Suncorp crew With this year’s turf conference being held in Brisbane, it was fitting that the crew from one of the city’s iconic arenas was bestowed the ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award.

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T

salutes

he grounds team at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane was officially recognised for their efforts over a hectic two-year period at June’s National Turf Industry Awards, collecting the 2024 ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award sponsored by Repco Commercial. In front of an audience of more than 320 at the gala awards dinner held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on the opening night of the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference, Suncorp Stadium grounds

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manager Matthew Oliver accepted the award on behalf of his crew who have helped raise the bar in what has been a career-defining couple of seasons.

Suncorp Stadium is one of Australia’s most recognised arenas, one which has played host to some of the most iconic sporting moments in this country’s history. It entertains multiple national and international sporting competitions and fixtures annually in addition to hosting sell-out concerts. It is home ground for four major tenant clubs including the NRL’s Brisbane Broncos and Redcliffe Dolphins,

One of Australia’s iconic sporting venues, Suncorp Stadium is home ground for four major tenant clubs including the NRL’s Brisbane Broncos and Redcliffe Dolphins, Super Rugby side Queensland Reds and A-League side Brisbane Roar

“We are really proud to do what we do on a weekly basis and we do get a real thrill out of preparing our little patch of grass for four of Australia’s premier sporting clubs, two of those being in the NRL which continues to go from strength to strength. We are in a really good spot at the moment and that is because of the efforts of all the crew here. They go above and beyond for me and the support from them has been unwavering throughout.”

A QUEENSLAND ICON

Super Rugby side Queensland Reds and A-League side Brisbane Roar.

Despite the prominence of the venue and its large number of events, the Suncorp Stadium crew boasts just three full-time crew members – Oliver, senior groundsman Rob Saxby and groundsman Michael Gilman – who are complemented by a dedicated group of match-day and event staff.

Adaptability and resilience are two of the key strengths that the Suncorp Stadium team possess in spades and no more has that been evident than over the past two years. In 2023 alone, they prepared Suncorp for 61 separate events and are already well on track to surpass that number in 2024. All this in addition to a raft of works including full and partial surface replacements, irrigation upgrades and infrastructure improvements.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award,” says Oliver, who has been in charge at Suncorp Stadium since October 2022.

From its original incarnation as Lang Park through to its redevelopment and subsequent renaming, Suncorp Stadium is Queensland’s premier rectangular stadium boasting a long and proud history. It is owned by Stadiums Queensland and managed by ASM Global, providing Brisbane and southeast Queensland with a 52,500-plus seat capacity world-class stadium capable of hosting a range of events, including; l Rugby league – Brisbane Broncos and Redcliffe Dolphins home games in the NRL, NRLW games, annual State of Origin games, international Test matches and the Queensland Rugby League’s Intrust Super Cup Grand Final; l Rugby union – Queensland Reds home games in the Super Rugby competition and international Tests featuring the Wallabies; l Soccer – Brisbane Roar A-League home games and local and international matches including 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches featuring the Matildas and World Cup qualifying games featuring both the Socceroos and Matildas; l Concerts – over the past two years Suncorp has hosted the likes of major international artists Guns ‘N’ Roses, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ed Sheeran (three shows), Paul McCartney, Motley Crue/Def Leppard, Foo Fighters and P!nk (three shows); l Boxing and extreme sports (including Nitro Circus and Nitro World Games BMX, FMX, scooter and skateboarding).

Originally from Melbourne, Oliver took over the turf management reins at Suncorp Stadium ahead of the 2022/2023 A-League season after long-serving grounds manager Mal Caddies took up a new role with the Kai Tak Sports Park precinct development in Hong Kong. Prior to moving to Suncorp, Oliver was ground manager at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre (QSAC) for four years.

His turf management career spans more than two decades and began in Melbourne

Suncorp Stadium grounds manager Matthew Oliver (right) with Gary Downs from award sponsor Repco Commercial at the National Turf Industry Awards

where he completed an apprenticeship at PGA Links Sandhurst. That was followed by stints at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Grammar School and Carlton Football Club (Princes Park). For seven months between 2016 and 2017 he was also seconded as a project operations manager to oversee the grow-in and establishment of the new playing surface at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

As Oliver’s right-hand men, both Saxby and Gilman take great pride in their work and were extremely supportive of Oliver during the transitional period after Caddies’ departure.

Over the near two years since, the trio have developed a strong working bond and the strength of that relationship can be seen in the exemplary surfaces they continue to produce week in, week out.

Saxby has been part of the grounds team at Suncorp for 16 years and Stadiums Queensland for 24 years in total, having also spent eight years previously at QSAC. Saxby is a superb groundsman with a wealth of knowledge and expertise carved out over a long period. His career highlight to date was being involved in the 2021 NRL Grand Final which Suncorp hosted after it was moved outside of NSW due to COVID restrictions.

Gilman, who was recently elected vicepresident of STA Queensland, has been at Suncorp for four years and is an extremely passionate soccer fan who revelled in the chance of preparing the surface for last year’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In addition to the full-time crew, Oliver is fortunate to be able to call upon a pool of experienced casual staff who assist on match and event days. These include Shane Biddle, Ben Engels, Adrian Onvlee, Tim Pfingst, Manuel Halicos and John Wolfenden.

Although casuals, a number of them are experienced turf managers in their own right.

Biddle is the long-serving turf manager at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, while Engels (turf manager) and Pfingst (groundsman) are stationed at Queensland Rugby Union’s Ballymore ground. Onvlee is a greenkeeper at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls JULY-AUGUST 2024

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ASTMA AWARDS

l

Pictured left is the Suncorp Stadium full-time crew of Rob Saxby, Michael Gilman and Matthew Oliver. Pictured right, Oliver has a pool of experienced casual staff who assist on match and event days including Shane Biddle, Ben Engels, Adrian Onvlee, Tim Pfingst, Manuel Halicos and John Wolfenden

School and current STA Queensland treasurer, while Wolfenden is a groundsman at QSAC. Event days are where the Suncorp Stadium grounds team shine, with this core group having worked match days at Suncorp for a number of years now. They have become a well-drilled unit when it comes to the differing match day requirements of each code and have their pre-game set up and post-match recovery processes and practices down to a fine art.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE By nature of the venue they maintain, having a commitment to excellence is central to the role of the Suncorp Stadium grounds team. Having major tenant clubs such as the NRL’s Broncos and Dolphins, the Queensland Reds Super Rugby side and the Brisbane Roar A-League side, these professional multimillion dollar franchises, which boast some of the highest paid players in their respective codes, demand exemplary and, most importantly, safe playing conditions. This was especially the case during last July’s FIFA Women’s World Cup where the crew had to present the ground to the exacting requirements set by FIFA. The objective of the Suncorp Stadium grounds team is similar to that of any professional sports turf management outfit maintaining elite-level sports turf – provide the best possible playing surface for all end users of the ground, regardless of event stature.

Due to the high number and different types of events the stadium hosts, Oliver and his team do a lot of things that go against most conventional turf management manuals. That is simply the reality of being a multipurpose venue, but it is up to them to produce the best surface they can in the circumstances and with the resources they have.

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The past two years in particular have seen a large amount of work undertaken to the Suncorp playing surface in addition to hosting a high volume of sporting fixtures and concerts. It has arguably been one of the busiest periods in the stadium’s history. As noted earlier, in 2023 the stadium hosted 61 separate events, including eight matches as part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which was a significant jump from previous years.

The increase in fixtures was attributed to the Brisbane Roar upping their A-League home games from three to 12, as well as eight additional rugby league fixtures with the Redcliffe-based Dolphins franchise entering the NRL competition. Also, the Queensland Government announced in 2023 it was increasing Suncorp’s quota of concerts annually, up from 10 to 12.

Since May 2023, Suncorp Stadium has had SISGrass synthetic fibres stitched into the playing surface to help maintain its integrity and reduce damage

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

In 2023, Suncorp hosted 28 rugby league games (NRL, State of Origin, state rep matches, Q Cup and Confraternity Cup), 10 soccer games (A-League men and women, Football Queensland finals), eight FIFA Women’s World Cup matches, eight concerts and seven Super Rugby and Women’s Super Rugby games. What makes this tally even more impressive is that there was a fourweek gap between late-June and late-July leading up to the World Cup matches where FIFA’s mandated ‘Pitch Protection Period’ was enforced, meaning the venue could not be used. That effectively meant the 61 events were held across a 48-week period, with a number of doubleheader and tripleheader weekends, not to mention the lengthy bumpin and bump-out of eight concerts, preparing the ground beforehand and then turning the ground back around post-concert.

2024 is tracking along similar lines and between January and the end of August the ground had already hosted 42 events, ranging from NRL (including Magic Round and the series-deciding State of Origin III game), Super Rugby, Rugby Championship, A-League and three concerts. During that time the Suncorp team also replaced 5658m2 of turf, ‘stitched’ 7140m2 of the playing surface with SISGrass (more on that below) and oversowed the surface with more than 4500kg of ryegrass.

Perhaps the biggest event over the past couple of years (and arguably the venue’s history) came last July and August when it was one of the primary venues for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the first time the tournament had been held in Australasia.

Suncorp, or Brisbane Stadium as it was known for the duration of the tournament, was one of six Australian match-day venues along with four in New Zealand. Of all Australian venues

Suncorp had the honour of hosting the most games – a total of eight which included five Group games, a Round of 16 match, a Quarter Final and the 3 v 4 Playoff.

Ahead of the World Cup, Oliver and his team first had to navigate the playing surface through a steady stream of concerts, rugby league, rugby union and soccer fixtures as well contend with a planned full surface replacement. Following three Ed Sheeran concerts in mid-February which attracted in excess of 173,000 fans, the entire Legend couchgrass surface was replaced, with the last maxi roll of turf laid by Twin View Turf on 1 March, just four days out from the opening round of the 2023 NRL season. No sooner had the surface been laid, FIFA came in to carry out an inspection before the new Dolphins franchise played their inaugural NRL match against the Sydney Roosters.

From that point onwards, the ground was on weekly rotation. Across the 16-week period from 5 March to 25 June it hosted 33 fixtures across three codes, including the NRL’s Magic Round and State of Origin. After Magic Round, the crew re-turfed about 300m2 in high wear areas. A rugby league doubleheader on 25 June would be the last matches played before the ground entered the mandatory exclusivity period in the lead-up to the World Cup. The heavy schedule during that period was in part due to the World Cup. With the venue out of action for two months (26 June to 19 August), the Broncos had to schedule seven of their home games in the first 11 weeks of the NRL season. The new Dolphins franchise also played a number of its home games there, including the inaugural derby with the Broncos.

That placed additional pressure on the surface, which wasn’t helped by a particularly wet and humid stretch of weather.

IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES

For the World Cup, the Suncorp Stadium crew had to adhere to FIFA’s exacting requirements which detailed everything regarding ground presentation, even down to the equipment used and width of the mowing stripes

Suncorp’s World Cup campaign kicked off on 22 July with just under 45,000 filling the stands to see world No.4 ranked England defeat Haiti 1-0. It hosted a further four group matches, including the Matilda’s Group clash with Nigeria and Brazil’s match up with France, both games attracting crowds in excess of 49,000. It then hosted the England v Nigeria Round of 16, which England won on penalties, and the Matildas’ quarter final against France which the home side won after a dramatic penalty shootout. Its last game was the 3 v 4 playoff between the Matildas and Sweden which attracted a crowd of just under 50,000.

Across the eight World Cup fixtures nearly 350,000 fans attended Suncorp.

To ensure that the Suncorp Stadium surface continues to provide an exemplary stage for elite-level sport and major events, the grounds team, in conjunction with stadium management, have made some significant infrastructure improvements over the past two years to aid its performance and integrity. This has been necessary due to the increase in content which has placed further pressure on the field.

To assist with turf recovery, the stadium has invested in additional lighting rigs to light high wear areas instead of just the heavily shaded areas. The stadium now has a total of six of the large SGL360 rigs and a smaller rig specifically for deployment in goal areas. Three units were recently acquired second-hand from AAMI Park in Melbourne.

Heading into the Women’s World Cup, last May the Suncorp surface was ‘stitched’ with SISGrass fibres by HG Turf as part of FIFA’s requirement that all venues hosting a World Cup event have a form of hybrid pitch.

Originally scheduled to be the last of the World Cup venues to be stitched, Oliver requested to have the date moved forward so that the fibres would be in the ground ahead of the 21 June State of Origin clash. HG Turf were able to reshuffle their schedule and over a nine-day period starting from 29 May their team completed a ‘tournament stitch’ (where fibres are inserted to a depth of 90mm) of the 7700m2 soccer pitch area.

The Suncorp team wanted the stitching in earlier so as to have the most stable surface for State of Origin. The team certainly noticed a difference with the SISGrass installed – the field felt more consistent walking across it, while there was a significant reduction in debris that had to be removed after the game.

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ASTMA AWARDS

Suncorp Stadium hosted eight matches during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the most of any Australian venue

After an NRL or Super Rugby fixture, the Suncorp team would normally remove between 1.5-2 cubic metres of debris. After the SISGrass fibres went in they only pulled about a quarter of a cubic metre off due to the surface holding together much better.

Following the Foo Fighters concert last December, the Suncorp surface was again completely replaced and in early January 2024 the majority of the soccer pitch (6250m2) was re-stitched with SISGrass in preparation for the NRL and Super Rugby seasons. The northern 1150m2 of the soccer pitch was also re-stitched after a third P!nk concert in March due to concert turf replacement. Both stitchings were again to a depth of 90mm and in 20mm square spacings.

The Suncorp surface currently has around five tonnes of synthetic fibres in the surface and the assistance it provides in maintaining a stable surface has been significant. As an example, over the three nights of Magic Round 2023 (prior to the surfacing being stitched), the Suncorp team removed 21 cubic metres of debris off the surface, whereas for this year’s Magic Round they only removed six.

In addition to the incorporation of synthetic fibres, at the conclusion of the 2023 NRL season a new state-of-the-art irrigation system was installed. The new system is a Rain Bird IQ4 with IVM controller and individual head control on the 8005 Series sprinkler heads. A new 75mm ring main was installed, along with 40mm pipe to every sprinkler. All sprinkler lines were mole-ploughed in. The new system gives the Suncorp team the ability to better control 44

irrigation inputs, use water more efficiently and report on real-time water usage set against the stadium’s forecasted evapotranspiration rates.

At the same time as the irrigation was being installed, the Suncorp team took the opportunity to expand the artificial turf perimeter on three sides of the field of play to 3.6 metres in width to give them greater flexibility accessing the arena. Previously, the western perimeter was 3m wide and the northern and southern strips just 2m. The eastern perimeter will also be extended after the 2024 NRL season.

As well as the infrastructure improvements, from a turf management perspective, the Suncorp grounds team have adopted a much stronger nutritional program using mainly Floratine products to ensure the playing surface is in healthy condition and can recover from the heavy use it receives. They have also instituted a monthly preventative fungicide program which is critical in Brisbane’s moist and humid climate.

COMMUNICATION, ENGAGEMENT AND PROMOTION Communication and engagement with stakeholders was never more important and evident than during last year’s Women’s World Cup. Having earlier in his career worked at the U20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea, Oliver knew the demands that the tournament would put upon him and his crew.

He was able to prepare them for what was to come, in particular the level of testing and precision which FIFA demands.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

The Suncorp team had to adhere to FIFA’s dedicated 25-page Pitch Preparation Guide which fastidiously details everything from the width the stripes on the field need to be cut, cutting heights, mowing equipment used, irrigation regimes, fertilising, the use of artificial growth lights, surface testing parameters and line marking to name just a few. Due to these exacting requirements the Suncorp team were in constant contact with FIFA’s pitch management chief Alan Ferguson as well as FIFA’s official surface testing company LaboSport (represented by Keith McAuliffe).

The surface was tested multiple times ahead of the tournament, with key parameters measured including traction, surface hardness, surface moisture content, ball roll and ball rebound height. On all occasions the Suncorp Stadium surface was well within FIFA’s recommended ranges, with daily testing undertaken during the tournament to make sure they stayed within them.

Given the stadium’s high profile, the Suncorp team takes very seriously its role in sharing expertise and knowledge with their fellow turf industry colleagues. An example of this was in early May 2024 when, in conjunction with Nuturf, the Suncorp grounds team extended an invitation to 13 members of the sports turf management crew from Ipswich Council to visit the stadium and gain an insight into its management.

During the behind-the-scenes tour, the Suncorp team shared the meticulous process behind event and game preparation, covering everything from mowing to line-marking,

seeding and fertilising. Oliver delved into the intricate logistics of managing Suncorp Stadium’s turf, including surface replacements post-concerts and the transition between the different sporting codes they host.

Posting on LinkedIn after the tour, Nuturf’s Matthew Kinnear, who had helped to organise it, commented: “A heartfelt thank you to Matt for his ongoing generosity in sharing his expertise and time with the turf industry. The team at Ipswich Council had a fantastic time learning from Matt and it’s through professionals like him that our industry continues to thrive.”

That willingness to lend a hand was also on display during the current NRL season when Oliver travelled to Bundaberg to help with preparations at regional venue Salter Oval for its Round 24 match between the Dolphins and Bulldogs.

Above all, however, Oliver’s focus is always to put the spotlight back on his team. At the conclusion of major events or significant work projects, both Oliver and the Suncorp Stadium management place regular posts through their social media channels highlighting the team’s efforts and achievements. A key theme within these posts is the appreciation of the team’s efforts and how they have contributed to the success of the event/works that have been undertaken.

Oliver regularly highlights the work of his team on social media and is always sure to thank them for their efforts

In addition to that, the Suncorp Stadium team are often featured in local Brisbane/ Queensland media. In the lead-up to this year’s NRL Magic Round, the crew featured in a photo shoot which appeared in the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper. Oliver also readily makes himself available for media interviews, whether on radio, television or for industry podcasts in the lead-up to major events (e.g.: Magic Round and Women’s World Cup) where he discusses the management of the stadium surface. As part of these interviews he is always quick to single out his team and their efforts in helping deliver a top notch product.

“Matthew and the Suncorp Stadium grounds team consistently produce a worldclass surface ensuring elite performance across a variety of codes while also hosting concerts,” sums up stadium general manager Alan Graham. “They are an essential part of promoting this iconic stadium to the world and maintaining its reputation as a world-class venue. Suncorp Stadium is incredibly proud and congratulates Matthew and his team on receiving the ASTMA Team of the Year Award for their excellent commitment and tireless hard work. It is a fitting acclamation of their contribution and dedication to the industry.”

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ASTMA AWARDS

Elwick punt pays

dividends for Hay Ladbrokes Park Elwick track and facilities manager Chris Hay became the second Tasmanian in four years to receive the ASTMA Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award at the recent national

T

he irony of it all certainly wasn’t lost on Chris Hay. Having just accepted the ASTMA’s Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award, sponsored

by Toro, at the National Turf Industry Awards in June, the industry veteran took to the stage and proceeded to give an acceptance speech that would go down as one of the highlights of the night.

Those who know Hay will concur that he is definitely from turf management’s old school with a sense of humour to boot. He has carved a wide-reaching career over the best part of nearly 40 years, the majority of that in his home state of Tasmania but also with a handful of stints in Queensland. Whether it has been as a golf course superintendent, working in local government managing multiple grounds or operating a successful turf renovation business servicing most of the Apple Isle, Hay’s commitment to the industry over that time has been unquestionable. However, it would be in his current role, as track and facilities manager at Ladbrokes Park Elwick, where he would ultimately be recognised for his skills and high standards.

Three years ago Hay answered a call for help from Tasracing after what had been a tumultuous period for the state racing body.

Despite having just spent millions on the redevelopment of Elwick, race meetings were being called off due to an unsafe track. Such was the dire state, the Tasmanian Government commissioned an enquiry, with Hay charged to implement the report’s recommendations and ultimately take over as track manager.

As Hay quipped during his award acceptance speech in Brisbane on the eve 46

of the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference, never in a million years did he think that his turf career would end up at a racecourse. Admittedly, he loved a punt – he joked that his wages are debited straight into his online TAB account – but he also knew his expertise could help bring about the muchneeded change that Tasracing was after.

Together with his team, along with some hard work and dedication, Hay has been able to literally get Elwick back on the right track.

It has subsequently regained its prominent status, with the quality, consistency and resilience of the surface regularly receiving compliments from trainers and jockeys right across Australia.

In winning the ASTMA Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award, Hay became the second recipient in its short four-year history to hail from Tasmania after Blundstone Arena head curator Marcus Pamplin received the award in 2022. Hay also made it back-to-back Excellence Award wins for the state after Craig Walker from Devonport Country Club won the golf equivalent at the 2023 conference in Adelaide.

“I’m a little bit humbled to be fair,” Hay noted upon accepting the award in Brisbane.

“I have been in the game for 40 years and you don’t go to work to win awards. You look to improve your patch of turf every day and make the job for the people that work with you as enjoyable as possible so they can progress their careers.

“Looking back across my career, I never thought I’d end up at a racetrack but I am glad I did. Tasracing has been through a lot of change in recent times and I’m very grateful to CEO Andrew Jenkins and track facilities

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

PHOTO: TASRACING

awards in Brisbane.

manager Bryan Dunn who is not only a great turf manager in his own right, but a really good friend. To all the turfies out there, you do a magnificent job. It’s a tough gig some days.

Give your staff a big pat on the back and keep supporting them in their endeavours.”

TASSIE TURFIE Hay has pretty much experienced all sectors of the sports turf industry across his career.

His journey began in 1987 as greenkeeper/ superintendent at the New Norfolk Golf Club, a small nine-hole course that resides about 40 minutes upstream of Hobart on the River Derwent. It was there that he discovered his passion for sports turf management and over the next 19 years he would continue to hone his craft with tenures at several golf courses, including stints at South Mole Island Resort and the Capricorn International Resort in Queensland.

Returning to Tasmania in 1995, Hay took over the role of superintendent at Kingston Beach Golf Club just south of Hobart before branching out on his own in 2006 as owner and operator of Coretaz, a turf renovation and maintenance business that serviced a plethora of local clubs and turf facilities.

Ladbrokes Park Elwick has been a mainstay of the Tasmanian racing industry since the late 19th Century. It is home to the Hobart Cup which is raced every February

Following the success of Coretaz, in 2010 Hay started a position as turf coordinator for Kingborough Council. In this role Hay was able to foster a collaborative and educational environment for all staff derived from his years of turf management experience. One of his key responsibilities was to undertake the training, coaching and mentoring of all staff.

After eight years with Kingborough, Hay ventured north and began working at U-TAS Stadium for the Launceston City Council. He then had another stint in Queensland, this time as a team leader at the Riverway Precinct for the Townsville City Council. Again, Hay was crucial in the preparation and maintenance of an oval hosting AFL games. Once returning to Tasmania he then had short tenures with Programmed Property Services as curator and the City of Hobart as a turf maintenance tradesperson.

With a wealth of industry experience and roles under his belt, in late December 2020 Hay was seconded by Tasracing for a specialist turf position. The organisation was desperate to restructure its existing turf management practices and remedy some of the strong criticism from within the racing community. Hay accepted the challenge and

began his new role in January 2021, helping to set about turning the fortunes of Tasmania’s premier racetrack – Ladbrokes Park Elwick.

HIRED GUN Located in Glenorchy just north of Hobart, the Elwick racecourse has a long and proud history. Race meetings have been held on the site next to the River Derwent since the late 19th Century. It is home of the prized Group 3 Hobart Cup, which was first run in 1875 and is now raced over 2400 metres every February.

In 2004, Elwick underwent a major $20 million redevelopment which saw the construction of a new 970m harness track and 700m greyhound track. With the existing 1990m thoroughbred track, the facility became a ‘tri-code’ racing venue. Fast forward 15 years and in February 2019, following that years’ Hobart Cup, Tasracing began a $12.5m redevelopment of the thoroughbred track in conjunction with StrathAyr. In the preceding years, Tasracing had battled countless issues with the turf track, regularly leading to abandoned race meetings and/or an unsafe/unfair racing surface. With stakeholders and participants losing faith in Tasracing’s turf management practices, the

upgrades were intended to resolve the issues and ensure the long-term future of racing in southern Tasmania. StrathAyr, whose grass tracks are highly regarded for their all-weather and high use capabilities, were contracted to construct the new 28m-wide track and provide a new first-class surface.

Tasracing assumed responsibility for Elwick’s maintenance upon practical completion in December 2019, with racing returning in February 2020 for the Summer Carnival and Hobart Cup. After a short return, in April 2020 racing in Tasmania ceased for several months due to COVID before returning in late June. As the only state in Australia where the racing industry came to a standstill, a smooth transition back into racing was crucial for Tasracing to re-establish its foothold in the community and with participants.

Unfortunately, that would fail to transpire.

Numerous turf management issues with the new StrathAyr track led to several race meetings being cancelled in the latter half of the year. Tensions piqued on 27 December following the late cancellation of the Tasmanian Guineas due to unsafe sections of the track which had been inadequately repaired. The abandonment made the headlines across JULY-AUGUST 2024

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ASTMA AWARDS Following subsequent repairs undertaken

by Hay, in conjunction with recommendations from StrathAyr, Synan and O’Keeffe, racing was deemed safe to return shortly afterwards with the track even receiving praise from jockeys and trainers.

A few weeks later, on 1 March 2021, the ‘Monteith Report’ was released which was highly critical of the existing turf management strategies Tasracing had in place. In his key findings and recommendations, which extended to nearly four pages of the 25-page report, Monteith outlined numerous new strategies that Tasracing needed to incorporate into their turf management objectives and outcomes. Among these included that… l Tasracing review the effectiveness of its current track management structure, including key competencies and performance of managers reporting through to the CEO. l A specific/tailored maintenance and management plan for Elwick is critical to overall success of the racing surface. l Elwick, as a juvenile track, needs to be carefully managed. Overall good plant and root health is paramount in producing a suitable surface for racing. Without either of those the track will underperform. l Tasracing needs to produce annual Track Management Plans (TMPs) for both Elwick and Mowbray. The integrated plans should include race meetings, rail movements, planned official trials, work to be undertaken between race meetings and an annual shutdown of six weeks to allow for major renovation works. l Thatch management is necessary to ensure a healthy organic layer is kept open and does not form a dense mat that impedes water and nutrient movement into the profile. Regular coring and slicing will be required to break and keep the thatch layer open/not compacted. This is to be undertaken as the racing schedule permits. l The conduct of feature race meetings at Elwick in late January and early February proved that with good maintenance practices, even after the concerns from the 27 December 2020 meeting, the track can race well.

Tasracing welcomed the findings and recommendations, with Hay playing an integral role in the strategic implementation of these. On the back of helping to turn the track around, in July 2021, just a few months following the release of the Monteith Report, Hay was promoted to the role of track and facilities manager at Elwick. In that role Hay is responsible for the preparation and

Elwick’s Chris Hay (centre) celebrates his ASTMA Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award with Tasracing colleagues Bryan Dunn (senior track and facilities manager, left) and Dave Manshanden (COO, right)

“On Monday 28 December, Tasracing flew in StrathAyr’s senior track construction and repair expert from Victoria to inspect the problem areas and implement remediation works. StrathAyr also assigned local staff to assist with this work and Tasracing brought additional staff from Mowbray.

“Prior to Christmas, Tasracing appointed a dedicated turf specialist, Chris Hay, who started with Tasracing on 4 January. Chris’s sole focus will be the turf track maintenance. Chris is a highly respected turf specialist and is sought after in Tasmania and interstate.

“In addition, StrathAyr staff will be in attendance over the next few weeks to assist Chris in managing the turf surface and modifying the maintenance program to provide the best possible outcomes moving forward.

Further, Tasracing has been in discussions with Moonee Valley track manager, Martin Synan, for some time. Martin and his counterpart from Flemington, Liam O’Keeffe, visited the track on 5-6 January.”

PHOTO: TASRACING

the industry and resulted in the meet being transferred to Launceston.

That, combined with other issues being experienced at the Mowbray track in Launceston, led the Tasmanian Government to commission an external review into the adequacy of Tasmanian thoroughbred racing track conditions, safety, standards, maintenance and inspections. Dale Monteith, a former chief executive of both the Victoria Racing Club and Melbourne Racing Club, and who at the time was chief executive of Harness Racing Victoria, was charged with undertaking the sweeping review.

To say that Hay was literally thrown in the deep end would be an understatement.

He joined Tasracing as a turf specialist in the first week of January 2021, just days after the significant negative press that the Elwick track had copped. On Thursday 7 January, Tasracing released a statement, outlining their objectives and outcomes to get their turf management strategies back on track.

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

In February 2019, following that year’s Hobart Cup, Tasracing began a $12.5m redevelopment of the Elwick track in conjunction with StrathAyr

management of all three tracks (thoroughbred, harness and greyhound). Combined, Elwick is an immensely busy facility and between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, Elwick’s tracks catered for 131 meets across all three codes, including 24 thoroughbred race days.

Hay works around a frantic racing calendar to implement the Track Management Plan that he was integral in creating in the wake of the Monteith Report. The once-juvenile track has now matured nicely and under Hay’s care continues to offer a premium product. Hay and his team conduct thorough track renovations in February and August of each year and also follow a demanding maintenance schedule developed by Hay throughout the remainder of the year to ensure all the report’s recommendations are met.

“Over the past two-and-a-half years I have worked closely with Chris and from a turf management perspective his work is simply outstanding,” states Tasracing’s chief executive Andrew Jenkins. “Since commencing with Tasracing and taking responsibility for the management of the Elwick turf track, Chris’s experience, skill and knowledge has resulted in Tasracing now being able to present one of the best turf racing surfaces anywhere in the world week in, week out. The quality, consistency and resilience of the Elwick turf track regularly prompts compliments from local and visiting trainers and riders. As CEO, it is a pleasure to welcome guests and participants to racing at Elwick and have complete confidence in the racing surface.”

Adds Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe: “Chris has made an immediate impact on the racing industry by preparing first class racing surfaces throughout the year.

When Chris commenced in the role at Elwick, the Hobart track was in its infancy and had

Following a series of race abandonments at Elwick, the Tasmanian Government commissioned the Monteith Report to investigate issues with the state of Tasmanian tracks and turf management practices

some issues on race day. Chris has nurtured the track along over the past few years and it’s racing in outstanding condition. It has been a pleasure to get to know Chris personally and professionally and witness him making an immediate impact on the racing industry.”

PROJECT AND STAFF FOCUS In addition to his immediate remit of improving the integrity of the Elwick track and setting in place more effective turf management practices, Hay has also overseen numerous projects, works and events during his time with Tasracing. Hay handles all racing events,

including major calendar meets like the Hobart Cup, as well as project work that highlight the diverse skillset he has brought to the organisation.

Hay has overseen many irrigation installation and maintenance projects at several Tasracing facilities including Elwick, the Brighton Training Centre just north of Hobart and Longford Racecourse south of Launceston. Tasracing has invested significantly into industry-leading irrigation systems at all facilities to ensure stakeholders are satisfied with track quality. Following these upgrades, Hay subsequently oversaw the development and implementation of more thorough procedures for irrigation and fertilising/chemical strategies across Tasracing’s facilities.

Another project Hay managed was the reconstruction of the Elwick mounting yard.

Aside from the track itself, the mounting yard is arguably the area of the grounds that receives the most attention from the racing community, with horses parading around the area before and after each race. The former mounting yard was completely deconstructed and replaced by a modern and functional facility.

As well as his focus on a number of infrastructure projects, Hay has worked hard to develop an excellent rapport with his staff, not only through his hard work and dedication to the role but through being approachable as a manager. Hay conducts start-up meetings every morning to discuss the approach for the day and to answer any questions or concerns from his team. Throughout the day he regularly checks in on his team members to ensure they have everything they require and to ensure they’re able to do their jobs in an effective and efficient manner. Once a month, a period of the day is scheduled for Hay to conduct a ‘toolbox

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49

PHOTO: TASRACING

ASTMA AWARDS

“I have been in the game for 40 years and you don’t go to work to win awards. You look to improve your patch of turf every day and make the job for the people that work with you as enjoyable as possible.” – Chris Hay

Since starting at Elwick, Hay has instituted the many recommendations made in the Monteith Report, leading to the surface again being widely praised by trainers and jockeys

In addition to his crew and management, another key part of Hay’s role is dealing with a variety of stakeholders and end users. As a tricode racing venue, Hay is in constant contact with the Tasmanian Racing Club, Tasmanian Trotting Club and Hobart Greyhound Racing Club, along with trainers and jockeys, the Office of Racing Integrity, racing media and the general public. Notes Jenkins again: “Chris consistently demonstrates an ability and willingness to engage with and manage a diverse range of industry stakeholders. Aside from his turf management expertise, he is held in high regard by all participants due to his effective communication style.”

Hay’s expertise has also been called upon overseas. Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand recently returned to racing following a $55m upgrade to a StrathAyr track.

StrathAyr engaged Hay to give professional guidance to other facilities using their product and he was more than happy to share his experiences and help Ellerslie through a similar transition to that of Elwick.

Tasracing regularly organises seminars and tours of elite facilities, with Hay attending

PHOTO: TASRACING

meeting’ and ‘team huddle’, where a WHS inspection checklist for the Elwick venue is completed. Hay also oversees the recruitment process for his track team and has helped to build a more diverse team.

As a testament to his staff focus, in an Employee Opinion Survey conducted by Tasracing in November 2023, Hay was one of only four managers who achieved a staff ‘engagement’ score of over 80 per cent and an astounding 100 per cent ‘management’ score from his nine employees that participated.

That engagement also flows up to management level, where Hay deals directly with the Tasracing Board, executive team and senior leadership team. Hay prepares regular reports for management on the Elwick tracks and often assists upper management by providing advice for other tracks that fall under the Tasracing banner. Notes Bryan Dunn, Tasracing’s senior track and facilities manager: “Chris is excellent at communicating with all levels of management and is highly respected from the Board level down due to his excellent ability of being able to explain things in the simplest of ways.”

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these to ensure he remains up to date with the most modern track and turf management practices. These have included racecourse manager educational tours of Hong Kong racing facilities Sha Tin and Happy Valley, numerous Tasmanian and national sports turf conferences and field days as well as study tours to tracks in Queensland and Victoria.

With a background working in local government, Hay arrived at Tasracing well versed in workplace health and safety legislation, HR practices and best practice systems. Tasracing also provides in-house training opportunities for its managers to ensure they are best prepared.

With machinery operation around sports turf facilities often providing the biggest risk, Hay has implemented machinery maintenance programs and proper servicing schedules.

He’s been able to develop up to date knowledge on all machinery requirements through developing exceptional relationships with Tasracing’s equipment and machinery suppliers. He has implemented and continued to develop numerous initiatives for workplace health and safety including many standard operating procedures, pre-start checklists and inductions.

Hay also has a passion for upskilling his team members on array of equipment and machinery and teaches his staff best practices himself or actively facilitates external training courses as required. Several staff members in recent times have completed external training courses in areas such as chemical handling, chainsaw certification, HR licensing and forklift licensing, with his team now boasting a diverse skillset which aids in them being able to deliver exceptional results across all areas of the Elwick operation.

Hay’s experience, skill and knowledge has resulted in Elwick now being able to present one of the best turf racing surfaces in the country across its 24 meets each year

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ENVIRONMENT

PHOTO: MONINA GILBEY

Planting indigenous species is beneficial to sports turf managers because they are well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions

Sustainability

insights Kate Torgersen looks at some of the key points to come from the sustainability roadblocks session held during the Brisbane conference.

A

t the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition in Brisbane in June, Monina Gilbey and I had the opportunity to present a session which explored the roadblocks that sports turf managers are facing in their efforts to becoming more sustainable.

The session, held on the Thursday of the conference, was well attended and we sincerely appreciate all those who took the time to participate in our discussion on sustainability within the industry. Our interactive presentation aimed to gain feedback directly from sports turf managers and attendees about their challenges with sustainability at their facility. We were pleased to see such a positive response from the audience and in this article we have summarised the results and hope to share some valuable insights.

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Our audience consisted of a diverse group, with about 60 per cent being course superintendents/managers, 23 per cent greenkeepers/horticulturists/field workers, six per cent apprentices, three per cent general managers and eight per cent ‘others’. It was encouraging to see that the majority of attendees were superintendents, as sustainability should be a priority for all facilities in today’s industry.

To get the session underway, we asked the audience what three words came to mind when they heard the term ‘environmental sustainability’? Wow, did the screen light up!

There were so many words submitted to our ‘word cloud’. Seventy-one people responded offering over 50 different words, with the top five being ‘water management’, ‘fauna/flora/ wildlife’, ‘futureproofing’, ‘endemic/native’ and ‘biodiversity’.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING One of the key metrics we wanted to find out more was whether facilities had dedicated vegetation staff. We were not surprised with the high number of ‘no’ responses. However, an increasing number of clubs are actively seeking individuals for this specialised role.

Unfortunately, it is a niche position and finding the right candidate can prove challenging.

This raises the question – is a specialised person necessary for this role or could current staff be trained to handle it as part of their duties? Involving staff in vegetation projects can provide them with valuable education and demonstrate that greenkeeping encompasses more than just maintaining playing surfaces.

Taking an holistic approach to course maintenance and vegetation management can also benefit career progression.

Furthermore, having employees with a genuine interest in vegetation management and providing relevant training will ensure proper care for the plants while considering golfers’ needs. Encouraging staff input and implementing new techniques, like the use of pre-emergents or controlled burns, can enhance skills and confidence in their role.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS The answers provided to our next question were very encouraging to see. We asked the audience whether they had any ongoing biodiversity and sustainability projects at their facility? From the 76 respondents, well over half indicated that they did. This was a fantastic

result to see, however, when it comes time to have another joint ASTMA-GMA conference we would like to see 100 per cent of the audience undertaking a sustainability project – are you up to the challenge?

Following on from that, we then asked the audience what sustainability projects they would like to do? This question generated a very colourful word cloud with lots of great ideas and projects. In a very encouraging sign of things to come, there was a wide range of projects that staff were hoping to undertake, with the most common project being the planting and encouragement of native flora and fauna. Habitat creation was the secondhighest ranking project. There were also a number of facilities wanting to introduce bees to their course, encourage pollinators and clean up their waterways.

IMPORTANCE OF NATIVE PLANTS We all know that planting native species is good, but do you know why? Does your club Board, committee and members know why?

Planting indigenous species is beneficial to sports turf managers because these plants are well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, requiring less water, less fertilisers, less pesticides and no soil modification. This reduces maintenance costs and environmental impacts while promoting biodiversity.

Indigenous species also enhance the resilience of the turf, making it more resistant to local pests and diseases. Additionally, they support local wildlife, contributing to a healthier ecosystem around sports facilities.

Did you also know that some of our native pollinators have co-evolved with local flora?

Some flowers have deep flower tubes or narrow entry points that only certain pollinators can access. This specialisation means that pollination is targeted and efficient. This also means that planting indigenous plant species is crucial for a variety of our native pollinators

SUSTAINABILITY ROADBLOCKS At the end of our presentation we asked our biggest and most significant question – what were the roadblocks stopping you from achieving your sustainability goals? Monina and I took a guess at what the top three

Kate Torgersen (left) and Monina Gilbey presented a sustainability roadblocks session in Brisbane

answers would be and we weren’t wrong.

Almost 50 per cent of the audience found these issues to be their top roadblocks: l Budget/funding; l Time; and l Resources/staff/labour.

There were some other great responses which from our experience most facilities encounter as well. Don’t think you are alone with your roadblocks, which is where sharing experiences between one another can help assist in getting your project up and running.

As these primary roadblocks require a lot of discussion, we will provide some more in-depth ideas in subsequent articles.

EDUCATION As with anything, education plays a big role and we asked the question around what is needed for greenspace managers, their staff and their facilities. An overwhelming response was plant identification knowledge, followed by member buy-in/education/perception. As this was another top roadblock we anticipated, we spoke briefly about changing perceptions and also introduced iNaturalist as an online tool.

Regarding the changing of perceptions, by rebranding traditional garden beds and out-of-play areas as ‘biodiversity zones’, ‘naturalised areas’ or ‘habitat creation zones’, you can inspire golfers to embrace native plantings. This terminology shift emphasises the crucial role these areas play in supporting local ecosystems. The term ‘biodiversity zone’ highlights the critical function these spaces play in sustaining a rich variety of life.

This shift in language can inspire a broader understanding of ecosystem health and encourage conservation efforts.

Regularly communicating your biodiversity goals and achievements to staff and members is vital. Sharing stories about the plants and animals you’re protecting via member updates or social media helps to create a stronger sense of ownership and inspires group action.

A really great tool that clubs can utilise in this space is iNaturalist. This is a free citizen science website (www.inaturalist.org) and phone app that helps you identify plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Data can be used for reports, legislative requirements, social media, education and community awareness.

Observations recorded and shared are identified by the online community and become ‘research grade’. This research-quality data can be used by students, researchers or scientists looking for pattens of animal movements or existing plant communities.

Monina has spoken with local plant growers and Green Adelaide staff who regularly use iNaturalist to find out where rare plants are growing in Adelaide. Butterfly Conservation South Australia uses iNaturalist to track the movements of the rare chequered copper butterfly.

Using iNaturalist, you can geofence your facility and create a project. Any observations within that area will automatically become part of your project. This is a great way to encourage your members and guests to be involved in the biodiversity found at your facility. You could also host a ‘Bio Blitz’ whereby you invite members and guests for a session to use the iNaturalist phone app to record what they find.

Further education was also raised as a roadblock. As part of the new consultancy that Monina and I have formed, we will be conducting ongoing industry workshops. As an example, at the time this edition was going to print we hosted an online beginners workshop on how to use iNaturalist. We are hoping to conduct more workshops and events and we are also encouraging members of the industry to share the work they are doing through our Green Space Highlights section on our website.

Editor’s Note: As was written in the JanuaryFebruary 2024 edition of ATM (Volume 26.1), Kate Torgersen and Monina Gilbey recently combined forces to form Torgersen Gilbey.

The specialist consultancy aims to partner with greenspace managers to support them and help build the knowledge and skills necessary to create more biodiverse and sustainable spaces. Visit www.torgersengilbey.com.au for more information. iNaturalist is an online tool that helps identify plants and animals. The data generated can be used for reports, legislative requirements, social media, education, community awareness and much more

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BEN GIBSON Justin Groves, pictured speaking at the 2023 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference, has been racing operations manager at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide since 2022

Groves on a

new track

In his latest ATM leadership profile, Ben Gibson catches up with Justin Groves who is

H

racing operations manager at Adelaide’s Morphettville Racecourse.

orseracing is a huge part of Australian sporting culture and the racecourses which act as the stages for animal and jockey to perform are just as famous and prestigious as their stadium or golf course counterparts. Think Flemington and Caulfield in Melbourne and Sydney’s Royal Randwick to name but a few.

As home of the South Australian Jockey Club, Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide has, over a long period of time, been synonymous with racing in the state. It held the club’s first meet way back in 1876 and over the years has developed into SA’s premier racing facility. It’s the busiest too, catering for upwards of 44 race meets a year as well as doubling as the state’s principal training venue.

Having enjoyed a 20-plus year career working on sportsfields and grounds, including stints at the famed Adelaide Oval and Sydney Cricket Ground, in May 2022 54

Justin Groves was appointed Morphettville’s racecourse manager. By the end of that year he found himself elevated to the role of racing operations manager where he is now responsible for not only the track but also the various other infrastructure and projects which the club is undertaking. It is a big remit and already in just a few short years Groves

CAREER – JUSTIN GROVES 2022 – present: Racing operations manager, Morphettville Racecourse, SA. 2019 – 2022: GM, TK Turf, SA. 2017 – 2019: Grounds manager, Sydney Cricket Ground/Allianz Stadium, NSW. 2014 – 2017: Grounds manager, South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).

2000 – 2014: Groundsman/assistant head curator, SACA/Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.

1997 – 2000: Apprentice grounds – Westminster School, Unley Council.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

has played a key role in overseeing some major improvements which are helping to set Morphettville up for a strong future.

With the 2024/2025 racing season having kicked off on 1 August, we caught up with Justin ahead of Morphettville’s first meet to get an insight into his operations and how he leads his team…

How did you end up in turf? Did you choose turf or did it choose you? I had a passion for turf from a very early age and during Year 10 at school I was fortunate to do work experience at Adelaide Oval under Les Burdett. From there I was hooked and asked Les where I could do my trade. He put me in touch with Maxima training group and the rest is history.

Tell us about your journey in turf management that led to your current role at Morphettville Racecourse? I have been privileged through my career to work in

Provide an overview of your operations there. As South Australia’s main racing facility I would imagine it gets pretty busy?

Morphettville Racecourse is home of the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) which is the state’s largest premier racing club.

The club has a membership of around 1200 and employs 52 permanent and up to 400 casual staff. These staff are spread throughout administration, catering, ground staff, race day casuals and the club’s external entertainment venue, The Junction.

Morphettville hosts a total of 44 race meets a year, 24 on our Course Proper and 20 on our inner ‘Parks’ track. Our major races occur throughout the Autumn Carnival period (MarchMay) and include the Adelaide Cup (Group 2, 3200m), Australasian Oaks (Group 1, 2000m), Robert Sangster Stakes (Group 1, 1200m), SA Derby (Group 1, 2500m) and the Goodwood Handicap (Group 1, 1200m).

As well as our regular race meets we have a very heavy training schedule. In addition to the two grass tracks, we have a Fibre Sand track, Sydney track (so called because it is raced in the opposite direction), Trotting track, Big Sand track and a bull ring, as well as an equine pool facility. Training is held six days a week (Monday-Saturday) year-round so the mornings are hectic.

Industry jump outs are held once a month and industry trials three times a year. Those industry trials are essentially race days on steroids and we’ll have in excess of 150 horses jumping out from the 1000-metre mark and running through to the winning post. Whereas we have about nine races on a typical race day, during those trials we can have anywhere between 15 and 20.

Elsewhere, we also cater for club jump outs (once a month), gallops every Tuesday and special gallop requests which can come in from the more than 50 trainers that utilise the venue. In my first year here (between June 2022 and May 2023) we had in excess of 74,000 horses training across the facility which averaged out to about 240 a day, so yes we are pretty busy.

What size team do you have at Morphettville and how do you structure and delegate your work? The current team consists of two track supervisors, 10 ground staff (including a full-time gardener), two trackwork supervisors who look after track work during the hours of 4am-9.30am Monday to Saturday, an equine pool attendant (4am-10.30am) and a water walker attendant (4am-9.30am).

Because we race across 40 Saturdays and a total of 44 times a year, I have two teams – Red and Blue – that work different shifts. One week they will be Monday-Friday and the following week Tuesday-Saturday. We have a good system and our core jobs (which are quite monotonous) I will discuss daily with

Morphettville Racecourse (pictured below) is South Australia’s premier racing facility and comprises two main turf tracks – the Course Proper and Parks inner track – in addition to a number of training tracks and facilities. Pictured right is the new maintenance compound which is nearing completion

PHOTOS: NEARMAP

some pretty cool places both at home and overseas. I had returned home from Sydney for family reasons and worked for myself for a short while. I have a great relationship with Trent Kelly (SACA/Karen Rolton Oval) and he was looking for someone to run his curating business in Adelaide. I took that opportunity to work with his team and continue to develop and teach his staff. I have always loved running teams, particularly in venues, and the opportunity to apply for the Morphettville role came up so I put my hat in the ring.

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PHOTO: RACING SA

BEN GIBSON

Initially appointed as racecourse manager, by the end of 2022 Groves had been elevated to the role of racing operations manager where he is now responsible for not only the track but facility infrastructure and projects

my supervisors as well as works coming up, scheduling of grass activities, applications for the track and any repairs that need doing.

From there we allocate times and priorities.

This then gets filtered down to the team with regular toolbox meetings.

It might sound like we have a big team, but being a racecourse we have many big areas to consider which is time-consuming, so allocation along with Mother Nature keeps us busy and on our toes. For example, to mow the main track (about eight hectares) takes two of my staff about four hours. Then we also have the Parks track which is another 6.5-7ha.

Our running rail, which is just over 2.3km in length, is moved pretty much every week ahead of our race days. We generally bring the rail out 3m each time to spread the wear across the track (which is 32m wide) and have the horses running on good ground each time.

The club is undergoing some major redevelopment works at present. Talk us through what is happening and what are some of the improvements from a track perspective? The SAJC has embarked upon a period of significant development works over the past 12 months aimed at improving the

facilities and infrastructure both on and off the track. The first project, which was finished late last year, was the $20 million Wolf Blass ‘The Man’ Event Centre which is situated right at the finishing post.

The central component of the works is a $350 million racecourse masterplan which is similar in scope to what Moonee Valley in Melbourne is doing. A 7.5ha section of the property near the Anzac Highway is set to be redeveloped and will incorporate a new community plaza, supermarket, shops and hospitality outlets, mixed use apartment buildings with more than 150 residences, new offices for SAJC staff and 250 townhouses and low-rise apartments ranging in height from two to three storeys. These will be located from the 600m-200m mark of the track and will have a terrific vantage point of the home straight.

To accommodate the impending housing development, we have relocated our maintenance compound to the western side of the property, adjacent to Morphett Road.

The existing maintenance structures were a bit all over the place so we will now have one centralised location that will give us good access to the tracks. It was initially proposed that the new compound be across in the

southeastern corner near the 1200m start where our pump shed is. However, that would mean we would’ve needed to drive equipment across the track in order to get to the other side which wasn’t acceptable.

Practically, the new location is the best spot to be – it is between the new events centre and training centre and we have quick and easy access to both tracks as well as the middle of the track. It will be a modern, fit-for-purpose maintenance facility with workshop and machinery storage area, compliant amenities and ample office space.

Construction began in March 2024 and we are hoping to be in there come September.

The other big infrastructure investment has been the irrigation system upgrade. The existing system was 24 years old and we were spending a lot of time fixing leaks and breaks.

Partnering with ThinkWater, which had just done the new system for Caulfield’s ‘Heath’ track, last June we upgraded to a Toro Lynx system with around 400 Toro 690 sprinklers.

We did the main track and sand track to start with and will also be doing the Parks track.

What is at the top of your priority list as a racecourse manager? My top priority at Morphettville is to have a well-educated team that achieves great results that are set out.

Like any place you go to, you want to set high standards and expectations and achieve them.

We want to be known for providing a safe, true and reliable surface for racing 365 days a year.

When you have the number of horses coming through the venue for training and racing, it is important to have the tracks in their best possible condition with the resources we have at our disposable.

Since I’ve started here we have changed a few of our practices to ensure the tracks are more consistent. For example, there was always a perception of ‘leader bias’ when we held race days on our inner track which generated a lot of feedback. We have worked a lot on our management plans for that track to try and take that bias out of the equation.

We have kept the grass a bit thicker and tried to keep it a little softer because when it gets harder that’s when that bias seems to factor more. We have adjusted our aeration processes accordingly which has worked well.

Elsewhere, we are working with some really good agronomists with our programs to make sure that we are putting out what the surface needs – not underdoing it and not overdoing it. When you have 500kg-600kg animals running across the turf and chopping it up, you need to be putting out the right products at the right time to ensure that the turf is in optimum heath to deal with that.

Groves oversees a team of 16 which includes two track supervisors, 10 ground staff, two trackwork supervisors and two equine pool attendants

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

What does great leadership mean to you?

Leadership to me comes back to my core values as an individual – trust, honesty, care and communication. It’s hard to define a great leader, but the most important thing for me is respect, not just gaining it but me respecting each and every individual who I deal with.

Who has influenced your turf management career and why? Personally, my mum who raised me with good values and supports every decision I made. My grandparents who showed me respect from a very early age taking me to sporting events and teaching me right and wrong.

Professionally, I have two. Les Burdett was my first ever boss who guided and nurtured my learning of the turf industry. He accepted me with open arms and taught me how to have a work ethic and be respectful. When working alongside Les it wasn’t the output of work. He would constantly talk and explain and then ask questions which I still remember to this day. Les would always explain the ‘why’.

The second is Damian Hough. We grew up together at Adelaide Oval learning from each other. I always looked up to Damian as I could see the drive in him. When Damian was announced as head curator upon Les’s retirement I was made his 2IC. We worked closely during the drop-in construction stage for the new-look Adelaide Oval wickets. I have gained a huge amount of respect for Damian in the way he manages staff and how he is so respectful of everyone around him. I try to mould myself on both Les and Damian as they have some of the best attributes I know.

What is the biggest blunder/mistake you have made and what did you learn from it?

I have made many mistakes during my career,

“My top priority at Morphettville is to have a well-educated team that achieves great results.” – Justin Groves

none that I would consider too big, but I have always learnt from them all. It is something I have taken from my mentors as they would say “If you haven’t made a mistake, you haven’t done anything.”

What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing the turf industry at the moment and what sort of action do you feel is needed? Retaining staff as the pay is not as good as some of the other trades. We need to strive for better pay and working conditions whilst keeping up standards.

How do you juggle the pressures of work, kids, family life and looking after yourself?

I struggle with this sometimes as I consume myself in work a lot. This comes with being a manager as we are 24/7. I have gotten better at this as I allow myself to delegate to some great staff. My family is my everything, with a beautiful wife and two fantastic boys. I have learnt to start putting them first because the best part of my day is getting those cuddles

as you walk in the door from work or see them excel in whatever they are doing. I enjoy coaching my boys’ footy teams and supporting my wife with her life also.

What do you do for fun? I enjoy being with family and friends and having people over for my famous Greek-style charcoal BBQ and a few beers. Seeing my kids play sports or just mucking around is fun to me. I love our times down the beach enjoying the sun and surf.

What is something no-one in the turf industry would know about you? I have looked after natural turf my whole life. I recently finished building my house where I installed a synthetic putting green in the backyard to avoid mowing more grass!

Finally, any advice for younger staff starting out in their turf careers? Ask as many questions as you can. Keep driving forward to reach your goals and do the one percenters better than anyone else.

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AROUND THE TRADE The new Toro Groundsmaster e3200 features HyperCell lithium-ion battery technology and an integrated Battery Management System to enhance reliability and longevity

TORO’S OUT-FRONT ROTARY GROUNDSMASTER GOES ELECTRIC

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STMA Platinum Partner Toro Australia has launched its new Groundsmaster e3200 mower.

Having been an industry leader in creating out-front rotary mowers for some 50 years, this new model continues that legacy of efficiency and cut quality with the added advantage of it now being powered by advanced lithium-ion battery technology.

The Groundsmaster e3200 features Toro’s HyperCell battery technology, which uses lithium-ion batteries, and an integrated Battery Management System (BMS) to enhance reliability and longevity. The mower comes standard with 11 HyperCell batteries, expandable to 17 for more demanding tasks.

The 3.3-kilowatt on-board charger recharges the mower overnight so it is ready for work the next day.

Smart controls optimise power consumption, delivering consistent cutting power without bogging down. The reserve power mode notifies the operator when the battery is low and ensures enough battery power is available to return to the recharging station. Equipped with Toro’s InfoCenter display, the e3200 provides battery status, hours, alerts and customisable settings. It features the same 60-inch (152cm) side or rear discharge mowing deck options and impact bumpers as Toro’s diesel-powered models.

The Groundsmaster e3200 offers zero operating emissions, a rugged chassis and commercial-grade mowing deck. It operates significantly quieter, ideal for noise-sensitive areas and early morning use, while no 58

need to buy expensive diesel and reduced maintenance save on overall running costs.

With ground speeds up to 20kph and 20cm ground clearance, the e3200 can access job sites other mowers can’t reach.

For more information on the Groundsmaster e3200 or to arrange a demo, visit www.toro. com.au, call 1800 356 372 or contact your area sales manager.

SYNGENTA RELEASES HICURE ASTMA Platinum Partner Syngenta has unveiled its first entrant into the turf biostimulant market. Highlighted on the Syngenta stand at the recent Australian Sports Turf Management Conference Trade Exhibition in Brisbane, HICURE is a high concentrate biostimulant for the turfgrass industry consisting of amino acids and peptides. HICURE supports natural processes within the plant, as well as enhancing plant performance overall, particularly under stress conditions.

Amino acids are fundamental ingredients in the process of protein synthesis, directly or indirectly influencing the physiological activities of the plant. Free amino acids and shortchained peptides are absorbed by leaves and roots very quickly. Once inside the plant they form the foundations of proteins which then play various roles in enzymatic, structural and functional roles such as photosynthesis.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

HICURE contains 19 amino acids realising 62.5 per cent w/w of the total product. The free amino acids and short-chained peptides (lighter and smaller) assimilate quickly, whilst long-chained peptides (larger and heavier) exhibit excellent surfactant qualities on leaves creating a barrier reducing transpirational water loss. The amino acids in HICURE are comprised of chelators, osmoprotectants, organic nitrogen (N) and nutrients. Combined, they play critical roles, from enabling nutrients to move freely in the plant, inducing stress response mechanisms and supplying free amino acids under critical physiological stress periods to delivering key micronutrients when nutrient and water uptake are interrupted.

Applications of HICURE in a program can enhance plant growth and quality, being especially beneficial during times of abiotic stress and assisting recovery. For optimum quality, HICURE should be used in conjunction with practices that promote good plant health.

Best results will be obtained when applied at regular intervals starting prior to periods of plant stress. Coming in a 10-litre pack size, HICURE is safe to use on all turf types and is an excellent tank mix partner with fertilisers.

For more information on HICURE, visit www. syngentaturf.com.au or speak with your local Syngenta territory sales manager.

LIVING TURF BOLSTERS RANGE ASTMA Silver Partner Living Turf recently announced the availability of three new innovative products from its R&D based manufacturing partners, designed to elevate

ROSS BUYS RURAL & TURF IRRIGATION BUSINESS

Living Turf recently announced the availability of three new innovative products

turf performance – MP DEFENCE and MP CARBON CAL (which are part of the MATCHplay range) and MESA XP. MP DEFENCE is a highly concentrated formulation of potassium, phosphite and biostimulants, providing a cost-effective foundation for disease and stress management in sportsfields and fairways. Unlike other products, the phosphite remains in its form and does not convert to phosphate, maximising disease defence and avoiding unnecessary soil phosphorus reserves.

MP DEFENCE stimulates plant defence mechanisms, promotes photosynthesis for increased carbohydrate production and ensures rapid foliar uptake and systemic translocation throughout the plant.

MP CARBON CAL has been formulated to stimulate the soil microbiome and revolves around its carbon and humate components.

This micro-grade granule is designed for precision, perfect for both renovations and regular maintenance. It is essential to keep the NPK content to a minimal calculated amount with MLSN ratios. Benefits include: l Low levels of NPK are the catalyst to the soil microbes feeding on the applied carbon; l Carbon feeds soil microbes which invigorate mineralisation for healthy turf growth; and l Humates support soil biology while improving turf stress tolerances.

MESA XP is uniquely formulated to provide controlled release of N and K. By incorporating potassium sulphate into the granule, MESA XP releases both N and K at the same controlled rate. Perfect for tees, racecourses, fairways and sports fields, MESA XP provides rapid green up and sustained and prolonged nitrogen and potassium feeding. Benefits include: l Ammonium allows for the quick release of nitrogen, promoting immediate turf greenup. The urea then kicks in for mid-term availability; l Slow-release nitrogen from methylene urea provides long-lasting nourishment for up to 14 weeks; and

Slow-release potassium reduces leaching and ensures optimal uptake.

For more information about these products, contact a Living Turf technical sales agronomist or visit www.livingturf.com.

l

ADAMA’S MARVEL-OUS ADDITION In the days leading up to the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Brisbane, ASTMA Bronze Partner Adama announced the registration of its next generation trinexapac-ethylbased plant growth regulator – Quali-Pro Marvel-ous.

Following on from the recent launch of another high load technology product in the form of Quali-Pro Evolution Advance fungicide, Quali-Pro Marvel-ous is another example of how Adama is striving to make use, storage and transport easier and more cost effective according to commercial and technical manager (Turf and IVM) Matt Holmes.

“Quali-Pro Marvel-ous contains 625g/L trinexapac-ethyl, compared with Quali-Pro Marvel Ultra (120g/L trinexapac-ethyl),” says Holmes. “Importantly, Quali-Pro Marvel-ous is also a micro-emulsion concentrate like QualiPro Marvel Ultra, providing the ultimate in turf safety, which is of particular importance when applying to low cut surfaces such as golf and bowling greens. Rates of a.i./ha remain the same, but Quali-Pro Marvel-ous is five-times the strength of the popular Marvel Ultra, which means applied product rates have been reduced to as low as 30ml/ha.”

Holmes says Quali-Pro Marvel-ous will be available closer to spring/summer and will initially be available in a 1L dual chamber pack for easy measuring. Another useful addition to the label is the ability to mix with Quali-Pro Negate herbicide for the control of bahia grass (Paspalum notatum) seedheads, which will appeal to turf managers in northern regions.

For more information on Quali-Pro Marvelous, visit the Professional and Consumer section at www.adama.com/australia/en.

Irrigation specialist Mac Ross has departed Living Turf following his acquisition of Rural & Turf in early July, a Geelong-based irrigation business with over 20 years of service to the turf and associated irrigation sector.

With a broad network and a loyal following, Rural & Turf specialises in pumps and irrigation, distribution of Rain Bird products and is also involved in domestic and light trade lawncare product supply. In taking over Rural & Turf, Ross, who was a founding member of Living Turf’s irrigation business, is following in the footsteps of his father Hugh who owned an irrigation shop out of Launceston called the ‘The Pump Shed’ for over 20 years.

As a result of Ross’s departure, Living Turf’s irrigation business has been handed across to Victorian counterpart Clint Shaw (0407 100 606) and Martin O’Malley (0499 011 911) who is Living Turf’s national irrigation manager. In his new capacity with Rural & Turf Ross has retained the same phone number and can be contacted on 0427 720 139.

K&B ADAMS SAILS INTO TASSIE ASTMA Bronze Partner K&B Adams has launched its turf product portfolio into Tasmania. Commencing in April, the opportunity came off the back of another locally operated company, Tas Turf, which was winding back its business footprint in the Apple Isle. K&B Adams director Mark Eardley says the company is excited about its expansion into Tasmania which will further enhance its offering of product, services, technology and consulting services.

“This is a great opportunity to extend our national footprint across Australia,” says Eardley. “Having exclusive distribution within the turf sector of the ICL brand is a great portfolio to have among our nutritional product lines. We look forward to building long-standing relationships in the Tasmanian market.”

Tasmanian sports turf managers can contact Mark Eardley on 0418 999 647 or email mark@kbadams.com.au.

DRYJECT TEAMS UP WITH CENTAUR ASIA PACIFIC DryJect has announced the expansion of its business operations with the addition of a new retail sales distributor covering certain countries in the Asia Pacific market. ASTMA Bronze Partner Centaur Asia Pacific, which has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, is now the authorised distributor for DryJect products in these countries, with their sales and support teams introducing DryJect’s specialised turf aeration and soil modification technology to these markets and providing information and support to end users.

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AROUND THE TRADE “We are excited to have Centaur Asia Pacific as part of the DryJect family,” says president and owner John Paddock. “We look forward to working with them to promote our fine products throughout the territories they cover. The establishment of this new sales territory will provide quality service to Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia and represents another step forward in our mission to have a strong international presence.”

Adds Danny Potter, founder and director of Centaur Asia Pacific: “We are equally as excited to bring DryJect to these markets where end users can now purchase their own unit and spare parts directly from a local distributor.”

For more information on DryJect, visit www.dryject.com. For more information on Centaur Asia Pacific, visit www.centaurasiapacific.com.au.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS ENVU ADDS TO ITS TEAM ASTMA Silver Partner Envu has made a number of key appointments in recent months.

In mid-March it announced Rachel Carson (pictured) as the company’s new Managing Director – ANZ, based in Melbourne. With a background rich in agronomy and commercial expertise, Carson brings over 14 years of invaluable experience in the chemical and agrochemical manufacturing industry to her role.

“I am thrilled to collaborate with our excellent team and customers as we embark on this new chapter for Envu,” says Carson, who started her new role in early April. “With my background in agronomy and commercial endeavours, I am eager to foster successful and sustainable innovation within the business.”

Adds Nadim Mohr, Head of Commercial Operations, APAC: “We are excited for Rachel to come on board at this pivotal point in our journey in Australia and New Zealand. Rachel demonstrated a number of the capabilities and values aligned to the Envu business that will be important as we continue to grow and develop in this market and region.”

In early June, Envu also announced that it had added Martyna Synak (pictured) to the position of Associate Territory Sales Manager for the NSW 60

GREENSHED ACQUIRES ASTC Greenspace 4Ds’ parent company, Greenshed P/L (trading as Living Turf), announced the acquisition of Australian Sports Turf Consultants (ASTC) in midJuly and the appointment of its founder and director Matt Roche (pictured) as principle scientific consultant. Founded in 2012, ASTC has established a proud history of expert turf consultancy. Roche will continue to be based in Brisbane and in the short-term ASTC clients will notice little change to normal service.

“I am looking forward to joining Greenspace 4D and its experienced team of turf professionals,” says Roche. “For my team at ASTC, I believe this will provide us with the opportunity to operate on a larger scale and make our skills, knowledge and experience accessible to a much broader audience.

“We will remain committed to delivering the best independent and objective solutions for our existing clients and the industry at large.

I am also confident that operating alongside Greenshed’s industry-leading business units will grant us greater exposure to innovative data capture, analytics and tailored solutions, further enhancing our existing service.”

and ACT region. Synak arrives at Envu with over 13 years of experience working in the turf management industry across multiple countries, including Poland, USA, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia.

After graduating from the University of Life Sciences in Poland, Synak was accepted into The Ohio Program, USA where she completed a 12-month internship at Harbour Town in South Carolina. Holding qualifications including a Turf Management Certificate and an Advanced Turf Management Certificate in Stress Physiology, Synak’s experience and passion for outstanding turf management led to a range of senior roles at some of the top golf courses in Australia and the USA. Her exceptional communication and leadership skills, along with comprehensive knowledge of turf management, led to her most recent position as 3IC at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney, which last year co-hosted the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

“I am excited to take on this new opportunity and become part of the Envu team,” says Synak. “I look forward to the new and exciting challenges this position will bring to expand my knowledge and growth in this new career.”

Synak’s passion for turf, alongside her extensive experience, were some of the attributes Craig Burleigh, National Sales Manager, ANZ – Turf and Ornamental, noted that made her a stand-out for the role. “We

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Greenspace 4Ds’ team is generally managed by Daryl Sellar (SA) and supported by several well-credentialed turf specialists including Dr Henk Smith (NSW), Paul Looby (FNQ), John Forrest (WA) and Andrew Peart (Vic), to name a few. Greenshed founder and executive chair Rob Cooper says the acquisition of ASTC was a natural step in the development of its consulting business, adding to the acquisition in 2022 of IPOS in South Australia.

“Through the integration of these great businesses, we will continue to build our unique digital platform which is currently being deployed throughout Australia and New Zealand,” says Cooper. “We know Matt will provide us with additional scientific rigour, to consistently deliver positive commercial outcomes for the sports, turf and amenity horticulture industry.

“In the coming months Matt and his team will be introduced to the extensive professional network and technical resources of Greenspace 4D. We are confident that this will serve to increase the productivity of ASTC and enable Matt and his team to further shape the product and services of Greenspace 4Ds’ national consulting practice.”

are happy to welcome Martyna to Envu.

Along with her experience and passion for the turf industry, Martyna brings a wealth of knowledge that will strengthen our ability to deliver innovative solutions to our end users in NSW and the ACT.” Synak can be contacted on 0419 526 910 or email martyna. synak@envu.com.

PANA JOINS INDIGO Indigo Specialty Products recently announced the appointment of new customer service manager Margaret Pana (pictured). Pana, who started the role on 9 July, arrives at Indigo having worked for many years in the turf and ornamental, pest management and industrial vegetation markets at both Bayer Environmental Science (2005-2021) and Envu (2021-2022). Pana has attended the annual ASTMA conference and trade exhibition since 2005 and is a wellrecognised identity within the industry who has a wonderful rapport with customers.

“Margaret has excellent people skills, communication skills and organisational skills, so she will be an invaluable asset to Indigo Specialty Products moving forward,” says general manager Peter Kirby. Pana will assist operations manager Andrew Bull with all incoming orders and customer enquiries and can be contacted on 0483 216 429 or email orders@indigospecialty.com.

AS SOCIATION REPORTS

GCSAWA

T

he GCSAWA held its 2024 Annual General Meeting and Living Turf/Rain Bird Cup golf event at Lake Karrinyup Country Club on Monday 5 August. The highlight of the day was bestowing GCSAWA life membership upon long-serving Wembley Golf Complex superintendent Darren Wilson.

It was quite fitting that we acknowledged Darren’s incredible contribution to the industry at Lake Karrinyup as it was at the club where he started his journey in turf management.

Initially trained as a motor mechanic, Darren joined Lake Karrinyup as a mechanic in 1988 under superintendent Niel Adams who himself would later be made a GCSAWA life member. As Darren became more involved in assisting the groundstaff with daily mowing, he decided to undertake TAFE studies. He completed in two years and was awarded the Baileys Shield as best night school student.

After moving into a role with McIntosh and Son for a brief period, Darren was then appointed assistant superintendent at The Vines in the mid-1990s during the glory years when it hosted the Heineken Classic. In 2002 Darren took on the superintendent role at Wembley Golf Complex where he has been ever since and overseen a raft of major course changes. At the 2007 national conference in Cairns, Darren received the AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award, while in 2010 he also won the GCSAWA Environmental Award.

Across his time in the industry, Darren has held pretty much every position on the GCSAWA committee at least once. He was instrumental in starting the Waterwise Program, was on the University of Western Australia research and trials panel, completed a Masters in Agriculture degree (Turf Management) in the early 2000s and was editor of the GCSAWA’s ‘Divots’ magazine. He has been a leader in innovation and practices especially regarding tree and environmental works, including managing epar in the state.

Darren Wilson was bestowed GCSAWA life membership at the association’s recent AGM

While Darren was inducted for his contribution to the GCSAWA, we also can’t ignore his time on the national board. Darren volunteered his time to sit on the AGCSA (now ASTMA) Board for six years, including four as treasurer. He was heavily involved in taking the national conference to New Zealand in 2018 as well as the Board’s decision to purchase the current head office in Clayton, Melbourne.

There is no-one more deserving of this recognition and on behalf of all GCSAWA members and the golf industry in WA we congratulate Darren on his wonderful contribution. He joins an esteemed line up of fellow life members, including Pat Meagher (dec.), Niel Adams (dec.), Allan Barlow (dec.), Norm Ashlin, Geoff Osbourne, Trevor Strachan and John Forrest.

Posting on Facebook, Darren commented: “Honoured to be bestowed with a lifetime membership by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of WA. Receiving the award at LKCC was particularly meaningful as it is the place where my career in turf commenced in 1988.”

The honour was widely applauded by the industry, with many congratulating him in person on the day and across social media.

Former Wembley general manager Matthew Day summed up the sentiments of most by noting, “I had the pleasure of working with Darren for 15 years, I couldn’t think of a more deserving recipient for all the hard work and dedication he’s put into the industry.”

Darren’s life membership headlined the AGM which saw treasurer Tony McFadyean (Albany GC) and recent ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award winner Tom Tristram (Secret Harbour) step off the committee. Fraser Brown (Lake Karrinyup CC) has joined the committee alongside myself, Nick Kinley (Hartfield CC) and Lance Knox (Busselton GC).

Prior to the AGM, a good field took to Lake Karrinyup to contest our major golf trophies. It was a perfect morning for golf and the course was in great condition thanks to Fraser and his team. Big thanks also go to Phil Mackay and his pro shop team and Tanya Evans and the F&B crew for the great lunch and service. Our golf winners were: l Niel Adams Shield (stroke for superintendents and groundstaff): Winner Harry Traylen (Cottesloe GC) 76; 2nd Scott Barnett (Margaret River GC) 80. l Allan Barlow Shield (stableford): Winner Matt Utley (AFGRI) 38 points; 2nd Brendan Jones (McIntosh and Son) 37; 3rd Ben Gerovich (Cottesloe GC) 35. l Longest drives: Sam Butler (Marri Park GC) and Craig Young (The Cut). l Nearest the pins: Gerovich, Jack Latchford (AFGRI), Ben Armitt (Positively Green) and Ben Unbehaun (Nedlands). l NAGA: Brad Hebble (Nedlands GC) l Eagle alert: Dane ‘Two Tees’ McBride (15th hole 469m par 5).

A big thanks to Danny Hambleton, Jeff Lane, Tyson Riley, John Forrest and Matt Lane from Living Turf and Paul Woloszyn at Rain Bird for sponsoring the day.

Looking ahead we have a few dates locked in. Royal Fremantle (superintendent Jason Kelly) will host the GM/Supers Management Golf Day on 4 November, while the 2025 WA Golf Industry Awards night has been confirmed for 28 March next year at the Crown Ballroom.

Nominations for the GCSAWA Awards, which will be announced on the night, will open later in the year.

SHANE BAKER PRESIDENT, GCSAWA

Lake Karrinyup Country Club hosted the 2024 GCSAWA AGM and Living Turf/Rain Bird Golf Cup

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

NZGCSA

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he NZGCSA, in conjunction with Syngenta, was delighted recently to announce the winners of the 2024 New Zealand Turf Scholarship Program. Sofia Urrets Zavalia (Remuera GC) was named the Syngenta Women in Turf Scholarship winner, while Manawatu Golf Club superintendent Kiel Stechman received the NZGCSA Wider Education Scholarship. As a prize, both Sofia and Kiel enjoyed an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2024 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Brisbane and also participated in Syngenta networking events and a specialised training session on plant protection products with technical services manager Dr Brett Morris.

Sofia is co-team leader and spray technician at Remuera Golf Club in Auckland and has 10 years industry experience.

Originally from Argentina, Sofia earned a Master’s degree in landscape architecture where she integrated her experiences working in the USA, Argentina and Brazil into her thesis.

Her research focused on the environmental quality of cities and provided a guide for the development of sustainable golf courses.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, which include being superintendent at the Rio Olympic course, Sofia is a passionate golfer who finds joy in exploring different cultures and working environments.

Kiel’s journey in turf management began unexpectedly, transitioning from being a golf enthusiast at Springfield Golf Club in Rotorua to an apprentice greenkeeper at Carterton Golf Club in the lower North Island. His career has been marked by diverse experiences, from Wellington’s Ohariu Golf Club to Palmerston North’s Brookfields Golf Club and eventually returning to Carterton as superintendent.

A life-altering event – a severe assault – led to a transformative period of recovery during which Kiel found renewed focus and determination in his career. His resilience and dedication led him to assume the role of superintendent, a position he currently holds at Manawatu Golf Club in Palmerston North.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Kiel actively contributes to the industry as president of the Manawatu-Whanganui Turf Managers Association, mentors local apprentices and has coached his son’s rugby team.

On the topic of awards, the association is seeking applications for three of its major honours – the NZGCSA Excellence Award (sponsored by Parkland Products), NZGCSA Environment Award (sponsored by PGG Wrightson Turf) and NZGCSA Graduate of the Year. For more information on applications, please visit the NZGCSA website www. nzgcsa.org.nz or search for the association on Facebook or Instagram.

and starting the online sessions with a bunch of like-minded turf managers, I realised how cool of a virtual room it was to be in. The lessons taken from all the speakers were so informative and post-lesson catch ups were a perfect way to talk about this information and the different perspectives we had on it. All of this culminated in the Melbourne gathering which led to further discussions about what we had learnt as well as all things turf and the Aussie-Kiwi rivalry in the sporting arena. All in all it was an awesome experience which has been very beneficial to my career and one I am very grateful to have been a part of.”

FTMI EXPERIENCE Earlier in the year, three NZGCSA members were part of the Jacobsen-sponsored Future Turf Managers’ Initiative (FTMI). Sam Davis (superintendent, Queenstown GC) was New Zealand’s mentor for this year’s group and gathered the following thoughts from Jordan Burgess (Royal Wellington GC), Kurt Thiele (Cape Kidnappers) and Liam Hewittson (St Clair GC)…

JORDAN BURGESS: “The FTMI was an opportunity I underestimated at the time of application. After going through the process

LIAM HEWITTSON: “The FTMI was a great experience that will certainly help me with my future aspirations. The ability to learn from a range of guest speakers on relevant topics relating to career progression, bounce ideas and differing opinions off our group mentors and to network and make new relationships were huge benefits of this successful programme. It allowed me to understand where to next for my career and what goals I should set to get there. I encourage anyone looking to progress in the turf industry to apply for this outstanding course as it provides a great stepping stone.”

KURT THIELE: “I had an amazing experience taking part in the FTMI. The online portion was exceptional on its own and set the standard for what was to come at the meeting in Melbourne. I felt honoured to be able to take part in such an inspiring programme full of engaging industry experts and fellow future managers all working towards improving themselves and uplifting others.”

JASON PERKINS PRESIDENT, NZGCSA

Jordan Burgess (Royal Wellington GC) was one of three Kiwi delegates as part of this year’s FTMI intake

JULY-AUGUST 2024 63

AS SOCIATION REPORTS

TURF QLD

S

ince the issuance of the NSW Government’s Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order back in February, which mandated the use of insect growth regulator (IGR) to be applied to all turf crossing the border from Queensland into NSW, Turf Queensland has been diligently working to address the challenges of this mandate faced

by Queensland turf producers. Recognising the crippling costs associated with complying with this mandate, we’ve embarked on a mission to safeguard the interests of our industry and promote sustainable turf farming practices.

Turf Queensland plays a pivotal role in the market, representing 20 per cent of the industry. Our growers, spanning from Townsville to Sydney and extending westward to Darwin and Birdsville, cultivate turf on an extensive scale, covering vast hectares to meet industry demands. With about 500 direct employees and supporting around 5000 employees in rural and non-rural businesses, our industry contributes significantly to Queensland’s economy, boasting a Gross Value of Production of $116,285,520 (20222023).

The turf industry in Queensland is poised for substantial growth, sustained by ongoing development initiatives aimed at accommodating the state’s expanding population. As Queensland continues to experience population growth, the demand for residential, commercial and recreational spaces is steadily increasing. With vast expanses of land earmarked for development projects across the state, Queensland’s turf growers are well-positioned to meet the escalating demand for quality turf products.

While recognising the efficacy of IGRs in managing pests like the red imported fire ant (RIFA), we remain mindful of their potential environmental impacts. IGRs have been reported to harm crustaceans if they enter water bodies, disrupting their growth and development. In addition to our environmental concerns, we also have apprehensions regarding the ongoing supply of the IGR product. Suppliers were caught off guard in the same manner as we were when NSW mandated the immediate use of the product.

This unpredictability in the supply chain poses significant challenges for our industry’s operations.

Further exacerbating the situation is the method of distribution. The available packaging, typically in 4kg buckets, and the specialised equipment required for spreading the IGR in the recommended dosage are both cost-prohibitive for small businesses. For instance, while one label recommends the use of handheld spreaders or even helicopters for 64

application, the equipment typically used for turf production is simply not suitable for this purpose, leading to additional expenses and logistical challenges.

Recently, Turf Queensland’s Board engaged in constructive dialogue with Minister Furner, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities and his advisors at Parliament House (pictured).

During the 30 April meeting we voiced our concerns regarding the long-term viability and environmental impacts of IGR treatment and the threat of RIFA spreading further south.

While the growers that represented the industry at this meeting are established, reputable and well-known companies in southeast Queensland, our aim was to represent the larger grower group of Queensland turf growers. These operators make up 80 per cent of the Queensland turf industry. As the fire ants spread further north, south and west, our concern lies in how the fire ant eradication team will find the necessary time to be proactive in identifying and educating new growers.

We proposed the implementation of a turf bio-security accreditation program to educate and support affected growers proactively.

Encouragingly, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has pledged its support for this initiative, facilitating meetings between us and the biosecurity teams within the national RIFA team to further develop the Turf Accreditation Program that currently exists.

As a labelled high-risk yet compliant industry, we are keen to align ourselves as partners with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to support their efforts and minimise business impact on our industry. Collaboration between industry stakeholders and government agencies is essential for effective suppression of RIFA and we will continue to advocate for further collaboration.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

Moving forward, Turf Queensland remains committed to advocating for the interests of Queensland turf farmers. Through proactive measures like the Turf Bio-security Accreditation Program and collaboration with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and DAF, we aim to equip growers with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate challenges effectively. By fostering collaboration between industry stakeholders and government agencies, we strive to ensure the continued success and sustainability of turf farming in Queensland.

Turf Queensland’s Board is dedicated to championing the welfare of Queensland turf farmers. By addressing concerns, proposing solutions and fostering collaboration, we’re working tirelessly to promote a thriving and sustainable turf industry in our state.

NATALIE SCALISI IDO, TURF QUEENSLAND

GCSAQ

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he GCSAQ hosted an educational day at the Ballymore National Rugby Training Centre in Brisbane in early July, with just over 60 from across the golf and sports turf industry attending. The day started with a facility tour of the new $30 million training centre by Ballymore ground manager Ben Engels which led into the irrigation talks.

Sheldon Simmonds (Toro) was followed

by Steve Harris and Dean Johnson (both Rain Bird) presenting sprinkler updates and compatibility inserts along with latest technology in central and communication systems for real time adjustments in the field and progressive-thinking diagnostic tools that pinpoint the exact sprinkler or block section faults.

The second session had live demos of John Deere and Toro spray rigs showcasing their latest GPS technology with auto track guidance systems and individual nozzle control for optimum performance and product application. The GCSAQ thanks all those who attended the day and to all speakers and companies that supported the event.

MARK HAUFF PRESIDENT, GCSAQ ON THE MOVE… JOSHUA BOWEN: From Lonsdale Links, Vic to assistant superintendent Clifton Springs GC, Vic. RICHARD BULL: From superintendent Bexley GC, NSW to superintendent Kareela GC, NSW.

NSWGCSA PHOTOS: NSWGCSA FACEBOOK

T

he Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Brisbane was a great week of education, trade shows and meetings, highlighted by the recognition of our two award winners – Paul Gumbleton and Gary Beehag. Paul, course superintendent at Teven Valley Golf Club, won the 2024 ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award, while NSWGCSA life member Gary won the 2024 ASTMA Distinguished Service Award. Congratulations to both. Special mention also to Toro Vince Church Graduate of the Year recipient Brandon Vella from Campbelltown Golf Club who was our representative in the final of the ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award.

Following our education days at Toronto and Moruya golf clubs in March and April, which were both well attended, another day was held at Castle Hill Country Club on 9 July organised by NSWGCSA directors Luke Diserens and James Thomas Thank you to all those who attended and to host superintendent Aaron Fluke for his presentation on transitioning from assistant superintendent to superintendent and to sponsors Nuturf and Adama. We also hosted another Education Day on 12 August at The Lakes Golf Club.

The annual John Deere|Hutcheon & Pearce Ambrose Day was held at Wollongong Golf Club in May and was a huge success.

With a full field for golf and lunch, everyone had a fun day. Thank you to our major sponsor John Deere|Hutcheon & Pearce and to all of our golf hole sponsors. Winners were: l 1st: Jesta Transport (Jason Eastick, Luke Diserens, Trent Crittenden and Connor Chandelier) – 54.4 nett.

A full field descended on Wollongong Golf Club for the NSWGCSA John Deere|Hutcheon & Pearce Ambrose Day

2nd: Cromer GC (Leon Hennessy, Dan Swainston, Bob Cowland and Steve McKenzie) – 54.42 nett. l 3rd: Living Turf (Ben Miller, David Stone, Craig Bevan and Charlie Bolte) – 54.5 nett. l Scratch winners: Syngenta (Nick Taplin, Jake Tyler, Brendan Benad and Leon Blacker) – 59. l Longest drive: Craig Bevan. l Nearest the pins: Dan Swainston, Cameron Butt, Pat Wilson, Chris Judge and Steve Foster.

Upcoming events include the Elite Sand & Soil Rube Walkerden Day at Pymble Golf Club on Monday 18 November and the NSW Golf Industry Awards on Monday 11 November.

In closing, our condolences go to the team at Asquith Golf Club after the loss of mechanic Rob Parsonage who suffered a medical episode at the club early on Wednesday 12 June. Rob was just 38 and had five young children. I encourage everyone to reach out to the association, friends and colleagues for support during such times and to remember the importance of first aid training. l

LEON HENNESSY PRESIDENT, NSWGCSA

ON THE MOVE… LINCOLN COOMBES: After nearly 13 years as superintendent at RACV Royal Pines, including hosting seven Australian PGA Championships between 2013 and 2019, the ex-pat Victorian will depart in mid-September to take up a superintendent role at nearby nine-hole golf course Boomerang Farm.

RICHARD COULTER: Finished as Club Mandalay (Vic) superintendent on 9 July.

RYAN FURY: Departed as superintendent of Killara GC, NSW after nearly 16 years.

MARCUS HARTUP: After just over four years as director of agronomy at Vattanac Golf Resort, Cambodia, Hartup started as the new superintendent at Brisbane Golf Club, Qld on 5 August replacing David Mason who left earlier in the year.

RICK LEE: Elevated from assistant superintendent to superintendent at Moonah Links, Vic following the departure of Kyle Wilson to Portsea GC. NIALL ROGAN: From superintendent Kalgoorlie GC, WA to superintendent Medway GC, Vic. BEN STACEY: Appointed superintendent at Tasmania Golf Club, Tas.

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JULY-AUGUST 2024 65

AS SOCIATION REPO RTS

VGCSA

I

VGCSA representative Darren Wardle won the ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award at the Brisbane conference

Numurkah GC superintendent Matt Campbell collected the nett trophy at the 2024 ASTMA Golf Championship

course works undertaken on the 3rd and 4th holes as part of the OCM Golf masterplan.

In late July we hosted our popular Country Meeting at Cobram Barooga Golf Club. It was again a cracking success, with over 130 attendees arriving at the Webex Players Series host venue for two days of educational activities, networking and golf. On the opening day, 94 members took to the Old Course for a terrific 4-person Ambrose event, playing for the inaugural Oasis Turf Cup. Australian Seed & Turf Farm added to the atmosphere with their party tent on the fifth hole, feeding the players with barbecue treats and beverages. With the non-golfers arriving later that day, come the Monday evening it was a festive full house for our dinner and Oasis Turf Cup presentations.

Matt Campbell backed up his Brisbane conference performance by helping to lead a team that contained Paul Collins (Numurkah GC), Adam McBrien (Toro) and Joshua Boyle (Frankston GC) to the title. They beat home the team comprising Brett Irvine (Barwon Heads

GC), Joshua Bowen (Clifton Springs GC), Greg Burgess (K&B Adams) and Luke Harris (Turfcare Australia).

After a bright and early breakfast start on the Tuesday, a full day of sessions began which included a live webinar hook up with US-based experts Jim Brosnan and Brandon Horvath. Other guest speakers included Mark Hooker (Royal Auckland and Grange GC), John Neylan (Sporteng), Kate Rainsbury (The Dunes) and Nick Skicko (Metropolitan GC). There were also a host of innovative trade presentations along with an educational course walk with host superintendent Terry Vogel.

Special thanks must go to Terry (pictured below) and all the staff at Cobram Barooga Sporties Club for being wonderful hosts. The VGCSA also wishes to acknowledge our sponsors for their support – Adama, Australian Seed & Turf Farm, Brandt, Colin Campbell Chemicals, Envu, K&B Adams, Living Turf, Oasis Turf, Rain Bird, Sustainable Machinery, Syngenta, Toro Australia and Turf Culture.

The next and final meeting for 2024 will be in September at Latrobe Golf Club in Melbourne. We are looking forward to a live webinar with Dr Shaun Askew, professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Shawn’s primary responsibility is to provide leadership in the development of weed control programs for turfgrass in Virginia and has authored or co-authored 101 peer reviewed journal articles, 505 scientific abstracts, 300 extension articles and over 1300 invited talks, lectures and extension presentations. Shawn presented at one of our meetings last year and will again be a welcome addition to the program.

PHOTO: JEFF POWELL

t was great to get up to Brisbane for the recent ASTMA conference. Congratulations to all involved for bringing it together.

Among plenty of fantastic presentations the most interesting to me was on the advancements in AI technology and what it means for all of us. Adam Spencer’s quote that “we have never moved so fast in this space and will never move any slower” really did hit home. It was also fantastic to see Darren Wardle (Murray Downs G&CC/Royal Melbourne GC) pick up the ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award along with Matt Campbell winning the nett event at the ASTMA Golf Championship held at Royal Queensland. They did the Vics very proud – well done chaps!

Down this way, in the past few months we have certainly seen the best and worst of what Victorian winter weather has to offer. Following several frosty mornings and one heavy blanket frost across Melbourne and plenty more across country Victoria, the couchgrasses were well and truly whacked deep into dormancy.

From an association perspective, the Course Staff Education Day at Southern Golf Club in June was well attended with around 80 able to make it. The day featured a live webinar with US agronomist Adam Moeller covering the topic of using data to develop aeration and topdressing programs.

Additionally, we had a panel session with Tom Hogan (superintendent, Flinders GC), Andrew Anderson (superintendent, Ranfurlie GC) and Tom Lyon (foreman, Metropolitan GC and former ASTMA Graduate of the Year winner in 2021) who spoke on their careers to date and gave some good insights and tips for those wanting to further challenge themselves.

There were also presentations by Nadeem Zreikat (Colin Campbell Chemicals), Paul Spencer (Greenway Turf Solutions) and Darren Wardle. Wrapping up the day, we enjoyed a course walk with Southern superintendent Shaun Page and looked over recent major

ADAM LAMB PRESIDENT, VGCSA 66

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

STA VIC

PHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON

S

TA Victoria held its annual Sports Turf Seminar on Wednesday 24 July, with an impressive turnout of more than 400 for the association’s biggest event of the year. Hosted again in the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Olympic Room, the day was headlined by Adelaide Oval head curator Damian Hough and former Richmond Tiger and AFL Hall of Famer Matthew Richardson.

The education sessions began with a presentation by another former AFL player Mitch Wallace and Adam Mitchell from joint seminar sponsor Droneland. They provided an overview of rapidly-evolving drone technology and the various applications across the sports turf and facility management spheres such as mapping, spraying and seeding. Their talk was followed by Dr Phil Ford on pests and disease threats and then Nathan Tovey (TurfBreed) who briefly discussed the growing concern around fire ants and their movement south from Queensland and the likely implications for the turf industry.

After morning tea it was Damian’s turn to take the stage and present on what has been one of the most rewarding and challenging projects of his storied turf management career.

Having only just returned to work after his involvement with the ICC T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, as well as walking the Kokoda Track, Damian outlined the story of his and Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions’ (AOTS) involvement in the recent tournament.

Working in conjunction with US-based company LandTek, the AOTS team constructed and grew in drop-in wickets in Florida before transporting them all the way up the east coast of the USA to Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York which was specially constructed for the tournament.

As well as the four match wickets there, they also installed six wickets at the nearby Cantiague Park practice venue and also played a major role preparing Florida’s Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium that was also used during the tournament.

Following Damian, Jyri Kaapro, from seminar joint sponsor Envu, presented on some recent disease and trial work they have been undertaking, before the MCG’s executive manager of turf Matt Page provided an overview of the past 12 months. It has been a whirlwind year for Matt and his team who in among their usual diet of cricket and AFL have played host to three Taylor Swift concerts, State of Origin and a one-off match between English Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

The education sessions finished with Nathan again taking to the stage to talk about new couchgrass variety Ironcutter and the

Damian Hough headlined the recent STA Victoria annual seminar, speaking on Adelaide Oval’s involvement at the recent ICC T20 World Cup

story of its development and bringing it to market in Australia. After lunch, which provided an opportunity for delegates to visit the many trade stands which had been set up in the adjacent foyer, Matthew Richardson regaled the audience with tales from his 282-match AFL career and some of the funnier moments from his time in the Richmond guernsey and now in his media career.

The day had earlier kicked off with the STA Victoria Annual General Meeting which saw myself returned as president and long-serving secretary Hugh Gardner step down from the committee. We also welcomed three new general committee members – Doug Agnew, Daniel Streker and Steven Vernon. Following a member vote on changes to committee eligibility within the STA Victoria constitution, the full committee for the coming year was confirmed and includes: l President: Mark Doyle (City of Hume). l Vice-president/Education: Ant Lewis (Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club). l Secretary: Nathan Tovey (Turf Breed). l Treasurer: Garry Woolard (Frankston City Council). l General Committee: Doug Agnew (Melbourne Polytech), Steve Cole (Lilydale Instant Lawn), Ash Duncan (BrandtAU), Erik Kinlon (HG Turf Group), Justin Lang (Green Options), John Shannon (Melbourne Grammar School), Daniel Streker (Frankston City Council) and Steven Vernon (City of Boroondara).

The next STA Victoria event will be the Pitch Preparation Day to be held on 10 September at Melbourne Grammar School’s Edwin Flack Park in Port Melbourne. The day caters for wicket curators of all abilities and experience levels, with participants getting

MCG executive manager of turf Matt Page fields questions from delegates during the ground walk

AFL great and guest speaker Matthew Richardson

the chance to use machinery and equipment to improve their practical skills. This year’s day will be headlined by experienced Gabba curator Dave Sandurski. The Pitch Preparation Day will be administered as a Level 1 event as part of the new national Cricket Pitch Curator Accreditation Program.

MARK DOYLE PRESIDENT, STA VICTORIA JULY-AUGUST 2024 67

AS SOCIATION REPO RTS

ASTMA RTO

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he ASTMA’s training division reached a major milestone in late June with the completion of delivery of the first half of the Diploma of Sports Turf Management (AHC51019) course. After attaining RTO status in early June 2023, the ASTMA started delivery of both the Diploma and Certificate III in Sports Turf Management in late July 2023, with the first Diploma graduates on track to complete their training by June 2025.

The Diploma is delivered wholly online, with the aim to offer training to anyone who can’t presently access the management level qualification in metropolitan areas. The course is delivered with input from industry leaders, with the students covering topics each week related to unit content, during which time they have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have regarding completing assessments.

Assessments include short answer questions and a portfolio (a work-based report and, in some cases, student presentations). Sessions are recorded and can be reviewed before the next tutorial session which allows greater flexibility for busy workloads.

The Diploma students have applied themselves extremely well so far and student feedback has been great. We currently have 21 students enrolled from across Australia and overseas, who are embracing the flexible format we offer. One of the major advantages of the ASTMA’s delivery model is that both the Diploma and Certificate III courses (Cert III is for SA apprentices only) have rolling enrolments. This means that students can join either program at any time and commence with the next scheduled unit before completing their studies with the units missed. As the courses are being delivered online, students also have access to course and learning materials when it suits them, meaning greater flexibility for both the student and their employer. After a month’s break, the Diploma students recommenced on 25 July with the ‘Develop Sports Turf Maintenance Programs’ unit (AHCTRF507).

NEW APPOINTMENT The Diploma milestone came in the same week that we announced the appointment of Chris McCulloch as state training manager for South Australia. Chris will be working with and supporting myself to help deliver the Certificate III in Sports Turf Management course for South Australian apprentices. Chris began his new role on 1 July and can be contacted on 0488 338 805 or email chris@astma.com.au.

Chris comes to the ASTMA with a sports turf management career that has spanned more than 20 years in Australia and overseas.

Hailing from England, Chris was the manager of a 120-acre private estate where he was 68

Club in early June. Thanks to the support of host superintendent and TMSA president Nathan Bennett, the apprentices based themselves at the club across four days.

First-year apprentices were assessed across two units – ‘Implement soil improvements for gardens and turf areas’ (AHCSOL304) and ‘Recognise plants’ (AHCPCM204) – while the second-year students were assessed in the units ‘Operate pressurised irrigation systems’ (AHCIRG346) and ‘Apply environmentally sustainable work practices’ (AHCWRK320). The practical assessment tasks included…

ASTMA training manager Albert Sherry (left) with recently appointed South Australian training manager Chris McCulloch

responsible for the lawns and gardens as well as a private nine-hole golf course. Upon moving to Australia, Chris initially worked as a casual at Avondale Golf Club before taking up a role at Ellerston Golf in the Hunter Valley hinterland where he stayed for three years. Chris returned to Sydney as irrigation technician at The Australian Golf Club, during which time he completed his Diploma and was part of the crew that successfully delivered the 2017 Australian Open.

Chris then moved to Adelaide to take on the role of senior assistant superintendent at The Grange Golf Club which included preparing the course for the 2019 Women’s Australian Open. After three years there, Chris went on to hold a senior manager position at a landscape and horticulture business where he assisted councils, schools and sportsfields in managing their turf facilities, including cricket wicket preparation and vegetation management.

Over the last decade, Chris has featured in numerous turf publications and contributed to research and educational articles for the NSWGCSA and NSWBGA. He has also been an avid attendee at state education days and national conferences and has developed and led several research trials involving pests and diseases, microbes and their effect on turf diseases and bentgrass variety trials. Chris will be a tremendous asset for the ASTMA and mentor for our Certificate III students.

CERT III BLOCK RELEASE Speaking of the Cert III students, they undertook their fourth block release assessment session at Royal Adelaide Golf

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

Operate pressurised irrigation systems: RAGC irrigation technician Phil Pleic took students through the operation of the club’s irrigation system from the computer, pump shed, satellites and gate valves to the sprinkler heads. He addressed questions from students and guided them through start up checks, safe operation, troubleshooting faults and safe shutdown of the system. Students were also provided training in the polyweld technique of irrigation installation, installing swing arms, sprinklers and cabling.

Apply environmentally sustainable work practices: Students were guided around the RAGC site and advised of the outstanding environmental initiatives the club has stewardship over. Students completed tasks identifying current workplace sustainability practices, conducted a range of audits of the vegetation on course, water, energy and waste to contribute to and apply a review of practices as well as recording and reporting obligations under the SA Environment Protection Act 1993.

Implement soil improvements for garden and turf areas: Students provided three representative samples from their worksites, including one from a garden area, for testing against a range of physical and chemical soil properties, recording results and making recommendations for improving soil health as well as undertaking a planting program.

Recognise plants: Students completed a range of tasks including identifying a range of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, climbers, ground covers and grasses on site using a taxonomic key and features.

For more information about the courses being delivered by the ASTMA’s training division, I can be contacted on 0473 064 726 or email albert@astma.com.au.

ALBERT SHERRY TRAINING MANAGER, ASTMA

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PHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON

UP THE L AST...

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Mates

meet up What do you get when 60-odd retired and long-serving NSW sports turf managers walk into a bar in Sydney one late August afternoon...?

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he camaraderie that exists within the sports turf industry is well renowned and the friendships that are forged at the coalface in many cases last a lifetime. In honour of that, a special reunion was recently held for retired and long-serving members of the NSW golf and sports turf industry in Sydney. Nearly 60 former and current industry members gathered at the Harlequin Inn in Pyrmont on 24 August to reflect on their time in the industry and reacquaint themselves with friends and colleagues from years gone by.

The gathering was the brainchild of former Avondale Golf Club superintendent of nearly 25 years David Warwick, with help from wife 70

Michelle and support from the NSW Golf Course Superintendents Association. The inspiration came from his father Brian and seeing the importance he places on keeping in touch with his former police colleagues.

“My dad is 87 now and looks forward to getting the Police News every month,” explains Warwick, who won the ASTMA Distinguished Service Award in 2021. “In that there’s a story from one of the old guys, a bit of history and they also hold regular reunions for the different years. It got me thinking that there are so many wonderful people in our industry that have just dropped off or lost contact with their friends and colleagues, that social network I guess, when they’ve finished up in the industry.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

“I hold the friendships that I have made in the industry very dear to me, as most of us do, so this was a way to get everyone together and reconnect. To see the look on some peoples’ faces when they walked into the room was gobsmacking. ‘Gee, I thought you were dead!’ was one of the best comments I heard.

From my own perspective it was really nice to see people getting back in touch, some after 20 or 30 years. A few hatchets were buried, some new friendships were made and some old ones reacquainted.”

A number journeyed from far and wide to attend the event, among them Peter Brown who was bestowed the 2005 AGCSA Distinguished Service Award for his 40-plus years’ service to the industry which included 14 years in charge at The Lakes Golf Club.

Former AGCSA president Mark Couchman (ex-Cromer GC) and Board member David Scaife (ex-Bonnie Doon GC) also attended, as did current day ASTMA Board member Peter Lonergan (Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC) and Charlie Giffard (now Pacific Golf Club and one-time Royal Canberra superintendent) who both came down from the Gold Coast.

Other long-serving former superintendents included Brian ‘Hairy’ Osborne from Gloucester where he was superintendent for more than 40 years. Bill Hopkinson (ex-Killara

2 Golf Club) was also in attendance and was joined by a number of fellow NSWGCSA life members including Geoff Hatton, Martyn Black, Mark Schroder, Mal Harris, Richard Kirkby and Mark Parker.

Particular mention goes to John Simpson and son David Simpson (pictured right).

Into his 80s now, John was superintendent of the old Rugby League Country Club in Camden Valley for nearly 50 years, with son David still in the industry as superintendent at Campbelltown Golf Club. The Simpson family has a remarkable lineage and can trace their family tree back to legendary Scottish Photos: 1. NSWGCSA life members Mark Parker, Mal Harris, Mark Schroder, Martyn Black, Bill Hopkinson and Richard Kirkby; 2. Nearly 60 met up in Sydney in late August for the reunion; 3. David and John Simpson; 4. John Purtell, Peter Brown and Greg Flint; 5. Brian ‘Hairy’ Osborne and Peter Donkers; 6. Charlie Giffard, Michael Bradbery and Matt Goodbun.

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UP THE L AST... golfer Willy Park Senior who won the very first Open Championship in 1860. Former industry trade reps Kevin Harris (Bayer), David Westall (Scotts), Matthew Bywater (Nuturf) and Alain Dupuis (Maxwell & Kemp/Nuturf) were also present as were former TAFE teachers Frank Cridland and Ian Clark.

“It was a wonderful afternoon,” reflects Warwick. “The atmosphere was simply great, with plenty of laughs and stories told. It showed that the camaraderie that exists within the turf industry extends well beyond when you finish working in it. We had a few that couldn’t make it this year, but with the number of texts that I got afterwards saying what a great afternoon it was, I’m hopeful we can get everyone there next year. The aim is that this will become an annual association event where we can all stay in touch and something that other states might look at taking up as well.”

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Photos: 7. Peter Lonergan with David and Michelle Warwick; 8. Frank Cridland, Graeme Logan, Anthony Mills and Mark Schroder; 9. David Scaife, Mark Couchman, Scott Riley and Dean Scullion; 10. Simon Brown, Marshall Howarth, Michael Bradbery and Richard Kirkby. 11. Wayne Pounsberry and Martyn Black; 12. Craig Wright, Matthew Goodbun, Steve Jacobsen and Ryan Fury; 13. Alain Dupuis, Peter Donkers and Paul Delaney; 14: Richard Kirkby, Steve Kazurinsky, Martyn Black and Gary Dempsey.

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 26.4

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