Australian Turfgrass Management Journal - Volume 27.2 by ASTMA

CELEBRATING THE EFFORTS OF AUSTRALIA’S SPORTS TURF MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

ISSN 1442-2697

VOLUME 27.2 MAR-APR 2025

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JOURNAL

Shield celebrations

Karen Rolton Oval stars in South Australia’s triumph

Alfred’s assault Courses clean up after cyclone’s battering

Classic comeback

Coffs Harbour crew rally to reinstate course for LET event

Sandbelt touch comes to Perth Mount Lawley Golf Club unveils $3.7m new look

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Published by the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) Editorial Brett Robinson Office: (03) 9548 8600 Mobile: 0434 144 779 Email: brett@astma.com.au Nick Creely E: nick@astma.com.au

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The Australian Sports Turf Managers Association encourages all members to support The ASTMA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian these companies who support your association Turfgrass Management is these accurate, but gives no warranty in relation companies who support your Theassociation Australian Sports Turf Managers Association encourages all members to support thereto, and disclaims liability for all claims against the ASTMA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person these companies who support your association which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the ASTMA The Australian Sports TurfAssociation Managers Association The Australian Sports Turf Managers encouragesencourages all membersalltomembers support to support these who companies support your association MARCH-APRIL 2025 1 these companies supportwho your association Copyright © 2025

PHOTO: MOUNT LAWLEY GC/MICHAEL HALUWANA

CONTENTS

8 COVER STORY MOUNT LAWLEY IN THE LIMELIGHT

In early February, Mount Lawley Golf Club in Perth officially opened its new-look course after a three-year, three-stage greens replacement and fairway bunker project. Under the auspices of OCM Golf lead architect Mike Cocking, the project has brought a touch of the Melbourne Sandbelt to the WA state capital, complete with brand new 007 greens. ATM editor Brett Robinson caught up with Mount Lawley course superintendent Rod Tatt, winner of the 2023 ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environmental Award, to look back on the project and some of its unique elements.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Cover: The new 18th green and clubhouse surrounds at Mount Lawley Golf Club in Perth. Photo: Mount Lawley GC/Michael Haluwana.

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

4 6 64 68

In perfect pitch – Sheffield Shield 16 Alfred and the aftermath 22 A Classic comeback 28 Professional network – FTMI wrap 32 New NSW sportsfield guidelines 38 Carlaw on track 44 Sand-based constructions 46

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

PHOTO: DAVID TEASE/GOLF NSW

FEATURES

The Gabbatoir’s long goodbye

6 PETER McMAUGH AM JOHN FORREST KATE TORGERSEN BEN GIBSON

48 52 56 58

56 Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Journal Volume 27.2 (March-April 2025): Australian Golf Media; Andrew Anderson (Ranfurlie GC); Shane Baker (GCSAWA); Dr Mick Battam (AgEnviro Solutions); Gary Beehag; Jake Carlaw (Australian Turf Club); City of Vincent, WA; Nick Creely (ASTMA); Marie Cunningham (TMSA); Matt Duff (Coffs Harbour GC); Dr Phil Ford (Melbourne Polytechnic); John Forrest (Forrest and Forrest Horticultural Consultancy Services); FTMI Class of 2024/2025; Craig Geeve (Duntryleague GC); Getty Images; Ben Gibson (The Toolbox Team); Monina Gilbey (Torgersen Gilbey); Michael Haluwana (@aeroture_aus); Mark Hauff (GCSAQ); Trent Kelly (Karen Rolton Oval/SACA); Ladies European Tour; Adam Lamb (VGCSA); Dr Paul Lamble (Peak Water Consulting); Peter Lonergan (Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC); Peter McMaugh AM (Turfgrass Scientific Services); Stuart Moore (Southport GC); Nearmap; Troy O’Hern (Mount Lawley GC); SACA; Albert Sherry (ASTMA); Simon Snedden (ACTSTMA); Steriline Racing; Rod Tatt (Mount Lawley GC); David Tease (Golf NSW); Mark Unwin (ASTMA); Tim Warren (TMSA); Kay Wilson.

PHOTO: KAY WILSON

COLUMNS

PHOTO: ANDREW ANDERSON

n 25 March 2025 the long-awaited announcement came. Some 1340 days after Queensland successfully won the bid to host the 2032 Olympics and following a protracted period of uncertainty over how (and more importantly where) the Brisbane Games would be delivered, the Queensland Government finally unveiled its plans. After a ‘100-day review’ of the previous government’s strategy, new Queensland Premier David Crisafulli released the ‘2032 Delivery Plan’ which outlined a $7.1 billion venue capital works program to facilitate the Games and beyond. At its centre was confirmation that a new 63,000-seat stadium would be built at Victoria Park. Situated about a kilometre from the Brisbane CBD it will be the hub of an Olympic precinct that will include the athlete’s village and swimming venue. Once the Olympics are over, the stadium will revert to being the new home of Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Lions, with their traditional Gabba home to be demolished thereafter and turned into a residential development. The announcement ended a long period of doubt over the Gabba’s future and what would happen to cricket and AFL in the lead-up to the Games. When the Olympics was first announced in 2021, the previous government said it was going to demolish the Gabba and rebuild it to the tune of $2.7 billion. That was eventually shelved due to concerns over costs, with a $600 million facelift of the facility mooted instead which drew even wider criticism. Naturally both Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Lions applauded the March announcement that a new stadium was being built. “Queensland Cricket congratulates the Queensland Government on its decision to invest in the State’s future, with a world-class stadium that will be a centrepiece of Brisbane for 2032 and beyond,” said Queensland Cricket chief executive Terry Svenson. “The Gabba has been a wonderful venue for cricket for many years… however the challenges the stadium faces are well documented and we need to look to the future.” Brisbane Lions chief executive Greg Swann was more succinct… “The Gabba has been a great home for the past 30 years, but the city has outgrown it, the Lions have outgrown it and the venue is reaching its end of life.” In addition to the stadium announcement, the Queensland Government and Cricket Australia also confirmed they had reached an agreement for the return of the first Test to Brisbane as one of the first post-Olympics events at the new Brisbane Stadium. It was announced that following a year off in 2026-27 (when it will not host a Test), the Gabba would return to the international Test series calendar from 2027-28 through until 2031-32, after which cricket would transition to the new stadium. Ironically, the Gabba’s last hurrah could actually come during the Olympics. Cricket (T20) has been added to the schedule for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and should it be retained for Brisbane, the Gabba and Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena have been slated as host venues. Now that an end date has been confirmed, the slow countdown begins to what will be the end of an era. For nearly 100 years the Gabba has been an integral part of the fabric of Australian sport. Traditionally host of the first Test of each new season, it has held nearly 70 Tests (men’s and women’s) since its first in 1931, earning the nickname ‘the Gabbatoir’ given Australia’s home turf dominance there. Among some of the momentous occasions there included the game’s first ever tied Test between Australia and the West Indies in 1960, while it was the setting for Shane Warne’s career best figures of 8/71 in the 1994-1995 Ashes Series. The Gabba also holds a special place in the hearts of many Kiwis given it witnessed one of the most clinical examples of swing and seam bowling the game has seen. Richard Hadlee registered figures of 9/52 and 6/71 in 1985 as New Zealand claimed a maiden Test victory over their Trans-Tasman rivals on Australian soil. The Gabba has also of course been synonymous with two of Australia’s most respected turf managers – Kevin Mitchell Sr and Kevin Mitchell Jr. The famous father-son double act presided over the Gabba turf for a combined 42 years, Mitchell Sr from 1975 to 1989 and Mitchell Jr from 1990 until his retirement after the 2017 Ashes Series. Since then David Sandurski has expertly managed the ground, balancing the needs of preparing the turf for both cricket and AFL in southeast Queensland’s at times brutal climate. While we bid a long farewell to one of Australia’s iconic venues, for another this past domestic cricket season has been something of a coming of age. Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide played host to a dramatic Sheffield Shield final in March, with South Australia claiming their first title in nearly 30 years. In this edition new ASTMA reporter Nick Creely, who has been a wonderful addition to the editorial team, recounts the euphoric scenes and catches up with grounds manager Trent Kelly who had a very personal connection to the win. Enjoy the read…

Brett Robinson, Editor MARCH-APRIL JULY-AUGUST 2025 2024

FOREWORD THINKING WITH MARK UNWIN, CEO

ASTMA team expands as countdown to Sydney begins

he final pieces of the 2025 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference are coming together, with the industry’s flagship event now a matter of weeks away. We are thrilled to be bringing the conference and trade exhibition to Sydney from 23-26 June. This year will feature keynote presentations from global turf industry leaders, cutting-edge education sessions and an expanded trade exhibition showcasing the latest innovations in turf management technology. As noted in last edition’s update, we have curated an educational program comprising a series of focused agronomy workshops and technical presentations that will provide attendees with research-led learning tailored to specific in-demand aspects of turf management. Whether you are looking to gain insights into advanced agronomic practices, environmental sustainability or leadership development, this year’s program is set to offer something for all sports turf managers. Nominations are closing shortly for the 2025 National Turf Industry Awards and I would encourage any late nominations to be finalised and submitted to the association ahead of judging commencing. We have also finalised the Graduate of the Year Award fields with the winners from each of the state associations now confirmed across both the golf and sportsfields and grounds sectors. They will each represent their state in the national finals which will be judged on the eve of the conference and announced at the gala dinner held on Monday evening. It will be a big few days for the graduates and we wish them all the best. The first few months of 2025 have seen a few milestones for the ASTMA training team, with several students completing their final units and gaining their Certificate III in Sports Turf Management qualifications which is a great achievement. This year to date we have also seen a large increase in new enrolments in both the Certificate III and Diploma in Sports Turf Management courses. It is pleasing to see the growth in apprenticeship commencements and the continued interest in undertaking professional development through the Diploma course.

A WARM WELCOME TO NICK AND AMY Over the past few weeks, the ASTMA has welcomed two new staff members at Clayton headquarters, with journalist Nick Creely and agronomist Amy Dingle joining the team. Nick will be assisting editor Brett Robinson with the suite of association publications, including Australian Turfgrass Management Journal and The Cut newsletter. Nick has been a sports journalist for nearly nine years and got his start in the industry working for Star News Group in Melbourne’s south-east. After cutting his teeth there for five-and-ahalf years, he moved to Warrnambool where he joined The Standard, south-west Victoria’s leading daily newspaper. There he produced digital and print content ranging from awardwinning football coverage, netball, cricket, basketball, soccer, speedway racing, cycling and much more. Nick covered a range of elite sport for the organisation, including the 2022 AFL Grand Final between Geelong and Sydney and AFL, Big Bash League and domestic cricket. Nick’s extensive grounding in community newspapers and experience working in a daily news room environment will be a tremendous asset for the ASTMA and help to lift the coverage of the industry and its members. Nick has well and truly hit the ground running and has already produced a number of articles, among them a feature on the recent Sheffield Shield final which appears in this edition. A few weeks after Nick started, Amy Dingle joined the AGCSATech team where she will work alongside fellow agronomists Bruce Macphee and Tim Fankhauser. Amy brings with her extensive experience, passion and technical expertise that will greatly benefit our members and the wider sports turf industry. Amy comes to the ASTMA from SportENG, where she built a strong reputation for her Olympic boxer Harry Garside has been confirmed for the opening Plenary session at the Sydney conference New ASTMA staff Nick Creely and Amy Dingle

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

work in sportsfield design, construction consultation and surface management. During her time there, Amy worked closely with a range of stakeholders, including professional sporting organisations, local government authorities and community sports groups, providing expert advice and innovative solutions to optimise the performance and sustainability of sports surfaces. With a Bachelor of Agriculture from the University of Melbourne, Amy’s professional journey has been defined by her commitment to enhancing turf quality, improving maintenance practices and supporting the long-term sustainability of sports facilities. Her practical, research-driven approach and deep understanding of turfgrass science will strengthen the ASTMA’s technical support services and contribute significantly to our expanding suite of member resources, education and research programs. In her new role with the ASTMA, Amy will work with Bruce and Tim to deliver agronomic initiatives, providing technical advice to members, contributing to education and professional development programs, supporting national research activities and assisting with industry advocacy projects. She will also play a key role in developing new resources, case studies and technical bulletins designed to assist sports turf managers in achieving best practice outcomes. Amy will be working with the team full-time, while Nick will be working three days a week (Tuesdays-Thursdays). Both can be contacted at the office on (03) 9548 8600 or by email – amy@astma.com.au or nick@astma.com.au. As we continue into the middle of the year, the ASTMA Board will be hosting its annual catch up with the state association presidents in May. This will present an opportunity for the national and state teams to collaborate on joint initiatives, understand the challenges at both levels and develop industry priorities for the next 12-18 months. We will provide a further update on this after the meeting in mid-May. Until then, we encourage all members to engage with the ASTMA’s initiatives, whether by attending our flagship conference in Sydney – register now at www.astma.com.au – or taking advantage of our growing range of resources and networking opportunities

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SOCIALS

Best

on ground ATM showcases some of the best social media images and posts from across the sports turf industry in recent times...

ACCOR STADIUM “Accor Stadium, like you’ve never seen it before!” (In early March, the playing surface at Accor Stadium in Sydney was transformed into a stage for the Race of Champions motorsport event. Over a five-day period more than 200 staff worked night and day to construct the spectacular side-by-side one-kilometre-long asphalt race track. The surface was covered with geofabric and plywood boards before more than 4500 tonnes of road base and asphalt was shaped into the track configuration, which included a 43-metre cross-over bridge.)

JACK LAVERY “Nice little mark out for the Champions League – PSG.” (For the past 18 months, former Royal Melbourne Golf Club foreman Jack Lavery has been part of the grounds team at Liverpool Football Club in England. Here he is pictured line-marking the hallowed Anfield turf ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain in March.) 6

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

IDRIS EVANS “Watering in some products.” (Irrigation systems get a constant workout during Perth’s summer and early autumn, with the one at Western Australia Golf Club no exception. Superintendent Idris Evans snapped theirs in action, above, on the 4th fairway mid-March watering in wetting agent a week out from the start of their greens renovations.)

NELSON BAY GOLF CLUB “Morning views like this never get old. It’s going to be a great day.” (A picture-perfect mid-March sunrise, below, over Nelson Bay Golf Club north of Newcastle, NSW. Home to course superintendent Greg Stynes, in the weeks previous the club co-hosted the NSW Senior Amateur Championship alongside Pacific Dunes.)

ANDREW ANDERSON “This past week has proven to be one of the many examples behind my decision to integrate autonomy. With 30mm (of rain) Thursday night, it has taken a majority of the crew three days to reinstate bunkers. Not just with the autonomy of this exact mower, but anywhere this technology is utilised, it creates flexibility and the security to complete tasks regardless of what transpires.” (A stunning early morning photo, above, of Ranfurlie Golf Course’s John Deere fairway mower equipped with Turftronic’s fully autonomous Robotic Mowing System kit. Anderson has been among the first Australian superintendents to embrace autonomous mowing technology as part of his course maintenance operations.)

MARCH-APRIL 2025

REDEVELOPMENTS

Mount Lawley in the

limelight

In early February, Mount Lawley Golf Club officially opened its new-look course after a three-year, three-stage redevelopment. Under the auspices of OCM Golf lead architect Mike Cocking, the project has brought a touch of the Melbourne Sandbelt to Perth, complete with a new bunkering style and 007 bentgrass greens. ATM editor Brett Robinson catches up with course superintendent Rod Tatt to look back on the project and some of its unique elements.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

seen Tatt steer the club through one of the most significant course projects in its near 100year history. On 8 February 2025, Mount Lawley officially opened its new-look layout when life member Stan Bell hit the first tee shot down the 1st. It signified the end of a three-stage reconstruction project under the auspices of OCM Golf which saw the reconstruction of 21 greens, six tees, a major overhaul of the practice facilities and clubhouse surrounds and the reversal of nines. After initially focussing on the greenside bunkers, all fairway bunkers were rebuilt as well, with the overall number of hazards going from 62 to 86 and increasing in size as well. For Tatt and his core crew of 11, the project was very hands on, working closely with the OCM team which comprised lead architect Mike Cocking and project manager Rob Swift. As Tatt attests it has been quite the journey

they, and the members, have been on, but one he is confident has set the club up for prosperous times ahead. “It has been the biggest project of my career without a doubt,” reflects Tatt (51). “We did a lot of planning, trials and testing which was critical, but the most important thing was the hard work and support from the staff and the members. It was exciting to turn up every day and see the gradual progress being made and getting the positive feedback from the members that we were on to something good. “I’m really proud of the staff. We were able to pull the whole thing together with a relatively small team and they did an absolute power of work. We also had great support from the Board and general manager Troy O’Hern. Obviously with each stage we would learn a bit more which would help with the next and I think the finished result is something both the staff and members can be very proud of.”

As part of the redevelopment project, Mount Lawley Golf Club converted all greens, all bunkers (greenside and fairway) and also reversed its nines. Pictured is the new 9th green which was previously the 18th

MARCH-APRIL 2025

PHOTOS: MOUNT LAWLEY GC/MICHAEL HALUWANA

he past six-and-a-half years have gone by in a flash for Rod Tatt. It was 2018 when the Victorian superintendent departed Yarra Yarra Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt, travelling to the other side of the country to take the reins at another venerable golfing establishment – Mount Lawley. The move to Perth surprised many, but it has been one which has ultimately brought Tatt much success and proven to be a landmark period in his turf management career. Arriving at Mount Lawley just weeks out from the club hosting the 2018 WA Open, Tatt had to hit the ground running. And he hasn’t stopped since. In addition to navigating that tournament, a global pandemic (which for a Victorian in Perth was particularly challenging) and winning the ASTMA’s coveted Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award in 2023, the past three years has also

REDEVELOPMENTS

After a number of trials, Mount Lawley decided to convert its greens to 007 bentgrass. It was chosen due to its ability to handle wear better, with the club pumping through up to 75,000 rounds a year

LONG-TERM SOLUTION What has eventuated at Mount Lawley over the past three years is certainly more significant than what was originally planned. While the WA Open was Tatt’s immediate focus upon arriving in 2018, shortly after that the club was all set to launch into a greens resurfacing program. Tatt, however, could see that the existing 1019/1020 bentgrass/Poa annua greens had a number of inherent issues which wouldn’t be remedied by a quick fix solution. Mount Lawley members love their golf and the annual round numbers reflect that. In an average year they’ll clock up 70,000, while during COVID that shot up to 75,000. At just a hectare overall, the previous greens were relatively small for the amount of traffic they were receiving and the wear and tear was showing. Under the surface, Sting nematode activity was a constant headache, causing a shallow root system which was compounded by shade and other microclimate issues. There were also design shortfalls, with some green shapes holding excess water which exacerbated water-borne diseases such as pythium. As Tatt describes it they really had to “nurse” the greens through Perth’s brutal summer months with staff spending many hours on the end of a hose. With a number of issues at play, Tatt recommended the club step back and reassess their approach in order to give the members the best result possible long-term. 10

With OCM Golf on board the scope of works soon became a complete reconstruction of all greens complexes complete with a new growing medium and bentgrass variety. Prior to his arrival, the club had already conducted a number of bentgrass trials, but with the change of plans that enabled Tatt to

BY THE NUMBERS – MLGC REDEVELOPMENT l

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AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Over 14,000 hours labour by course team, plus countless hours planning. 21 greens reconstructed (13,850m2 of 007 bentgrass seeded). 5.5ha of Santa Ana couchgrass laid. 5,500m3 of greens growing medium imported (blend of sand, 2% compost and 1.5% Mineral Magic by volume). Over 5,000m3 of native sand moved to construct green and tee bases. 86 bunkers reconstructed and/or added (up from 62 on the old course). Six tees complexes. 3000m2 practice tee. Multiple clubhouse and course pathways. New reticulation installed in all new greens, tees and fairway bunker areas. OCM Golf took eight months to construct split over three years. Over $450,000 in course staff wages. Total spend $3.7million

assess some newer varieties. It also allowed him to look more thoroughly into the best rootzone mix and amendments for the greens and bunker sands, with Perth-based consultant John Forrest brought in to assist investigations. From a turf perspective, four grasses were planted into two greens to assess how they would handle Perth’s unique climate and also the crew’s management regimes. 777 was the new variety which hadn’t been trialled earlier and it would come down to a three-way race between it, 007 and Pure Distinction. For Tatt, there were a number of key qualities he was looking for. First and foremost it needed to be able to handle traffic and wear but also not be high maintenance. Due to their high round numbers, Tatt didn’t want to be out every week trying to dust or verti-mow. Not surprisingly Pure Distinction quickly dropped out of consideration due to its propensity for rapid thatch development. In the end, it came down to 007 and 777 with the club opting for the former, older variety. “They’re all great grasses and in different climates and under different management regimes they all produce great surfaces. You look at Peninsula-Kingswood and the Pure Distinction there is amazing,” explains Tatt. “In the two years of trials we did, the 007 produced about half the amount of thatch that the others did with our management practices. The 007 also has a bit more lateral growth and recovery ability from pitch marks. It might be

one of the older grasses, but 007 is certainly fine enough and you can really work it and get it as fine as you want.”

STARTING SMALL, FINISHING BIG After initial delays due to the pandemic, the Mount Lawley redevelopment kicked off in earnest in the latter half of 2022. The first stage would see four of the more problematic greens – 1, 7, 8 and 11 (which now play as holes 10, 16, 17 and 2 with the reversal of the nines) – tackled first. The plan was to start off small, with a six month gap in between each stage to enable Tatt and his team to really highlight the quality of the new greens to members before pushing ahead with the next stage. Stage 2, in the spring/summer of 2023/2024, comprised eight greens (now 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14 and 15) and also saw the addition of the fairway bunker element of the project (more on that below). The third and final stage, completed this past February, was the biggest – greens 1, 6, 8, 9, 13 and 18, two practice putters and a new chipping green. Stage 3 was the most challenging due to the increased scope of works which also included the construction of a 3000m2 practice tee along with all clubhouse pathways and surrounds. As each stage progressed, Tatt and his team would finetune their methods and grow-in/management regimes to streamline processes. Each green was initially stripped of all irrigation hardware and anything salvageable, like valve boxes and sprinklers, was kept. The existing turf was sod cut and taken away, bunker edges removed and the whole greens complex then rotary hoed to give OCM a clean slate. OCM would then box out each green to 300mm before irrigation was installed and the native sand push up base fumigated with Draslovka’s EDN product. After being left for 10 days, the new rootzone mix was imported which consisted of a local Carramar plastering sand (typically used in greens construction in Perth) which was blended at the quarry with compost (2%) and Mineral Magic (amorphous silica, 1.5%) to increase moisture retention. After OCM completed final shaping, the greens were handed back to Tatt’s team who would lay a strip of Santa Ana couchgrass around the perimeter of each green before a local company came in to hydroseed the 007. The remainder of the surrounds were then solid turfed with Santa Ana (the majority of which was supplied by West Coast Turf), while staff would also finish off all the tie-in work with the new bunkers. “The grow-in and establishment went really well and I couldn’t be happier with the

The Mount Lawley course redevelopment has been the biggest project of Rod Tatt’s superintendent career. The Victorian moved to Perth in 2018 after a successful stint on the Melbourne Sandbelt

new profile and how much root depth and structure we have in the greens,” says Tatt. “The whole point of the compost and Mineral Magic blended into the profile was to get some carbon into the soil and some moisture and nutrient retention long-term. Even with the older ‘new’ greens we are still getting roots down to the end of the hole changer. “It’s so nice to be working with a new profile that drains well and doesn’t thatch up like the old greens did and hold moisture near the surface. Our nematode counts, which we monitor regularly, are still low too. We know they will be back at some point, but we aren’t having to treat them yet.”

SANDBELT STYLE Arguably the most unique aspect of the redevelopment works has been the significant shift in bunkering style. In a deliberate move to create a point of difference between it and Perth’s other top tier courses, Mount Lawley has gone for a distinctly Melbourne Sandbelt

feel with its new bunkers. Given both Tatt’s and Cocking’s experiences working on and affinity for the Sandbelt, it was a good marriage and the end result is striking. In typical Sandbelt style, the Mount Lawley greens are now cut right to the edge of the bunkers, while the backsides and tongues are rolled over Santa Ana couchgrass oversown with fine fescue. Using fescue is certainly a bold move given Perth’s extreme summer heat but Tatt is confident they’re on to a winner. “Mike (Cocking) really wanted to capture that Sandbelt feel with the greens complexes,” explains Tatt. “Having worked together over the past 25 years, we workshopped some ideas and came up with how we were going to get that sharp edge look. We decided to revet the edge using turf off our couch fairways and sod cut it thick and laid them back to back about 2-3 high which gave us that instant edge and real good stability. So we have couchgrass sod on the bunker edge and then bentgrass up to that which has worked really well.

The project was carried out across three stages, with the new 17th (old 8th) among four of the more problematic greens tackled during the opening stage

MARCH-APRIL 2025

REDEVELOPMENTS

A key part of the project was reinstating Mount Lawley’s famous ‘Commonwealth’ par three hole which was part of the original layout when the course opened in 1928. Having lost its original design intent, the green, which is in the shape of Australia, has been reimagined by OCM Golf and has become the club’s signature hole

“With the fescue on the backside and in the tongues, as it has matured it is getting better. The couch is in there to hold the bunker edge together over summer because the fescue wouldn’t hold on by itself and would get knocked around too much. Admittedly, it was a bit tricky in the first year keeping the fescue alive during the first summer with the extreme heat we get. When we started seeding some of the fairway bunkers in June they were great because you were able to get it established, but towards the end of the project when we were seeding them into October it was a bit tricky getting through the summer. “The older the fescue gets, it finds its own length. We don’t have to be in there chopping it down with a whippersnipper all the time. We may go in once a year to give it a good hard haircut and let it come back over winter, mainly to reduce the amount of couchgrass material that builds up over the warmer months. We also go back and hydroseed any areas that need filling in. Overall we feel it is working really well and giving us a great contrast to the roughs and the short grass areas.” As Tatt alludes to, adding to the complexity of the bunker works was the club’s decision midway through Stage 2 to redo the fairway bunkers as well. Although it had been flagged that there would be a significant difference in appearance between the new greenside 12

and old fairways bunkers, the club was initially content to review them at a later date. However, after seeing the impressive new style, the trigger was pulled on the fairway bunkers to ensure continuity throughout the course. In most cases the fairway bunkers were replaced where they were and remodelled to mirror their greenside counterparts. A few new ones were added, some larger bunkers were turned into 2-3 smaller ones and others were simply filled in depending on the strategy with the new greens complexes. “It added to the workload and logistical challenges across those latter two stages, but it made a lot of sense and was definitely the right move,” says Tatt on the call to redo the fairway bunkers. “Like with any construction project, you deal with the challenges that are thrown at you. We had 12 holes’ worth of fairway bunkers to do so it meant we needed more turf. Getting supply from the turf farm was challenging so we had to strip some fairways and also getting contractors to lay it at short notice had its moments.”

A SPECIAL SIGNATURE One of the more creative parts of OCM’s work was reinstating Mount Lawley’s iconic ‘Commonwealth’ hole, what was the par three 13th which is now the 4th in the revised layout. Back when the course was first built in the late

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1920s, the ‘Commonwealth’ green was shaped in the outline of Australia. Given the lack of technology at the time, the original design was pretty accurate with sand running around the green perimeter to accentuate the shape. Over the years the green was changed numerous times, boasting various shapes and bunker complexes to accommodate the increase in traffic and new equipment such as ride-on mowers and boom sprayers (the original green only had two access points). As such the unique character of the hole had been progressively lost, however, in the summer of 2011/2012 the club attempted to recapture that when it reconstructed the green with a more ‘Australia-looking’ shape. Keen to reinstall the green to its origins and make it a true signature hole, OCM Golf used a 1948 aerial image of the hole as inspiration (see above, top left). As well as reinstating the full Australia shape, their design includes three large bunkers – one takes up the Gulf of Carpentaria and wraps around Cape York Peninsula, another hugs the Western Australia coastline, while the largest is around Tasmania which is represented by a grassy island of couch oversown with fescue. From the elevated tee you can kind of make out the shape, but it’s from the air (see photos above) where you get a true appreciation of how faithful OCM’s shaping has been.

“The reimagining of the Commonwealth hole was an important part of the project,” states Tatt. “It has been really exciting to reintroduce it and it has become quite the talking point among the members. “It’s a great little hole – only 120 metres – and the green has increased from 400m2 to 650m2. The old green was one of our problem ones – it was small, flat, surrounded by trees, was at a low point of the course and had a lot of microclimate issues. Thankfully we’ve been able to remove a few problematic non-endemic trees behind the green which has helped to improve airflow. “There’s now a lot bigger opening on the left-hand side for players who want to run the ball down, whereas before there wasn’t much of an access point as there was a bunker in the middle. If you play it smart you get out of there with a par, but if you take on the ‘Melbourne/ Victoria’ pin behind the bunker it’s a very tricky shot and you might walk off with a six. “From a maintenance perspective, it can be a bit tricky mowing ‘Queensland’ with the narrow peninsula, but the staff do really well with the hand mowers which we use most of the time. It can be a bit tricky with the boom sprayer as well so we mostly use a pedestrian boom on that green now.”

GOING NANO In tandem with modernising the greens both above and below the surface, Mount Lawley has also been extremely proactive behind the scenes across the project improving its irrigation water quality. In the spring of 2023, the club became the first in WA to trial a Nano Bubble Technologies (NBT) treatment unit which aims to increase dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, oxidise iron and control cyanobacteria and pythium in its

Mount Lawley has been trialling a Nano Bubble Technologies water treatment unit over the past year. Tatt says it has made significant improvements in the quality of their irrigation water and greens surfaces as a result

irrigation water. Like all courses in Perth, Mount Lawley relies solely on bore water and has a 372ML annual license which come 2028 will be cut by 10 per cent as the WA Government reduces water allocations for sports and recreation facilities. The 6ML Mount Lawley irrigation dam contains three ‘ponds’. Bore water is pumped into a small top pond before flowing into another similar sized pond which both aim to remove some of the iron content. That water then flows into the main pond where it is treated. The NBT treatment unit – which Tatt describes as the “Rolls Royce” version – is housed in a container next to the irrigation dam and comprises two sets of five injectors. Water is drawn from the main irrigation pond into the injectors, with one outflow line sending treated water into a wet well which feeds straight into the irrigation system, while a second line sends treated water back into the lake.

During the first summer of the trial, high iron levels in the bore water caused the unit’s injectors to block. After working with NBT to resolve the issue – which involved swapping out the original stainless steel injectors for new titanium ones – the system is now working really well. With a full summer of operation now under the belt, Tatt is encouraged by the results he is seeing not only in terms of the readings from the irrigation dam but also visually on the course. “The quality of the NBT water has definitely made a big impact on water usage reduction, improved uniformity across the course and greatly improved turf recovery from stress, particularly on greens,” explains Tatt. “We had a few of the new greens dry out on us this past summer and their recovery from that was phenomenal. If you have a dryness issue or greens that are under a bit of stress, using the treated water seems to enable them to bounce

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REDEVELOPMENTS Mount Lawley’s new bunkers have a Melbourne Sandbelt feel to them. Greens are cut right to the edge, while the backsides (pictured) and tongues are rolled over Santa Ana couchgrass oversown with fescue

water helps it to penetrate the surface twice as fast than the untreated water, so we should have less dry patch not just in the greens but across the whole course.”

SHOWCASING MOUNT LAWLEY

back a lot quicker than if you were using untreated water. I guess that is what you’d expect because you are getting that oxygen down into the roots. “When the bore water comes into our top ponds the DO levels are about 4-5ppm, but once treated that rises to 10-15ppm which is better than rainwater. It’s a big difference and we are getting those readings at the sprinklers also. We have a handheld DO meter which we use to take measurements at various points (dam, wet well, sprinklers) so we can tell that it is getting delivered straight to the greens. “We are also testing for cyanobacteria and iron levels. There is a feeling that the system can oxidise the iron and drop it out in the main lake, so therefore it’s not going through the system. The other beneficial thing is that because ozone is used as part of the treatment process, it is cleaning the irrigation system on the inside. You can also tell by looking at the clarity of the lake that it is making a difference. Normally in summer when water temperatures rise we get a lot of algae issues on greens, but the ozone is taking care of that.”

With a heap of data now collected, Tatt is in the process of doing a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the club will continue using the NBT unit. Even with the course in a grow-in/ establishment phase over the past summer, which necessitates higher water requirements, Tatt says water use has been well below budget. He puts that down to using better quality water and because of the more normal summer conditions (by Perth standards at least). Tatt believes that, in time, if the club decides to use the system permanently and along with other improvements to their irrigation components, there is no reason why the club couldn’t aim for a 20 per cent reduction in water use by 2028. “We’re looking at expenditure on things like wetting agents, pesticides and fertilisers and at this point in time it’s showing that we would likely save money in those areas once the system was in for a year or two and we get the health of the plant stronger,” explains Tatt. “Especially wetting agents – we use a lot of them here because of our hydrophobic sands. Having the higher DO levels in the treated

After a hectic three years of construction, the past three months have been a welcome change for Tatt and his crew as they enjoy being back in more of a routine maintenance mode. While there are a few small areas still left to tick off around the course, the focus is now about lifting the bar and presenting the new surfaces at their best for the members. As Tatt delights in saying, managing the new greens compared to the old ones is like “chalk and cheese” and there have been some noticeable changes, whether it’s using less product to combat disease or tweaking their regular maintenance regimes. “The big thing with the new greens is that we have the confidence now of being able to go home and not be stressing about them on a weekend,” explains Tatt. “If we do our prewaterings on a Saturday and Sunday morning we know they are going to get through the day without any dramas. With the old greens you’d be here in the afternoons nursing them through. You’d also be in mowing the old greens on the weekends whereas now we are able to drop that mow and get away with just a roll. The NBT treated water certainly seems to be helping with the pythium as well and we probably made only one or two preventative applications last summer compared to spraying every three to four weeks previously.” Just as the members are finally relishing playing a full complement of 18 new-look holes, for Tatt and his team they are looking forward to putting the new surfaces through their first real test in a few months’ time. Having last hosted the WA Open within Tatt’s first couple of months at the club, the tournament is set to return to Mount Lawley this October for the 11th time in its history. “It’s going to be great having the WA Open back and will give us a chance to really focus on that high-end presentation across four days of tournament golf,” says Tatt. “We are superexcited that it is being broadcast on TV as it will give us the chance to showcase to the rest of the country the new Mount Lawley and the hard work that has been achieved by many to get to where we are.”

The final stage of works was the most challenging and included nine greens, among them the 9th, 18th, chipper and practice putter (pictured), as well as a 4000m2 practice tee and clubhouse tie-in

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PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

SHEFFIELD SHIELD

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

In perfect

pitch

Amidst jubilant and rapturous scenes at Karen Rolton Oval as South Australia celebrated its first Sheffield Shield title since 1995-96 was SACA grounds manager Trent Kelly and his dedicated staff who ensured the pitch and outfield provided an entertaining spectacle of Australian domestic cricket. ASTMA reporter Nick Creely caught up with the former first-class quick on the raw emotion of the occasion and the preparation for the

biggest game of the season. In a funny sort of way, it was a different type of jubilation for Kelly, with the Sheffield Shield final pitch – an Adelaide Oval dropin surface placed into the facility in August 2023 following an extensive logistical and planning process – providing the platform for a memorable display of red-ball cricket. As a man who likes to keep busy and work quickly, Kelly, a former fast bowler who played at the elite level for both his home state South Australia and Western Australia, was rewarded in more ways than one and was a key figure in the SACA’s dominance this season. Since taking on the role as grounds manager nearly a decade ago, overseeing the redevelopment of KRO in 2017 into one of

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

t was scenes of euphoria for longsuffering South Australian cricket supporters, players and officials after the men’s domestic cricket team broke a near three-decade Sheffield Shield drought to cap off the 2024-25 season in stunning fashion. But for South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) grounds manager Trent Kelly and his crew, it was a culmination of hard work, dedication and unique preparation to ensure Karen Rolton Oval (KRO) – the picturesque ground aptly named after the Australian women’s cricket legend – was in pristine condition for the final against Queensland from March 26-29.

Jason Sangha, who finished 126 not out, celebrates after hitting the winning runs to bring the Sheffield Shield back to South Australia for the first time in nearly 29 seasons

The triumphant South Australian Sheffield Shield team, captained by Nathan McSweeney

MARCH-APRIL 2025

PHOTO: SACA

SHEFFIELD SHIELD

Karen Rolton Oval assistant curator Ryan Schimanski rolls the Sheffield Shield final wicket. One of the ground’s two drop-in wickets which were installed ahead of the 2023/2024 season was used for the final

“The ground staff over the month of March would have done an extra 100 hours of work to deliver the final plus a Round 10 pitch just days earlier. They make so many sacrifices, and it makes it very enjoyable and rewarding when the people you work for – the SACA, the players and coaches – get that ultimate success at the end of it.”

DECISION PAYS OFF

METICULOUS PLANNING Kelly said despite uncertainty around where the Sheffield Shield final would take place just days before the game – either being at Karen Rolton or Adelaide Oval – planning and preparation in hosting the fixture was meticulous. Ultimately, the AFL, who have rights to Adelaide Oval from March 15 each year, had the final say after concerns of player safety with drop-in pitches needing to be reinstalled at Adelaide Oval and then football matches played just days after the scheduled conclusion of the Shield final were raised.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

the premier cricket facilities in the country and working with Adelaide Oval head curator and turf guru Damian Hough to introduce the two drop-in pitches, it’s been a whirlwind journey. But all praise went to his tireless staff who never wavered in their commitment to deliver a first-class facility across the domestic cricket season. Across the last few weeks of the season, Kelly believed his staff stepped up to the plate. He estimates his staff of seven, including an apprentice and school-based apprentice, put in nearly “100 extra hours” through March to ensure the pitches – two 25m long by 3m wide surfaces – and outfield could handle the increased volume of first-class cricket. “Having the staff on hand is so important in delivering events like the Sheffield Shield final because they put in so much time and effort,” he said. “My 2IC/turf supervisor Ryan Schimanski deserves special mention and he has been an amazing right-hand man since joining us in March 2024.

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The ambitious plan was to reinstall dropin pitches at Adelaide Oval following the AFL match on March 22, immediately following the Port Adelaide-Richmond match, play the Shield final from March 24-28 and have the pitches taken out and made football ready by March 30 in time for another AFL match. “We initially thought it was going to be played at Adelaide Oval and then it was changed to Karen Rolton Oval. There were plenty of different conversations at the time, a lot of cooks in the kitchen and lots of different opinions, at administration level and higher as to what the potential scenarios could be,” Kelly said. “It would have been great to have played it out at Adelaide Oval and when Damian Hough and his ground staff say they can deliver something, they can do it because they’re some of the best in the world, but the AFL ultimately made that decision for player safety which is totally fair enough. “The decision to play at Karen Rolton worked out for the best I believe in the end. I think it was a positive outcome for everyone. Cricket and footy are really strong in SA and you know we’re in a good position when you’ve got two amazing facilities in Adelaide Oval and Karen Rolton Oval to play elite footy and cricket.”

Kelly believed the strategic decision to place two drop-in pitches into the middle of Karen Rolton Oval’s conventional wicket table two years ago was justified by achieving the ultimate glory as a state cricketing body, both in the men’s Sheffield Shield and Dean Jones One-Day Cup, the latter of which they secured on March 1 at the Adelaide Oval. It involved a complex logistical process at the time – despite the two grounds being only a kilometre apart – and alongside Hough and his crew, transported the pitches on a flatbed truck, with a second truck used to carry the wicket transporter into Karen Rolton Oval. Making the planning process all the more difficult was the fact the two ovals are separated by the River Torrens and the loads were too big to drive through the Adelaide CBD, meaning various permits were required and a planned route organised through the SA Government’s Department of Infrastructure and Transport. But ultimately the decision to introduce the drop-ins provided a consistent platform for male and female players to play at both elite cricket facilities and played a part in the state’s ultimate success in both the men’s Shield and one-day tournaments. South Australia Karen Rolton Oval was it its finest for the final, with head curator Trent Kelly and his crew delivering a fitting stage for SA’s long-awaited Shield triumph

did not lose a Sheffield Shield match and dropped just one game in the One-Day Cup at home venues in the 2024-25 season, making both KRO and Adelaide Oval a fortress for opposition sides to play at. “The pitches provide so much consistency and anyone coming to South Australia, our men and women know the type of surface they’re going to be playing on,” Kelly said. “Both those drop-in pitches (at KRO) are predominantly used for longer format cricket because they provide good bounce and they’re conducive to really good cricket as we saw in the Sheffield Shield final.”

Kelly (left) with SA coach Ryan Harris. South Australia took the early ascendency in the Shield final after bundling Queensland out for just 95 on the opening day

MORE ELITE CRICKET AT KRO In the aftermath of the SA’s halcyon season and now with two season’s worth of knowledge in preparing the drop-in wickets alongside their conventional counterparts, Kelly has advocated for more cricket to be held at Karen Rolton Oval in the future. “With the introduction of the drop-in pitches it has definitely enabled us to handle a greater volume of cricket matches,” Kelly said. “We’ve learnt a lot about how to manage

STATE PRIDE Kelly’s personal connection with South Australian cricket is well-known, making his role within the state’s success this season more satisfying. The 41-year-old, born in Henley Beach, a coastal suburb of Adelaide, made his first-class debut in 2004-05 for South Australia before moving to Western Australia for further opportunities. Across eight first-class matches, seven List A appearances and five Twenty20s spanning seven years, he took 24 wickets before dedicating his craft to becoming a full-time curator, a passion fostered as he made his way

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Kelly provided an insight into the complexities of hosting two Shield matches back-to-back – a Round 10 fixture (what would be a final dress rehearsal between South Australia and Queensland) plus the final eight days apart. “We had a lot of planning in the lead-up to the Sheffield Shield final because probably three weeks before we knew we’d be hosting it here in South Australia,” Kelly said. “We had to prepare a Round 10 Sheffield Shield pitch and then the final pretty much seven days after that fixture finished. The challenge was we had two drop-in pitches right next to each other, so we had to manage how we prepared the Round 10 pitch and the Sheffield Shield final pitch. “A lot of planning went into it and from a turf preparation perspective we got out what we wanted from it I think.”

PHOTO: SACA

HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME

our turf coming into and out of football season and coming into cricket season. Over seven or eight years we’ve changed a lot of management things from turf programs to introducing drop-in pitches, grass lengths and how we renovate the ground. The more you do it and the more you use a venue, or a machine, the better you’ll get at it. “I personally welcome more cricket at Karen Rolton but obviously there is a threshold and breaking point. If you’ve got good discussions with Cricket Australia and the states in terms of scheduling, and the ground staff gets an input, then why not? “The grounds are there to be used but you can never compromise the quality of the surface at any stage. You want the best pitch, the best surface and the best facilities for the players to utilise.”

Jack Wildermuth is bowled by Nathan McAndrew for 111 as Queensland bounced back in their second innings to post 445 and set SA a tricky final innings run chase of 270

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SHEFFIELD SHIELD

PHOTOS: SACA

South Australia’s win was the perfect end to a great season for Kelly and his Karen Rolton crew, seen here celebrating. For Kelly (above) it was also a proud personal moment given his past exploits as a Shieldlevel fast bowler for SA

“It’s been building over a few years, and they have put together a great list, particularly the bowling cartel and we saw that this year. It’s exciting I think, it’s great for cricket in the state and what happened in the Shield final is great for longer format cricket worldwide.”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS The Shield final lived up to its hype with a hotly contested battle between bat and ball ensuring fans were treated to quality cricket right up until the last day.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

through the system as a spirited youngster. He described South Australia’s Shield title win as a “proud” personal moment in his already impressive career as a curator. “I’m proud and grateful to be a part of it. Grounds and facility staff play a small part and getting the opportunity to prepare a Sheffield Shield final pitch all you’re doing is hoping to get a good balance between bat and ball, but ultimately your team is on the right side of the coin and South Australia deserved every bit of their success,” he said.

South Australia got the hot start on day one, bundling Queensland out for 95 and taking in a 176-run first-innings lead before the Bulls nearly pulled off a miracle with a secondinnings total of 445 to ensure a tricky run chase of 270. While day four provided a scare for SA, languishing at 3-28, centuries to Jason Sangha and Alex Carey saw the state hoist the Shield aloft for the 14th time and first in 29 years. Eventually, with four wickets in hand, Sangha clipped the ball to the mid-wicket boundary for four to hit the winning runs and cap off his brilliant hand of 126 not out. In an instantly iconic moment, thousands of die-hard South Australian fans descended on Karen Rolton Oval to swarm Sangha and teammate Ben Manenti.

“Watching the game and how it all kind of played out, with the ebbs and flows in momentum on day one and having a record-breaking number of wickets in a Sheffield Shield final, I’d be lying if I said I was relaxed.” – Trent Kelly, Karen Rolton Oval

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PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Kelly admitted it was tough to watch the game and see it unfold. Ultimately, he believed the pitch stayed true, providing batters and bowlers with opportunities to make their mark and succeed. But it was a nervy start. “Watching the game, and how it all kind of played out, with the ebbs and flows in momentum on day one and having a recordbreaking number of wickets in a Sheffield Shield final, I’d be lying if I said I was relaxed,” Kelly said with a chuckle. “It was a lot of nerves particularly with the players and that contributed to loss of wickets and with that came some false shots. The ball swung all day too and there was a bit of sideways movement off the pitch which is exactly what you want from my perspective on a day one cricket pitch. “It was a bit stressful I suppose for us. I like to keep busy and once a game starts I usually don’t like watching the cricket, but I reckon I did nearly 35,000 steps on day one and I would have walked in and out of my office at least 50 or more times. “It got a bit more relaxing after that and then on day three the momentum changed from South Australia driving the game and then Queensland levelled it up and could have taken the win. I couldn’t believe early on day four that South Australia could potentially lose after being 3-30 odd, but then the quality and

The euphoric scenes at Karen Rolton Oval as long-suffering South Australian cricket supporters, players and officials celebrated a stunning climax to the 2024/2025 Sheffield Shield season

professionalism of Sangha and Carey shone and brought them home. “They had their plans and knew it was a new-ball pitch. At Karen Rolton it’s important to take early wickets and then after 20 overs it can become a batting paradise. Fortunately they got away and were able to grind the win. It was a proud moment.”

Editor’s Note: The May-June 2024 edition of Australian Turfgrass Management Journal (Volume 26.3) contains the full story on the project to install the two Adelaide Oval drop-in wickets into the middle of Karen Rolton Oval’s natural wicket table – ‘Karen Rolton Oval drops in’, p8-14. You can view this edition through the ATM archive at www.astma.com.au.

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PHOTOS: PETER LONERGAN

TC ALFRED

Alfred and the

aftermath

The Gold Coast was one of the worst hit regions when ex-tropical cyclone Alfred smashed into southeast Queensland in early March. Through his course maintenance blog, Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC superintendent

Peter Lonergan tracked the carnage it wrought and the huge clean-up required.

he first few official weeks of autumn proved long and arduous for a number of golf clubs and sports turf facilities in southeast Queensland and northern NSW after copping the full brunt of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred. Having slowly tracked down the east coast of Australia for more than a week, the weather system made a right hand turn and crossed the coast as a downgraded tropical low to the north of Brisbane on 8 March. Despite its 22

downgrading, the gale force winds and rainfall totals it brought severely impacted regions to the south of the system, with the Gold Coast among the worst affected. “Lots of people were saying Alfred was a fizzer, but it absolutely smashed our area. They were two of the most terrifying nights I have ever spent in our house.” That was how Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club superintendent and ASTMA life member Peter Lonergan described the

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conditions as he and partner Michelle rode out the cyclone in their home. Lonergan has for many years penned a blog (https:// coolangattatweedgolfcoursemaintenance. blogspot.com/) which provides Coolangatta members with an insight into the maintenance of the 36-hole complex that comprises the River and West 18-hole layouts. During the cyclone and in its aftermath, Lonergan regularly updated the blog, detailing the impacts the weather system had on the

Opposite: One of the huge trees which came down adjacent to the Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club maintenance facility. This was one of the first trees that needed to be cleared so the crew could get in and out of the compound

courses and the huge clean-up effort required. What follows are excerpts from across March and April, with remnants of the clean-up still ongoing as this edition was going to print…

FRI 7 MARCH, 6:37PM “I trust followers of the blog who are located in the path of TC Alfred are safe and sound as we wait out the final 18 hours or so... hopefully that’s all that’s left. “I got to the course this morning and I don’t really know what word is best to describe what I saw. ‘Carnage’ comes to mind so I think I will stick to that. I was able to get to almost all the property and it is just unbelievable. There are 40 trees totally uprooted and none of them are small. There are probably another 100 that are damaged to the extent that they will need to be removed. “On a positive note, all club infrastructure, as far as I could see, was still there and seemingly undamaged. All roofs seem intact and although the clubhouse lost power for a time this morning it was restored quite quickly. Energex had a crew there clearing branches off power lines on the entry road and Tweed Shire Council were in to fix a ruptured 100mm water main. It all happens at once it seems! “There is a lot of water on the courses but the River was about 1m below where it normally first comes over on this morning’s low tide. Tonight’s forecast rain and wind may present an even worse scenario tomorrow.”

SAT 8 MARCH, 7:45PM “Once again I trust all blog followers have survived TC Alfred. The system was certainly erratic with the distribution of damage but our local community seems to have been some of the worst hit. I was speaking with Murwillumbah Golf Club superintendent Brian Cox this morning and he said they barely

Across a five-day period preceding and after the cyclone, Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC recorded 632mm of rain which caused widespread surface flooding. Pictured are the 1st and 9th fairways on the River course

have a branch down, but are within 30cms of flooding. Luck of the draw I guess. “Out on the golf courses and the only positive is that all infrastructure is still in place at the moment. The clubhouse, buggy shed, halfways, pro shop and our maintenance shed are all intact and seemingly secured. The same can’t be said for the courses. A further 50 trees were uprooted overnight adding to yesterday’s 40. Yes, you read that right. And I am not talking small trees either. “There is still a lot of internal water on the courses that can’t drain off and the river was still well below breaking its banks this morning. But to be honest the water is the least of our concerns. How we are going to move these trees is a mindboggling problem given the sheer scale of the task. The first contractor will be onsite Sunday morning to clear Davey Street so we can access our shed and then look at the clubhouse access road.”

MON 10 MARCH, 9:41AM “Just a quick update as I’m a little busy at the moment. The photos really don’t do the tree damage justice. There are now nearly 100

trees uprooted. There are probably another 100 with crown damage which will most likely need removal and at least 50 that have started to lean and the root ball is exposed, so they are going to come down at some stage. And that’s without doing a proper assessment tree by tree which will be needed. “The first contractors were on site yesterday (Sunday) and others are arriving today to start the mammoth clean up. 214mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am Monday hasn’t helped and there will be a lot of turf damage as we complete the clean-up. We have now had 632mm since last Wednesday. The river has come over but that was only just on this morning’s high tide. The internal flooding remains as the water just has nowhere to go.”

MON 10 MARCH, 8:46PM “We only had three contractors on site today working on the tree program which was pretty good given life has barely returned to normal following TC Alfred. It will vary day to day depending on their prior commitments which sometimes have been booked for months. We are lucky to have such loyal companies that

More than 200 trees across the two courses were either completely uprooted or damaged to the point where they needed to be removed in the weeks after the cyclone

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TC ALFRED

WED 12 MARCH, 6:24PM

The key focus of the Coolangatta maintenance crew was getting the front nine holes of the River course back playable which they remarkably achieved just a week after the cyclone had passed

come to us first when we need them; as you could imagine there is a lot of work out there. Tomorrow we should move a lot faster with six contractors onsite but it is going to be a very, very long road, taken day by day. “The photo (opposite page) shows the tree that was uprooted but leaning against other trees on the right-hand side of 3 West. This particular type of removal is painstaking and potentially dangerous. One contractor group concentrated on these today, removing five, while others worked on the left-hand side of 9 West in front of our maintenance facility so we have access to the courses. “Given how wet the courses are following the rainfall associated with Alfred, they probably would have been closed for a week due to the flooding and it is now difficult to get the required heavy machinery around the courses. The first goal we have is to try and get the front nine of the River course cleared and playable ASAP.”

TUE 11 MARCH, 9:05PM “A really good day today with an incredible amount of material moved and mulched. Two of the biggest trees to come down on the righthand side of 4 West tee were among those done today. Due to the weight of the machines, they have to stay on hardstand areas and we ferry the trees to them for processing through the chippers. We are also carting some material away when it is quicker to dump. We have created three new dumping areas, one of which is in the main carpark. This material will be mulched after we finish on the courses. “We do still have a golf course to maintain even though it’s not being prepped for play. Some of the crew got back to some greenkeeping today and that will continue over the coming days with the crew split between storm clean up and course maintenance. It took four crew (pictured left) most of the day to get the greens clear of debris and ready for their first mow for a week tomorrow.”

“Another productive day on the Alfred cleanup with some safety issues being addressed in addition to the continued clean-up. The group of trees on the right-hand side of 2 West tee that came down were caught up in neighbouring trees some 5-10 metres off the ground which is a serious safety hazard. There are a number of these around the courses and several were dropped to ground level today. “At the start of the week our goal was to get the front nine of the River course in play by the end of the week and we will achieve that by Friday night which has been a monumental effort by the crew and our contractors who have simply all gone above and beyond. Not so sure of a timeline for the back nine River though, as 15, 16 and 18 have some of the biggest material on the ground of the whole property. As previously mentioned, due to the weight of the machines they need to be on a hardstand surface and there’s precious little hardstand anywhere on the River back nine.”

THU 13 MARCH, 6:24PM “Another good day and the goal of opening the front nine River on Saturday will be achieved. 1 and 9 River are still very wet but you wouldn’t know anything else happened on the rest of the holes. We have no irrigation water which I am hoping will be resolved tomorrow. If we don’t resolve the issue and have no water over the weekend then we will not be mowing greens to save that stress on the plant. But at least you will be playing some golf. “We built a temporary road across the start of 16 West fairway so the heavy machinery can access the course. Depending on what it looks like after we have finished, we may even leave it there as this is a much-used access point to the courses. “Another issue that has happened with the trees is that some of them have ‘popped’, meaning they have started to fall and their roots have come out of the ground. This means they are unsafe and need removal. That means a further 25 trees thus far, so at this stage we are approaching 150 trees down. And none of them are small.”

FRI 14 MAR, 7:11PM “If you had told me last Saturday that there would be nine holes open for play tomorrow I would have laughed out loud. The effort by the crew and contractors this week has been nothing short of extraordinary. I just hope players appreciate that when they play this weekend. Let’s not forget that four days ago we still had surface water on the course with over 100 huge trees on the ground.” In addition to the huge number of trees felled, debris littered both courses heavily. Club members came in on a number of occasions to assist the Coolangatta crew with the clean-up

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

TUE 18 MARCH, 6:27PM

While many trees were completely uprooted, a large number were left caught up in neighbouring trees which required a painstaking effort by contractors to bring them to ground

“We have now had 780mm of rain in March alone which takes us to a total of 2116mm since 1 November 2024. This was a report on ABC News this week and probably isn’t the sort of press we are looking for… “The Tweed Shire Council was one of the worst-hit LGAs in the state, according to Superintendent Tanner. About 640 millimetres of rain fell at the Tweed Heads Golf Club in the five days up to Monday 10 March BOM senior climatologist Hugh McDowall said. He said it was one of the exceptional totals, with the north coast recording an average of 200-400mm.” “Having that much rain obviously means we are wet but also means a lot of cloud and dull light conditions, which isn’t good for 328 couchgrass which we have on the River greens. There are a number of descriptions used within the trade for what happens to 328 under these conditions and they include ‘leggy’, ‘puffy’ and ‘laid flat’ which is probably a good word for the River greens at the moment. They are really open and thin which is not the way you want to enter winter so we are looking for an immediate improvement in the weather.”

FRI 28 MARCH, 5.46PM

FRI 4 APRIL, 4.38PM

“A big week of mulching down at 6 River which will continue into next week. We got the main carpark back to being a carpark again and you wouldn’t know what had happened there over the past three weeks. 6 River is still being processed and will be moved off site next week and hopefully by then we will nearly be back to normal again. “Of course there is the small issue of the stumps and we are hoping that their removal will start in about two weeks’ time. We will also be using contractors to move through the courses removing ‘hangers’ that are broken branches still caught up in the trees. The stumps will be very time-consuming and depending on the hole they are working on we may need to close the hole to ensure everyone’s safety. We are hoping to get two contractors and as you could imagine any tree lopper/contractor are a little busy at present.

“A bit of an update on where we are at with what’s been happening on the courses over the past month which has probably been the most hectic of my career. All of the tree pile at 6 River has now been mulched and will be trucked out next week. Was there a mulch pile in the carpark? You wouldn’t know now! “Stump and hanger removal will start on Monday. It has been estimated that the stump removal will take up to a month but as not many contractors have ever done this number of stumps in size and quantity it’s hard to know. It has been estimated that some of the larger ones will take 3-4 hours to remove so it will be a slow process. Once the contractors get up into the trees to remove the hangers they will also be able to identify potential risk trees going forward. “In addition to the 96 trees that were totally uprooted in TC Alfred, there were many others

“Another half a dozen trees have ‘popped’ meaning their root ball has been exposed which quite possibly happened in yesterday’s gusty southerly change. To be honest I thought some more trees would have come down in that wind but there were no more on the ground this morning. I did an audit of stumps today with our main tree contractor and there were 192 so we will top 200 comfortably. “We are progressing very well and thanks to the member volunteers the West course will tidy up very quickly. We just have to pick up the literally 100s of piles they left for us which is a huge bonus, so thanks again. “The carpark is getting full and we started transporting the mulch off property today and did a little grinding of the massive amount of green waste and logs that have come off the courses. It’s been a great team effort between our staff and the contractors and there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”

FRI 21 MARCH, 6.50PM “Well, after a monumental two weeks we made it and I can’t believe what has been achieved in that time. Players tomorrow will find the courses in pristine condition, with all but a few pockets of rough not mown. The only downside is the 200-plus stumps that are out there! There’s still grinding of the green waste that is stockpiled over near 6 River to go and then it’s the stump removal to come. “It couldn’t have been achieved without the efforts of CTHGC grounds crew and the awesome contractors who all pulled together and worked in sync as a great team. To Graham Dewitt and his awesome team from GDE Tree Services, Chicka and Trevor King and Pete McConnell, a heartfelt thanks from me for coming to our aid when you could well have gone anywhere else following TC Alfred. Thanks also to the great group of volunteers early this week and to the members for putting up with just nine holes while we went about the works. Also thanks to the club Board and management for their support.

MARCH-APRIL 2025

TC ALFRED

SOUTHPORT GOLF CLUB RALLIES AFTER ALFRED TO HOST GOLD COAST OPEN

PHOTOS: STUART MOORE

n the 30 years that superintendent Stuart Moore has been at Southport Golf Club he has never witnessed a weather system and the resulting damage from it like the one that hit the Gold Coast in early March. From Thursday (6 March) to Monday morning (10 March) Southport recorded 625mm causing widespread flooding of the course along with significant tree damage as a result of gale force winds from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred. In addition to around 40 trees being down, the club also suffered infrastructure damage to boundary fences and cart shed roofs. “It was a manic week,” reflects Moore. “We got all the debris off the tee to green playing surfaces and began mowing of surfaces from the Tuesday. We put the heights up on greens for the first cut, then had them down to our normal summer heights for the second cut. We put out some foliar amendments along with a fungicide due to the humidity. Groundstaff came in the following Saturday and used two Pro Cores to solid-tine all greens. “Once the greens were cleared we then focused on the tees and the fairways, while our great team of arborists were on site from Tuesday and did an incredible amount of work. We also had 40 member volunteers throughout the week at various stages who were a great support and help. They did a lot of debris raking and stacking of limbs which gave the staff a great head start. We also carried out an audit of tree lines for dangerous limbs so that we could get the course back in play for members by Tuesday 18 March.” Just a little over a month after seeing his course laid to waste by Alfred, one of the proudest moments for Moore came when the club successfully hosted the Gold Coast Open. The tournament, first played at Southport in 1959 and now in its 66th year, was contested across two rounds on 5 and 6 April, nearly a month to the day after Alfred had hit. Following the monumental effort by his crew and member volunteers to reinstate the course, Moore then had just a fortnight to dial the playing surfaces in for the tournament’s return. “It’s fair to say that preparations for the Gold Coast Open were unlike any other we’ve had in the past,” states Moore. “Combined with the ongoing clean up from Alfred and prioritising getting our members back out on course, the Open preparations certainly added to a few sleepless nights for me. Suffice to say the grounds team put in an incredible effort to ensure the tournament went off without a hitch. “The usual grooming of our surfaces, particularly greens, continued, however, some other areas around the course had a few ‘out of the ordinary’ obstacles. We still had a lot of work to do in our deep rough areas with

Southport Golf Club was one of many Gold Coast facilities to be hit hard by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, with the crew, contractors and members rallying around to clean up the course and get it back in play

piles of tree stumps and mulch which were made safe and marked as ‘no play zones’ for the tournament. The additional 230mm of rain which continued to fall after the cyclone passed also didn’t assist at all. The installation of cart paths throughout the course many years ago really paid dividends in returning the course to the members as a priority while the clean-up continued safely. “It was really important for the club to host the Open this year, especially considering what we have been through this past month. The turf surfaces weren’t quite where I would have liked them, but it was just great to see the event being held and a bit of normality returning. The heartening thing was seeing so many players from northern NSW to the Sunshine Coast representing this year and supporting the event.”

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

severely damaged by falling trees near them or others just damaged structurally, like one that was split down the middle on 16 River. “The courses are incredibly wet and apart from Monday this week it has not been very good drying weather recently. Another 10mm overnight into Friday just topped us up again. We received 807mm of rain in March. That’s just over 32 inches. It takes our total since 1 November to 2196mm or just shy of 88 inches. “12 West fairway works area took the rain fairly well. The area will need a couple of sand trenches put in to help move the water down the profile. The bunker drainage needed a further upgrade this week after it was contaminated by some clay in the deluge. The area was turfed on Monday 3 March in the middle of heavy rain and we were literally grading in front of the turf layers so some of the levels are now out a bit. Given the rain we got later that week in TC Alfred I was amazed the turf didn’t float away. Since the area was turfed we have had 33 inches of rain in 32 days, so it’s had a fair workout! “The West greens got a solid tine aeration yesterday to get some oxygen down to the roots and the River greens will be done during next Tuesday’s closure. The River greens will also receive a sanding and granular fertiliser to try and promote some growth. Mowing heights on the River greens will then be lifted to try and get some cover going into winter as they are desperately thin given the lack of sunlight this summer due to the constant rain.”

FRI 11 APRIL, 5.14PM “Finally a relatively dry week although the forecast doesn’t look good. At least there has been some sun and the River greens have responded well following a solid tine aeration

The mountains of stockpiled mulch following tree removal and chipping

and sanding earlier in the week. All bunkers on both courses are finally in play now, awaiting the coming rain! “On the TC Alfred clean-up, the last load of mulch left the property this afternoon which is the end of that monumental task. I will get a tonnage figure of what was taken away at some stage, but it’s huge to say the least. We are still finding some trees that have ‘popped’. We are also finding a few more dead trees as we go and are removing them when possible. The stump removal started this week and possibly moved a little faster than expected and the hanger removal is also in progress. The leftover chips and logs from the stump grinding will be left stacked until there is enough for us to economically collect them. “We are also stockpiling some green waste down near Halfway West and there will be some more added early next week with the woodchipper coming on site next Thursday to clean it up. We are using that area as it has excellent access for the truck and chipper.”

THU 24 APRIL, 3.33PM “We were finally able to get some sand slits into 12 West fairway which I have been trying to get done since TC Alfred. The trenches we dug were only 300mm deep but had groundwater in the bottom of them such is the level of the water table at the moment. “The River greens have responded well to the fertiliser application they received and certainly enjoyed the bright warm sunny conditions over Easter. They now have an acceptable cover of grass going into winter which is a relief. The West greens are also looking good moving into winter although I would have liked to get a sanding on them today but the forecast took that away. “TC Alfred recovery continues with stump and hanger removal ongoing and I expect all works to be completed by Friday 23 May. The stump removal has been very impressive and within a few months you will barely be able to tell there was ever a tree there, which given the size of the stumps is very impressive.”

MARCH-APRIL 2025

TOURNAMENTS

Classic

comeback

The Australian Women’s Classic was the first big Tour-level event in charge for Coffs Harbour Golf Club superintendent Matt Duff and one he certainly won’t forget writes ATM editor Brett Robinson.

he Ladies European Tour (LET) and WPGA were singing the praises of the crew at Coffs Harbour Golf Club in mid-March after it successfully hosted the co-sanctioned Australian Women’s Classic despite some significant weather hurdles. After the Australian WPGA Championship at Sanctuary Cove had to be called off due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, it was very much a nervous wait for Tour officials to see what would transpire for the Classic which was to be held the following week (13-16 March). For Coffs Harbour superintendent Matt 28

Duff, it would end up being one of the most challenging weeks of his career, but ultimately one that was extremely rewarding and which galvanised his crew in a way he hadn’t witnessed before. The Classic hasn’t had the best of runs with the weather in its short history and so it would prove again in 2025. Across the six previous tournaments, which up until last year had been contested at Bonville Golf Resort, the weather had some form of impact. The 2024 tournament was the worst affected, with tournament officials calling a halt to the event with just one round completed due to 250mm

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

of rain across the week. Moving up the road to Coffs Harbour for the first time this year, that weather would follow. Duff has been in charge at Coffs Harbour since September 2023 after moving there from nearby Sawtell Golf Club where he was superintendent for seven years. Prior to that he worked at Coffs Harbour for two years and at Bonville where he was the assistant for a number of years. It was while at the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Brisbane last June that Duff received a call from his general manager saying that the Classic was likely coming to Coffs Harbour.

Despite 428mm of rain in a nine-day period leading up to the Australian Women’s Classic in mid-March, Coffs Harbour Golf Club presented remarkably for the three-day tournament

Knowing the local climate intimately and its propensity for extreme weather at that time of year, Duff was well prepared for the likelihood of something significant, but not even he could have imagined what would transpire.

NINE-DAY DELUGE PHOTOS: TRISTAN JONES/LET

Having got the course “humming” in the weeks leading up to the Classic, Duff’s eyes, and that of his crew and tournament officials, were glued to the weather forecast as Alfred tracked slowly down Australia’s east coast before making landfall late on Saturday 8 March. Being south of the system where the MARCH-APRIL 2025

TOURNAMENTS

sails. It came down in a short, sharp burst and we went from no water on the fairways to them being covered again because the water table was so high. We worked closely with Tour officials and tried to keep positive, knowing that we only needed one good drying day and we would be set to go for the opening round.”

PHOTOS: MATT DUFF

MORALE BOOSTERS

Due to the constant rain and waterlogged conditions at Coffs Harbour, on the Monday of tournament week the LET and WPGA reduced the tournament to 54 holes

biggest rainfall totals would occur, in Coffs Harbour’s case the rain arrived on Tuesday 4 March and didn’t stop. After recording 30mm that Tuesday, the next eight days saw totals of 41mm, 59mm, 163mm, 64mm, 16mm, 30mm, 10mm and 15mm up to and including Wednesday 12 March. All up the course received 428mm in a nine-day stretch. Not surprisingly, on the Monday of tournament week, when practice rounds were supposed to begin, the LET and WPGA announced that they were reducing the tournament to 54 holes. The aim was to push the start out to Friday to allow time for the course to dry with more favourable weather forecast. That would enable two practice days on Wednesday (Pro-Am day) and Thursday before round one teed off Friday. However, with the course already saturated and further falls of 10mm on Tuesday and a 15mm dump in one hour on Wednesday morning, the Pro-Am and practice rounds also had to be cancelled. “It was an absolute rollercoaster,” reflects Duff. “We’d had four rounds of the men’s club championships leading up to the Classic and the course was looking really good. All the work we had done in the months leading up 30

to the tournament – drainage, zoysia around bunkers, tee resurfacing, thickening up roughs and mulching – had come up really good too. The last day of the club championships was Sunday 2 March and I thought we were in a good spot, but then from Tuesday it started raining and didn’t stop. Thankfully we were able to get everything cut, including rough, on the tournament course that Wednesday, but after that we put the cue in the rack and let nature do its thing. “Saturday was the big day with rainfall totals and wind. I went in on Sunday with my assistant Trent Jones and the place was a mess. Thankfully we didn’t have any trees uprooted like the guys up on the Gold Coast had, but there was a heap of debris and lots of water in the low lying areas. “To have the course in pristine nick and for it to then rain like it did was so hard to take. The frustrating thing was the rain would fall in the evenings after the course had dried out during the day which made a lot of areas unplayable again. We thought we’d be good for the Pro-Am on the Wednesday, but that 15mm in an hour from 6am was so disheartening. It took the wind out of all our

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

While that Wednesday was a hard slog for the crew and volunteers, Duff did have an ace up his sleeve. Many will know of Ian ‘Chop’ Elphick, the former superintendent at Gunnedah Golf Club and one of the true characters of the industry. Growing up together in Gunnedah, Duff had organised for his good mate to come down on the Wednesday and cook one of his famous roasts and give the crew a bit of a lift after a challenging week. “Chop was there purely for team morale,” laughs Duff. “I didn’t want him doing anything on course; I just wanted him as a presence, doing what he does best, having a yarn and cracking a joke. He was awesome and cooked a big feed which even the players were salivating over. Chop loves an audience so he was in his element and it just put a big smile on everyone’s faces.” The other huge morale boost came on Friday morning. One of the biggest concerns for tournament officials were the fairways on the par five 6th and par four 7th holes which were holding a considerable amount of moisture in some of the lower areas and landing zones. If these weren’t up to scratch, the discussion was had around playing both holes as par threes. To ensure that two of the better holes on the course could play as intended, Duff and his team employed every conceivable tool possible – squeegees, paddle pumps, turbine blowers, dummy rakes – to push water off those fairways. Knowing that weather conditions were only going to improve, Duff and his team worked tirelessly to achieve the desired outcome. In addition to the wind picking which helped to dry out those wetter areas, tournament officials also protected the course by postponing the Thursday practice round, instead allowing the players to walk the course with putters and wedges only. The big moment came at 5.45am ahead of Friday’s opening round when Duff and his crew received the news that tournament officials had deemed those two holes fully playable.

PHOTOS: MATT DUFF

“We had a meeting with officials late on Thursday and we knew then that we’d be good to play round one on Friday,” recalls Duff. “But they wanted to wait until their course inspection in the morning to make the final call on those two holes. We’d done everything we could, so to get the news that they could play as a five and a four instead of two threes was such a huge morale boost. “It was such a mission to get those two holes back in play and it was amazing to see how our guys came together. The commitment from everyone was quite humbling. You didn’t have to ask them to do it – they knew what had to be done. The whole team was on a high after we got the news and we knew we were heading in the right direction to present a quality course for the women to enjoy. The support we had from the players and the caddies was amazing too.” Although having been involved with major tournaments before, the Classic was Duff’s first in charge preparing a course for a Tour-level event. Given the circumstances it was a big learning curve on a number of levels but one he really relished. “It was by far the biggest thing I have been involved with,” says Duff. “It was all about being upbeat, keeping a brave face despite the challenges and trying to keep morale up. When we saw that the cyclone was coming and likely to have an impact, I brought the boys in and had a chat. I told them we could look at it in one of two ways – we could drop our lids, kick rocks and use it as an excuse for coming up short, or we could knuckle down, band together and still try to wow them with what we could produce despite the conditions. Thankfully we went the latter option. “That Wednesday was certainly the hardest day for me, but when we got that news on Friday morning I sent out a message on the group chat and the whole team’s morale just went up another level. From there we ran with it and for the next three days I think we really smashed it out of the park.”

Duff and his crew employed every conceivable tool possible to clean up the course and get the lower lying areas cleared of water so that the opening round could go ahead

“Considering the conditions earlier in the week, I thought course presentation was fantastic,” says Duff. “It was a real testament to the hard work and dedication shown by our entire greens team and band of member volunteers who have been on board for the past seven months when we started the journey towards the tournament. “It showed me what we can produce when our backs are up against the wall and I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing job they did. The success of the entire event was an astounding accomplishment by the whole club, across every department.”

In aftermath, the club along with the LET and WPGA, were quick to praise the efforts of Duff and his team: “A huge shout out to our amazing Greens team and volunteers including members and past staff, who put in an incredible effort in the lead up to the Australian Women’s Classic. Not only have they spent months prepping the course, they also had the added challenge of a cyclone and flooding rain. The turnaround from days of rain and a very wet course to the amazing condition of the course presented is an absolute testament to the hard work and dedication from the boys... They deserve a huge round of applause.”

After all the weather dramas in the lead-up, the three rounds of the tournament could not have been more contrasting. Full sun and 30 degree temperatures, combined with northerly winds which not only tested the players but also helped to dry things out further, meant the course played and presented remarkably well. Duff and his team were able to cut all the playing surfaces over the three days (fairways on the last two days) which at the start of the week was looking unachievable. Cutting heights were lifted on the fairways, tees and surrounds from 10mm to 11mm and they ended up single-cutting (2.9mm) and rolling greens instead of double-cutting as had been the original plan.

PHOTO: DAVID TEASE/GOLF NSW

HIGH PRAISE

The Coffs Harbour crew were praised for their efforts to deliver the course despite a hugely challenging week

MARCH-APRIL 2025

WORDS AND PHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON WITH NICK CREELY

F TMI

Professional

network

The latest instalment of the Jacobsen-sponsored Future Turf Managers’ Initiative (FTMI) wrapped up in Melbourne in early March. ATM looks back on this year’s program and what the 2024/2025 cohort took away from it.

ow into its ninth year, the Future Turf Managers’ Initiative, sponsored by ASTMA Silver Partner Jacobsen, has provided a critical conduit through which nearly 200 aspiring Australian and New Zealand turf managers have enhanced their professional skills in the areas of leadership and management, with the ultimate aim of helping them take on more senior roles within the industry. The 2024/2025 cohort comprised 22 turf managers from across both countries who began the program last November through a series of online seminars. As in previous years the cohort was split into four groups which were each led by a mentor, a former graduate of the program who helps guide the latest participants though the sessions and provide insights into their career experiences. Returning as mentors this year were Liam Ash (State Wide Turf Services, Vic), Sam Davis

SACA’s Pat Dewhirst was one of four from South Australia to participate in the FTMI this year

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

(Queenstown GC, NZ) and Matthew Oliver (CSTM, Suncorp Stadium, Qld). Joining the mentor group for the first time, replacing Settlers Run superintendent Brenton Clarke, was 2020 FTMI graduate and now Eastlake Golf Club superintendent Simon Blagg. The full 2024/2025 FTMI cohort included: Nathan Ambler (Peninsula Kingswood, Vic); Mitchell Austin (Pacific GC, Qld); Charlie Bolte (Cromer GC, NSW); Charlie Borella (Thurgoona CC Resort, NSW); Michael Bunston (formerly Box Hill GC, Vic – now Rosanna GC, Vic); Mason Calder (The Kinloch Club, NZ); Edward Cole (formerly Te Arai Links GC, NZ – now interning at Muirfield Village in Ohio, US); Patrick Dewhirst (SACA); Daniel Fulcher (Maroochy River GC, Qld); Jeff Gillies (The Grange GC, SA); Lachlan Hay (Royal Melbourne GC, Vic); Brett Irvine (Barwon Heads GC, Vic); Brent Johnston (RACV Royal Pines, Qld); Cameron MacDonald (formerly Cottesloe GC, WA – now

Opposite: The 2024/2025 FTMI cohort, together with mentors and presenters, pictured at Essendon Football Club’s Windy Hill ground

City of Wanneroo, WA); Liam Maling (MCC, Vic); Matt McClintock (Peninsula Kingswood, Vic); Kingsley McConnochie (Glenelg GC, SA); Ricky Mether (Trentham GC, Vic); James Ross (Harrup Park CC/Great Barrier Reef Arena, Qld); Steven Spreadborough (Aston Hills GC, SA); Angus Vear (NT Cricket); and Craig Young (The Cut GC, WA). The online sessions covered a range of topics and were supplemented by smaller breakout meetings where each group was able to discuss content from the previous sessions and work together on set tasks that had been assigned. The face-to-face gathering kicked off in the first weekend of March with a welcome dinner headlined by former champion Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson. That was followed up on Monday and Tuesday by a range of presentations from leading figures, among them leadership and team culture expert Mark Carter, Carmen Sederino (Illuminated Story), Ben Gibson (The Toolbox Team), Peter Schumacher (Jacobsen) and behavioural expert Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb. Added to this year’s program was a visit to Windy Hill, the spiritual home of the AFL’s Essendon Football Club. Turf manager Michael Salvatore from GrassUp gave the group a tour, outlining turf management practices on the unique suburban ground which hosts a steady diet of VFL, AFLW and local football during winter, as well as premier grade cricket in summer. “It was a really intensive few days, but the level of interaction and engagement from the participants again highlighted the value of this program to those individuals looking to take the next step in their career,” says ASTMA chief executive Mark Unwin, who also presented on resume writing, job applications and interviewing techniques. “Watching the groups hear from world-class leadership and management speakers and spend time discussing insights with experienced mentors was such a strong reminder of the opportunities that the FTMI opens up for professional development.” Adds ASTMA events and education manager Simone Staples: “The FTMI is always a great program. It is a privilege to be able to spend a few days with the next generation of industry leaders and give them the management tools to help further their careers. The support of ASTMA Silver Partner Jacobsen in this initiative and supporting the industry is greatly appreciated. We look forward to watching this year’s group progress their careers in the coming years.”

Pictured clockwise from top down: The Grange assistant Jeff Gillies during one of the group discussion sessions; Mason Calder was one of two NZGCSA representatives; Ed Cole (right) with Daniel Fulcher (left); and past FTMI graduate Simon Blagg, now superintendent at Eastlake Golf Club in Sydney, returned for the first time as one of four FTMI group mentors

MARCH-APRIL 2025

F TMI

BUNSTON BOLSTERED Across the first nine years of the FTMI, the program has achieved a more than 70 per cent success rate of past graduates going on to be promoted to senior roles after their involvement. That proved to be just the case for one of this year’s graduates, with Michael Bunston (pictured left) securing the exciting new position of assistant superintendent at Rosanna Golf Club in Melbourne. Starting his new role on 2 April, Bunston had previously been foreman at Box Hill Golf Club. In what is a positive step forward in the talented 25-yearold’s promising career, Bunston believes the FTMI helped to play a major role in him obtaining the promotion. “I’m absolutely loving the new role so far,” says Bunston. “Dean Bailey (Rosanna superintendent) has been really supportive and it’s a great environment. I do believe the FTMI program played a big part in me getting the job. I got heaps out of it personally and there were probably a lot of factors behind that. “Whether it was resume building, the structure, how you present yourself to reading other people’s body language, it is important to learn about these things. Dealing with adversity is another and was one of the key things I took out of the program. It shapes you to be the best possible manager you can be, which is ultimately where I’m hoping to go.” Bunston said there were plenty of highlights in the program from a range of presenters and says Dr Tobias-Webb’s presentation was one worth the time. He encouraged budding turf management professionals to invest the time into the FTMI, with valuable lessons to be taken out of it. “When you’re on your journey to becoming a superintendent, one of the keys is to be able to present to boards. The FTMI gave me some tools to have your facts straight and be clear in communication which is a key part of the industry,” says Bunston. “If you’re accepted into the FTMI program, what I found is you get what you put into it. Take notes, listen and learn and look at each perspective from the presenters.”

A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Pictured clockwise from top down: Shortly after the FTMI, Michael Bunston (left) was successful in getting the assistant superintendent role at Rosanna Golf Club; Brett Irvine in discussion with his fellow group members; Trentham Golf Club superintendent Ricky Mether shares his views; and Peninsula Kingswood’s Matt McClintock listens on intently as mentor Sam Davis shares his feedback

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

An important focus of the FTMI is also providing opportunities for turf managers who come from smaller regional facilities where staffing and budgets are often not at the same level as those in metropolitan areas. Joining the FTMI cohort this year was Ricky Mether (pictured left) from Trentham Golf Club which is about 70 minutes northeast of Melbourne. Mether, who got his start in turf through the AFL Sports Ready Program, serving an apprenticeship at the Capital Golf Club before stints in Europe, Medway Golf Club and Gisborne Golf Club, says the FTMI program was a beneficial tool in advancing his career.

“The FTMI program has really helped me identify what my goals are for my career and where I aim to be. It has helped me identify the best pathway to achieve my career goals,” says Mether. “There was a lot to take away, something as simple as resume building and job-specific cover letters to budgets and their intricacies and even just picking the mentors’ brains on a few things was invaluable. “My biggest takeaway though was during Mark Carter’s presentation and building a fun work environment through traditions and support which then translates into better outcomes for the club, staff and myself.” Mether says the main highlight was the presentation from former Olympic swimming champion Brooke Hanson, who won gold at the 2004 Athens Games in the 4x100 Medley. “Her story of perseverance from being allergic to pool water and missing out on consecutive Olympics, as well as Brooke’s positive attitude towards life, was really inspiring,” says Mether. Mether took over the role at Trentham a few years ago with a crew consisting of an apprentice and a two-and-a-half day casual. He says the FTMI program provided terrific learnings to take back to the day-to-day turf management of the regional course. “I have tried to take a little bit of everything I learned and incorporate it into my management of Trentham, whether that’s through Carmen Sederino’s presentation on being confident and clear with my message when speaking to committees and membership or Mark Carter’s team building and creating a fun, inclusive environment,” reflects Mether. “Also Ben Gibson’s presentation and creating my own personal brand that I can portray to the membership and golf community, Peter Schumacher’s budgeting presentation, learning about different personalities through Mark Unwin’s presentation and how everybody is different with their own strengths and weaknesses and how to approach different personality types. “Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb’s presentation on how to speak to people was another one and learning that having a conversation can go many different ways just with the words and delivery I choose to use and how I can lead conversations to get a more positive outcome.” Mether says there are plenty of projects in the pipeline at Trentham which will keep him and his small team busy. “I do really enjoy my role at Trentham. At times it can be frustrating regarding resources but it’s also very rewarding at the same time,” he says. “We are currently about to replace all the irrigation around the greens and tees in-house with a system that only one other golf course has used so far which will be a huge learning curve for myself and the staff.”

Pictured top: Sam Davis (middle) with his FTMI mentor group (from left) Kingsley McConnochie, Lachlan Hay, Daniel Fulcher, Matt McClintock, Mason Calder and Ed Cole Pictured middle left: Matthew Oliver (third from right) with his FTMI mentor group (from left) Liam Maling, James Ross, Angus Vear, Cameron MacDonald and Pat Dewhirst Pictured middle right: Simon Blagg (third from left) with his FTMI mentor group (from left) Ricky Mether, Brent Johnston, Steven Spreadborough, Charlie Borella and Nathan Ambler Pictured above: Liam Ash (third from right) with his FTMI mentor group (from left) Craig Young, Mitchell Austin, Brett Irvine, Charlie Bolte, Jeff Gillies and Michael Bunston Right: Windy Hill’s Michael Salvatore (Grass Up)

MARCH-APRIL 2025

F TMI “As a result of the FTMI I will be looking to work upon building myself a better profile and personal brand. I would like to create a LinkedIn profile and do a better job of documenting my work. Certain ways I present myself at work and interact with managers and contractors is good, but can really be built on to make myself much better.”

Nathan Ambler was one of two FTMI delegates from Peninsula Kingswood CGC in Melbourne

KEY TAKEAWAYS As part of the program, all FTMI delegates have remained in touch with their groups and have committed to a series of goals and outcomes that they will work upon with the support of their mentors. Having such a professional network not only during the program but going forward outside of it is one of the big advantages the FTMI provides. What follows is feedback from some of the other graduates from this year’s cohort, what they took away from it and what areas they will be focussing on as they continues to progress their careers… Cameron MacDonald (City of Wanneroo) “The overall highlight of the program for me was the opportunity to make connections with so many people within the industry and, better still, future leaders. I now have contacts all over Australia and even New Zealand, all of whom currently have and will continue to have valuable knowledge and experience which

they are willing to share. To have a network set up like this and essentially handed to me on a plate is incredible and truly invaluable going forward. “Separate to that and more specifically to the face-to-face side of things, the presentations were all very engaging and captured my attention throughout. Previous conferences and seminars which I have attended have struggled to hold my attention but during the few days in Melbourne I was very much engaged due to the presenters involving the group in discussions as much as possible. “One of the best presentations was on personality types and the different ways in which everyone takes in information, the environments in which they thrive and how to get the best out of them. It put a lot of things into perspective and made me want to look further into doing it within my own team so that each individual can understand each other much better.

Matt McClintock (Peninsula Kingswood) “I really enjoyed every speaker and topic that we covered in the program, but probably the highlight for me was being able to meet and spend time with other people in the same or similar position to me from all over the country. It was also great being able to sit down in a casual environment and talk about anything work related and this included with the mentors. “I really thought Mark Unwin’s social profiling message was great. Even though we only touched the surface, it has still allowed me to think more critically on how I can interact with each individual staff member and how I can do better forming a more positive working relationship with them. From the FTMI, I will be really focusing on improving my relationships with staff and how I portray myself to staff moving forward, especially with those that I may not have as much in common with. In addition to this I will be continuing to work on my public speaking skills.” Daniel Fulcher (Maroochy River GC) “I really enjoyed my time during the weekly/ fortnightly Zoom meetings and face-to-face down in Melbourne. Everybody was really down to earth and open to networking. There were many highlights but the main one was the motivational speech from former Olympic gold medallist Brooke Hanson. Her speech was a rollercoaster of emotions and really connected with me. She had the entire group doing squats, laughing and having fun. Then within half an hour, Brooke had most of the group in tears. “The FTMI was a real eyeopener not only for my career but on a personal level as well. A message that really resonated with me was how to build your own personal brand. After reflecting on the FTMI program, I have really focused on that and what actions can be taken for me to reach the level I aspire to be in the turf industry.” Steven Spreadborough (Aston Hills GC, SA) “The highlight for me was the opportunity to network and connect with likeminded people with a love for turf and wanting to become leaders or become a better leader within their “All speakers and mentors were great and I’ll be recommending the FTMI to my staff who are looking to take the next step.” – Brent Johnston (left)

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

organisation. The key message I took away was from all the lessons from Mark Carter – acknowledging/celebrating all the wins whether they’re big or little as a team. It will increase the team’s morale and increase the productivity and the product you produce as a team. Creating a good work environment will create a great workplace. “This experience has made me re-evaluate the leadership and management style I have and aided me in the ability to assess everyone within my organisation to better read the type of person they are and ask the questions of what motivates them so I can tailor my leadership style to help suit everyone.” Brent Johnston (RACV Royal Pines) “The FTMI is a great stepping stone for all turf managers to attend if they are wanting to grow their career within our industry. It has a lot of beneficial topics which are learnt/discussed and the people organising the program ensured it was run efficiently and enjoyable. All speakers and mentors were great and I’ll be recommending the program to my apprentices and turf managers who are looking to take the next step in the future. “The highlight for me were all the speakers. They really got their point across

“The overall highlight for me was the opportunity to make connections with so many people within the industry and, better still, future leaders.” – Cameron MacDonald

when delivering their respective presentations as I found them all to be vital parts of becoming a turf manager. The one thing I took from the FTMI was being a mentor for our future turf managers coming through, helping apprentices and qualified greenkeepers grow their careers within the turf industry and

continuing to build platforms for people to grow for a future in the industry. “The one area I have committed to working upon improving is public speaking and presenting. Being able to speak and get a message across to a larger audience will go a long way when I have to present to boards.”

MARCH-APRIL 2025

SPORTSFIELDS

Being at their

best

Drs Mick Battam and Paul Lamble

provide a summary of their recently released ‘Best-practice guidelines for sporting fields’ which aims to assist the improvement of NSW community sports grounds.

PHOTOS: DR MICK BATTAM AND DR PAUL LAMBLE

ew South Wales is home to about 4850 sporting fields that occupy about 5960 hectares of land. The desire for public green space is growing, but at the same time land supply is constrained in many cities which makes it unaffordable to construct new sports fields. Sporting fields in NSW are increasingly multipurpose community assets and host formal and informal sport alongside passive recreation. There has never been a better time to make the best use of these assets and invest in the existing natural turf fields. With care, these fields can continue to accommodate more sport and recreation and deliver better quality playing surfaces that are more resilient to climate extremes including floods and drought. There are also opportunities to be more efficient with irrigation and increase the use of suitable alternative water sources to reduce potable water use. There is much room for improvement in NSW. An assessment of more than 1000 sporting fields revealed that 76 per cent were in poor or marginal condition and failed to meet ‘best-practice’ guidance. These fields typically require significantly more resources and water to recover, or they may deteriorate further. In response to this, earlier this year the New South Wales Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) published ‘Best-practice guidelines for sporting fields: A guide for climate-resilient playing surfaces in NSW’. The guidelines have been developed by Dr Mick Battam (AgEnviro Solutions) and Dr Paul Lamble (Peak Water Consulting) on behalf of

The ‘Best-practice guidelines for sporting fields’ document was published in January 2025 and provides benchmarks for water use, wear levels and playing field standards for NSW sporting fields

the DCCEEW, with input from well-respected NSW sports turf manager Graeme Logan and experts Peter McMaugh AM and Dr Peter Martin. The 67-page document, released in January, provides practical information that enables sports field planners and managers in different climate zones to answer key questions such as: l How many players per field can grounds handle? l What percentage of sporting fields are receiving low, moderate and high usage? l What are acceptable playing surface standards (turf cover, hardness, evenness, return to play times after rain etc…) for local, district and regional playing fields?

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How often should sporting fields be watered during different seasons of the year? l What are the most common factors limiting the performance of sporting fields? The guidelines provide outcomesfocussed principles to enable sports planners, turf managers and clubs develop solutions tailored to local conditions while achieving best practice. Benchmarks are provided in the guidelines for playing surface conditions (e.g. turf cover, evenness, hardness and traction, irrigation water use, irrigation system performance and time to return to play after significant rain) across different grades of sportsfields (see Table 4 in the guidelines, pictured top of next page). l

Low wear levels: Less than 175 registered players per full-sized football field; Moderate wear levels: 175-350 registered players per full-sized football field; High wear levels: 350-525 registered players per full-sized football field; and Extreme wear levels: More than 525 registered players per full-sized field.

APPROPRIATE TURF CULTIVARS

WHAT CONSTITUTES A ‘BEST PRACTICE’ FIELD? Best practice fields achieve the performance benchmarks outlined in the guidelines. Achieving best practice involves meeting several key principles. These and some of the characteristics underpinning best practice fields include: l The turf cultivar is suited to the site (e.g. wear levels, microclimate and soil); l The growing medium facilitates healthy turf (e.g. turf growth is not constrained by shortfalls in supply of air, nutrients and water); l Rapid drainage (e.g. no water runs onto the field from surrounds, excess water is shed from the field using cross fall and appropriately designed drainage systems); l Irrigation water use is efficient and effective (e.g. meets best practice water use and system performance benchmarks); l Timely and effective maintenance operations (e.g. effective weed control, adequate nutrition and site-specific horticultural practices); l Optimising field condition (e.g. move field position to effectively manage intensely worn areas such as goal mouths); and l Climate resilience (e.g. field is resilient to the impacts of drought and flooding). What follows is a discussion of some of these key principles and characteristics when constructing and maintaining community sporting fields.

wear. However, this method is fundamentally flawed as most clubs blanket book fields. The study found a five-fold variation in wear levels for fields with similar booked hours. Wear is a measure of the amount of damage that foot traffic does to turf when it tears leaves, stems, stolons, rhizomes and roots. Accurately calculating wear levels and expressing them as ‘equivalent games of adult soccer’ (EGAS) requires detailed information on player numbers, ages, sporting code, training regimes and site conditions. To overcome the challenges associated with using EGAS and avoid the flaws with using booked hours, the best-practice guidelines use registered player numbers to place sites into wear categories. This rapid method is not as accurate as EGAS but enables sports planners and turf managers to quickly understand the levels of traffic at various facilities. The wear categories used in the guidelines are as follows:

By knowing the wear levels, we can determine if a turf cultivar is appropriate for use at the site. As a rough guide, for a single full-sized soccer field in Sydney: l Kikuyu: Can handle 160-200 registered players per week (training and playing); l Ryegrass (oversown): Ryegrass will generally wear out through the central corridor if the field hosts more than about 160-175 registered players per week; l Older non wear-tolerant couch cultivars (e.g. Wintergreen): Can handle about 160 registered players per week; l 20-year-old wear-tolerant couch cultivars (e.g. Santa Ana): Can handle more than 550 registered players per week. There are examples of Santa Ana fields handling up to 800 registered players per week. These fields recover each year without turf patching. l New generation couch cultivars (e.g. TifTuf, Tahoma 31, AgriDark): Can handle more than 550 registered players a week. Field trials highlight the large differences in carrying capacity between turf cultivars (see photo below). The field trial findings are supported by recent research involving tissue testing. The tissue testing data was not available in time for the guidelines but is provided with this article (see breakout box on the following page).

UNDERSTANDING USE AND WEAR Sport is mostly played from 8am-5pm on weekends (18 hours) and 4pm-9:30pm weeknights (27.5 hours), representing a total of 45.5 hours per week. This is consistent with the findings of a study of 1150 playing fields in the Sydney Basin that demonstrated that 99 per cent receive less than 46 hours per week of formal sport and school use. Many sporting strategies and facility plans rely on booked hours to assess usage and

The performance of different turf cultivars subject to wear on a heavily used sporting field

MARCH-APRIL 2025

SPORTSFIELDS

WEAR RESISTANCE OF DIFFERENT TURF CULTIVARS Tissue testing was conducted on several different turf cultivars to ascertain the density of wear resistant material in the canopy of an acceptable playing surface. The turf cultivars were divided into three groups as follows: l New generation wear-tolerant couches (e.g. Agridark, Tahoma 31 and TifTuf); l 20-year-old wear-tolerant couch cultivars (e.g. Legend, Santa Ana); and l Commonly used, traditional turfgrasses (e.g. kikuyu, Windsor green and Wintergreen couch); The results (see chart below) show that both the new generation couch cultivars and 20-year-old wear-tolerant couch cultivars have vastly higher densities of wear resistant material per square metre when compared to kikuyu which is still used on the majority of NSW playing fields. Relative to kikuyu: l Santa Ana has about 220 per cent more wear resistant material per m2; l New generation cultivars have 350 to 440 per cent more wear resistant material per m2.

APPROPRIATE CONSTRUCTION The guidelines describe different sports field construction types that can be used at sites with low, moderate or high levels of wear. For example, Table 10 on page 36 of the guidelines (shown above), compares six options that could be used to construct a playing field that can handle moderate wear levels (up to 350 players per week). The risks and expected outcomes associated with each construction option are presented, so decision makers can select an appropriate type given: l The required turf quality (local, district, regional facility);

The risks and resilience outcomes sought (drought resilience, water availability, etc.); l The site conditions (existing soil, flood susceptibility, etc.); and l The available resources (e.g. construction and maintenance budgets). If, for example, council have limited construction and maintenance budgets, then the options in Table 10 that involve perched water tables and/or hybrid turf are unsuitable (all have high lifecycle costs). If the site has limited water supply, then the sand over soil option is unsuitable (has high water demand). A comparison of outcomes (e.g. carrying l

The impact of soil amender on the performance of Santa Ana couchgrass on two intensely used North Shore (Sydney) sporting fields. Both these fields have a sandy loam texture. Pictured left is a field with compost amendment, while above is a field with no soil amendment

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Waterlogging on this site mostly occurs in the areas that have been patched with turf which has come in with clay attached to the rolls (inset photo). This is a common cause of waterlogging on NSW sporting fields

capacity, turf quality, wet weather cancellations) can then be used to decide between the remaining two suitable construction types (best practice, traditional field).

OPTIMISING GROWING MEDIA The guidelines present the findings of more than 1000 NSW sporting field assessments. In addition to identifying common soil issues, the assessments found 85 per cent of fields have a soil-based growing media, with two per cent having a sand profile and 13 per cent having a silty sand texture like most 80:20 mixes. Very few of these sand-based fields have an underlying gravel layer. Turf will struggle if a very sandy mix is laid directly over clay (i.e. no underlying gravel layer). Turf will also struggle if the soil is heavily compacted or shallow. To create a healthy turf growing media the best practice guidelines advice is to either: l Lay a suitable sand or sand mix over a gravel layer (perched water table); or l Use a suitable soil-based growing media (e.g. sandy loam). To comply with the USGA moisture storage requirements, most sands require the addition of about 10-20 per cent fibrous organic matter. Coir is often used in Australia (peat overseas), but mature compost can also be used to amend the USGA sand in perched water table profiles (USGA, 2018). Due to poor soil structure and low fertility levels, most Australian soil-based sporting fields would benefit from the addition of gypsum and the incorporation of mature

compost during construction (see photos bottom opposite page). Alternatively, coir could be used. The addition of fibrous organic matter makes the soil resistant to compaction, so it has a higher infiltration rate. Laboratory testing has also found that the incorporation of compost increased the infiltration rate of 80:20 sand/soil mixes.

OPTIMISING DRAINAGE Regardless of whether the growing media is sand or soil, most fields will drain rapidly if: l No water flows onto the field from paths, roads, rooves, embankments etc; l Fields have suitable cross-fall of at least one per cent (1 in 100) and no large surface depressions; l The topsoil has a saturated conductivity (Ksat) of at least 20mm per hour. While many soils meet this criterion, the clay attached to turf rolls often doesn’t and is a

common cause of waterlogging (see photo above and inset); l An effective drainage system capable of removing surface water at more than 8mm per hour and ensuring subsurface water is removed in a suitable timeframe (e.g. 12 hours). Slit drainage can provide an effective tool for overcoming waterlogging. At the time of writing the best practice guidelines, less than 20 per cent of NSW sporting fields had a slit drainage system. There is a ‘myth’ in the industry that for sporting fields to drain rapidly that an infiltration rate of more than 100mm per hour is required. This myth is easily exposed by considering slit drainage systems. Most fields drain rapidly after slit drainage systems are installed, yet slit drainage systems remove water at less than 8mm per hour (the slits occupy ~3.5% to 7% of the playing surface area).

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SPORTSFIELDS Failing to amend the soil: These fields often require monthly aeration and frequent fertiliser applications. If this does not occur, then turf recovery is often slow and bare areas develop. l Failing to overcome waterlogging problems: In addition to more wet weather closures, these fields often require turf patching as they are more easily damaged by foot traffic. It is hoped the guidelines will increase the number of well-constructed sporting fields (and irrigation systems) and facilitate managers in obtaining adequate budgets to ensure playing fields can be effectively maintained. l

OPTIMISING IRRIGATION AND DROUGHT RESILIENCE To avoid dry spots (or wet spots from over irrigation), it is essential to have an efficient and effective irrigation system that is well operated and maintained. Best practice involves ensuring the irrigation system covers the entire field and is designed by a specialist independent irrigation designer to meet best practice performance benchmarks (see Table 8 in the guidelines, pictured above, for the various parameters). The best practice guidelines provide water use benchmarks for 22 locations across NSW. The benchmarks are provided for both a median year and a dry year (85th percentile). The volumes vary greatly, ranging between: l 1.2-2.6ML/ha east of the Great Dividing Range; and l 3.4-6.5ML/ha west of the Great Dividing Range. More water will be needed on fields with poor soil, inappropriate turf cultivar or a poor irrigation system. The guidelines provide information on the implications of reducing irrigation volumes on the carrying capacity of sporting fields. The resilience of the field to reduced irrigation volumes depends greatly on the construction type and site location as illustrated in Figure 17 of the guidelines (pictured below).

EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE Best-practice maintenance involves performing only those activities that are needed to address factors limiting turf performance at the site in question. As such, sites with heavy soils may require more aeration than sandier sites which often require more regular use of wetting agents. The best practice guide provides an example of an annual maintenance program for community sporting fields. The guide also provides helpful tips on maintenance practices such as fertiliser applications and rates, weed control, topdressing, aeration and irrigation. Sites that are poorly designed or constructed require more maintenance. The authors are aware that many sports field managers inherit poorly constructed fields and are often expected to maintain these fields with inadequate maintenance budgets. Examples of poor practices that increase the maintenance burden include: l Using a turf cultivar that cannot handle the site’s usage levels: These fields often become very thin and require turf patching. They are also more prone to weed infestation. l Laying sand directly over clay (no underlying gravel layer): These fields are often droughty, recover slowly and provide little grip to players. Eventually, turf patching is needed.

PLANNING WELL The most intensely worn areas on a football field are around the goal mouths. Providing a small amount of additional space significantly improves the quality of sporting fields. It creates the opportunity to move the football field by a few metres each year and provide separate training goals, thereby reducing the load on game day goal areas. It is also crucial to link construction, asset renewal and maintenance budgets when considering sports field construction options during planning and design. There is no point building a perched water table playing field if there is an inadequate maintenance budget.

CONCLUSION The best-practice guidelines provide benchmarks for water use, wear levels and playing field standards for NSW sporting fields. By implementing the principles in the guidelines, the following improvements can be achieved: l Increased carrying capacity (number of players fields can sustainably handle); l Major reduction in sport cancellations; l Increasing the resilience of sporting fields to natural disasters/weather extremes; l Enhanced playing surfaces, with most sporting fields maintained in acceptable condition throughout the entire year; l Improved design and construction practices resulting in a reduced maintenance burden (e.g. turf patching); l Alignment of budget allocations to support effective maintenance; and l Water savings at many irrigated sites. Editor’s Note: ATM thanks the NSW Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Dr Mick Battam and Dr Paul Lamble for allowing this summary to be published. ‘Best-practice guidelines for sporting fields: A guide for climate-resilient playing surfaces in NSW’ can be downloaded at https://water.dpie.nsw.gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/627165/bestpractice-guidelines-for-sporting-fields.pdf.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Preparing for the Future

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• 1081% increase in Dissolved Oxygen levels

• Reduce costs related to water consumption • Decrease environmental impact • Restore good bacteria within soil • Remove scale and biofilm from irrigation lines

PYMBLE GOLF CLUB TRIAL Trial work has been undertaken on a spare green at Pymble GC in Sydney, studying both changes in root length together with plant parasitic nematode numbers. With just one weekly heavy hand watering we have been able to double root length compared to the control and reduced nematode numbers by 5%, in a 6-week timeframe.

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RACING

Carlaw

on track Ahead of Royal Randwick’s Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, assistant track manager Jake Carlaw undertook a

scholarship trip to the famous Hong Kong Jockey Club.

ince 2008, Steriline Racing, alongside the Australian Racecourse Managers Association (ARMA), has provided a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship trip for track foremen in conjunction with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). The Steriline Scholarship provides recipients an opportunity to build valuable professional relationships with the staff at HKJC, gain insights into the maintenance and preparation of their world-class racecourses and experience first-hand the operational excellence that underpins the club’s global reputation. At the 2024 ARMA Conference on the Gold Coast, Royal Randwick’s Jake Carlaw was announced as the 14th recipient of the scholarship and the third from the Australian Turf Club (ATC) stable. He followed in the footsteps of current boss and Royal Randwick track manager Michael Wood who won it in 2016 and also Nevesh Ramdhani who received it three years earlier. Other notable past recipients include current Flemington/Victoria Racing Club track manager Liam O’Keeffe who won in 2011 when he was at Warrnambool Racing Club. In the lead-up to ATC’s iconic Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, in late February Carlaw completed a week-long trip to HKJC’s internationally renowned facilities. His itinerary 44

included visiting Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses as well as the Conghua training facility in Guangzhou. “It was such a great experience getting to know everybody at the Hong Kong Jockey Club,” reflects Carlaw. “They really did roll out the red carpet for me and went above and beyond to make me feel welcome the whole time. Every part of the business was covered and I met so many great people from all different departments. It was such a whirlwind trip with so much to see and while I was there I tried to take up every opportunity to get an insight on all I could. I can’t thank Steriline, the ARMA and Hong Kong Jockey Club enough for the opportunity.”

WORLD-CLASS Although home to less than one per cent of the world’s thoroughbred racehorses, Hong Kong is nonetheless recognised as one of racing’s leading jurisdictions. Fundamental to HKJC’s success is the strong support of the club’s horse-owning members and its leading practices in racing management. This includes the recruitment and training of top professionals, investment in state-of-the-art racecourse facilities and a strong commitment to horse welfare. Sha Tin racecourse is the club’s flagship venue. Built in 1978, it superseded Happy Valley which up until that point was Hong

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Kong’s original racing hub. Sha Tin has a warm-season couchgrass track which is oversown with cool-season perennial ryegrass in the cooler months. A flat, galloping track with spectacular vistas to the adjacent mountain ranges, its circumference measures 1900 metres and is 30.5m wide with two chutes and a slightly uphill home straight of 430m. There is also an inside 1560m dirt track. Over the years Sha Tin has been continually upgraded with a second grandstand added to increase capacity from 35,000 to 85,000. It is now widely acknowledged as a world-class racecourse, with 20 stables and capacity for 1260 horses, plus an equine hospital, swimming pool and racing laboratory. Sha Tin hosts all the club’s Group 1 races throughout the annual racing calendar. The spiritual home of racing in Hong Kong, Happy Valley dates back to British colonial days. The track measures 1450m with a 310m home straight and is located on Hong Kong Island. Following the development of Sha Tin, Happy Valley has become famous for its Wednesday night races which have been an institution since floodlights were introduced there in mid-1970s. (Source: www.racenet. com.au.) The club’s third major facility is Conghua Racecourse located in Guangzhou on mainland China. A dedicated training facility,

PHOTOS: JAKE CARLAW/STERILINE

Royal Randwick’s Jake Carlaw spent a week visiting the Hong Kong Jockey Club in February as part of the Sterline Scholarship he won in 2024

it was initially designed and built by the club as the equestrian venue for the 2010 Asian Games. Spread across 150 hectares, Conghua Racecourse can house more than 660 active, in-training horses which are assigned to reside in Conghua by their trainers and travel between Sha Tin and Conghua. Located 200km from Hong Kong, the journey to Sha Tin is about four hours by specially-designed cross-boundary horse floats. Starting from the 2025/26 season, the HKJC will host regular race meetings at Conghua. The Hong Kong racing season runs from September to July with its marquee week coming in early/mid-December. Happy Valley racecourse kicks the week off with the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship where jockeys score points across four feature races with the highest tally winning the title. Four days later, Sha Tin hosts the Longines Hong Kong International Races which include the Hong Kong Vase (2400m), Hong Kong Sprint (1200), Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and the coveted Hong Kong Cup (2000m). The latter is Hong Kong’s richest race ($HK40 million – approx. $AUD8.5m) and the most lucrative 2000m turf race in the world.

KEY INSIGHTS As part of Carlaw’s visit he was able to take in all three of the club’s principal venues and get an insight into the many aspects of their racing operations, both on and off the track. The trip opened up Carlaw’s eyes to different practices as well as forging new relationships in an industry that he has been a part of since 2016 when he arrived at the ATC after a period working at Castle Hill Country Club. “Something that will always stick with me from this trip was walking out onto the track at Sha Tin under the lights – it really was such a great sight. I was just taken aback by how big the track was,” reflects Carlaw. “I think anyone, not just in the racing industry but the sports turf industry as a whole, would benefit from going to see the Hong Kong Jockey Club operation. It really is something special seeing it all firsthand. There was such a buzz around Happy Valley and Sha Tin on race days. It was great getting amongst a different culture and meeting new people in the racing industry.” Among the key takeaways for Carlaw were just how much detail goes into the club’s turf management practices, the different techniques used as well as seeing the different turf varieties and how they performed. “Being able to spend time at different tracks in a different country really has opened my eyes to dealing with different types of grasses and how they deal with such busy racing schedules,” says Carlaw. “At Randwick

Jake Carlaw (right) with Royal Randwick track manager and boss Michael Wood who was a previous Steriline Scholarship recipient in 2016

I have had very limited experience with couchgrass and only last year we have started oversowing with perennial rye. It was great to chat to the teams at Happy Valley, Sha Tin and Conghua to see the challenges they face with this grass and their maintenance practices. As I am relatively new to the management side of things, it was also good to see the planning and preparation that the management teams do at the racecourses and training centres. “At Randwick a lot of time and effort is put into making sure the turf is in great condition all year round. With the racing schedule in Hong Kong this really holds so much emphasis. There was just so much time and effort put into making sure that the track continues to drain all year round at a significant rate so that racing is not affected. Anyone that has a sand-based track could look at Hong Kong Jockey Club and really take something out of it. “I spoke at length with the staff about the practices they used leading into and after race days. What they do to reduce compaction and remove organic matter is really something to be admired. What also stood out was the vast array of machinery they have at their disposal.” Carlaw says that the size of the Hong Kong Jockey Club was also something hard to fathom, with every single facet of racing covered by the club, from horse welfare to

wagering. It also stood out to him how well prepared they were for racing. “By the time the weekend came around at Sha Tin, they had everything covered,” says Carlaw. “They had a smaller crew on Saturday doing the finishing touches before Sunday’s races. If I compare that to Sydney, we have a busy Friday mowing and preparing the track with all staff present. “It was such a great thing to see how efficient everyone was. It felt like everybody knew their role and what needed to be done. This guaranteed that all the one percenter’s got completed and nothing was missed. It is something that I think I can try to incorporate into my team to make sure we are as efficient as we possibly can be during our busy carnival schedules. “From a turf perspective, there were some interesting ways they managed organic matter content which gave me a different perspective on greenkeeping. I was also quite interested in the way they recycle their materials, such as collecting their cores regularly and re-integrating them into their fill soil to be used on the track again. “When Randwick’s profile is where it needs to be this is something we may look at or even adding amendments and other things into our fill soil as it is high in sand. Looking at their turf nursery they use for turfing the track… that is one area where we are currently lacking, therefore keeping it consistent with the track was nice to see. “I also really enjoyed chatting to the team about the testing they do around every meeting, taking cores and doing a lot of testing around their moisture levels to see how a track performs and have the data to look back on – it was quite impressive.” Editor’s Note: ATM thanks Steriline Racing for allowing this adaptation of Jake’s original scholarship trip report which appeared on their website (www.sterilineracing.com).

Jake Carlaw visiting the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua Racecourse and Training Facility in Guangzhou on mainland China

MARCH-APRIL 2025

PHOTOS: DR PHIL FORD

GREENS

Sand-based

constructions Following a recent visit to New Zealand and taking in a couple of golf courses,

Dr Phillip Ford revisits the topic of sand-based greens construction.

hile over in New Zealand in March for the ‘Turf Days’ event held at Kimihia Research Centre in Canterbury, I had the opportunity to visit Jack’s Point Golf Club near Queenstown with course superintendent Simon Forshaw and Royal Melbourne Golf Club director of courses Richard Forsyth. Browntop greens… ahh, beautiful! The greens at Jack’s Point are based on the ‘California method’ with no gravel layer, using flat pipe (with geotextile sock) laid directly on the sub-base without trenches.

Designed by Dr. Richard Gibbs, who wrote the book on turf drainage (Adams and Gibbs, 1994), these 20-year-old greens were firm and dry with deep roots and no free water showing in the cup or in the profile despite 25mm of rain the night before we visited (see photo opposite). In short, their ‘modified California’ type of construction was working beautifully. While at Jack’s Point, we also visited a new project Simon is in the midst of constructing at Glendhu Bay on the shores of picturesque Lake Wanaka, about 90 minutes northeast of Queenstown. Again, greens construction here is using a modified California method with flat

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

pipes laid straight onto the base (see photo above). As well as the speed and ease of construction, a big advantage of the California method over the USGA method is the freedom to create dramatic contours in greens without having to worry about the perched water table creating wet and dry spots. The visit to Jack’s Point reminded me of an unfortunate situation just months previously where a newly-minted superintendent, an extremely competent student of mine and well trained in these concepts, had decided on exactly this design for a green relocation project at his course. However, the golf course

GRAPHIC: ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS

Opposite: Flat pipe sitting directly on the sub-base of a new tee being constructed at Glendhu Bay in Wanaka, New Zealand

architect was unfamiliar with the method, and in the end the superintendent compromised by using the California method, but installing conventional drains in trenches. Compromise was a sensible choice in this instance, but it raises the issue of the autonomy of the superintendent in selecting the construction method. Actually, many Australian architects, designers, consultants, educators and turf managers are unfamiliar with the flat pipe, trenchless construction technique. In fact, they might think that there’s only one way to build greens – the USGA method using a gravel layer. So, after my visit to Jack’s Point I thought it a good time to re-visit the topic of sandbased greens construction.

WHICH METHOD? If you’re blessed with deep natural sand, like on the Melbourne Sandbelt or coastal/ dune locations, then construction is easy – just shape it and sow. If necessary, remove the existing sand at the greens location and replace it with a better type, but no drains are needed. This could be referred to as ‘natural construction’. If you are on a site with heavier, poorlydrained soils then you have two choices for a sand-based construction – the USGA method (and modifications of it) or the California method (and modifications thereof). The essential difference is the California method places the rootzone sand directly on the clay base (with drainage pipes, obviously) and the USGA places a gravel layer on the base with the rootzone sand on top of the gravel. In either case the modifications could include: l Using a finer sand with a lower infiltration rate than the textbook USGA or California recipes; l Using a greater or lesser depth of sand; or l Altering drain sizes and spacings (given that these methods are also used for large areas like football grounds and racetracks, and are sometimes built in very wet climates with monsoonal downpours where the textbook drain spacing and size simply wouldn’t cope). Whenever these changes are made, the method of construction should be referred to as a ‘modified USGA method’ or a ‘modified California method’ of construction. The presence of the gravel layer in the USGA model creates a perched water table, a damp zone in the rootzone just above the gravel layer. Note – it’s damp, not saturated. If it was saturated it would result in the formation of hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S) which is toxic. So the particle size distribution of both the rootzone sand and the gravel needs to be

Flat pipes can be used in both the California method (sock left on) and the USGA method (with sock removed)

carefully tested in the laboratory to avoid the perched water table being excessively wet. The USGA sets out the calculations that ensure the sand and gravel are ‘compatible’. But the sand and gravel should also be set up in PVC drainage tubes so you can see the perched water table for yourself, to make sure it isn’t excessively wet. The USGA perched water table gets a droughty sand to hold more water than it normally would, making it a good option if you are growing a C3 grass in a hot, dry climate. However, a negative consequence of the USGA method on highly contoured greens is that the perched water table doesn’t stay at a constant height above the gravel. It cuts the corners, resulting in drier zones on the high spots and wet or even anaerobic zones in the low spots or at the bottom of a tier. In contrast, the California method completely avoids this issue, even on dramatically contoured greens, because there is no gravel layer and no perched water table. That’s why the superintendent whom I mentioned earlier wanted to go that way and why Glendhu Bay’s greens are being built that way as they have some dramatic contours. With both methods of construction the design should have an engineering approach. Start by looking at meteorological (storm intensity) data to allow you to set a sensible

design rate (in mm/hr). This then allows you to use the pipe spacing formula (Hooghoudt’s equation) and then the pipe sizing formula or graph to ensure the ‘plumbing’ can cope with the rainfall intensities encountered at the site. The modified California method requires very close drain spacings. A Hooghoudt’s spacing will often work out to around 1.5 metres, which seems ridiculous if you are planning to put the pipes in trenches. But Hooghoudt’s doesn’t lie. Use a wider drain spacing, like 5m, and you’ll see winter rainfall accumulate in the profile and you’ll be fishing your golf ball out of a cup that’s half full of water for most of the season. If you use the correct drain spacing calculated by Hooghoudt’s equation, you won’t get that. The big change that has made the California method more attractive is the option of using flat pipe, laid directly on the sub-base without trenches, like what has been used at Jack’s Point and with the new construction at Glendhu Bay and like the aforementioned local superintendent wanted to do. The flat pipe drainage is so quick and easy to lay out, it doesn’t really matter how close your drain spacing is. With ‘trenchless’ construction, it takes literally minutes to set out the flat pipes and nail them to the sub-base, ready for the sand to go on top. Most of the early research on flat pipes was done by Dr. Ed McCoy at Ohio State University, working with a company called Advanced Drainage Systems. Their product is called AdvanEdge and you can download their 2021 brochure. A screenshot of a diagram from that brochure is shown above. Flat pipes can be used in both the California method (with the sock left on) and the USGA method (with the sock removed). In either method you could opt for round pipe in trenches, enclosed in gravel, if that’s what you’re more comfortable with. But the trenchless way is so much easier, quicker and cheaper, especially if you are considering a modified California construction and needing to use close drain spacings.

Firm, dry 20-year-old greens profile at Jack’s Point in Queenstown, NZ, just a few hours after 25mm of rain. The greens at Jack’s Point are based on the ‘California method’ with no gravel layer, using flat pipe (with geotextile sock) laid directly on the sub-base without trenches

MARCH-APRIL 2025

PETER McMAUGH AM

To be healthy and properly functional, turfgrass roots need to be branched with a lot of fuzzy root hairs on them. They only develop this pattern if they strike nodules of organic matter in the growing medium. This physiological interaction allows and encourages the development of an intense site of microbial growth

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

The root of

good health ATM columnist Peter McMaugh AM looks at what you need to maintain

a healthy root system in newly-constructed greens.

ou have just built a new green and you are bringing it into play. When you built it you did a lot of testing on a multitude of sands for your construction mix and decided upon an 80:20 sand and amendments, including soil and some compost. You have just cut your first plug for your cup placement. You are amazed at the long root development, with white roots poking out from the bottom of the plug. What a great start! Three months later you are having trouble with getting much leaf in your catcher and the green is starting to show signs of wear, especially in the highest traffic spots. You get some soil tests done and the pie chart result you get back tells you the samples show an iron and magnesium deficiency and that both potassium and calcium are below recommended target levels. You apply the recommended fertiliser programme from the testing company, which is heavy on slow release products, and wait for the turnaround. It doesn’t happen. You are now starting to worry because the roots in the holechanger plug have shrunk dramatically and there is a much higher proportion of yellow to light brown roots appearing. You are searching for new ideas. Along comes the salesperson and he talks you through your problem and comes up with a programme of humates. It is expensive, but if it works that doesn’t matter. It does work initially but the lift doesn’t last long and the roots are still getting shorter. You turn to a needle tine programme and another salesperson comes along with a magic product which contains seaweed extracts, a natural source of the plant hormones called kinetins. Again you get a small growth stimulus but again you are disappointed by its short duration. Did the label contain any information on its nutrient content? Was the N level per cent stated? Probably not, but in the manufacture of the product there is a low level of urea added for stabilising the product. Your root length is now down to less than 50 per cent of what you started with and you

are still not getting much in the catcher. You look back over your programme for some clue as to why it keeps going in this direction. You used all the standard starter fertilisers that industry best practice suggests. You have used the best slow release programme you could find but it is not giving you results. Why? There are several possible answers and they all need to be considered and evaluated to see if any of them suggest an answer.

encourage a strong microbiome to develop. Plants excrete about one third of the sugars they make into feeding the soil microbiome. But can a healthy microbiome develop in a growing medium with very little organic matter and a very low CEC? The short answer is ‘no’. If the soil environment does not provide a good nursery site for the bacteria and fungi of a healthy biome then plants won’t grow well there either.

AN ACTIVE MICROBIOME

ALL IN THE MIX

To start, lets go back to those nice long white roots that were poking out of the end of the plug. Were they healthy? To be healthy and properly functional, roots need to be branched with a lot of fuzzy root hairs on them. They only develop this pattern if they strike nodules of organic matter in the growing medium. Typical examples of this would be pellets of chicken manure especially if it has been composted before bring pelletised. Another example would be nodules of a good quality compost, what Dr Vic Stewart of Aberystwyth University in Wales called his ‘spotted dog mix’. Not only does this physiological interaction between the roots and organic matter stimulate the root to branch wildly and form a cage of feeder roots around the nodule, but it also allows and encourages the development of an intense site of microbial growth – a microbiome hub. It is only when you have a high level of mixed microbial activity in the microbiome that you can call it healthy. If that level of activity isn’t there then you can put on as much slow release fertiliser as you like but it won’t get into the plant without a release programme set up by the microflora. So how do you know whether you have an active microbiome? This has always been a problem for soil microbiologists because there have not been any really reliable techniques to measure it. But today there is a new pathway – the extraction of DNA and RNA from the soil can give you a very good fix on what organisms are there and at what population density. All plants ‘leak’ or even actively secrete sugars and amino acids from their root tips to

When I set up the scenario for this discussion I deliberately used the often-repeated phrase of an ‘80:20 mix’. This is a horribly inaccurate way to describe what you need. It is my long-time experience that the most important fraction in a PSD test is not the content of any individual sieve but rather that the sum of the three finest fractions should not exceed 15 per cent and that 12 per cent is even better. It has been my experience that when people read the USGA construction guidelines they look at the envelope of gradings given but choose to ignore the directive to use a sharp sand not a rounded one. This is just as important as the grading. The ratios of the coarser fractions are less well studied other than to say that it is the ratio of micropores to macropores that any sand has that is important. This is very dependent on particle shape. We are still, after all these years of trying to get a fix on this, none the wiser. But the good news is that Gary Beehag and I have a project in hand that may give us much better answers. Another piece of good news is that there are now four quarries in NSW providing sand with a sharp edge. Any new green will probably start out with a good ratio of micro to macropores but as it develops under the compaction of play and routine maintenance this will change. The rate of this change can also be affected dramatically by the quantum of root mass that develops in the green. This again is influenced very much by the percentage of micropores carrying oxygen to the roots that remain open over time. This oxygen requirement of roots is in the most MARCH-APRIL 2025

PETER McMAUGH AM lot of organic matter added to them, they still have a very poor nutrient storage capacity (i.e. low CEC). Both zeolites and biochar have higher CECs but to get the best out of them they have to be preloaded with soluble fertiliser and given a little time to become saturated. They are both very expensive and there is a much cheaper alternative available in brown coal. While its CEC is lower than both biochar and zeolite it is still notable and the particles are stable in a mix.

PHOTO: NEARMAP

DISEASE ISSUES

Ninety per cent of new greens problems start with a lack of attention to getting the quality and uniformity of greens mixes in the right zone at the very start of the construction process

important basket of measurable parameters that healthy greens require. This alone is one of the greatest challenges that turfgrass science needs to deliver on. The previous work that Gary Beehag and I have carried out leads us to believe that sands on the coarser edge of the USGA envelope are the most likely to give greens a longer life expectancy. The practical conclusion out of all of this is that 90 per cent of greens problems start with a lack of attention to getting the quality and uniformity of greens mixes right at the start.

TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS I realise that there will be a lot of squeals that the scenarios I have put up are not real and just a straw horse for me to bash up the commercial industry. That they are stereotypes doesn’t make them untrue. But the face of the current industry standards on the development of biome health are changing as the effect of new study techniques bring us closer to a fuller understanding of the importance of specific groups of bacteria and fungi in the biome mix. What has in the past been the realm of rather much of a ‘snake oil’ scene is now gathering the attention of much bigger international players who are forming alliances with biological developers to market and verify the claimed results. These aren’t the only new directions that the plant health industry is developing. There is an increasing number of new technical developments that synchronise well with these ideas. Some of these are organic and some are mechanicals that produce changes in biological processes.

There has been a lot of press recently about biochar. While it has a lot going for it technically in terms of very large surface areas/ unit of measure and its ability to facilitate the growth of microbial populations, it is a very expensive way of achieving what it does and there are other products which are less costly. Into the same or similar basket goes humates, which are a by-product of drilling mud in the oil industry. They work at one level but fail at another. If you want to block up all the fine pores in your growing medium you can do it very successfully with humates. You can do the same thing just as easily with overwatering. The scenario that I mocked up as the bones for this article is a fairly clear example of this being in play. The depleted levels of the extremely labile cations is a pointer in that direction, as is the shrinkage of roots and their discolouration. It is very necessary to understand that the strength of the chemical bonds attaching cations to clays or organic matter is very weak and that as the cations in solution wash away during excess water flows (i.e. leaching) the gradient or flow direction changes from being nutrient solution to clay to the reverse, clay to nutrient solution. No matter whether the sands we use are dirty sands or whether they have a

Any new green will start out with a good ratio of micropores to macropores, but this changes as it develops under the compaction of play and maintenance. The rate of change can also be affected by the quantum of root mass that develops in the green

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Up to this point in time I have stuck very much to discussing the physical and environmental aspects of growing healthy roots, but lurking in the background is the issue of plant diseases. Of prime concern are pythium and phytophthora. These are water-borne diseases and are very much in play in new greens. The great biological control for these is the Trichoderma spp. of which there are a very large number of cultured isolates which work extremely well as antagonist fungi in new greens. Indeed, they are so successful that you would have to be mad not to use them to inoculate your growing medium before sowing. While it is well known that various compost teas are very biologically active, these have not seen the surge in popularity, testing or use that additives like humates have had. The reality of these products is that they take a lot of effort to collect and this makes them expensive to collect and test. Most superintendents will see them as just too much work. A different approach to this is the injection of nano bubbles of oxygen into the irrigation supply and as this technology improves it will probably become the norm in the control of these diseases. But that still has some hurdles to overcome. Historically a lot of effort has been put into systems such as SubAir both as assistants to drainage or increasing soil temperatures, but other than in Japan they have basically not provided any great success. The ones to date in NSW have never been used. Healthy plants have and need to have healthy roots and I hope this discussion has helped you to view things a little differently.

SYDNEY 2025

Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition

SYDNEY SHOWGROUNDS, 23-26 JUNE 2025 FEATURING KEYNOTE PRESENTERS...

JIM KERNS NC STATE UNIVERSITY USA

JULIETTE TOBIAS-WEBB BEHAVIOURAL SCIENTIST AUS

ALAN FITZGERALD REHOBOTH BEACH CC USA

CHASE STRAW PENN STATE UNIVERSITY USA

Jim Kerns, Ph.D., is a Professor and Extension Specialist in Plant Pathology at NC State University in North Carolina. After graduating from NC State in 2002 with a B.S. in Agronomy, Jim moved to Texas A&M to complete his Masters of Soil and Crop Sciences, before returning to NC State in 2004 to work alongside Dr. Lane Tredway in the Department of Plant Pathology and complete his PhD. Jim’s present research focuses on understanding the biology of ultradwarf bermudagrass diseases, large patch of zoysia, plant parasitic nematodes and bentgrass diseases.

Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb is one of Australia’s leading behavioural scientists and returns after her engaging presentation in Brisbane 2024. Juliette has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Cambridge University and has worked for a range of government and corporate organisations to explore human decision-making and behaviour change, helping teams and companies leverage behavioural insight to drive positive transformation. She is also passionate about helping individuals be more productive, set and stick to goals, have better wellbeing and feel happier.

Alan FitzGerald has been superintendent at Rehoboth Beach CC in Delaware, USA since 2023. Prior to that he was superintendent of LedgeRock GC in southeast Pennsylvania for 19 years. Alan brings with him over 30 years’ experience from some of the top private clubs in the world, including Mount Juliet CC (Ireland), Loch Lomond GC (Scotland) and Pine Valley GC (New Jersey, US) where he was a past assistant. Alan is one of just 35 superintendents globally to attain both the Master Greenkeeper (UK) and Certified Golf Course Superintendent (US) designations.

Chase Straw, Ph.D., earned his B.S. in Turfgrass Science from the University of Kentucky, where he worked with the likes of MLB’s Boston Red Sox and the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. He went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia. After serving as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, he joined Texas A&M University in 2020 as an Assistant Professor. In January 2025, Chase joined the Penn State Turfgrass Program as an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Soils and Director of the Center for Sports Surface Research.

REGISTRATION AND FULL PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT www.astma.com.au

JOHN FORREST

New-look

Leederville

ATM columnist John Forrest looks back at the recent project to reconstruct one of Perth’s oldest AFL grounds.

eederville Oval in the inner suburbs of Perth, Western Australia (WA), has a rich history, with Australian rules football played at the site for the past 116 years. Now known as Sullivan Logistics Stadium following its commercial renaming in December 2023, the ground held its very first football game back in 1915. It wasn’t until 1919 that facilities started to be built at the insistence of the WA Football League (WAFL). In 1920, construction of the Leederville grandstand started and was completed in 1921. Over the years, the oval 52

was used in World War I for cadet drilling and was also a training ground during the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Leederville Oval has been dedicated as a Football Centre of Excellence and was added to the state heritage list in 2003. Up until 1993, Leederville Oval was the home ground for West Perth before the club shifted to Arena Joondalup. East Perth Football Club relocated to the oval in 2003, while Subiaco Football Club followed suit in 2004. As with many sports grounds in Australia, Leederville had come to a point where an

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

upgrade was essential to meet today’s demands and increased usage. The advent of AFLW had seen the numbers playing women’s football jump, while increases in junior and senior participation levels were adding to the pressures being placed on the existing surface. In recent years the ground had deteriorated, with organics accumulating in the top of the profile creating drainage problems and a slippery surface during winter rainfall. Sting nematodes, a common problem in WA, combined with poor irrigation uniformity, were also severely impacting turf health.

Above: One of the challenges of the project was gaining access to the site down a narrow way behind the oval’s grandstand

PHOTOS: NEWGROUND /JOHN FORREST

Left: Between October 2024 and February 2025, the playing surface at Sullivan Logistics Stadium (formerly Leederville Oval) was reconstructed to help it meet modern usage demands

TIGHT TIMEFRAME… AND ACCESS The City of Vincent, in partnership with NewGround Water Services and its subsidiary Sports Turf Construction, recently undertook a project to redevelop the Sullivan Logistics Stadium playing surface. The WA Government contributed more than $4 million in funding for the project to help bring the stadium up to ‘Tier 2’ standard. Previously the ground had been used for an AFLW derby between Fremantle and West Coast. That event showed what a great venue Sullivan Logistics Stadium is due to its location in the heart of Leederville which is only three kilometres from the Perth CBD. Leederville is

well known for being a culinary and cultural melting pot with cafes, restaurants and boutique retail outlets. While its location is perfect, the same could not be said for the ground’s accessibility for a redevelopment of this scale. In what was one of the more challenging aspects of the project, access to the ground was only available off Vincent St which is a busy fourlane road that runs east to west along the ground’s southern boundary. Making things more challenging, all material that needed to be removed and installed, including the light towers, had to be brought in and out through a narrow access way behind the ground’s grandstand.

Dave Gerrard, Coordinator Parks Strategy and Projects for the City of Vincent, wrote the scope of works, put them out to tender and confirmed contractors over an eight-week period. Dale Morrissy, Manager of Community Facilities, managed the project alongside Gerrard. Thomas Gosling, Coordinator of Sports and Recreation, liaised with the clubs and managed the funds. A tight timeframe was important as the ground had to be ready for the start of the 2025 WAFL season. The project would kick off on 21 October 2024 in order to be finished by 28 February 2025. The project comprised two stages, with the first being the installation of a new irrigation system ahead of importing a new profile and laying turf. In 2028, water allocations for sports turf in WA will be reduced by 10 per cent. The new irrigation system will assist in meeting these requirements via the contractor who manages the ground going forward. A target distribution uniformity (DU) of 75 per cent was set for the new irrigation system design to align with industry minimum standards. Stage two included upgrading the ground’s lighting to meet broadcast standards allowing for WAFL, AFLW and possibly AFL matches. Light towers capable of producing lux levels of 1000 are needed in order to host a televised game, while club games require lux levels of around 500 and training 200. As mentioned, one of the limiting factors with the site was the narrow entry point. That meant the four new light towers had to be brought in in five separate sections along with 10 kilometres of cable to connect them.

SURFACE CONSTRUCTION The total playing area of Sullivan Logistics Stadium is 20,000m2, with the area inside and including the boundary fence increasing it to 22,500m2. The new playing surface is 170m long and 130m wide with a 5m run-off from the boundary line to the fence. The first phase saw the removal of the top 300mm of existing soil that was nematode MARCH-APRIL 2025

JOHN FORREST

Pictured top: Stripping the existing Leederville surface and removing the old light towers. Pictured above (from left to right): Sub-base grading; new rootzone sand being imported; and after completion of the new irrigation system installation

infested and laden with organic matter that had accumulated over the years. Care had to be taken that no spill of this material was transported on machinery or people onto the newly-cleared oval surface. Therefore all material was removed before new material was brought in. Sting nematodes (Ibipora lolii) were the main concern as this plant-parasitic nematode is widely known for the damage it can cause on the turf root system, especially on sand profiles growing kikuyu. Before the new rootzone sand was delivered, it was stockpiled at the quarry and at least two samples were taken to ensure the sand was within the supplied specification. Before topsoil sand was bought to site the irrigation mainline and electrical conduits and goal post footings were installed. The new goal and point posts were installed in the same place as the previous goals, but two extra sleeves were included to allow for extra movement of the posts. The soil brought into the oval had to be separated, with the bottom 200mm being sand as per specification (see Table 1, right). Compost was mixed off site at the quarry to 54

a 30% compost/70% sand by volume mix for the top 100mm of the rootzone. The compost was supplied by Veolia with the trade name ‘Vitagro’ and an analysis included. Vitagro is a certified organic soil conditioner and is AS4454 certified. It is made from various sources of garden and food waste, is composted for 18 weeks and left to mature for a further four weeks. It was felt that the compost also had the ability to reduce Sting nematode infestations or at least reduce their impact.

TABLE 1: SAND SPECIFICATION BOTTOM 200MM Description/ Particle size (mm) Gravel (>2.0) Very coarse sand (1.0-2.0) Coarse sand (0.5-1.0) Medium sand (0.25-0.50) Fine sand (0.15-0.25) Very fine sand (0.05-0.15) Silt plus clay (<0.05)

Retained by weight % 0 <2 <20 50-70 <20 <5 <3

After the sand and compost had been installed and levelled, the irrigation laterals and

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

sprinklers were added before the final trim. Turf was then laid including the synthetic turf and boundary fence. Saturated hydraulic conductivity after compaction had to be >100mm per hour after 32 drops from a height of 150mm or what is considered maximum compaction. Moisture levels were maintained in the profile to ensure sufficient soil consolidation prior to planting. A Clegg Hammer (2.25kg, 455mm drop height) was used to test with Drop 1 and Drop 4 surface hardness (GMax) >40. Several hold points were in place before turf was laid. Laboratory analyses had to be reviewed by the principal’s representative for sand and compost. Two days before the turf was laid the principal’s representative had to inspect the site for an independent assessment for compliance that all required surface preparation had been completed.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM Mainlines were DN100 Class 12 with a 450mm cover. Backfilling was completed to the satisfaction of the City of Vincent and compaction was achieved by either plate

City of Vincent representatives involved in the reconstruction were (from left) Thomas Gosling, Dale Morrissy and Dave Gerrard

compaction or wheel rolling. Installation of thrust blocks on all RRJ mainline fittings, including elbows, bends, reducers, tees and isolation valves was included. The pipe or fittings were covered with a protective membrane of PVC when adjacent to concrete. Electrical conduit for the 2-wire path (DN25) were placed in the same trench as the mainline with a minimum clearance of 100mm from the sidewall of the mainline. At each valve decoder there was allowance for sufficient looped control cable to be able to extend the cable one metre above finished level. A flushing valve was installed close to the bore for future chemical treatment of the mainline for the build-up of iron. Bermad 50mm 200 series valves were used with purple OM maker balls installed inside each valve box to assist in locating when required. Laterals comprised of DN80, DN40, DN25 SWJ Class 12 with a cover of 350mm. Sprinklers installed were Hunter I20-12 and Hunter I-40-04-SS on surrounding banks and non-playing surfaces, with Hunter I-40SS-ON (opposing nozzle) within the playing surface. All programming of valves, as per valve schedule, was entered into the existing digital SDS decoder-based controller. There are 13 stations with a total of 29 valves, with no more than three valves assigned to any single station. Individual valve flow rates range from 4.93-7.02L/s, resulting in total station flow rates between 11.95-16.17L/s.

TURF SURFACE Kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus) was planted and one of the strict guidelines was that it had to be free of other grasses. Turf quality was assessed at the turf farm prior to harvest and at the time of delivery. There had to be no presence of Sting nematodes, while populations of other plant-parasitic nematodes had to be within the following thresholds.

CENTAUR

TABLE 2. NEMATODE THRESHOLDS Nematode Dagger (Xiphinema) Stubby-root (Paratrichodorus) Lesion (Pratylenchus) Sheath (Hemicycfiophora) Spiral (Helicotylenchus) Root-knot (Meloidogyne)

Threshold* 20 50 75 100 200 250

* number per 100ml of soil

Nematode sampling occurred at the turf farm by an independent turf consultant from the location the turf was to be harvested. In addition, samples were taken at the time of delivery. Inspection at the turf farm was completed four weeks prior to harvest. Turf had to be free of any visible weeds, including any off-types of kikuyu differing in colour, leaf width or turf density. The turf had to be free of disease and insect damage or contain armyworm (Spodoptera spp.) larvae and billbug (Sphenophorus brunnipennis) adult and larvae. Thatch had to be less than 10mm defined as a layer of dead or composing leaf and stem material that develops above the soil surface and below the green leaf layer. The turf was planted once the irrigation system had been commissioned and was fully operational. All turf delivered to site was planted within 24 hours of being harvested.

Turf was laid as jumbo rolls and the City of Vincent required that there were no gaps, overlays or vertical steps between rolls. Immediately after the completion of laying, the turf rolls were consolidated using a plate compactor or smooth drum roller to produce a firm, even and level surface. The finished surface had no obvious holes, undulations or localised depressions. The 22,500m2 of kikuyu turf was laid over an eight-day period. The turf was delivered on Monday 13 January and laid Tuesday to Friday that week and repeated the following week. The surface was ready for planting prior to Christmas, but it was decided to wait until after Christmas to protect those laying it due to Perth’s very hot weather at the time. It was also better for the quality of the turf. NewGround’s sports turf construction manager Adam Strachan oversaw the project alongside newly-employed operations manager Craig New. Strachan commented that like all sports turf construction jobs there were challenges, but the project was ultimately delivered on time. The City of Vincent team successfully delivered the project within a very tight timeframe. Just two weeks after the ribboncutting ceremony, 12 games had already been played on the new surface, with three matches per day over consecutive weekends.

Aerate and amend turf in just one pass.

AUSTRALIA

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ENVIRONMENT

Birdie blitz

Golf course environment experts Kate Torgersen and Monina Gilbey look at

how golf clubs can promote increased bird activity on their courses.

irdwatching is a significant contributor to Australia’s tourism economy according to a recent ABC News report. The growing popularity of birdwatching attracts ‘twitchers’ and nature enthusiasts globally, drawn to Australia’s unique bird diversity of over 800 species, around 45 per cent of which are found nowhere else in the world. Tourism Research Australia data shows that international visitors spent $2.6 billion on birdwatching-related travel in the year ending June 2024. Conveniently located, and often near urban centres, golf courses provide accessible birdwatching opportunities for tourists. Golf courses provide vital habitats for urban birds, supplying essential resources like trees, water and food that are often scarce in other urban environments. Becoming a haven for local bird populations offers golf courses a unique opportunity to showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship. Engaging birdwatchers and your local community through sharing bird sightings or guided nature walks strengthens community ties and creates positive publicity. Preserving and 56

enhancing bird habitat also creates a positive image for your course (or green space) and showcases a genuine commitment to the local environment and potentially attracting environmentally-conscious visitors and members.

CASE STUDY: 13TH BEACH GOLF LINKS 13th Beach Golf Links is located on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula and comprises two championship courses – Beach and Creek – and a nine-hole short course. For the past 14 years it has been the popular host of the Vic Open which pioneered the mixed gender tournament format. Over its 24-year history, 13th Beach has developed into an environment which is a haven for biodiversity. This is not only due to the constant work of course superintendent Steven Hewitt and his team, but also the work of volunteers (many of whom are residents) who have devoted countless hours working with Steven to establish plantings and vegetation that promotes bird and animal life. Over the years there have been a closeknit group of people (members and/or residents) who are keen bird watchers. Not

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

all of them play golf, but all of them have an interest in promoting birds within the property, observing and documenting them and planting local plants to encourage birds. Each member has their speciality in particular species, observing bird behaviour or photographing them. Several of the members have also built nesting boxes for birds. In recent years, 13th Beach Golf Links has wanted to publicise to the local community that it takes seriously its responsibility to the environment, contrary to what some people outside of the golf community may think. Over 12 years ago, two members of the bird watching group wrote a book that photographically recorded all of the known birds on the property at that time. The book was published for club members and for anyone else interested. About a year ago, the 13th Beach Greens Committee determined that a vegetation management and environmental program should document and record the flora and fauna on the property. The bird watchers were very enthusiastic and began to meet as a group to try and find a way forward as to how this could be achieved. Despite a couple of false starts with different methods, the group

PHOTOS: KAY WILSON

Becoming a haven for local bird populations offers golf courses an opportunity to showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship

came across the ‘Golf Fore Nature Project’. This gave them a platform to record all flora and fauna for free on the iNaturalist app that was easy to use and contribute to a golfspecific community that was also interested in sharing the good work that golf clubs do. The group had historical photos that went back over 12 years (where the date and location had been recorded) and started to upload these onto the 13th Beach Golf Links Biodiversity Project (as a member of Golf Fore Nature). Over 160 observations of fauna and flora have since been uploaded to the project. The group is now moving onto recent observations not only of birds but flora and other fauna and is looking forward to expanding the collection of observations and species into the future. The Golf Fore Nature Project is a great way to do this and a fantastic initiative. The bird watching group is also delighted that their dedicated work and passion over many years can now be brought forward for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.

ENCOURAGING BIRD ACTIVITY There are a number of ways that golf courses and green spaces can promote increased bird activity. Some strategies include: Shelter and food sources: Creating and maintaining diverse habitats is important. Plant a variety of native trees and shrubs that provide food and shelter for different bird species. Provide shrubs for smaller birds to have protection and hide from larger birds. A variety of flowering plants and grasses can have a variety of insects that will attract birds which are omnivorous – eating nectar and insects. Being more targeted with spraying of herbicides and pesticides will further protect bird food sources.

Engaging birdwatchers and your local community through sharing bird sightings or guided nature walks strengthens community ties l

Resting stopover for migrating birds. Wetlands can be crucial resting and refuelling points and allow birds to replenish their energy reserves before continuing their migration.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Educating golfers and the community about birds found at your golf course is essential for raising awareness and spreading the positive message of golf. You can create engagement and interest by: l Installing signage about the birds found on the course; l Guided nature walks with a local ecologist; l Bird surveys;

Installation of habitat boxes is crucial for nesting. Each bird species requires a different sized box, so make sure to choose the right one

Posting bird sightings on your website and on social media; l Join the Golf Fore Nature project and upload sightings to iNaturalist. The 13th Beach Golf Links’ project demonstrates that habitat creation and wildlife documentation, while a long-term endeavour, creates strong community connections and pride. Creating bird habitat doesn’t have to be costly or complex. It is, however, essential that we all contribute to increasing biodiversity on our properties and demonstrate the valuable role turf facilities play in urban biodiversity. Editor’s Note: For more information on the Golf Fore Nature project, visit www.inaturalist. org/projects/golf-fore-nature. l

Habitat boxes: Many native birds in Australia are hollow dependent. It takes over 100-150 years for trees to create hollows which makes the installation of habitat boxes crucial for nesting. Each bird species requires a different sized box, so make sure to choose the right one. Nesting boxes also need to be placed at the right height and aspect as the young may not survive if the box is too hot. Wetlands: Wetlands on golf courses, whether natural or constructed, are incredibly important for birds. They provide: l Food – insects, amphibians, fish and crustaceans; l Water – a readily available fresh water source for drinking and bathing, particularly in hot weather; l Shelter and nesting sites – reeds, rushes and shrubs that protect birds from the elements and predators. Some birds nest within wetland plants; and

Golf courses provide vital habitats for urban birds, supplying essential resources like shelter, water and food that are often scarce in other urban environments

MARCH-APRIL 2025 57

L EADERSHIP Duntryleague Golf Club is located in Orange, NSW, and has been home to course superintendent Craig Geeve since October 2023

Pushing the

PHOTOS: CRAIG GEEVE

limits

After spending the majority of his career working at some of Sydney’s elite courses, two years ago Craig Geeve headed out of the city and landed his first superintendent role at Duntryleague Golf Club in Orange.

ustralia is blessed with many regional golf courses which well and truly punch above their weight. Duntryleague Golf Club, located in Orange, NSW, is one of those and since October 2023 it has been home to newly-minted course superintendent Craig Geeve. Having spent time at the likes of venerable Sydney clubs Muirfield, Elanora, Royal Sydney, Pennant Hills and Bonnie Doon across the first two decades of his career, it was time for Craig, now 38, to leave his own mark. And he has wasted little time since arriving in Orange, helping to elevate the Duntryleague property which is steeped in history. Duntryleague is one of two golf courses in Orange which is about 250km west of Sydney and a similar distance north of Canberra. It’s most striking feature (tree-lined golf course aside) is the imposing state heritage-listed mansion which doubles as its clubhouse. Constructed back in 1876 by the Dalton family, 58

it has become a symbol of the club and a link back to a family which played a significant role in the development of the local community. The ‘Duntryleague’ property upon which the Dalton family resided was sold to The Orange Golf Club in 1935. In 1946 the club officially took over the running of the mansion for the purpose of establishing a residential country golf club, with the

CAREER – CRAIG GEEVE 2023-present: Superintendent, Duntryleague GC, NSW 2017-2023: Assistant superintendent, Bonnie Doon GC, NSW 2016-2017: Senior greenkeeper, Royal Sydney GC, NSW 2014-2016: Part-time Diploma teacher, Ryde Horticulture College, NSW 2011-2016: Assistant superintendent Pennant Hills GC, NSW 2010-2011: Greenkeeper Elanora CC, NSW 2004-2010: Apprentice, Muirfield GC, NSW

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

clubhouse becoming part of the mansion in 1955. The Orange Golf Club still owns and operates the site and buildings to this day, with extensive development work taking place over many years to turn the vast property into a championship 18-hole golf course. Since arriving at Duntryleague, Craig has made significant inroads to improve the conditioning of the course, in particular the greens. Those improvements were rewarded when the 2025 Australian Top 100 Public Access Golf Courses rankings were released, with Duntryleague moving up 15 spots overall from 86 to 71. It also jumped up in the list’s ‘aesthetics rankings’ from 40 to 33. Such a result was a huge boost to Craig and his team and demonstrated they are on the right track. Heading into autumn, which is perhaps one of the best times to visit Duntryleague as the colours of the many trees around the course change, we caught up with Craig to look back on his career and see how he has settled into his first superintendent posting…

How did you end up in turf? Did you choose turf or did it choose you? As I was approaching my final years in school, I was lucky enough to have a par 3 hole in the backyard as we lived on acreage. It was because of this I was torn between carpentry and turf management. I decided to pursue turf management as some people told me you end up resenting your job. I didn’t want to lose that love of carpentry. I therefore chose turf not knowing I would be consumed by it. Tell us about your journey in turf management that ultimately lead you to your current role as superintendent at Duntryleague? My journey officially started at Muirfield Golf Club in Sydney where I completed my apprenticeship and started my associate Diploma. Then the opportunity came to work with some of my college peers at Elanora Country Club before moving to Pennant Hills Golf Club where I took on the role of assistant superintendent. I also finished my Diploma in Sports Turf Management while at Pennant Hills. It was then that I accepted a role as part-time Diploma teacher at Ryde Horticultural College. I continued to teach but my full-time job took me to Royal Sydney Golf Club as I wanted to be involved with a major tournament which would be the 2016 Australian Open. I finished working at Ryde Horticultural College as I pursued studying at Charles Sturt University. After the success of the Australian Open, I moved to Bonnie Doon Golf Club as assistant superintendent from 2017 up until 2023 when I was successful in getting my first superintendent role at Duntryleague. It’s a pretty unique property with some interesting history. Was that part of the appeal of taking the role? It contributed to the decision absolutely, however, one of the major appeals was to transform a property with minimal resources and budgets. Duntryleague had good foundations but there was a lot out of place which excited me to change and transform. I wanted to challenge everything I had learned and use the teachings and experiences to create a golf course that exceeds expectations. I firmly believe that if you can manage a facility with minimal resources and budgets and produce high quality standards that shows true talent.

Geeve (second from left) and the Duntryleague maintenance team and volunteers in front the club’s historic 1876 mansion which has acted as its clubhouse for more than 70 years

school holidays. We have a fantastic team which has been together now for just over a year. It’s not always perfect but we are like family and everyone looks out for each other. What is at the top of your priority list as a superintendent? My priority is to continue learning so that I can improve myself and help build the skillset of others to improve the industry. Creating an environment where staff feel valued and looked after is important also, as is producing turf surfaces that far exceed the budget available as mentioned before. What does great leadership mean to you? I know its cliché but it’s about looking after the team. Many managers say it but don’t follow through. Without your team, you are limited to

what can be achieved. Looking after my team is my main priority and the reason the property has improved so much. Every member of the team knows they are integral and have their own skillset. Everyone is teachable, some just don’t want to change. It’s my job to find the best way they learn and to equip them with the skills to move on in their career but give them an environment that they don’t want to leave. Leaders are responsible for creating the environment for the people that get the results. Who has influenced your career and why? Honestly, everyone I have worked with and for I have tried to take everything on board, whether positive or negative. Sometimes you experience bad situations and those were the times I really took note and decided I would

What does your team look like? Currently we have five full-time staff – myself, two groundsmen (greenkeepers in training), a 2nd year apprentice and mechanic. We also have two casuals that we use during summer and In what is his first posting as a superintendent, Duntryleague has provided Geeve a canvas upon which to use his past learnings and experiences to create a golf course that exceeds expectations

MARCH-APRIL 2025 59

L EADERSHIP Doon Golf Club, superintendent at the time Cameron Smith (now at Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club on the Gold Coast) had his hands full with the agronomics, construction and clubhouse duties. He trusted me to manage the staff with Brad the foreman. The three of us focused on our strengths to create an environment that was efficient, motivated, respectful and where everyone bought into the culture. We always tried to have fun while working hard and learning from each other with everyone contributing every day. It was actually a very hard job to walk away from. 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? That’s a loaded question! A lot of people talk about staff issues. There are less and less qualified greenkeepers coming through the system currently, but I am personally looking for good people with the right attitude, not necessarily a qualification. I’m happy to train people and infect them with my passion. We can get them qualified later once they realise their potential. I think an issue that maybe affects more isolated clubs would be member expectation. The cost for the quality the members and golfers expect usually doesn’t match the fees. Everything is going up in price, but I often hear members saying the club can’t raise fees. Why? The fuel I buy isn’t decreasing and chemistry isn’t getting cheaper, so why shouldn’t membership increase? Even staff wages are low. The members want perfect turf and clubs complain they can’t find staff? Maybe there’s a correlation… Going from Sydney to regional NSW is quite the change. How have you and the family coped with the change? The family loves the tree change. We have been lucky enough to have country living on both sides of the family so we knew it would work. I’m very lucky as my family give me a huge amount of grace and let me obsess over work. Shannyn has been sensational and a pivotal part of my career. She is fantastic with the kids and it’s because of her patience everything remains stable. I cannot thank her enough.

“We have a fantastic team which has been together now for a year… Creating an environment where staff feel valued and looked after is important, as is producing surfaces that exceed the budget available.” – Craig Geeve

never put one of my staff in those situations if I ever had the privilege of managing people. Those that have impacted me in positive ways and helped me to succeed know who they are. I appreciate the relationships I have within the industry from managers, colleagues, apprentices, students, teachers, contractors, suppliers, club members and also, most importantly, family and friends. 60

What do you feel your biggest career achievement is and why? Immediately I thought of major tournaments or renovation projects, but I asked a friend what they thought and they mentioned staff management and motivation. The two times I have been an assistant superintendent I have walked into environments with a vast array of talent, motivation, age and direction. At Bonnie

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

How do you juggle the pressures of work, kids, family life and looking after yourself? I must admit to being quite bad at this. I love my family but I am consumed by my work. I really do enjoy being at work, talking about turf and related topics, educating people and managing the course. I don’t know what it is, but I’m never satisfied and there’s always something that can be done to improve the surfaces or improve the operation. Since finding my feet I do try to attend sporting events and school activities but there’s a lot

of room for improvement. Catching up with friends is always refreshing and helps me to recharge, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen all that often. Currently, I have been chatting to friends over the phone which helps me to unwind; it’s just a pity I no longer have the long drive to work to chat! I know you like pushing the limits – why is that? I love a lot of sports and documentaries, especially those that the average person can’t compete in – the Tour de France, (American rock climber) Alex Honnold’s free solo climb of El Capitan (in Yosemite National Park) and (Kenyan runner) Eliud Kipchoge breaking the two-hour barrier for the marathon. These are amazing feats and just the thought of what they go through to prepare and achieve is unimaginable. If no one pushed the limits we wouldn’t learn anything or advance. You’ve run some serious kilometres over the last 10 years. Are you training for anything in particular at the moment? Currently I’m not running, I’m having a break. My father always said if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing then don’t do it. I have fallen out of love with it for the time being, but I can see myself running again at some point. But for context, yes, I was running between 70-100 kilometres per week and racing in half marathons. It was enjoyable and I loved pushing myself beyond what the mind thought was possible. You learn a lot about yourself in hard times and what you’re capable of achieving. I even used to train in the worst possible conditions so that when it came to racing I would be in a comfortable environment. I used to love that mounting feeling of every part of you wanting to stop or give up, but you just keep going. It has helped train my mind to endure.

“Without your team you are limited to what can be achieved. Looking after my team is my main priority and the reason the property has improved so much.” – Craig Geeve

How would you push yourself in training? Can you give some examples? I would purposely go out on long runs in 30-plus degrees to train my mind and body and also head out in pouring rain. There’s not much worse when running in soggy shoes and absolutely everything is wet. It’s uncomfortable but worth it. Not many people are willing to do these things which gives you a competitive edge. I live by “My lack of dedication is an insult to those that believe in me”. People reveal their true character when no one is watching. What is a job outside the turf industry that you have had and what did you learn from it? I have been involved in wool production. I tried shearing, but I’ll stick to growing turf! I roustabout at Stoneleigh every August helping my brother and have contributed to producing a ‘1PP’ bale of wool every year for the past

four years. A 1PP (‘Perfect Plus’) bale is the highest quality wool you can produce. To put it into context, of the 1.5 million bales that were produced in Australia last year, only 18 were classed as 1PP.

MARCH-APRIL 2025 61

L EADERSHIP Seeing another industry and the intricate detail that goes into producing the very finest wool is extraordinary. I love pushing the limits and exceeding expectations and appreciate that in all fields, whether its producing surfaces on a golf course or in this case wool. Most people can’t be bothered to put the extra effort or time into producing the best possible product. I have noticed throughout my career and life in general, many people want to be at the destination but struggle to discipline themselves to endure the journey. What do you do for fun? Currently I’m pushing myself hard at work to produce a certain product, so I don’t have much time for myself, but I used to rock climb 4-5 times a week. I really enjoyed being up a cliff in such a fragile environment when everything is put into perspective. Even when I had a rope, the further you climb before clipping the greater the fall and that feeling is indescribable. There are times you physically can’t hold on any

“I’m very lucky as my family give me a huge amount of grace and let me obsess over work. Shannyn (left) has been a pivotal part of my career.” – Craig Geeve

longer but you refuse to let go, it’s just a matter of time before your hands open and you hold your breath!

Finally, any advice for younger staff in the industry looking for their next opportunity or building their careers? I asked my apprentice after a few months of starting to have a good hard think about whether he wanted to do this as a job or a career. I think there is a big difference and I don’t want any of my staff to waste years of their lives. I want each staff member to not only enjoy work but to use the opportunity to better their careers and not just earn money. There are a lot of opportunities coming up in the next 5-10 years within the industry as everyone is aging and there are fewer graduates coming through. I would suggest that younger staff need to find a manager that will invest in them and allow them to push their limits. However, the staff member needs to go above and beyond – “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you”. Try and have someone to check in with and keep you accountable for your goals and aspirations. Remember, difficulty reveals who you really are!

PRODUCING QUALITY SURFACES ON A BUDGET

s Geeve notes in the accompanying Q&A profile, he’s the sort of superintendent that likes to push the limits and think laterally when it comes to managing his turf surfaces. If you follow him on LinkedIn, some of his recent posts have highlighted the practices he has adopted since arriving at Duntryleague in the spring of 2023, working with a restricted budget to help produce the best surfaces possible. Geeve is also an unabashed fan of Poa annua greens which have been a primary focus as he continues to make improvements across the course. In a recent LinkedIn post, Geeve spoke about some of the approaches he has been taking and the successes he and his team have had… “Not having a very big budget forces me to think outside the box and manage my chemistry and mechanical practices very closely, which I’m enjoying. Producing very good surfaces without the ease of buying the ‘best’ products is satisfying. Not having 20 staff and endless machinery also creates satisfying results when we get it right. In my first full year at Duntryleague I reduced the greens budget by 28 per cent purely by applying the products correctly, managing the timing and water quality (no waste). “Managing greens health is also vital in reducing chemical applications. I have played with high rates of Trinexapac-ethyl and other PGR’s to therefore reduce mowing to only three times a week and rolling four times. This way the plant is under less stress and isn’t constantly repairing its wounds. I have used far less fungicide this summer and I’m looking forward to seeing the costings 62

Improving the quality of Duntryleague’s predominantly Poa annua greens has been a main focus for Geeve

over my second year. Having the mowers on a grinding program also improves turf health, but that’s a topic for another time. “I have also been working on tightening the turf surfaces... As many know, I love working with Poa annua and there are multiple reasons why I love this turf species. We would have at least 80 per cent Poa annua in our surfaces and I’m only trying to increase that percentage. As we know, Poa is very adaptable and will learn how to combat almost every situation. At a country course it is unfeasible to try and combat it, however, even if I had the budget would I try and stop it? No. I think those finances would be more beneficial being used elsewhere. “If clubs didn’t throw thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars at controlling Poa which turfgrass would

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

prosper - Agrostis or Poa? If Poa is so weak what happened to your bent surface? The other interesting trait is that the Poa passes on its genetic memory to its offspring, so you can train the plant. Obviously, the environment plays a huge part in Poa health and success and in my environment the plant thrives and produces fantastic surfaces. It’s not unbearably hot, we don’t freeze over and we have huge amounts of shade which all suit Poa and it shows as it has learnt to survive for 80-plus years here. “I have read a lot of articles about pH testing of water and chemistry but have not met anyone that tests their mix on a regular basis. It’s very interesting seeing what chemicals and what rates change the pH. It’s very easy and cheap to buy and calibrate a handheld pH meter and I recommend it.”

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AROUND THE TRADE

CHINO FUNGICIDE ADDS TO COLIN CAMPBELL’S PYTHIUM CONTROL ARSENAL

STMA Bronze Partner Colin Campbell Chemicals has just released its new fungicide for pythium control – Chino. Chino controls all types of pythium (leaf blight, root rot and root dysfunction) and contains the active ingredient cyazofamid (400g/L). “Chino brings another addition to our pythium fighting range along with Proplant (Group 28) and Emerald (Group 29),” says Colin Campbell’s marketing manager Nadeem Zreikat. “With a new resistance group in our range (Group 21), Chino fits in perfectly to any turf manager’s program. “We are proud to be offering Chino to turf managers. I have learned quite a lot about the active ingredient in my trips to the US in seminars as well as universities who have done trial work with it. Chino really fits to our range with a strong efficacy on pythium root rot/root dysfunction especially.”

Available in 1L (hectare rate) bottles, Chino is a translaminar systemic fungicide. The active ingredient cyazofamid works by disrupting electron transport during mitochondria respiration. This inhibition occurs at all stages of fungal development resulting in the inability for the fungal infection to develop spores or mycelium, preventing the pathogen from spreading. “Chino binds very well to plant material and doesn’t move greatly after application has dried and been absorbed, even after heavy rainfall,” adds Zreikat. “So, target the application area needed for the type of pythium you are looking to control. Hence, for root pythium we suggest watering in Chino while for leaf and crown use adequate water volume to get good coverage of these areas.” For further information on Chino fungicide contact Colin Campbell Chemicals on (02) 9725 2544 or visit www.campbellchemicals. com.au.

Colin Campbell Chemicals has added Chino fungicide to its line of pythium control products

SYNGENTA FAREWELLS FREWIN, ANNOUNCES T&L TEAM CHANGES ASTMA Platinum Partner Syngenta has farewelled Peter Frewin who has retired from the industry effective from 30 April 2025. The former National Sales Manager has built an illustrious career within the professional turf industry, culminating in his role with Syngenta since 2020. Frewin’s extensive career began back in 1981 as an apprentice at Cheltenham Golf Club in Melbourne. After short stints at Maryborough and Rich River golf clubs, Frewin moved to Sydney to be assistant superintendent at The Lakes before heading back to Victoria to take on the superintendent role at Barwon Heads Golf Club. He would remain there for 21 years during which time he was also on the Board of the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association (AGCSA – now the ASTMA), including being president. After departing Barwon Heads in 2009 he took on a position with Globe Australia before being appointed as general manager of the AGCSA in 2011. In doing so he became the first former course superintendent to take on the role which was later changed to chief executive. After leaving the association in mid-2016 he had stints with Rain Bird, Globe Australia again and FMC before joining Syngenta as a sales manager in August 2020. He was elevated to the national role in mid2022. “Peter’s expertise and dedication have been invaluable in guiding our Turf and Landscape sales team and we are grateful for his contributions to Syngenta and the industry at large,” says Syngenta Turf and Landscape business manager Paul Jackson. “As Peter embarks on this new chapter of his life, we 64

Left: After more than 44 years in the industry, including the past four-and-a-half with Syngenta, Peter Frewin has retired. Right (clockwise from top left) – Dean Mosch, Dr Brett Morris, Nick Paterson and Michael Bradbery

extend our heartfelt wishes to him and his family for a fulfilling and joyous retirement.” As a result of Frewin’s retirement and following some internal promotions, Syngenta has announced a number of changes to the make-up of their Turf and Landscape team which came into effect throughout April. They include: l Dean Mosch has been appointed to the role of National Sales Manager for Turf, Landscape and Ornamentals, effective 1 April 2025. Mosch began his career with Syngenta in May 2018 as a sales manager in Queensland supporting the Turf and Landscape portfolio.

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

Dr Brett Morris has been appointed to the role of Technical Manager, effective 1 April 2025. Morris joined Syngenta in August 2021 as a Technical Services Lead based in Queensland. He has played an instrumental role in a number of innovative products and technologies in the ANZ turf business. Michael Bradbery has been promoted to Technical Services Lead for Turf, Landscape and Ornamentals, effective 1 April 2025. Bradbery began his career with Syngenta in October 2018 as NSW Sales Manager supporting the Turf and Landscape portfolio.

Nick Paterson replaces Mosch as Territory Sales Manager for Qld, NT and WA, starting in late April. Paterson obtained a Bachelor of Biotechnology at the University of Queensland and brings over seven years’ experience in agronomy and sales.

INDIGO’S PROFORCE ADDITIONS

Queensland-based Indigo Speciality Products recently released two new products into the Australian market – ProForce Rejuvenate Herbicide and ProForce Retreat 200 SC Insecticide – with a third, ProForce Array 500 SC Herbicide, to be added shortly. ProForce Rejuvenate Herbicide contains 745g/L of the active ingredient flupropanate and is registered for the control of grass weeds in a range of situations including industrial, urban open space, woodlands, roadsides, nature reserves and non-crop situations. It is registered to control Parramatta grasses, rats tail fescue, needle grasses, serrated tussock, Coolotai grass, paspalum, kikuyu, couch, Columbus grass, African feathergrass, African lovegrass, rats tail grasses and Johnson grass. ProForce Rejuvenate is an aqueous concentrate formulation and is available in a 10L pack size. Key benefits include; l Reliable control of hard to kill grass weeds with broad spectrum control of problematic grasses; l Slow acting herbicide which kills the plant thoroughly; l Long residual performance. l Unique mode of action group. Good rotational tool. l Registered for use in a broad range of noncrop, industrial and pasture situations. l Current APVMA permits in place in various states for bamboo, buffel grass, Mossman River grass and annual mission grass.

ProForce Retreat 200 SC Insecticide contains 200g/L clothianidin and is available in a suspension concentrate formulation. Available in a 5L pack size, ProForce Retreat is registered for the control of elm leaf beetle larvae in elm trees. Once in the soil, ProForce Retreat is taken into the plant and moves upwards to the tree canopy. Indigo will also shortly release ProForce Array 500 SC Herbicide into the market. Array 500 SC is a pre- and post-emergent herbicide containing 500g/L of the active ingredient ethofumesate. It is registered for the preemergent control of wintergrass in a variety of turfgrasses including bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, kikuyu, Queensland blue couch and ryegrass. Array 500 SC is also registered for the control of a range of grass and broadleaf weed species in non-crop situations including fencelines and tree plantations. Available in a 5L pack size, key benefits of ProForce Array Herbicide include: l Pre- and post-emergent activity. Array can be used prior to, at or after, following weed germination. l Excellent safety on cool-season turfgrasses as well as kikuyu and Queensland blue couch. Very safe to key turfgrass species that Array is labelled to be used on. l Unique mode of action group. Excellent rotational tool from a resistance management perspective. l Flexibility around re-seeding of coolseason grasses. l Excellent safety around overseeding coolseason grasses, particularly ryegrass. l Also registered for use in non-crop situations. Can be a useful rotational option for fenceline management or tree plantations as specified on the label. l Has activity on difficult to control weeds including barley grass and brome grass. Provides versatility on a range of weed species. For more information on the ProForce range of products mentioned above, visit https:// indigospecialty.com.au.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS HIBBERD JOINS FIELDQUIP expert advice and support across Fieldquip’s Turf maintenance equipment company Fieldquip has appointed Graeme Hibberd (pictured) as its Golf & Turf Manager. With over 25 years of hands-on experience in sports turf and agricultural machinery across Australasia and Europe, Hibberd has worked with John Deere, RDO Equipment and multiple golf courses, giving him a solid background in machinery sales, course management and dealer support. Hibberd will be working closely with dealers and customers, offering

entire golf and turf range which can be viewed on the company’s website https:// fieldquip.com.au.

LANCASTER TAKES ON OASIS TURF TM ROLE Oasis Turf has appointed Richard Lancaster (pictured) as its new Territory Manager based in Hobart. Lancaster, who has worked at Tas TAFE from 2017 delivering courses in sports turf, horticulture, irrigation and chemical training,

VALE JOHN MALCOLM PEATY Former Globe Australia founder John Peaty passed away aged 78 in late March. Known as ‘JP’ among his colleagues, Peaty entered the sports turf industry back in the 1970s when he established Globe Greenkeeping Supplies in a unit complex off West Botany Street in Rockdale, Sydney. He later changed the business name to Globe Australia and relocated the company headquarters to Port Hacking Road in Miranda and later to Allingham Road in Condell Park. Peaty developed and expanded the business and in 1978 acquired the Brisbanebased fertiliser and agricultural chemical manufacturing/distributing company Barmac Chemicals. Peaty was an astute businessman and expanded Globe Australia nationally to become a vertically-integrated manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of fertilisers and pest control chemicals. Globe Australia became Australasia’s largest privately-owned business of non-crop fertilisers, chemicals and ancillary products for the sports turf and pest control industries. Peaty, through Globe Australia, was a long-time supporter and regular participant of regional field days, seminars and national conferences throughout Australia. He was also engaged in real-estate development. John sold his company, Peaty Trading Group, which encompassed Barmac, Globe Australia and Globe Equipment, to CK Life Sciences in 2012, a Hong Kong-based company. At the time the company employed in excess of 100 people in 14 locations. In more recent years Peaty became involved in other agricultural chemical companies and industrial land development interests. Boats, cars and cattle were among Peaty’s passions. He owned several pleasure boats and was a long-time member of St. George Motor Boat Club. He regularly entered his specially-prepared, red-coloured, 4WD Mercedes sedan in many outback charity events. In later years he purchased a cattle property in the southern tablelands of NSW.

commenced with Oasis Turf in late April 2025. Lancaster, who holds a Diploma in Sports Turf Management, brings over 25 years’ experience in turf management to the company. “We are excited to have Richard join us,” says Oasis Turf director Rick Henley. “Richard’s extensive experience in the turf industry, combined with his ability to develop business relationships and provide specialist turf advice, makes him the ideal person to assume this role.” Lancaster can be contacted on 0487 008 166 or email rlancaster@oasisturf.com.au. MARCH-APRIL 2025

AROUND THE TRADE

JOHN DEERE HELPING TO TRANSFORM SETTLERS RUN G&CC

renton Clarke (CSTM) is the first to admit that anticipating the future maintenance needs of the acclaimed Settlers Run Golf and Country Club, a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course, with 550 residential homes on site, keeps his team “pretty busy”. Clarke is superintendent at the 260-hectare Settlers Run, which was built in 2006 near Cranbourne, about 50 minutes’ drive southeast of Melbourne, where the city skyline is visible from several high points around the golf course. “Settlers Run is a little bit different in that when you buy a house here, you buy a membership to the club and pay a yearly fee, and we have external members as well. So we’ve got 1800 members all up,” explains Clarke. “Being a golf and country club, we have a bar/bistro and facilities such as the pool, gym, and tennis courts to maintain, as well as a fence line for residents and an entry road. And then we have the 18-hole course. It’s quite a large area of turf to maintain.” While Settlers Run began life as a challenging championship golf course featuring all the best elements of Melbourne’s renowned Sandbelt links, the broadening of membership to include golfers of all abilities has prompted a re-think of the layout. Along with slight modifications to bunkering, Clarke said the master plan devised in 2024 included an upgrade of maintenance machinery, as well as adopting new technology to work smarter. “As soon as I joined the club in March 2023, replacing some of our old equipment was the big first priority for me,” says Clarke. “The John Deere team gave us options for where we could improve our fleet and the local support was what initially attracted us. They have a dealership half an hour away in Hastings, with Chris Angwin our main contact. “Chris has been a big part of the changes at Settlers Run. Swapping over to new equipment can make people a bit anxious but when we first got our walk-behind mowers, Chris turned up at 6am to make sure that they were running as smoothly as possible.” Settlers Run’s injection of John Deere equipment has so far included four 220SL Walk Greens mowers, an 8700A PrecisionCut Mower, four Gator TX 4x2s and a ProGator spray unit, two ride-on greens mowers, along with multiple tractors and loaders. In the near future Clarke plans to add another two Gators, a 5 Series Utility Tractor, a second 8700A PrecisionCut mower and potentially a 7400A TerrainCut trim and surrounds mower as well, to provide brand uniformity across the fleet. “The new machines have been really, really well received by the team,” says Clarke. “Everyone likes the walk behind mowers, the

Settlers Run superintendent Brenton Clarke operating their new John Deere 8700A PrecisionCut fairway unit

Gators are more robust around the course, and the guys have really enjoyed mowing fairways with the 8700.” Settlers Run has also introduced John Deere’s Operations Center PRO Golf course management software, that offers a real-time view of daily operations and is capable of streaming data from any internet connected device, on or off the course. PRO Golf allows superintendents to monitor their fleet’s schedule, customise fleet and crew reports, assign jobs and communicate with staff, manage labour costs, schedule maintenance and streamline equipment servicing. “We’ve basically replaced the whiteboard in the morning meetings with PRO Golf,” says Clarke. “The software has been a real positive in providing data and analysis of what we’re doing, how long jobs are taking, and matching individual job tasks to hours, as well improving communications between staff. “I break down all the individual jobs that we do then match them to the hours, so if we want to share data with the committee to push for construction of bunkers, it’s a really good way to prove where we spend our time and where efficiency can be improved.

Settlers Run has introduced John Deere’s Operations Center PRO Golf course management software

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

“For example, one day we had a look at how much time our machinery spent travelling around the course – so not cutting or idling, but moving from job to job. In a seven-hour day we could see a whole hour of that was travel time. That kind of data is great to have so we can look at better ways of moving around the course to improve efficiency.” Another bit of John Deere tech firmly on Clarke’s radar is the ProGator GPS Precision Sprayer, which can link up with PRO Golf to provide real-time data on spray application, chemical and treatment sheets and guidance for staff on where to spray. “We’re trying to anticipate our future needs, so wherever we can map our equipment or staff movement, or refine how we get around the 260 hectares, it all helps,” says Clarke. “The benefits of the GPS sprayer would be in ease of operation and reducing overlap. We’ve got a team of 12 staff here but only three people can operate the spray rig, and when you have such a large area to spray it can get stressful. So just having a GPS sprayer that can 100 per cent guarantee that you’re going to spray exactly what you want to spray in the area you want to spray would be great.”

ASTMA CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The ASTMA Certification Program aims to formally recognise the skills of its members and the critical role they play in the sports and recreation industry. We congratulate the following members who have achieved certification and can proudly use the ‘Certified Sports Turf Manager’ designation after their name... Tim Allen The National Golf, Belgium Dean Bailey Rosanna GC, Vic Shane Baker Mosman Park GC, WA Brett Balloch Anglesea GC, Vic Ed Barraclough Cardinia Beaconhills GC, Vic Brenden Benad (Manly GC, NSW) Nathan Bennett The Royal Adelaide GC, SA John Berthon St Georges Basin CC, NSW Shane Bisseker Tablelands Council, Qld Leon Blacker (Northbridge GC, NSW) Robert Bloom Fernland, Qld Andrew Boyle GTS, Vic Justin Bradbury Camden GC, NSW Nathan Bradbury Nuturf, NSW Harry Brennan Dubbo City Council, NSW Brendan Brown The Sands, Torquay Vic Fraser Brown Lake Karrinyup CC, WA Hamish Buckingham Metropolitan GC, Vic Chris Burgess Yarrawonga Mulwala GC, Vic Greg Burgess K&B Adams, Vic Jason Bushell Rowes Bay GC, Qld Aaron Cachia Toronto CC, NSW Malcolm Caddies Kai Tak, Hong Kong Stuart Campbell Maroochy River GC, Qld Brad Carey Riversdale GC, Vic Patrick Casey Royal Perth GC, WA David Cassidy The Cut, WA Brian Cattell Wagga Wagga CC, NSW Peter Cawsey Eastwood GC, Vic Paul Chalmers Tamworth JC, NSW Brenton Clarke Settler’s Run G&CC, Vic Jeremy Collier Mars Stadium, Vic Dan Cook The Australian GC, NSW Lincoln Coombes RACV Royal Pines, Qld Phillip Cooper GTS, NSW Dion Cope Redland Bay GC, Qld Mick Cornish Cazaly’s Stadium, Qld Shaun Cross Byron Bay GC, NSW Joshua Cunningham All Outside, NSW Rowan Daymond (The Grange GC) Luke Diserens Northbridge GC, NSW Nicholas Douglas Cranbourne GC, Vic John Downes Regional Turf and Hort, Qld Mark Doyle Hume City Council, Vic Cameron Dunn Woolooware GC, NSW Peter Dunn Federal GC, ACT Tim Fankhauser ASTMA, Vic Chris Fiadino Pymble GC, NSW Peter Fitzgerald Belmont G&BC, NSW Aaron Fluke Castle Hill CC, NSW Matthew Foenander Keysborough GC, Vic Jason Foster Tropics GC, Qld Jason Foulis HG Turf, Vic Peter Fraser Hervey Bay G&CC, Qld Adam Fry Kooyonga GC, SA

Jake Gibbs Elanora GC, NSW Charlie Giffard Pacific GC, Qld Cameron Hall City of Glen Eira, Vic Gareth Hammond Terrey Hills GC, NSW Brendan Hansard Kew CC, NSW Dean Hardman Indooroopilly GC, Qld Nick Harris Wentworth Club, UK Marcus Hartup Brisbane GC, Qld Mitch Hayes Living Turf, Qld Martyn Hedley Landscape Solutions, Qld Matthew Heeps Evergreen Turf, Vic Luke Helm Meadowbrook GC, Qld Tony Hemming Element Sports Turf Mark Hooker Royal Auckland & Grange GC Tim Hoskinson NQ Turf Specialists, Qld Ian Howell Bonnie Doon GC, NSW Rhys Hunichen Atlas Golf Services Vic Nick Jeffrey St Joseph’s College, Qld Mark Jennings Racing Victoria, Vic Steven Johnson Al Mouj Golf, Oman Daimon Jones Living Turf, SA Jason Kelly Royal Fremantle GC, WA Nick Kinley Hartfield CC, WA Dylan Knight Belvoir Park GC, Vic Blaine Knox Palm Meadows GC, Qld Lance Knox Busselton GC, WA Steve Lalor Townsville GC, Qld Nick Launer Keysborough GC, Vic Ben Lavender Newington College, NSW Jason Lavender Beenleigh RSL & GC, Qld Dean Lenertz K&B Adams, NSW Dean Lewis Thurgoona CC, NSW Josh Leyland Box Hill GC, Vic Nathan Lindsay Marrickville GSCC, NSW Peter Lonergan CTHGC, NSW Andrew Lothian Sanctuary Cove, Qld Ben Lucas Tocumwal GC, NSW Toby Lumsden Red Sea Global, Saudi Arabia Bruce Macphee ASTMA, Vic Stephen Mallyon Never Stop Water, NSW Garry McClymont Twin Waters GC, Qld Nick McClymont Twin Waters GC, Qld Mick McCombe Maleny GC, Qld Tony McFadyean Albany GC, WA Christopher McIvor Helensvale GC, Qld Paul McLean Singapore Island CC Peter McNamara Ashgrove GC, Qld Ryan McNamara Rosanna GC, Vic Brett Merrell Merrell Golf Consultancy Daniel Metcalfe Beverley Park GC, NSW Kieran Meurant North Sydney Oval, NSW Jack Micans GTS, NSW Ben Mills Hawks Nest GC, NSW Craig Molloy Barwon Heads GC, Vic Colin Morrison AIMU P/L, Vic

Damien Murrell Merewether GC, NSW James Newell Magenta Shores G&CC, NSW Kelvin Nicholson Global Turf Matthew Oliver Suncorp Stadium, Qld Shaun Page Southern GC, Vic Luke Partridge Nuturf, SA Mick Pascoe Trump Int’l Malaysia Ben Payne Peninsula-Kingswood CGC, Vic Michael Pearce RACV Torquay GC, Vic Jeff Powell Ballarat GC, Vic Keegan Powell The Sands Torquay, Vic Luke Primus Deakin University, Vic Shaun Pritchard PEGS, Vic Shaun Probert Ryde Parramatta GC, NSW Greg Puckeridge Turf & Landscape, Qld Peter Rasmussen STRI, Hong Kong Scott Reid TasTAFE Lachlan Ridgewell Blacktown ISP, NSW Marcus Saddington Greenlife Group, Vic Brett Saggus BRG Legend Hill, Vietnam Wesley Saunders Dreamland GC, Azerbaijan Robert Savedra Wesley College, Vic Cameron Smith Sanctuary Cove G&CC, Qld Gary Smith Wodonga TAFE, NSW Jacob Smith The Coast GC, NSW Thomas Smith Waterford Valley, Vic Mathew Soles Sutherland Shire, NSW Liam Somers Whaleback GC, WA Clinton Southorn Troon International John Spraggs Royal Wellington GC, NZ Daniel Stack Windaroo Lakes GC, Qld David Sutherland The Ridge GC, NSW Lee Sutherland St Michael’s GC, NSW Shay Tasker Carnarvon GC, NSW Aaron Taylor Cronulla GC, NSW Heath Taylor Blacktown ISP, NSW Shaun Taylor Warragul CC, Vic James Thomas Bayview GC, NSW David Thomson Bermagui CC, NSW Colin Thorsborne Parkwood Village, Qld Ben Tilley Headland GC, Qld Dallas Voss Grass Up, Vic Michael Vozzo Fertool, Vic Earl Warmington Newcastle GC, NSW Tim Warren Glenelg GC, SA Trent Webber Ballina G&SC, NSW Scott West (Cheltenham GC, Vic) Shannon White Baileys Fertilisers, WA Joshua Willard Oaks Cypress Lakes, NSW Darren Wilson Wembley GC, WA Issac Wojewodka Camden GC, NSW Simon Wood Sth Metropolitan TAFE, WA Paul Wright City of Canning, WA Tim Wright K&B Adams, Vic Rob Young Liverpool GC, NSW

For more information on the ASTMA Certification Program visit www.astma.com.au

AS SOCIATION REPORTS

GCSAWA

WA GOLF INDUSTRY AWARDS At the WA golf industry’s gala night on 28 March, Cottesloe Golf Club superintendent Des Russell was crowned the GCSAWA Superintendent of the Year. Des was bestowed the award, sponsored by AFGRI Equipment, in front of an audience of 503 people. Remarkably, it was his third GCSAWA Superintendent of the Year title, adding to those he won in 2022 (Cottesloe) and 2011 when he was in charge at Bunbury Golf Club. Des beat home a strong field of fellow superintendents that included Scott Barnett (Margaret River GC), Callum Hitching (Karratha GC), Nick Kinley (Hartfield CC) and Brad Pavlinovich (The Vines Resort). Des continues to lead Cottesloe to higher levels each year and in 2024 the club completed its course masterplan which included the reconstruction of 83 bunkers and 19 greens. During these works, which spanned the past couple of years, Des and his staff continued to maintain the rest of the course to the highest standard. Des’ ‘club first’ mentality as well as his willingness to help out other superintendents made him a very worthy and popular winner of the award. 68

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: AUSTRALIAN GOLF MEDIA

uperintendents and sports turf managers in Perth might have thought they had an early end to summer when we got a week of coolish weather and 15mm of rain on 14 March. However, that quickly turned around with six days in a row over 36 degrees the following week! It was a very busy end to March for the GCSAWA with a number of events held in the same week. First we had the TAFE WA Awards Night at Royal Perth Golf Club where all the graduating apprentices and night school students received their certificates at a dinner attended by just over 100 people. Early the next morning we had our Trade Challenge Golf Day down at The Cut, before the week was capped off with the WA Golf Industry Awards Night held at Crown’s Grand Ballroom. The idea of hosting these three major events back-to-back-to-back was to encourage our country and national members to attend. We know Perth is a long way away but if there were three events to attend, plus still plenty of time during the day to make more personalised course visits, then that might sway a few people. We probably didn’t get the number of visitors we were hoping for but the attendances at each event were some of the highest we’ve ever had which is extremely encouraging. A big thanks to all those who made the trip to Perth for the week and it is something I would like to attempt again next year.

GCSAWA Superintendent of the Year Award winner Des Russell (above left) and GCSAWA Apprentice of the Year James Courtney-Bennett (right) with AFGRI Equipment’s Jack Latchford at the WA Golf Industry Awards in late March

Posting on social media, Cottesloe was quick to praise Des who has been at the club since July 2016 and superintendent for the past four years: “A huge congratulations and thank you to our super Superintendent of the Year, three-time winner Des Russell. We are so grateful for your dedication and skill. Des is an industry icon and a terrific mentor to young supers and greenkeepers. Well done Des, we are so proud of you and what you bring to Cottesloe.” We were also delighted to announce Lake Karrinyup Country Club’s James CourtneyBennett as the GCSAWA Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by AFGRI Equipment. James, who began his apprenticeship at Royal Perth before transferring to Lake Karrinyup for his final two years, took the honour ahead of Kasey Williams from Busselton Golf Club. James will now represent the GCSAWA in the final of the ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award, sponsored by Toro, at this year’s national conference in Sydney. James has quickly risen up the ranks to be a valued leader among the Lake Karrinyup crew. He has been heavily involved in the design and shaping of the new North Course greens as well as being trusted to run the DryJect and Air2G2 machine. The high pressure surroundings and the second to none presentation expectations has fast tracked James to be a future successful superintendent and we look forward to his progress over the coming years. Elsewhere on the night Lake Karrinyup Country Club (superintendent Fraser Brown) and Kalgoorlie Golf Course (superintendent Roger Innes) won the respective Metropolitan and Regional Golf Course of

AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27.2

the Year categories. These awards recognise excellence in golf course design, layout, shot making, course improvements during the year and overall championship condition. Lake Karrinyup claimed the award ahead of Cottesloe GC, Joondalup Golf Resort, The Vines and Wanneroo GC, while Kalgoorlie edged out Karratha Golf Course. Kalgoorlie continues to be a target destination for golfers from all over Australia, with the course experiencing a 20 per cent increase in rounds across 2024. Home of the WA PGA Championship for over a decade now, Kalgoorlie continues to defy the harshest conditions to grow grass to be one of the most spectacular golf courses in the country. Lake Karrinyup has for many years been at the pinnacle of the WA golf scene, providing a stern but fair test for all golfers on a championship calibre course. Since the completion of works several years ago, the course continues to advance each year with a recent focus on environmental management. The club’s decision to minimise or eliminate common practices such as scarifying, vertimowing, coring and regular aeration to a ‘less is more’ program has seen a more consistent surface for members all year round. Mandurah Country Club (superintendent Stewart Poole) collected the Metropolitan Golf Facility of the Year Award and Margaret River (superintendent Scott Barnett) the regional equivalent.

Earlier in the week, on the Wednesday, the annual WA TAFE Awards night was hosted by lecturers Jeff Austen, Simon Wood and Kaine Rogers where they honoured the state’s Certificate III in Sports Turf Management students and top performers. In addition to James Courtney-Bennett being named the GCSAWA Apprentice of the Year, Scotch College’s Nathan Hitch was named STA WA Apprentice of the Year. Other students to be recognised included: l Jordan Jury (Lakelands CC): Clements/ Hambleton Shield for Best Block Student (sponsored by Living Turf); l Lawrence O’Toole (City of Rockingham): Best Student in Certificate of Trade Studies (sponsored by Envu); l Kye Woods (Royal Perth GC): Lecturers Choice Day Student (sponsored by Lawn Doctor); and l Joel Caswell (The Cut): Lecturers Choice Block Student (sponsored by Lawn Doctor). The following morning GCSAWA members travelled to The Cut (superintendent Dave Cassidy) for the annual Trade Challenge which featured 21 teams contesting a fourball Ambrose event. It was the Nuturf team comprising Sam Cutri, Helen Oliver, Joel Caswell and Harry Bentley that took the honours, beating home the TQuip team of Tony McFadyean, Brendon Winterbourn, Veronica Winterbourne and Simon TurrellKnight. The AFGRI Equipment team of Jack Latchford, Steve Abbott, Dane McBride and Scott Barnett came in third.

STATE CONFERENCE AND A FOND FAREWELL The next big GCSAWA event is the biennial Margaret River Conference which will be held from 17-20 August. The line up of quality speakers continues to grow and having already announced Adam Marchant (Royal Sydney GC) and Sandy Reid (St Andrews, UK) earlier in the year we can now add Blair Christiansen from Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand to the list. All three will be presenting at Margaret River and will join a number of WA superintendents to complete a wonderful line up. Everyone is welcome, so please email me at president@gcsawa.org if you are interested in attending. Finally, Easter saw the retirement of longserving Wembley Golf Complex superintendent Darren Wilson. Darren has been vital to the GCSAWA and the wider turf industry for decades. I know ATM editor Brett Robinson is

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: JEFF AUSTEN AND SHANE BAKER

TAFE AWARDS AND TRADE CHALLENGE

Above: Clements/Hambleton Shield winner Jordan Jury with (from left) last year’s recipient Harry Quigley, lecturer Jeff Austen and Danny Hambleton Right: Envu Shield winner Lawrence O’Toole with Envu’s David Hurst and 2024 winner Brendan Sholdas Below right: STA WA Apprentice of the Year winner Nathan Hitch with STA WA president Chris Langsford

finishing up an article on Darren for the next edition that will go into more detail, but to briefly recap Darren has held every position on the GCSAWA committee and was on the Board of the AGCSA/ASTMA as treasurer for a number of years. He started the Waterwise Program here in WA, sat on research panels for the University of Western Australia, won GCSAWA environmental awards and won the ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award in 2007. Darren was awarded life membership of the GCSAWA at our 2024 AGM and we congratulate him on a wonderful career and wish him well in his retirement. Nick Kinley will be Darren’s replacement at Wembley, moving across from Hartfield Country Club where he has been superintendent for the past 12 years.

SHANE BAKER PRESIDENT, GCSAWA

Twenty-one teams contested the GCSAWA’s annual Trade Challenge golf day at The Cut

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AS SOCIATION REPORTS

VGCSA

t feels as though summer is once again stretching into early autumn here in Victoria, something that’s becoming the new normal for this time of year for us. The extended warmth has certainly kept everyone busy on course, but hopefully you’ve all had the opportunity to catch your breath after a hectic summer season. With Easter coming up (as I write this), I trust many of you can take a well-deserved break and recharge before heading into the cooler months to tackle the long list of ‘small projects’ that have accumulated over summer. Our first meeting for the year saw over 100 members make the journey to The National’s Long Island course for an exclusive look at the impressive redevelopment work currently underway. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout, especially considering how demanding this time of year is for all superintendents and their teams. A big thank you goes out to those who were able to attend and also those who sent their staff to take part. Opportunities to engage with projects of this scale and innovation are invaluable. The tour offered deep insights into how The National’s golf course manager Leigh Yanner and Long Island superintendent Simon Page are navigating the rebuild in partnership with architects OCM Golf. The design approach being implemented is both bold and forward-thinking with the flexible ‘course within a course’ allowing for three different 18-hole routings. This has entailed constructing a final layout that will include 20 greens and utilising the same greens and tees in varying combinations to create the three different routings. Golfers may encounter entirely different holes from one day or one week to the next based on which sequence of tees and pins are in play. In order

The National Golf Club’s Long Island course hosted the first VGCSA meeting for 2025

to facilitate that, a large consideration with the greens design has been to build them so they can accept shots from different directions. The flexibility of the hole designs and the creative routing possibilities promise to deliver a playing experience that’s not only dynamic but also highly adaptable. The variety being built into the course ensures that the layout will remain fresh and engaging for years to come which is a testament to the vision and collaboration between The National and Ashley Mead from OCM Golf. At the time of the meeting, 13 holes had been constructed with 10 greens down and a further two to be seeded the following week. Leigh is expecting construction works to be finished by June, with the final tranche to focus on the practice facilities and clubhouse area which should be completed by September. That will then give Simon and his team the remainder of the year to establish everything, with all 18 holes reopening in the New Year.

ACTSTMA The ACT Sports Turf Managers Association is pleased to announce that Zac Wels (pictured) from Tura Beach Country Club on the NSW South Coast has been named as the 2024 Graduate of the Year recipient. Zac was a consistent performer at Canberra Institute of TAFE, contributing to practical work and collaborating professionally with his cohort. He was particularly proud of Tura Beach and the work that the team were undertaking to make it the course that it is. Zac was a popular winner of the overall award and interviewed well during his presentation in front of the committee. He beat home a very promising group of apprentices, 70

Looking ahead, we have a busy calendar of events planned for the remainder of the year, including the AGM in late April at Kingston Heath, followed by meetings in June (Course Staff Education Meeting, Cranbourne GC), July (Country Meeting, Yarrawonga Mulwala GC) and September (Education Meeting, Riversdale GC). These events are great opportunities to share knowledge and network. In addition to our regular meetings, we’re also rolling out a series of specialised workshops this autumn and winter aimed at upskilling staff across a range of topics including cutting units, biodiversity, budgeting and financial planning, irrigation systems and sprayer operation and calibration. I look forward to catching up with those who can make it to the ASTMA conference in Sydney in June.

ADAM LAMB PRESIDENT, VGCSA ON THE MOVE…

but special mention must go to Dylan Benfield (Garangula Polo, who was the winner of the Sportsfield graduate award), Ross McPherson (Royal Canberra GC) and Ashleigh Garrett (Belconnen Bowls Club). On 24 March we held our annual ACTSTMA Hutcheson & Pearce Golf Day. We had great support with over 130 golfers and sponsors turning up for the event held at Federal Golf Club which was presented in fantastic condition thanks to superintendent Peter Dunn and his staff. Our next event will be the Living Turf Education Seminar to be held at Thoroughbred Park in July.

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SIMON SNEDDEN COMMITTEE, ACTSTMA

JAMES BARNES: From spray technician Palmer Coolum, Qld to assistant superintendent Avondale GC, NSW. MICHAEL BUNSTON: From foreman Box Hill GC, Vic to assistant Rosanna GC, Vic. ADAM CHANDLER: From Wodonga TAFE to assistant Howlong GC, NSW. JUSTIN GROVES: From racecourse manager Morphettville, SA to turf and irrigation manager Outside Ideas, SA. NICK KINLEY (CSTM): From superintendent Hartfield CC, WA to superintendent Wembley Golf Complex, WA. JOEL MANSON: From Lonsdale Links, Vic to assistant superintendent The Sands, Torquay, Vic. JAXON THORNE: Appointed assistant superintendent Royal Perth GC, WA.

TMSA

PHOTOS: MARIE CUNNINGHAM, TMSA

urf Management South Australia’s 2025 program of events officially kicked off in late March with a Regional Tour to the Barossa region. The trip began at Tanunda Pines Golf Club with newly appointed superintendent Steve Draper and his team having the course in excellent condition despite the ongoing dry weather impacting much of the state. Fourteen attendees (pictured right) enjoyed an afternoon of golf followed by a superb meal and an inspiring presentation by Brad Round. The Grange Golf Club senior greenkeeper shared his experience from the Fairway Finder charity bike ride which he undertook last year. Brad combined cycling from Melbourne to Adelaide with rounds of golf at various stops along the way, all in support of Legacy to raise both awareness and valuable funds. On day two, over 70 delegates gathered at Lyndoch Oval for an informative ‘walk ‘n’ talk’ led by James McDonald, managing director of Lawn Nation. James (pictured right) detailed the oval’s recent reconstruction in preparation for this year’s AFL Gather Round. The outstanding quality of the playing surface was clear to all, as reflected in the successful hosting of two AFL games there – North Melbourne v Gold Coast and Richmond v Fremantle – on the Saturday and Sunday of Gather Round. The tour concluded with a visit to Trinity College in Gawler, where leading hand Chris Sheath offered valuable insights into the ongoing maintenance of the college’s extensive grounds. His presentation highlighted the challenges of managing multiple sporting fields, cricket wickets and sites while navigating the scheduling demands of a busy school environment. TMSA extends its sincere thanks to all participants, sponsors and hosts for helping make this regional event a real success. We encourage all members to continue supporting these industry days.

TMSA members (top) gather at Tanunda Pines Golf Club on the opening day of the regional trip, while James McDonald (above) talks about the construction of Lyndoch Oval ahead of hosting games during AFL Gather Round

Looking ahead, the TMSA’s 3rd Annual Golf Day is set for Monday 5 May at West Lakes Golf Club (host superintendent Stuart Gillespie). Thank you to all the sponsors who are once again supporting this muchanticipated event. In addition, planning is well underway for the Turf Seminar at Morphettville Racecourse on Wednesday 6 August. The speaker lineup is

currently being finalised, with several exciting presentations already confirmed. The seminar will cover a broad range of topics tailored to engage and inform attendees from all sectors of the turf industry. Registration for the event will open in May.

TIM WARREN PRESIDENT, TMSA

GCSAQ

he GCSAQ hosted its second meeting of 2025 with an education seminar at The Gabba in Brisbane (pictured) on Thursday 27 March. The day was held in the same week that the Queensland Government announced that a new stadium precinct at Victoria Park would be constructed for the 2032 Olympics, meaning The Gabba’s time will be coming to an end once the Games are completed. The new stadium will become the new home of AFL and cricket in Brisbane.

venue by head curator David Sandurski as well as presentations from Peter AmbrosePearce and Dr Brett Morris from Syngenta and Steve Buttigieg from TAFE Queensland. Ambrose-Pearce spoke on fire ants, while Dr Morris spoke on Syngenta’s new nematicide Trefinti. The GCSAQ is currently planning its next meeting – keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for further details. Around 80 attended the day which included a ‘walk and talk’ of the ground and

MARK HAUFF PRESIDENT, GCSAQ MARCH-APRIL 2025 71

AS SOCIATION REPORTS

ASTMA RTO

PHOTOS: ALBERT SHERRY

n mid-March, the ASTMA (RTO#46011) completed the practical skills component of the ‘Prepare sports turf surfaces for play’ unit (AHCTRF306) for students enrolled in its Certificate III in Sports Turf Management course. The first year apprentices spent four days at Adelaide Oval in the leadup to the venue’s Round 2 AFL Premiership match between Port Adelaide and Richmond and were assessed across a number of set tasks to ensure they met industry benchmark standards. This finalised the unit they had been undertaking since classes recommenced for the year in late January. Adelaide Oval is a perfect venue for assessment of the unit as it offers world-class facilities including the main arena which hosts AFL, cricket and concerts, the No.2 oval with turf wickets and turf practice facilities, as well as lawn and artificial tennis courts. The time and work that head curator Damian Hough, Pete Foreman and the amazing team at Adelaide Oval put in to not only accommodate the students but to make the week such a success is truly appreciated. They kicked the week off by providing the students with a tour of the iconic venue and maintenance facility. As part of that, the apprentices completed a worksheet on each of the venue’s turf surfaces before being split into smaller groups supervised by Adelaide Oval staff. This allowed myself and ASTMA SA training manager Chris McCulloch to assess each student completing their required tasks. It was another fantastic week and the group really took an amazing amount of pride in their work, knowing that they were a part of preparations for an AFL match day. Getting the chance to experience time on an elite oval, let alone preparing one of the world’s best sporting venues and working with an extraordinary team of dedicated people over the week, was an extremely rare opportunity for the students. We cannot thank Damian and his team enough for facilitating this experience. After Easter the first-year students began the ‘Implement soil improvements for gardens and turf areas’ (AHCSOL304) and ‘Recognise plants’ (AHCPCM204) units. Elsewhere, our second-year Certificate III students completed the ‘Establish turf’ (AHCTRF308) and ‘Monitor turf health’ (AHCTRF310 ) units, preparing their submissions on the monitoring of both warm-season and cool-season turf varieties at their workplace throughout the growing season. They have since begun the ‘Apply environmentally sustainable work practices’ (AHCWRK320) and ‘Maintain pressurised irrigation systems’ (AHCIRG347) units. Students enrolled in the Diploma of Sports Turf Management course have also been

Adelaide Oval head curator Damian Hough takes the Certificate III in Sports Turf Management students on a tour as part of their recent block release. Below, Tyler Hanson (Glenelg Turf Ace) cuts the playing surface

kept extremely busy completing assessments in the ‘Manage trial and research work’ unit (AHCWRK514). They commenced their trials last spring and have continued to monitor them throughout summer. Preliminary reports have been of a high standard with the students delivering their findings in mid-April. They also completed the ‘Negotiate and monitor contracts’ unit (AHCBUS514) and following a break over Easter have begun the ‘Manage and monitor budgets and financial reports’ (AHCBUS518) and ‘Plan the establishment of sports turf playing surfaces’ (AHCTRF505) units. I have been really impressed with the quality of the work students are delivering and their work ethic. Given the pressures placed on young professionals from a workplace and personal life point of view, without factoring

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in the extreme spring and summer weather conditions across parts of the country, it is great to see the level of dedication they have for their studies. For more information on the Certificate III and Diploma courses offered through the ASTMA and how to enrol, please contact me by email (albert@astma.com.au) or call 0473 064 726. The ASTMA website also has a wealth of information – visit the ‘Registered Training Organisation’ section under the ‘Education’ tab at www.astma. com.au. Importantly, the ASTMA offers rolling enrolments in both qualifications meaning you can join at any time and commence your training with the next scheduled unit.

ALBERT SHERRY TRAINING MANAGER, ASTMA

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Always read the label before use. Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd, Level 1, 2 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ®Registered trademark of Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2025 Syngenta. AD 25-105.

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