Turfing Across the World BY STEVE LALOR, GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT OF TOWNSVILLE GOLF CLUB Looking at the busted blisters I have on my hands today makes me reminisce about when I first became interested in the turf industry. One week’s work experience during high school made me realise that this was the direction I wanted to go. Working outdoors had always appealed to me and this was a great environment to start my journey. Fortunately, before school finished, I had secured an apprenticeship at Toowoomba Golf Club under Phillip Knight. It was a small crew of 8 with three apprentices including me. Toowoomba was a good grounding for my introduction to turf management. Four years
After my contract finished in Japan, I headed
Australia and New Zealand. It was a great
back home and took up a position at
period of my career as long-term friendships
Indooroopilly Golf Club. I was involved in
were made. Construction was still biting
several major projects which piqued my
at me, so after some discussion with Mike
Six months later I was on a plane travelling
interest in golf course construction. Whilst at
O’Keefe and Superintendent on #8, Jeff Hill,
to Japan to work at a 45-hole golf complex.
Indooroopilly I met with Mike O’Keeffe from
we decided that I would move down to Florida
Working in Japan was a stark introduction to
The Ohio State University. We discussed the
with Maccurrach Golf Construction after I
working overseas as no one on the crew could
Ohio Program and what options were available
completed six months at Pinehurst.
speak English, while the use of hand signals
to me. I asked about construction and was
and broken Japanese/English to communicate
excited to hear Ohio worked with one of
was shared. Tojo Country Club consisted of
the best Golf Course Builders in the country,
18 holes with bent grass greens and Zoysia
Maccurrach Golf Constructions.
went by quickly and an opportunity arose to work at Royal Queensland in preparation for the 1997 PGA Players Championship.
Japonica over the rest of the course. Okura Country Club was unique as it carried double greens over the 27 holes. Zoysia Matrella and bent grass were the turf types on greens. These greens would be played through different seasons to alleviate wear from play as the course would have a full field of golf every day of the week, regardless of the weather.
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Palencia Country Club in St Augustine was the first stop with Maccurrach. Although I was only at Palencia for a month, seeing the processes that were involved in complete golf
My Ohio Program Internship began at
course construction gave me a good base
Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Then
to move on to the next project. I relocated to
an 8-golf course complex with Course #2
Gainesville, Florida to carry out a full rebuild of
being the famed US Open venue. I started
the University of Florida golf course. My role
in September 2000 at The Centennial or
was Assistant Construction Superintendent. This
#8. There were 12 other interns working at
was a great role for me to teach the workforce
Pinehurst at the time from all over the world
about golf course construction, as most of
including Scotland, Ireland, England, Portugal,
the guys on crew were from the University