October 27, 2025

EP.149 Keeper of the Greens - Dion Cope (Redland Bay Golf Club)

1 hour 57 minutes

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Dion Cope is Superintendent of Redland Bay Golf Club in south east Brisbane in Queensland. He has had a long fruitful career in greenkeeping to get to where he is today which includes a number of years working in Asia.

From first mowing a green at the age of 10, Dion was exposed to the trade of greenkeeping through his father. Growing up around greenkeeping didn't mean it would be Dion's chosen field, turns out he had a second significant vocation, rugby league! Dion received a contract through the Cronulla Sharks rugby league team in his early years, and through that, he was also able to work as a greenkeeper at the local Cronulla Golf Club. Dion eventually left the greenkeeping industry to pursue a career in rugby league for a while before a return to the industry at Ashgrove Golf Club in Brisbane. It was from here, and on the eve of being married, that Dion would get an opportunity to manage the large 54 hole golf facility of Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort in Malaysia.

A number of years, a couple of clubs, and two children later, Dion and his family were to move back to Australia. Dion went through a few different work places in Australia before arriving and leading the team as Superintendent at Redland Bay Golf Club. He and the course team have been working through a greens replacement program to TifEagle putting surfaces as the club continues to improve the quality of their golf offering.

Join Dion and myself for this sizable yarn into the depths of Redland Bay Golf Club, his greenkeeping career, the ups and downs of life, his structured and methodical approach to golf course management, and just listening to a great person from two fantastic industries greenkeeping and football!

You hit 'em clean and we'll keep 'em green!

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Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Redland Bay Golf Club

Craigieburn - Wilmott Golf Club

Ocean Shores Country Club

Meadowbrook Golf Club

Riverlakes Golf Club

Cronulla Sharks