The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast

Walking the Fairways is back in 2024 and what better way to do it than to give you an update as to just what is happening in Hobart, Tasmania after my recent trip there.

Come with me as I give you a glimpse into some of the newest golf course projects happening in Australia, along with a couple of local stalwart courses of Hobart that are worth visiting when you're in town!

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

7 Mile Beach Golf Course

Royal Hobart Golf Club

Llanherne Golf Club

Arm End Golf Course

Mat Goggin on The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast

Clayton Devries Pont

OCM Golf Design

Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is brought to you by John Deere Golf. Check out the brand new ⁠185 E-Cut⁠ and ⁠225 E-Cut⁠ fully electric walk behind greens mowers from John Deere. Find your nearest ⁠⁠⁠J⁠ohn Deere dealer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠deere.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ask for a demo.

Richard Forsyth leads the team that maintain one of the greatest golf facilities on Earth, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club!

From a farming background on the outskirts of Melbourne, a young Richard took an opportunity as a apprentice greenkeeper at Riversdale Golf Club in Melbourne. He quickly acquired the taste for golf greenkeeping which included the overall landscape of the site and not just the turf.

A couple of appointments at golf resorts along the Murray River, including his first posting as a Superintendent, would set Richard up for the appointment as Superintendent at The Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne's famed Sandbelt region.

Richard's experience gained thus far in his career was becoming extensive and he was at home leading the team at Metro. However, when the seat was vacated at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Richard threw his hat in the ring and ultimately was bestowed the responsibility to hold the keys and lead the team of maintaining the hallowed MacKenzie/Russell designed 36 hole facility just as the 2011 Presidents Cup was knocking on the door!

Join with me as we ride with Richard throughout his greenkeeping journey before things get detailed and interesting as we talk about the inner workings of maintaining the Royal Melbourne golf courses. We discuss history, architecture, green firmness, the art and majesty of non uniform turf surfaces, philosophy of turf maintenance, and vegetation. We also discuss how Royal Melbourne is the sum of greater than its parts, and how, like that famous line out of the great Aussie movie The Castle, sometimes "it's the vibe" that is the indefinable quality of Royal Melbourne!

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

⁠The Royal Melbourne Golf Club⁠

⁠Riversdale Golf Club⁠

⁠Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort⁠

⁠Murray Downs Golf & Country Club⁠

⁠The Metropolitan Golf Club⁠

⁠Alister MacKenzie⁠

⁠Mick Morcom & Claude Crockford

Killara Golf Club is celebrating 125 years in 2024!

We pick up the Killara Golf Club story in 1932. This second part of the podcast sees the club navigate their way through the challenging time after the clubhouse has been gutted by fire. The Second World War has an impact on both the club and Australia, and moving into the 1960's the club was looking to upgrade the golf course with architect Commander John Harris.

Along with learning about the continued history of the golf club, this second part of the episode brings in a number of personal insights from the recent history of the golf club with a number of guests joining me throughout the story. These guests allow us to understand and see what goes on deep inside the golf club and just how Killara is functioning as a club and looking to move forward and plan for the future.

As we come to the completion of Killara Golf Club's story, I am also joined by Golf Course Architect Harley Kruse. Harley details his thoughts on just what his recent redesign of the golf course has delivered to the club and how it is setting the club and course up for the future.

Come and join me on this final part of this history podcast journey as I continue the deep dive to complete this amazing story of just what makes Killara Golf Club not only one of Sydney's greatest golf treasures, but also one of Australia's!

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Killara Golf Club

NSW Golf Club

Prosper Ellis

Commander John Harris

Harley Kruse

Peter's Ice Cream clubhouse model

This two part podcast episode was a paid project in partnership with Killara Golf Club.

Killara Golf Club is celebrating 125 years in 2024!

As one of the oldest golf clubs in Australia, Killara began its life in 1899 as Lindfield Golf Club and was also located on a different site than it is today. Only some details are known of the golf club's earliest history and I have set out to try and find some of those missing pieces during this podcast project.

Working with Killara Golf Club on this project, some of what we have been able to discover includes the previously unknown first designers of the original Killara golf course, the beginning of the golf career of one of Australia's greatest ever amateur players, and never before heard details of Dr Alister MacKenzie's course report from 1926.

Add to all of this, I along with you the audience, hear about the evolution of Killara's unique golf course through the various architects that have been involved,

Come and join me on this two part podcast journey as I deep dive and tell the amazing and previously unknown story of just what makes Killara Golf Club not only one of Sydney's greatest golf treasures, but also one of Australia's!

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Killara Golf Club

Royal Sydney Golf Club

The Australian Golf Club

Newcastle Golf Club

Bondi Golf & Diggers Club

Avondale Golf Club

Carnegie Clark

Dan Soutar

Dr Alister MacKenzie

Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is brought to you by John Deere Golf. When you work where others play, you need a partner you can trust to keep your course in perfect condition. Find your nearest ⁠J⁠ohn Deere dealer⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠deere.com.au⁠⁠ 

Ryan Stores comes from humble beginnings growing up on a farm in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW.

After getting a start and completing a greenkeeping apprenticeship on a city golf course in Canberra, Ryan quickly found himself wanting more. A trip to the USA as part of the Ohio State Program gave Ryan everything he was looking for with vast experience in tournament preparation on some of the biggest stages in golf!

Returning to Australia for a period, it wasn't long before Ryan found himself back in the USA after a phone call for a project few could've asked for at the one and only Quail Hollow!

Following his epic adventures to and from the USA, Ryan came back to the bush capital of Australia where he settled into a new position at Royal Canberra Golf Club before the Superintendent's seat became available and he was appointed the role. With a great deal of new work under their belt and on the horizon at Royal Canberra Golf Club, Ryan and his team are well positioned to bring the course to a whole new and exciting standard.

Ryan's career is a steep one and one that shows what you can achieve if you are dedicated and committed at what you do! Come with us on this exciting ride as we hear about Ryan's incredible career, what it's like maintaining a golf course is such a challenging environment, and just where Royal Canberra Golf Club is set to go in the future.

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Royal Canberra Golf Club

Yowani Country Club

Ohio State Program

Quail Hollow Club

The Australian Golf Club

Liberty National Golf Club

Walter Burley Griffin

Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is brought to you by John Deere Golf. When you work where others play, you need a partner you can trust to keep your course in perfect condition. Find your nearest J⁠ohn Deere dealer⁠⁠ at ⁠deere.com.au⁠ 

Originally from New Zealand, Graeme learned his greenkeeping trade on cool season grasses on some well known courses. Upon a holiday trip to Queensland, Graeme soon found his new "home" in the warm Queensland temperatures.

After moving to Queensland and few years working outside the industry learning new skills, it wasn't long before greenkeeping was back in his mind and Graeme was back working on a golf course.

Tamborine Mountain Golf Club has a unique golf course, very different from the resort and high quality warm season turf surfaces the Golf Coast region is known for.

Along with detailing his career, Graeme gives us an insight into the golf course at Tamborine Mountain, some of the challenges they've faced recently, along with some course upgrades and Koalas all in his own jovial and light hearted way.

Come and enjoy a fun ride on the Scenic Rim!

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Tamborine Mountain Golf Club

Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club

Kooralbyn Valley Golf Course

Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary

Elanora Country Club

Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is brought to you by John Deere Golf. When you work where others play, you need a partner you can trust to keep your course in perfect condition. Find your nearest John Deere dealer⁠ at deere.com.au 

For the very first time, we're heading to the Northern Territory!

Jimmy Downes is Head Greenkeeper of the local nine hole golf course in downtown Humpty Doo, outside Darwin. Yes, you heard me right, Humpty Doo. This nine hole golf course might have a unique name, and be located in a unique part of Australia, but it's nothing compared to Jimmy's unique greenkeeping career path.

Leaving school early would see Jimmy finding horticulture where he made the most of it. Studying and gaining plenty of knowledge in horticulture saw Jimmy looking for work without much luck before he was given an opportunity in a very different place!

Taking the bull by the horns, this opportunity quickly became Jimmy's big adventure! Working on a golf course in a far away wonderland, Jimmy soon found himself at this new home for many years. Taking up the game of golf and enjoying the sport at his new home, many years would pass when things changed and he was looking for work again.

A stint outside greenkeeping for a few years soon had Jimmy thinking of golf and sports turf again, and it wasn't long before Humpty Doo just happened to be the right fit at the right time!

You're sure to enjoy this wild, and at times left field adventure, as we learn about golf and greenkeeping in the NT along with just how big Australia really is!

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Humpty Doo & Rural Area Golf Club

Humpty Doo Greenkeeper

Humpy Doo

Groote Eylandt

Alyangula Golf Club

Gove Golf Club

Royal Pines Resort

7 Mile Beach Golf Course

Lawntips - Ben Sims

Finding Fairways Australia

Inside The Greenkeepers Shed is a behind the scenes look into just what is involved in preparing a golf course and is broken down in a way for every day people to understand.

This episode I interview Superintendent of Cranbourne Golf Club, Nico Douglas, and we chat about his tournament preparation experience as a volunteer team member preparing for LIV Golf Adelaide earlier in the year at The Grange Golf Club.

Nico discusses his reasons behind wanting to be part of the team and also just why he believes it is a great opportunity for any greenkeeper to experience.

If you want to get an inside peek into tournament preparation, or are thinking about applying to be a volunteer greenkeeper at a tournament, you'll want to listen to this one!

People and Places mentioned in this podcast:

⁠Nico Douglas - Superintendent Cranbourne Golf Club⁠

⁠Cranbourne Golf Club⁠

⁠Volunteer for LIV Golf Adelaide⁠

⁠Rowan Daymond - Superintendent The Grange Golf Club⁠

⁠The Grange Golf Club⁠

⁠LIV Golf Adelaide 2025⁠

⁠The Australian Open⁠

Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is sponsored by John Deere Golf. When you work where others play, you need a partner you can trust to keep your course in perfect condition. Find your nearest John Deere dealer here at deere.com.au

Matthew Bailey may not have the experience of someone that has worked an numerous courses, but he more than makes up for it on the two courses he has worked at!

Matthew's early greenkeeping career saw him learning under two highly respected superintendents where he would experience course construction and a new course build from scratch. Quickly climbing the ranks it wasn't long before he would become Superintendent at Lynwood. An amalgamation soon after taking the reins and a few years working as Superintendent soon saw an offer of a senior management role inside the clubhouse. A pandemic and consecutive floods during one of the wettest periods on record had Matthew learning on the run and thinking outside the box in many ways to help make Lynwood a great community club as well as a great golf facility.

A greenkeeper at heart, the golf course has always been the centre of Matthew's thoughts, and it wasn't long before he was back outside leading the team and maintaining the golf course in the hands on role he loves yet again.

This is a fun yarn that has a bit for everyone. Strap yourself in for a ride that experiences everything without going anywhere.

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Lynwood Golf & Country Club

Wallacia Golf Club

Penrith Panthers Leagues Club

NSW Floods 2022

TPC Deere Run

John Deere Classic

Castle Hill RSL Group

IGA Blaxland

This Keeper Of The Greens segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is sponsored by ⁠The Social Media Birdie If you're looking for social media or digital media management, then go one better with The Social Media Birdie "We're Better Than Par".

Fraser Brown might not be someone you've heard of in Australian greenkeeping before, but he will be after you listen to his story in this interview.

Lake Karrinyup Country Club is often considered one of, if not, the best golf course Western Australia has to offer. Designed by Alex Russell, Australian design partner of Alister MacKenzie, it is located on a unique site in Perth's northern suburbs. For nearly the past 8 years Fraser has lead the maintenance team as Superintendent of this wonderful golf course, preserving its unique qualities and retaining its proud place in Australian golf. Fraser's journey to becoming Superintendent at Lake Karrinyup could be considered as unique the course itself. A Scotsman growing up in an area the rest of us might consider golf heaven, Fraser found his early calling, before taking a path less travelled (possibly by no one ever before) to eventually landing in Australia and maintaining turf in one of Australia's most unique locations!

If this story doesn't show you just where greenkeeping can take you around the world, then nothing will. Come and join Fraser and I as we learn about the wild west and other far flung corners of the globe.

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

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Lake Karrinyup Country Club

Kalgoorlie Golf Course

Carnoustie Golf Links

Alex Russell

Dr Alister MacKenzie

Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia