The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast

Avondale Golf Club is celebrating 100 years in 2026!

Avondale Golf Club in Sydney began life during a boom of golf after WWI. Started by a group of well to do businessmen of the Upper North Shore, Avondale was one of many golf courses that were being hastily built during this time.

Folklore has always held that the Avondale club was a frustrated breakaway of members from the nearby Killara Golf Club, but extensive new research into the origins of Avondale's story, not only showed folklore to be a fallacy, but also opened up an entire new understanding of Avondale's origins. A strong Scottish connection between the club's pioneers and the earliest golf experts at its beginning is arguably larger than any other in Australia. And when coupled with previously unknown information of Dan Soutar's involvement, you know there is a distinct recipe and drive for success!

Part 1 of Avondale Golf Club's earliest history explores the extent of its Scottish background, exactly how this golf club would go on to choose one of the most inhospitable sites for a golf course in Sydney's unique bush landscape, and tell the story of its path to being Eric Apperly's first ever golf course design.

Join me for an amazing journey through the life of one of Sydney's hidden treasures in a way never heard before, to a depth the club itself never knew they had!

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Avondale Golf Club

Sir Robert Gillespie - Australian Dictionary of Biography

Dan Soutar - Wiki

Dan Soutar's first article describing the site for the future Avondale Golf Club - The Sun (newspaper) 17th February 1925

Eric Apperly - Top100golfcourses.com

Eric Apperly's lost pro shop architectural drawings

Dame Joan Hammond - Wiki

Killara Golf Club

Concord Golf Club

Manly Golf Club

Goulburn Golf Club

The Australian Golf Club

The Lakes Golf Club

Eastlake Golf Club

Pymble Golf Club

Australian Golf Heritage Society

EP.93 Aussie Golf History Killara Golf Club

Walking the Fairways segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is proudly brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dint Golf Solutions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make sure to check out their website www.dint.com.au , and also by Envu and you can find out where to buy their products here.

There's a little going on around Australia and New Zealand to begin 2026 and this is the right podcast to stay up to date with all of it. From a cyclone in QLD to bushfires in VIC, a new course soon to open in NZ and one soon to begin in QLD. It's all here for you to stay up to date and even consider just where your next golf trip will be.

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Dint Golf Solutions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

Envu - Instagram & Facebook

Mackay Golf Club

Proserpine Golf Club

Tropical Cyclone Koji - abc.net.au

Byelee Waters Golf Project

Gladstone Golf Club

Gibbston Valley Golf Club - Golf Course Architecture

Fox Hills Golf Club

Penrith Golf Club

Flagstaff Hill Golf Club

Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club

Alexandra Golf Club

Longwood Bushfire Victoria - news.com.au

Arm End Golf Course

Arm End Golf Course - Facebook

Titirangi Golf Club

Windross Farm Golf Course

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

Jock McPherson comes across as a humble kinda bloke. And when you find out that his greenkeeping career began in Tamworth, NSW, it kinda sounds about right too. But when you find out that he is currently Senior Assistant Superintendent at the one and only Congressional Country Club just outside Washington DC in the USA, you really want to know more!

I'm not going to divulge his whole career in this caption needless to say that Jock's story is one you want to hear. Jock's career story includes both golf courses in Tamworth, the extremely private and famed Ellerston golf course, and a career changing melting pot of USA experiences thanks to the Ohio State Program. Jock may come across as somewhat calm and unassuming, but don't let that fool you, he has worked hard to carved out a greenkeeping career that many will find inspirational and even admire!

Join Jock and I as we step through his wonderful career, from country NSW, all the way to the big smoke of Congressional just outside Washington DC, discussing the wide range of different weather conditions and diverse turf surfaces he has experienced in a relatively short time frame. This is one you will enjoy!

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Congressional Country Club

Cal Club (California Golf Club)

Tamworth Golf Club

Longyard Golf Course

Greg Norman Golf Course Design

Tamworth, NSW - Wiki

Ellerston

Barnbougle

The Cliffs Kangaroo Island

EP.135 Steve's Ransom Special Guest - Mike O'Keeffe

Ohio State Program

Austin Country Club

Austin, Texas - Wiki

Medinah Country Club

OCM Golf Course Design

Walking the Fairways segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is proudly brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dint Golf Solutions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make sure to check out their website www.dint.com.au

This segment has lots of news once again from all over Australia and little from New Zealand with a focus on smaller clubs and regional golf clubs. There's also a whole lot of detail that was recently released about the redevelopment of the public North Adelaide golf course in readiness to host LIV Adelaide in 2028 which I will go through with you at length.

Join me for the very last podcast episode of 2025 before we fire things up in the new year!

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Dint Golf Solutions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

Caloundra Golf Club

Nedlands Golf Club

North Adelaide Public Golf Course

North Adelaide Public Golf Course Redevelopment Details

Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD)

Kooyonga Golf Club

Women's Australian Open

Mount Osmond Golf Club

Balgowlah Golf Club

Palm Beach Golf Club

Mudgee Golf Club

Young Golf Club

Cobram Barooga Golf Club

Medway Golf Club

Queenscliff Golf Club

Midlands Golf Club

Riversdale Beach Golf Club

EP.117 Walking the Fairways - Adam Marchant

EP.159 Keeper of the Greens - Adam Marchant

EP.99 Keeper of the Greens - Jason Seis

Whilst it's called Steve's Random Special Guest, this episode brings back long time friend of the podcast, Nadeem Zreikat. This time however, Nadeem has a new title to add to his repertoire - board member of the International Turfgrass Society.

Nadeem joins me to talk about not only his recent appointment as part of the International Turfgrass Society, but also we discuss just what the society of all about and what they do in the world of turf. Many of you may not have heard of them before, me included, and this was a great little chat to hear about the many benefits of their work and also how you can be involved to help improve yourself.

And, with the recent news of the passing of Peter McMaugh, we finish off the podcast with a late inclusion of our own little tribute to Peter's life and work.

Thank you to Avondale Golf Club for allowing us to record this podcast episode inside their wonderful clubhouse.

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

You can contact Nadeem on these details below:

Email - [email protected]

Phone - 0403 110 608

LinkedIn - Nadeem Zreikat

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

International Turfgrass Society (ITS)

Avondale Golf Club

Brett Morris - LinkedIn

Will Bowden - LinkedIn

Behind The Turf Podcast

EP.39 Behind the Turf Podcast - Peter McMaugh Part A (Spotify)

EP.40 Behind The Turf Podcast - Peter McMaugh Part B (Spotify)

The R&A and Torgerson Gilbey - Golf Course 2030 Project

ASTMA article - Vale Peter McMaugh

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

Adam Marchant has just overseen one of Australia's most significant golf course rebuilds! You wouldn't know it but Adam's current high level of responsibility as Royal Sydney Golf Club's Director of Grounds comes from humble beginnings in regional NSW.

Adam grew up in the NSW country town of Mudgee. Well known as a wine region, Mudgee couldn't be more removed from the hustle and bustle of Sydney and the high profile Royal Sydney Golf Club. For a time, Adam's father was a trainee professional golfer at the local Mudgee Golf Club where Adam would frequent as a kid and learned the game of golf. Adam would also get his first taste of greenkeeping at Mudgee GC doing school work experience on course for a couple of weeks. And it was from here that Adam realised what he wanted to do.

Although his first employment began as an apprentice greenkeeper at one of Mudgee's bowling clubs, Adam had the opportunity to visit Royal Sydney Golf Club in his early years of learning the trade. This lit a fire in Adam and he soon chased for a chance to work as an apprentice greenkeeper at a golf course, Royal Sydney no less. And it is from this beginning that Adam has climbed from the bottom to the very top of maintaining the golf course at Royal Sydney!

I'm not going to give it all away here needless to say that Adam's story is one of perserverance, dedication, achieving goals and staying humble. He has achieved so much at such a revered golf club, along with recently working with one of the world's most renowned golf course architects in Gil Hanse for one of Australia's most significant golf course transformations.

Join Adam and I as we step through his amazing greenkeeping career all the way to today as Director of Grounds, experiencing and managing an incredible facility of not just golf, but world class turf surfaces of bowls, tennis, and croquet (funny story in this episode)!

I couldn't think of a better way to cap of an amazing 2025 than to have the opportunity to share this unique conversation with Adam, from one of the world's most amazing greenkeeping office's, at one of Australia's most well known and historically significant golf club's.

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Royal Sydney Golf Club

Hanse Golf Course Design

Mudgee Golf Club

Club Mudgee (Bowling Club)

Mudgee - Wiki

Ross Watson - Planet Golf

Croquet Australia - Eire Cup

2011 Davis Cup Tie at Royal Sydney

All England Lawn Tennis Club - Wimbledon

Harley Kruse - Kruse Golf

EP.99 Keeper of the Greens - Jason Seis

Walking the Fairways segment of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast is proudly brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dint Golf Solutions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make sure to check out their website www.dint.com.au

This is a slightly different Walking the Fairways. There's the usual news from around Australia and New Zealand including the brand new ISPS Handa Japan Australasia Championship to be held at Royal Auckland & Grange GC, Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast is set to lose 9 of it's 27 holes, and Aston Hills Golf Club is doing some work to rebuild their practice facilities. I also provide you with some of my own experience from the men's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne where I was down there to record an upcoming behind the scenes podcast series and some videos with Beschen Pou about what it takes to prepare and deliver RM's Composite Course for the tournament. This was an incredibly exciting experience and I can't wait to bring it to you, but i will give a little taste of just what it was like within the team for the 4 days I was recording for.

Hope you enjoy this episode as we get a little close towards the end of 2025.

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Dint Golf Solutions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

⁠Royal Melbourne Golf Club

ISPS Handa Japan Australasia Championship - Golf Australia Magazine

Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club

Humpty Doo Golf Club

RACV Royal Pines Resort

Royal Fremantle Golf Club

Glenelg Golf Club

Ryan Van Der Veen

Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies

Aston Hills Golf Club

Newcastle Golf Club

Harrison Golf

7 Mile Beach Golf Course

Clayton DeVries & Pont (CDP)

Rockingham Golf Club

EP.95 Keeper of the Greens - Richard Forsyth (Royal Melbourne Golf Club)

EP.75 Keeper of the Greens - Tim Warren (Glenelg Golf Club)

EP.69 Sustainable Golf - Monina Gilbey (Glenelg Golf Club)

EP.121 The Design Brief - Ryan Van Der Veen (Van Der Veen Designs)

EP.84 The Board Room - Mat Goggin (7 Mile Beach Golf Course)

Here is a convo that I'm sure you are going to enjoy! I chat with Mike Clayton from Clayton DeVries & Pont and member of the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects.

Mike has been in the golf industry for a long time in various forms. From playing professionally and competing at the highest level, to writing, to designing golf courses. Known for speaking his mind and how he sees things, I felt it was high time I invited Mike on for a chat.

We discuss many different topics, some of which include how he first got into golf course architecture as a profession, his past design work, and the relationship between architecture and greenkeeping to name just a few. Needless to say that I was packing it at the thought of speaking with someone of Mike's calibre. Nevertheless, we had a laugh from time to time as we discussed things that hopefully you haven't heard anywhere else before.

Sit back, load up your favourite beverage, and make sure your ears and eyes are set to open!

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Too many to list but here goes....

Clayton DeVries & Pont

Clayton Golf

Mike Clayton - Wiki

Society of Australian Golf Course Architects (SAGCA)

Barnbougle

Ranfurlie Golf Club

Victoria Golf Club

Royal Queensland Golf Club

The National Golf Club

Cape Wickham Golf Links

Claude Crockford - Royal Melbourne Golf Club

Kingston Beach Golf Club

The Vines Resort

Palm Meadows Golf Course

Morfontaine Golf

Swinley Forest Golf Club

National Golf Links of America

RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort

Rosebud Country Club

Green Acres Golf Club

13th Beach Golf Links

7 Mile Beach Golf Course

Lake Karrinyup Country Club

Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club

Peter Fowler - Wiki

Woodlands Golf Club

Metropolitan Golf Club

Royal Melbourne Golf Club

Kingston Heath Golf Club

St Andrews Beach Golf Course

Peter Thomson - Wiki

Seve Ballesteros - Wiki

Golf.com 2025 World Top 100

Spirit of St Andrews - Alister MacKenzie (Evalu18.com)

Golf Architecture for Normal People - Geoff Shackleford

Anatomy of a Golf Course - Tom Doak (Evalu18.com)

Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club

Kruse Golf - Harley Kruse

Club Catalina

Narooma Golf Club

Royal Perth Golf Club

Mount Lawley Golf Club

OCM Design

Gosnells Golf Club

Tom Doak

Lancelin Golf Club - Facebook

Yering Meadows Golf Club

Capital Golf Club

Moonah Links Resort

The Dunes Golf Links

Portsea Golf Club

Sorrento Golf Club

Port Fairy Golf Links

Royal Hobart Golf Club

Elanora Country Club

Kew Golf Club

Royal Sydney Golf Club

Hanse Golf Course Design

EP.84 The Board Room - Mat Goggin (7 Mile Beach Golf Course)

EP.118 The Design Brief - Rob Collins (King Collins Dormer)

EP.78 Keeper of the Greens - John Mann (Metropolitan Golf Club)

EP.156 Keeper of the Greens - John Spraggs (Royal Wellington Golf Club)

EP.95 Keeper of the Greens - Richard Forsyth (Royal Melbourne Golf Club)

EP.101 Keeper of the Greens - Glenn Stuart (Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf 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

John Spraggs is a born and bred New Zealander and it gives e great pleasure to have John as my very first New Zealand interview on John Deere Keeper of the Greens.

John is Course Manager of Royal Wellington Golf Club in the southern part of New Zealand's North Island. John grew up on the family dairy farm. Although he worked on the farm, it wasn't going to be his long term career. He found an opportunity as an apprentice greenkeeper and took it with both hands.

Thoroughly enjoying his time learning the greenkeeping trade, it wasn't long before John knew it was managing a golf course that he really wanted to do. Early in John's career he became Superintendent and it was from here that he started to make his mark on New Zealand's greenkeeping industry. After working at a number of courses as Superintendent John took on the superintendents role at Mount Maunganui Golf Club in Tauranga where the club would host the NZ PGA Championship in 1985 that would be won by Frank Nobilo.

Following a number of years at Mount Maunganui Golf Club, John made the move back to Wellington at Hutt Golf Club before he would accept the role leading the team on course at Royal Wellington where he has now been for the past 20 years!

This is a wonderful conversation encompassing a long and established greenkeeping career and a number of New Zealand golf courses that I'm sure you will enjoy listening to!

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Royal Wellington Golf Club

Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

Manawatu Golf Club

Wanganui Golf Club

Pirongia Golf Club

Hamilton Golf Club - St Andrews Course

Manly Sea Eagles rugby league team

Westown Golf Club

Mount Maunganui Golf Club

NZ PGA Championship

Frank Nobilo wiki

Boulcott's Farm Golf Club (Merged with Hutt GC)

Scott Macpherson Golf Design

Greg Turner

Cape Kidnappers Golf Course

Te Arai Links

GEO Foundation Sustainable Golf

Women's Amateur Asia Pacific Championship

Asia Pacific Amateur Championship

Asia Pacific Golf Confederation

USGA GS3 Ball

Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary

Kinloch Golf Club

EP.127 Keeper of the Greens - Mark Spraggs

EP.135 Steve's Random Special Guest - Mike O'Keeffe

This is something a bit different. I don't often like to give my opinion on things but with the Australian Open on this week held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, I felt it was time to talk about the men's Australian Open.

On this episode of the podcast I raise the question of why doesn't the men's Australian Open move around Australia? It's been locked up between Sydney and Melbourne for the best part of 50 yrs (with 2 exceptions in 1998 and 2001) and no one seems to think there's anything wrong with that. Well I do!

On top of my idea for the next 20yrs of men's Australian Open courses, I ignite the same argument with the men's Australian PGA Championship with it being locked up in Queensland, and I also talk about the idea of bringing back the Australian Masters.

There's also something more given that golf is back to being an incredibly popular spectator sport in Australia, I also raise the idea of something that's been asleep for a long time - The Australian Match Play Championship. I think there's arguably an appetite for it too.

Join me as I explore the idea of these tournaments being different to what they are today and even bringing some back, along with my ideas of just where to host them. You might think I'm mad, you might think I'm crazy, maybe you might even agree with me on some points, but at the end of this podcast, I ultimately want you thinking about how can we make these tournaments better still.

Oh and if you're interested, get in now and book your place by clicking here for the John Deere Technology Demonstration Event & Operations Centre Mini Clinic on 10th December 2025

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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Golfing Greenkeeper TV - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send me an email to - [email protected]

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

Australia Open wiki

Royal Melbourne Golf Club

Kingston Heath Golf Club

Lake Karrinyup Country Club

Royal Sydney Golf Club

7 Mile Beach

The Grand Golf Club

Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club (PK)

Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Royal Canberra Golf Club

NSW Golf Club

Darwin Golf Club

Metropolitan Golf Club

Links Kennedy Bay Golf Course

Royal Queensland Golf Club

Kooyonga Golf Club

Royal Hobart Golf Club

Victoria Golf Club

The Lakes Golf Club

RACV Royal Pines

Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club

Joondalup Resort

Palmerston Golf Club

Huntingdale Golf Club

Commonwealth Golf Club

Yarra Yarra Golf Club

The National Golf Club - Long Island Course

Woodlands Golf Club

Moonah Links - Open Course

Bonville Golf Resort

Hope Island Golf Course

Mount Lawley Golf Club

Glenelg Golf Club

Barwon Heads Golf Club

Maroochy River Golf Club

Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club

Gold Creek Country Club

St Andrews Beach Golf Course