The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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

First Walking The Faiways for 2024 and I've got a few things to bring to you.

Come with me as I keep you informed with what's happening on golf courses around Australia with updates as to who is changing their course, which courses have architects starting new work and what has generally been happening around the country. The only place where you will get a huge insight from the inner working of Australian golf courses!

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

Happy New Year and it's great to be back!

Starting off 2023 with Walking The Fairways. You have all been such loyal listeners that I've also added a small addition of Walking The Airwaves with some info about how big you've helped make The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast last year. 

I've got a big year planned ahead and stay tuned for my new website coming out very soon where there will be more information for you to enjoy.

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

This podcast episode is proudly sponsored by Colin Campbell Chemicals. Click their name or visit their website to find out how they can help you protect your turf - www.campbellchemicals.com.au

Something very different for me and you on this episode. I was invited to record live at the Colin Campbell Chemicals - Poa Forum held at Woodlands Golf Club on Melbourne's famed Sandbelt where two speakers were going to present loads of information about, you guessed it, Poa. Dr Jim Brosnan from University of Tennessee and Dr. Peter Boutsalis from University of Adelaide were incredible in what they delivered for everyone who attended.

This podcast episode however isn't about Poa itself but more about what some of the attendees thoughts were on attending education events like this and why they think it's important.

Thanks to Nadeem from Colin Campbell Chemicals for inviting me to attend the Poa Forum. Thanks also to those who gave their time for this podcast episode:

Pete Cawsey (Superintendent - Eastwood Golf Club)

Richard Forsyth (Director of Courses - Royal Melbourne Golf Club)

Doug Agnew (Teacher - Melbourne Polytechnic)

Brad Sim (Superintendent - Cape Kidnappers Golf Course)

Craig Anthony (Superintendent - Spring Valley Golf Club)

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

Keeper Of The Greens is proudly brought to you by Colin Campbell Chemicals. Click on their name and it will take you straight to their website for more information.

Tim Warren may be kicking goals left, right and centre as Superintendent at Glenelg Golf Club, but he's also worked at a number of golf courses prior to this position, many of which you may never have heard of.

Tim grants me, and you as the audience, an open invitation into his extensive greenkeeping career which saw him leave the family farm from rural Victoria for an early and brief taste of sports turf maintenance at the one and only MCG. Tim walks us through the challenges he encountered from being a hungry young greenkeeper in search of his first golf course as a Superintendent, through to managing a golf course during disastrous bushfires of Central Victoria, all the way to being ahead of the curve in environmental stewardship managing the course at Glenelg Golf Club in Adelaide.

Tim also gives us an insight into just what the team and club at Glenelg are getting up to on course (which is a great deal) including the work behind Tim and Monina Gilbey recently receiving the ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability & Environment Award. We also get talking about getting the message of the work golf clubs and courses are doing regarding environmental stewardship out into the broader community.

I don't think I need to tell you about my enthusiasm of having Tim on the podcast for this interview where I've been fangirling at the thought of this for quite some time! There's so much to take in during this podcast, so sit back and get ready to enjoy this one with Tim Warren.

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

Places mentioned in this podcast:

Glenelg Golf Club

The Grange Golf Club

Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Kooyonga Golf Club

Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Resort

West Beach Parks Golf

Horsham Golf Club

Penola Golf Club

Millicent Golf Club

Mt Gambier Golf Club

Campbell's Corner is a podcast segment with my sponsor of the podcast Colin Campbell Chemicals. www.campbellchemicals.com.au

This installment of Campbell's Corner has Nadeem passing over some of his best resources. Where you can find more information about the the science of the turf industry and a way for you to learn more in your own time.

We look at a number of book titles which are Nadeem's favourites. We also look into websites and social media groups, along with some of Nadeem's recommended podcasts to listen to. This is all in an effort to give you more places to further your knowledge with quick recommendations, saving all the research time often required to find the good stuff. Nadeem delivers the good stuff right to your ears and we have the book titles and other links below.

Links to things mentioned in this podcast:

Books Titles:

Turf Management by Turgeon and Kaminski

Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases by Smiley, Dernoeden, Clarke

Pest Management of Turfgrass for sport and recreation by Kaapro, Beehag, Manners

A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides by Latin

Management of Turfgrass Diseases by Vargas

Weed Control in turf and ornamentals by Turgeon, McCarty, Christians

Websites (clickable links):

Turf Management Australia facebook group

Resist Poa 

Turfgrass Information File (TGIF)

University Websites (clickable Links):

Penn State

University Tennessee

Uni Florida

Rutgers

Clemson

Wisconsin University

North Carolina

Purdue

UC riverside

Podcasts (clickable links):

Behind The Turf

Turf Tuesdays

turfPH Dudes

Keeper Of The Greens is proudly brought to you by Colin Campbell Chemicals. Click on their name and it will take you straight to their website for more information. 

When it comes to golf, Canberra doesn't always come to mind first. We often think of Parliament House and politicians. Whilst there may not be many golf courses in Canberra, there are certainly some good ones and Federal Golf Club is one of those! 

Pete Dunn is Director of Agronomy & Facilities at Federal Golf Club. Growing up in Canberra and getting into greenkeeping from a very young age afforded Pete the opportunity to get two trades under his belt.  Pete is well equipped with the knowledge and skills to take Federal to the next level. During his career Pete has worked at a number of golf courses throughout Canberra taking in all of what works best before getting the opportunity to lead the team at Federal Golf Club.  

Located at Red Hill Nature Reserve, which is basically within Canberra's city limits, Federal is a golf course that gets plenty of camera work from not only golfers but also tourists and diplomats alike. A very Australian setting is the backdrop of Federal and also what keeps the peace from the all encompassing National capital and its suburbs.

Join Pete and I as we chat about his greenkeeping career and dive into the details of what makes Federal Golf Club different from other golf courses in Canberra.

Places mentioned in this podcast:

Federal Golf Club

Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club

Yowani Country Club

Royal Canberra Golf Club

Murrumbidgee Country Club

Red Hill Nature Reserve

Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies Golf Course Architects

Dan Soutar was one of the founding fathers of golf in Australia. Emigrating to Australia in 1903 from Scotland, Soutar quickly established himself as one of the best golfers in the country and it wasn't long before he also turned his hand to golf course design for a number of clubs on the east coast of the country.

This story is a golf course/club biography of sorts and is centred around one of the golf courses that Soutar designed in the early 1900's, talking about its life from inception all the way through to today. I look into how the golf course and golf club began and its rise in the early days of the game becoming popular in Australia.

The fairways of this course were graced by some of the most famous names in Australian golf from the early 1900's including Dan Soutar himself, Joe Kirkwood, Fred Popplewell, Charlie Campbell, Tom Howard and Eric Apperly.

Come with me on this nostalgic trip as we begin at a time when people used to travel by steam train and a big tee shot went 180 yards!

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

EP.11 Aussie Golf History - Dan Soutar

EP.20 Aussie Golf History - Ernest Banks

Dan Soutar

Joe Kirkwood

Fred Popplewell

PGA of Australia

Nick Farr-Jones

Edwina Kennedy

Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Manly Golf Club

Concord Golf Club

The Australian Golf Club

Mudgee Golf Club

Christchurch Golf Club

Leura Golf Club

Wentworth Falls Country Club

Blackheath Golf Club

Bonville Golf Resort

Tallwoods Country Club

Dame Nellie Melba

Nelly Melba & The Daffodil Farmer

Keeper Of The Greens is proudly brought to you by Colin Campbell Chemicals. Click on their name and it will take you straight to their website for more information. Don;t forget to click here https://poaforum.floktu.com/ to buy your ticket to join the Poa Forum at Woodlands Golf Club in Melbourne on 25th October 2022.

Broome Golf Club is unique and it is remote. It has plenty wonderful wildlife in a quintessential Aussie setting and it's maintenance team is led by Superintendent Jason Johnson. Jason is the kind of guy you want to work for and the kind of guy you want working for your club. He's intelligent, humble, passionate and above all a down right great bloke!

Join us on this entertaining and enjoyable conversation as Jason delves into his greenkeeping career path which by his own admission is indifferent. A path less travelled, sure. But one that has led Jason to the remote tourist destination of Broome where he is very much at home. Jason let's us in on just what it takes to maintain a golf course in such a remote region of Australia and also such a challenging climate of Australia. If I'm being honest, I'm still unsure just how he and his team does it!

You will definitely laugh along the way during this podcast, no doubt like I did, and you will also realise what the future holds for Broome Golf Club with a person like Jason as Superintendent. A very bright one! 

So strap yourself in, grab a drink of choice and put your thongs on because this one will take you away for an adventure!

Things mentioned in this podcast:

Broome Golf Club

Margaret River (Margs) Golf Club

The Australian Golf Club

What is Pindan?

Just how far it is from Broome to Perth for TAFE

Sydney Funnel-Web Spider

Keeper Of The Greens is proudly brought to you by Colin Campbell Chemicals. Click on their name and it will take you straight to their website for more information. Click here to find out more about the products mentioned in the podcast Ad - Lonhro Herbicide and Stature herbicide

Pat Wilson is Pambula born and bred! It's in his veins and he's proud to say it. So when you hear him talk about George Bush, The White House, President's Cup and Wimbledon, you could be forgiven for thinking he's a globe trotting, city slicker. Nothing however could be further from the truth.

Pat is certainly a well experienced greenkeeper and his journey around the world with the Ohio State Program gave him all the overseas and greenkeeping experience anyone could ask for. Always grounded by his family, upbringing, country life and a life mantra of treating people how you want to be treated, Pat has boomeranged from an apprentice greenkeeper at Pambula Merimbula, around the world and back to Pambula Merimbula, this time as Superintendent. This is a great story of what greenkeeping has done for Pat and in my opinion what Pat has done for the local area of Pambula Merimbula. Pat has ensured that the golf club is a way for young people to gain experience in a work place environment and also a place to start a career in greenkeeping if they choose. He also leads the maintenance team that work hard to present the golf course of Pambula Merimbula in top condition for the locals and visitors of the magnificent NSW South Coast.

Plug your ears in for this one and by the time you've finished listening you will want to book your next holiday at Pambula Merimbula and drop in to say hi to Pat.

People & Places mentioned:

Pambula Merimbula Golf Club      

White House Putting Green       

President's Cup       

Tura Beach Country Club      

Ohio Program       

2019 Bushfires        

EP.66 Aussie Golf History - Kameruka Golf Course