The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast

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 of Walking the Fairways has plenty of information coming from a number of courses around Australia and New Zealand that we haven't heard from at all on the podcast before. Lots of places dealing with too much rain but things are turning now that we have officially hit Spring! I'm also joined on this episode by Head Greenkeeper of Humpty Doo Golf Club in the Northern Territory, Jimmy Downes. Jimmy gives us an update of the work that he has been up to on course including some green extensions and tee work. Jimmy also launches into a first for The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast, where he becomes our very first state correspondent delivering news for golf courses across the NT. 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 - thegolfinggreenkeeper@gmail.com People and places mentioned in this podcast: Dint Golf Solutions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Humpty Doo & Rural Area Golf Club EP.90 Keeper of the Greens - Jimmy Downes Tallebudgera Golf Course Palm Meadows Golf Course Noosa Springs Golf Resort Redcliffe Golf Club Crafter Mogford Golf Strategies Palmerston Golf & Country Club Gardens Park Golf Links Jabiru Golf Club Katherine Country Club Darwin Golf Club Gove Country Golf Club Northbridge Golf Club Lynwood Golf & Country Club Cowra Golf Club Duntryleague Golf Club Club Tocumwal Robertson Lodges - Kauri Cliffs Cheltenham Golf Club Bayside City Council Meeting 19th August 2025 Victoria Golf Club Barwon Heads Golf Club Tasmania Golf Club 7 Mile Beach Golf Course EP.118 The Design Brief - Rob Collins King Collins Dormer

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 Damien Bell has a greenkeeping career that doesn't follow the traditional path. Growing up at Wellington, in country NSW, greenkeeping wasn't exactly on his mind when looking for work after leaving school. After falling into a greenkeeping apprenticeship, as he puts it, he was literally thrown the keys to the golf course after his boss had an accident at home and was unable to return to work. A steep learning curve by anyone's standards. Damien stood tall and took on all the challenges that confronted a young man looking to learn the trade of greenkeeping, and after completing his apprenticeship, went on to win the national apprentice of the year award which laid down a path to a different world. Damien was soon on a plane to the USA before taking on a new role in Sydney and living in the big smoke! As life changes, so do your priorities, which would then see Damien and his young family looking to return to country life and taking on the role as Superintendent at the club where his career began. But this was only another small step in his career to date. Join Damien and I as we record this one in person at the Wellington Golf Clubhouse, catch up on old times, discuss what it's like living and working in a regional town, the highs and lows of maintaining a regional golf course within the swings of Mother Nature, the incredibly unique setting and location of Wellington Golf Club, and the club's bright future under the new management of Wellington Soldiers Club! Oh, and there's plenty of laughs along the way of course! 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 - thegolfinggreenkeeper@gmail.com People and places mentioned in this podcast: Wellington Golf Club Manly Golf Club Pennant Hills Golf Club ASTMA Golf Course Graduate of the Year Award (past winners) Wellington Caves Jenolan Caves Big Cedar Lodge Big Cedar Lodge - Cliffhangers Course video

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 of Walking the Fairways has plenty of information coming out of NSW including the well known Mollymook Golf Club's Hilltop Golf Course. We stop in quickly to the ACT with some information from Canberra Public Golf Course, before a jump to NZ with some information about the new Glendhu Golf Course being built on the banks of Lake Wanaka. Arm End in Tasmania also has a little bit of news. The big part of this episode however is the conversation I have with Superintendent Chris Rae of Orkney Golf Club in the UK having now completed hosting the 2025 Island Games. Chris jumps on the pod to give us an insight as to what it was like hosting the games and preparing the golf course with a challenging lead up to the event in such a remote part of the world. 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 - thegolfinggreenkeeper@gmail.com People and places mentioned in this podcast: Dint Golf Solutions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Mollymook Golf Club - Hilltop Golf Course Ryan Van Der Veen - Van Der Veen Designs Shoalhaven Heads Golf Club Gerringong Golf Club Strathfield Golf Club Newgreens Chatswood Golf Club Crafter + Modford Golf Strategies Bexley Golf Club Canberra Public Golf Course Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club Takapuna Golf Course 2023 Auckland Floods - Floodlists.com Glendhu Golf Course Spring Valley Golf Club OCM Golf Design Huntingdale Golf Club Cranbourne Golf Club Arm End Golf Course Thaxted Park Golf Club Glenelg Golf Club Whaleback Golf Course Wembley Golf Course Orkney Golf Club 2025 International Island Games - Orkney Orkney - Wiki EP.110 Keeper of the Greens - Chris Rae (Orkney Golf Club) EP.127 Keeper of the Greens - Mark Spraggs (Tuncurry 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 Rod Tatt is Course Manager of Mt Lawley Golf Club in Perth, Western Australia. His most recent years have been working through a remodelling of the entire golf course under the architecture hand of OCM. Being his first post as a superintendent in Western Australia, Rod has had to workout pretty quickly how to get the most out of the golf course in Perth's unique environment that is so different to the east coast. That being said, it's all the more interesting when we learn that Rod is originally from regional Victoria, not far out of Melbourne, where he got his first taste of greenkeeping. Greenkeeping and golf came as a pair for Rod in his younger days where it wasn't long before he got really involved working on golf courses on Melbourne's famed Sandbelt region along with playing competitive golf. Rod's story is one of learning through experience and learning from great mentors. He has worked at some of Australia's best courses, including as Superintendent, with some of the best golf course architects, and now brings his particular set of skills to Perth where he has been involved in delivering an incredible new version of Mt Lawley for it's members and guests. This is an interesting conversation with a few deep dives and visited rabbit holes, that neither of us saw coming, including player expectations and just what does the term "consistency" mean in golf maintenance. 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 - thegolfinggreenkeeper@gmail.com People and places mentioned in this podcast: Mount Lawley Golf Club Walton Heath Golf Club Bacchus Marsh West Golf Club Bacchus Marsh - Wiki Ballarat Golf Club Victoria Golf Club John Sloan - LinkedIn Mike Clayton Cranbourne Golf Club Woodlands Golf Club Yarra Yarra Golf Club Tom Doak Renaissance Golf Design Brian Slawnik San Francisco Golf Club - Links Magazine Cal Club OCM Golf Design Rod Tatt - Claude Crockford Award 2023 Fairway to biodiversity - Western Independent WA Open Lake Karrinyup Country Club Joondalup Golf Resort Secret Harbour Golf Links The Cut Golf Course