Golf Club greenskeeper Grad of the Year

BALLARAT Golf Club’s Thomas Lyon was recently named the Toro Australian Sports Turf Managers Association Graduate of the Year.

The young full-time greenskeeper recently completed his sports turf management apprenticeship, mentored by BGC course superintendent Jeff Powell, while he studied at The Gordon TAFE.

“I’m grateful to the ASTMA, Toro Australia, and to Jeff who is a great teacher,” Mr Lyon said.

“Jeff treats you how you want to be treated, doesn’t treat you like an apprentice, constantly engages and checks in on you, takes an interest, and is more than happy to help out with schoolwork.”

Enjoying the opportunity to watch the sun come up at work every morning, Mr Lyon’s day-to-day tasks ensure the course is pristine for the Club’s patrons.

“There’s lots of mowing, changing holes, and course set-up. We renovate greens on a regular basis, spray fertilisers and fungicides, we fix anything that goes wrong with irrigation, and do a lot of hand-watering throughout summer,” he said.

“We also do any needed wall-to-wall maintenance; tree work, landscaping and planting.”

Mr Lyon has a life-long love of sports including footy, cricket, soccer, and of course, golf.

When his apprenticeship role was advertised three-and-a-half years ago, he was excited by the “prestigious” chance to be a crucial part of the historic Club’s team.

“It’s a business with a good reputation, so I knew it would be great to work here. It’s a cool place to be,” he said.

The greenskeeper became eligible for the Toro Australian Sports Turf Managers Association Graduate of the Year, having previously been named the Victorian Golf Course Superintendent Association Apprentice of the Year.

Moving into further study, Mr Lyon is now tackling a diploma in sports turf management.