Far North Queensland clubs have benefited from expertise in agronomy at a Golf Australia workshop in Cairns.

Eleven clubs and more than 20 club officials took part in the turf management workshop, run by Tim Hoskinson of NQ Turf Specialists and covering topics that included greens, fairways, machinery and irrigation.

It was funded by Active Industry Base Funding from Sport and Recreation Queensland.

Golf Australia’s Clubs and Facilities Manager – North, Andrew Leventis, said many clubs in Far North Queensland were run by volunteers, including greenkeeping staff, and that the extremes of heat and rain made it “one of the most challenging areas in Australia for agronomy”.

Leventis said the engagement between clubs on the day was “exceptional” and the feedback positive, with one bigger club (Cairns) offering direct support to a smaller club (Millaa Millaa).

“We’re a small club with 50 or 60 members and we’re completely run by volunteers,” said one of the attendees, David Barrow, who is the volunteer greenkeeper at Babinda Golf Club.

“I picked up the greenkeeping job, and inevitably in a little club you’re thrust in to do the job without any real background or knowledge. That’s just how it is. You’re never short of advice in this kind of job, but it might not always be good!

“But at a workshop like this, you get some support and some real expertise passed on.”

Barrow said the biggest issue for FNQ clubs was rain – too much of it.

“We’re basically the wettest place in Australia. We get six to eight metres of rain and there are weeks and weeks where you just can’t get on the golf course to do anything. Then you have fungal issues and draining issues to deal with.

“But one of the benefits of this one was that you get to talk to some of the others. They’re all in similar situations. They’re experiencing the same conditions and you can do some networking. Because everyone wants to help each other. There’s a bit of camaraderie that happens.”

The next workshop is planned for the Darling Downs region in February, 2025.