The Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) has recognised the industry’s leading golf course management professionals at last week’s 2025 National Turf Industry Awards.

The awards were bestowed during a gala dinner at the Freshwater Ballroom at Novotel Sydney Olympic Park on the opening night of the 2025 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference.

The ASTMA, a member of the Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC), handed out six awards on the night across both the golf and sportsfields and grounds sectors, celebrating the achievements and successes of Australia’s sports turf management professionals over the past 12 months.

The major golf awards and winners were:

ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award (sponsored by ASTMA Gold Partner Envu): Tim Warren (Superintendent, Glenelg Golf Club, SA)

ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award (sponsored by ASTMA Platinum Partner Syngenta): Rob Biddle (Superintendent, Avondale Golf Club, NSW) and Mick McCombe (Superintendent, Maleny Golf Club, Qld)

ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award (sponsored by ASTMA Bronze Partner Repco Commercial): The National Golf Club from Victoria

ASTMA Graduate of the Year – Golf (sponsored by ASTMA Platinum Partner Toro): Oliver Davis (Royal Adelaide Golf Club, SA)

EXCELLENCE – TIM WARREN

The ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award dates back to 1990 (the association’s longest-running award) and over the years has honoured a who’s who of the Australian golf course superintendent profession. Since 2019, nominees for the award have been taken from each of the state superintendent association Excellence Award programs, making this a truly national award.

In winning the award, Warren beat home a strong field of course superintendent finalists including David Somerville (Bankstown GC, NSW), Graeme Andrews (Mt Tamborine GC, Qld) and Des Russell (Cottesloe GC, WA).

This is Warren’s second ASTMA award in recent years having won the Claude Crockford Award in 2022 alongside Monina Gilbey.

For nearly three decades Warren has been involved in turf management and has been the superintendent at Glenelg since 2018. Thanks to his leadership and innovation, Glenelg’s playing surfaces, bunkering and turf quality has been transformed to an exceptional level.

Throughout his tenure at Glenelg, Warren has been instrumental in the planning and delivery of the Course Enhancement Plan, a significant and highly complex project being completed in-house to modernise and future-proof the course.

He has also built a strong and positive team culture amongst his staff and helped mentor emerging turf managers to demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

CROCKFORD – ROBERT BIDDLE AND MICK MCCOMBE

In winning the ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environment Award, Biddle and McCombe have become just the third joint winners of the prestigious award with the previous occasions coming at the 2003 and 2006 conferences.

For Biddle and his team at Avondale, it’s recognition for his continued environmental excellence over a long period of time. In fact, this is the second time Avondale has received the award – an industry first – after winning it back in 2004.

Biddle took over as superintendent in 2021, and has exemplified high standards of environmental stewardship, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to sustainability in golf course management. His innovation and forward-thinking approach have significantly enhanced Avondale’s natural environment.

Among his most significant accomplishments is achieving – and recently renewing – Audubon International’s certification as an Environmental Sanctuary, a distinction held by no other course in New South Wales.

For McCombe at Maleny, this is also his second ASTMA award, having won the Excellence in Golf Course Management Award in 2016. Environmental stewardship and safety have been one of the hallmarks of his leadership at the Sunshine Coast hinterland course. Under his leadership, Maleny has become one of the first six clubs globally to implement the Epar Connect 2.0 Audubon Certification program, an initiative that highlights his commitment to positive environmental impact. Among some of the projects Mick has overseen includes the integration of two major course construction projects.

TEAM – THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, VICTORIA

The National Golf Club boasts 56 turf management team members and demonstrates a consistent commitment to excellence through high-level presentation of its four courses – the Old, Moonah and Gunnamatta courses at its Cape Schanck site, and Long Island course near Frankston. This has been achieved through a deep understanding of the environment, combined with proactive and passionate turf care. Each of the club’s four courses operate under a masterplan, developed and reviewed regularly in consultation with the original course designers.

Overseeing The National’s operations is golf course manager Leigh Yanner together with superintendents Scott Calder (Old Course), Tony Gordon (Moonah and Gunnamatta courses) and Simon Page (Long Island course).

It has been a hectic past 12 months at the club, with several key projects and events exemplifying the turf team’s unwavering commitment.

The Long Island Course renovation and construction project has been a major focus which has included reshaping works, turf establishment and integration of new irrigation and drainage systems.

The team has also delivered The National Tournament – the final event of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia calendar on the Gunnamatta Course to meet the expectations of professional golfers, broadcasters and spectators – as well as the renovation of the rooftop putting green, staged cart path upgrades across the Moonah and Gunnamatta courses and the construction and maintenance of a 19th hole on the Moonah Course.

GRADUATE – OLIVER DAVIS

Oliver Davis, from Royal Adelaide Golf Club in South Australia, was adjudged Australia’s top golf course turf management apprentice on the night. Davis was announced as winner of the ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award, sponsored by association Platinum Partner Toro Australia.

The ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award recognises the hard work and endeavour of the industry’s apprentices who have decided to pursue a career in golf course turf management. It has been a part of the ASTMA’s annual awards program since 1996.

Davis beat home a class field of fellow state graduate finalists including Zac Amer (Port Fairy Golf Links, Vic), Dylan Buttigieg (Windaroo Lakes GC, Qld), James Courtney-Bennett (Lake Karrinyup CC, WA), Brad Guthmann (Monash CC), Dylan Kingston (Launceston GC) and Zac Wels (Tura Beach CC).

Judging for this year’s national award was held on the Sunday prior to the start of Australian Sports Turf Management Conference. Davis, along with his fellow state finalists, were asked to give a 15-minute presentation to a three-person judging panel about themselves and their careers to date.

They were then quizzed on a series of technical and general questions to further ascertain their level of turf management knowledge and proficiency.

Such was the calibre of this year’s graduate cohort, it took the judging panel more than 90 minutes of deliberation to decide the winner.

CULROSS WINS ASTMA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

In the hours leading up to the National Turf Industry Awards, the 2025 ASTMA Golf Championship, sponsored by Toro, was held at Concord Golf Club in Sydney.

Nudgee Golf Club superintendent Peter Culross (shooting a 77) took out the title for the first time, beating home Tura Beach’s Brad Foster by two shots.

To make things even better, Culross helped to anchor the Queensland team (which included Ben Tilley, Mick McCombe and Jason Bushell) as they romped home to claim the state teams title by six points from Tasmania.

Hagen Faith (ground manager, Sky Stadium, NZ) won the stableford with 39 points, while Thomas North (superintendent, Royal Hobart GC, Tas) won the nett (75).

Nearest the pins went to Kenton Boyd (director, Shotmakers, NSW) and Shay Tasker (superintendent, Carnarvon GC, NSW) while Ben Hallam (superintendent, Tea Tree Gully GC, SA) smacked the longest drive.