He is one of the only people in the industry to win both the Excellence in Golf Course Management Award – which he took home this year at the Australian Sports Turf Management Association (ASTMA) awards – and the Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environmental Award, but for Tim Warren, the passion for his craft is found away from the limelight.

After almost 30 years in the industry, Warren still gets a buzz out of being the first person on the course. Before the sun comes up and the golfers are warming up, when the course is still in its sleepy and pristine condition.

The Glenelg Golf Club Superintendent still loves to see golfers enjoying the fruits of his labour, and getting the opportunity to see all the hard work pay off.

Above all though, Warren loves the people that he has met along the way, and the deep friendships that he has formed within the sports turf management industry.

"We're a fairly tight knit community us members of the golf course maintenance fraternity," he said.

"I have a great team around me, and the awards are a good acknowledgement for, I suppose personally, but also the recognition of the team’s efforts over the last few years."

Since going to Glenelg in 2018, Warren and his team have been kept extremely busy undertaking a complete Course Enhancement Plan, which is now in its final stages.

"We started off back in 2021, going hole-by-hole, one hole at a time," Warren said.

"Redoing the irrigation and redoing the bunkers and also implementing architectural changes and going through a whole green resurfacing program as well.

"It's a massive undertaking for a club to do, even a club of our size.

The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight though, and the encouraging comments from members have made the task all the more enjoyable for Warren and his team.

"We're on our last three holes on the course proper, so holes one, six and seven are our last holes," he said.

"We'll see what the club decides to do down the track with our practise facilities and that sort of thing, that's probably in the next few years.

"The course itself will be finished by December this year."

In the last few years, Warren has also taken satisfaction from giving back to an industry that has nurtured him along the way, and taken in his stride the role of mentor.

"It's probably been the only last couple of years that I've probably looked in the mirror and grown up a bit more," he said.

"I sort of said to myself, ‘Hang on, I'm getting old and people are actually coming to me for advice'.

"I've always looked up to people within our industry, some of the guys that have been around longer than I have, and after nearly 30 years the younger guys are coming to me. I get a kick out of that."

As for his advice to golfers on this Thank a Super Day, Warren kept it simple but stern.

"If we've roped off an area, we've roped it off for a reason."

Now in its fifth year, International Thank a Superintendent Day is being celebrated today (September 9) as we say thank you to everyone around the country keeping our courses and facilities in magnificent shape.

Golf Australia and the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) is grateful for the work and expertise of sports turf managers, course superintendents and their dedicated teams who work tirelessly every day.