The Australian Sports Turf Managers Association has partnered with Golf Australia to develop a Turf Management Assistance Program for Golf Clubs, designed to assist small, remote and regional Clubs with the support they require to improve playing surfaces and turf management practices.  Right across sport and recreation, it goes without saying that better conditioned playing surfaces encourage greater participation.  This certainly applies to golf where much of the game in played on fine turf, and the conditioning of the course is equally important to the enjoyment of the participant.

Turf Management Assistance Program Overview

The Turf Management Assistance Program will provide assistance to Golf Clubs that are operating without experienced or qualified turf management staff and / or are largely volunteer based staff, by aligning them with an experienced and qualified turf professional from the industry.  

The partnering turf manager will visit the Club to meet with staff to understand and review current turf practices, undertake soil, water and plant testing, and will provide advice and recommendations to support the facility to deliver improved playing surfaces across greens, tees and fairways, in addition to providing advice on course management practices in an environmentally and financially sustainable way.

With a long-term view, the Turf Management Assistance Program will promote an improved knowledge of small, remote and regional Golf Clubs teams and volunteers, resulting in sustainable improvements to playing surfaces, better conditioned turf areas and more efficient use of resources.

Compensation and Funding for Sports Turf Managers Sports Turf Managers engaged under the Program to support a Golf Club or facility, will be paid for their involvement.   A Turf Manager engaged to assist a Golf Club will be remunerated between $500 - $1000 per visit/report that a club requires, along with all travel expenses and any soil, water or disease testing requirements will be covered by the program.    Assistance to Golf Clubs Under the Turf Management Assistance Program, eligible Golf Clubs will be aligned with a local, experienced and Qualified Sports Turf Manager, who will undertake a visit (or multiple) to provide advice, guidance and information to the Club to improve playing surfaces and develop effective maintenance programs within the constraints of their current environment.    To support the Clubs, all costs associated with the partnering turf managers visit, associated soil, water and plant testing requirements and recommendations will be covered by the Golf Australia Clubs and Facilities Support team.  Upon identification of qualified Clubs in need of support, Golf Australia will liaise with the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, who will source, assign and co-ordinate a geographically located qualified and experienced Sports Turf Manager to attend the club.  The Turf Manager will collaborate with the club personnel responsible for turf management and provide both verbal and written advice to the club related to recommendations to improve to turf management practices.

All turf managers that are part of the Program are Qualified Sports Turf Managers with extensive experience the turf management industry, operating at some of the highest profile Golf Clubs and facilities in each State and indeed Australia. 

To ensure the highest calibre of support is provided to the clubs through the Turf Management Assistance Program, Golf Australia will prioritise alignment of supporting Turf Managers to Certified Sports Turf Managers (CSTM) who have attained industry recognition as leading professionals and are acknowledged as leaders in the industry.  

Find out more about the Sports Turf Management Club Assistance Program