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SA PGA State Vocational Award winners announced


The 2020 South Australian PGA State Vocational Awards have been presented in an event at Grange Golf Club where PGA Professionals from across the state have gathered to celebrate the year that was.

The awards serve not only as recognition for the hard work and dedication of each PGA Professional but the way in which they have so brilliantly adapted to the adversities of 2020.  

“Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners. We are extremely pleased to be able to get together and present these awards at the tail end of what has been a challenging year,” said SA Senior State Manager, David Barker.

“The submission of numerous nominees reflects the calibre of PGA Professionals we have here in South Australia and their fantastic contributions to our sport.”

Jamie Clutterham has been named the South Australian PGA Management Professional of the Year for his work at North Adelaide Golf Course.

Jamie’s work in the introduction of new technologies at North Adelaide Golf Club to improve venue efficiencies and the golfer experience, as well as fast tracking projects including the integration of handicaps into memberships have led to a significant increase in traffic and club membership.

Kooyonga Golf Club PGA Professional Daniel Blackwell has been awarded the South Australian Coach of the Year award for his work with both South Australia’s established and emerging golfing talents.

Blackwell’s innovative approach to coaching during COVID-19 including an increased presence online and on social media as well as continued learning and development have seen him recognised once again for his contributions to coaching in the state.

Simon MacWhirter’s successful adult group coaching programs at North Adelaide Golf Course, a fresh approach to course management through on-course training as well as growing junior MyGolf programs have seen him named the SA PGA Game Development Professional of the Year for 2020.

For his work in providing a welcoming and uplifting pro shop environment at Thaxted Park Golf Club and a focus on MyGolf, ladies and SAAGA golf clinics, PGA Professional Cody Sherratt has been named the SA PGA Club Professional of the Year.

2020 has been a particularly interesting year for Sherratt. The South Australian travelled to Nepal earlier this year to complete the Everest Base Camp trek, an experience he hopes will aid his work as a PGA Professional. Find out more about Sherratt’s journey to Everest Base Camp earlier this year here.

Ahead of the award celebrations PGA Tour of Australasia regular Ben Stowe won the SA PGA Professionals Championship, played on Grange Golf Club’s east course, with a round total of 4-over 76 in gusting SA conditions.

View the final SA PGA Professionals Championship leaderboard here.

Rain and increasing winds also challenged the field at the SA Trainee Championships where Nick Thompson fired winning rounds of 70 and 79 for a 5-over total to finish eight strokes clear of Joshua Groom in second place.

View the final SA Trainee Championships leaderboard here.


Allan Cooper has won the SeaLink Stradbroke Ferries Legends Pro-Am by one stroke in the PGA Legends Tour’s return to Queensland.

Kicking off a swing of events in the sunshine state, North Stradbroke Island Golf Course played host to 43 players who upon disembarking the ferry to the course were greeted with a Welcome to Country ceremony performed on the putting green.

Allan Cooper was the best of the field across 18 holes – the layout’s nine holes played twice from different tees – with a final score of 2-under 69.

Birdies on holes four, nine, 10, 15, 16 and 18 helped Cooper to a one shot win over Nigel Lane in second place.

“I played well but to be honest I missed a few putts at the end so it could have been a great score,” said Cooper.

“I have recently moved to Kooralbyn Valley so I have been playing a fair bit. That has helped with not much tournament play recently.”

Lane’s 1-under 70 round featured two eagles on the same hole, 9 and 18, the second finishing only one foot away from holing out for an albatross.

“The two eagles helped but not enough birdies on the other holes,” said Lane.

“It is such an entertaining course to play and the ferry ride with those views just makes the event so unique and special.”

Finishing in solo third place was David Fearns with an even par round of 71.

Tournament promoter, Club President and Course Superintendent Peter Turner said it was a thrill for the club to host the Legends once again.

“We tried a few times to get the event off the ground this year but with COVID we couldn’t do so until now,” said Turner.

“The club loves having the Legends here and look forward to welcoming them back next year with the plan on a two day event so they can tour the island and relax a bit more.”

The PGA Legends Tour will now make its way north to the Sunshine Coast for the One Agency Noosa Legends Pro-Am to be played at Noosa Golf Club on Tuesday 8 December.

For the final SeaLink Stradbroke Ferries Legends Pro-Am leaderboard click here.


Finding new ways to do things has been thrust upon society in 2020 and this year’s winners of the Victorian PGA Vocational Awards have each advanced the game’s cause by challenging convention.

In an exceptional field of nominees recognised, Haydn Thompson (Deep Creek Golf Club-Pakenham), Sandy Jamieson (Oakleigh Golf Course), Tim Wood (Rosanna Golf Club) and Alan Patterson (Patterson River Golf Club) stood out for the innovative ways they have each approached their area of expertise.

Thompson was named the Management Professional of the Year for the community connection he has helped to foster as CEO at Deep Creek Reserve, Jamieson’s 1Club Golf concept saw him awarded the Game Development Professional of the Year, Wood’s biomechanics-inspired philosophy to the golf swing earned him Coach of the Year honours while Alan Patterson was named Club Professional of the Year for the way he has engaged the membership at Patterson River Golf Club.

“Obviously COVID-19 has forced us as an industry to look at the way we do things but these PGA Professionals were already examining new ways to deliver golf programs and engage with the broader community,” said PGA Senior State Manager, Victoria, David Barker.

“It’s innovative thinking such as this that not only energises existing golfers but shows those thinking about playing that they are welcome and that there are programs tailored specifically to meet their needs.

“This is also why PGA Professionals represent such an important asset in advancing our golf facilities not only in Victoria but throughout the country.”

Management Professional of the Year

Haydn Thompson (Deep Creek Reserve-Pakenham)

It was as simple as a $6.90 Parma Night but that too-good-to-refuse offer three years ago represented a dramatic shift in how the then Pakenham Golf Club east of Melbourne was perceived by its community.

Joining the club originally seven years ago as its PGA Professional, Haydn Thompson progressed quickly to the role of General Manager. The timing was critical as he championed a club that wanted connection with its community over any exclusionary perception that may have existed.

“We actually approached the local council about becoming a more community-minded facility which to be honest caught them a bit by surprise,” Thompson explains.

The result is a $14 million refurbishment that has seen the clubhouse relocated, two new holes built to accommodate the reconfiguration and construction of a new driving range.

But perhaps the most significant asset in the club’s repositioning is the all-abilities playground that is proving to be a magnet to local families.

“The whole idea of the parma night was to offer an affordable family meal where people would come to the golf club for no other reason than to have a night out,” Thompson adds.

“We were conscious of never talking golf and our social media to this day reflects that, to get people to understand that we are here for so much more.

“By starting with that we could take people on the journey of what the new complex was going to look like, what the playground was going to look like and how awesome that was going to be.

“It was that conscious decision of really trying to talk up those things that were going to be of interest to the majority of people who live in the area, not necessarily the golf.”

It was a shift intended to secure the club’s future for the next 50 years and beyond and has already begun to provide the club with some financial stability.

In lockdown for four months, those who had been enticed initially by a $6.90 parma eagerly took up the club’s offer of takeaway meals.

“There was a point where we were putting through 500-600 takeaway meals a week,” Thompson says.

“Without that income it would have been extremely difficult for the club to keep staff employed and helping to them to just get by.

“We came out of that period a lot better than we thought and in many respects it was business as usual.”

And further establishing the club as a treasured community asset in the process.

Coach of the Year

Tim Wood (Rosanna Golf Club)

As a talented young player in the Victorian Institute of Sport, Tim Wood spent nearly five years trying to create a position in the backswing that his body wasn’t willing to accommodate.

A former PGA Trainee whose first interest was coaching, when Wood brought an end to his playing days he turned his attention to developing a methodology that would allow him to fit a swing to a player’s physical capabilities, and not the other way around.

Wood’s star pupil of the past 12 months is long-time friend Josh Younger, the 2019 NSW Open champion who in the space of three weeks late last year rose from 966th in the world to 272nd.

Given the events of 2020, Younger’s ability to secure his playing future on the Asian Tour more than likely saved his career… and validated to Wood that what he was teaching could withstand the greatest pressure professional golf can exert.

“I was so nervous watching that playoff,” Wood says of Younger’s showdown with Travis Smyth.

“We’d worked on correcting this shot he hits left under pressure all winter and then on the 72nd hole he hits his driver left, it hits a tree and goes into a pond.

“So then in the playoff he’s got to face up to those demons again and I’m watching it thinking my job was on the line.

“He hits a good drive, stiff his approach to three feet and makes birdie to win the tournament.

“That was very cool.”

A chance meeting with Hall of Fame coach Mike Adams at a conference in Melbourne five years ago and a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate his wife’s 30th birthday paved the way for Wood to tap into the minds of the game’s foremost thinkers on the golf swing.

Armed with that insight Wood achieved a perfect score in the Biomechanics in Golf online course offered by Pennsylvania State University and continued to develop his own style centred around a person’s physical limitations.

“I spent three days with Butch Harmon and I lived with Mike Adams for a week and it just showed me a whole new world of coaching, a whole new way of doing it,” Wood says.

“I started to understand human movement better and I was sucked in straight away.

“Because of my chest size, I’d spent five years trying to fix something in my swing that essentially couldn’t be fixed in the traditional way. Imagine if I’d spent five years on my short game and hitting better shots rather than chasing positions that I now know weren’t actually achieveable.

“Before I work with anyone I have a page with 10 questions and a sheet of measurements. The first thing I do before they hit a shot is to measure six things on their body: Wingspan, length of forearm, which leg is stronger, how their shoulder wants to move – which affects their grip – and how their lower body creates power.

“I then understand what their swing will look like before they’ve even picked up a club.

“So many pros are coming to me because when they have a lesson I make only minute adjustments. I don’t try to rebuild them because we understand what their swing should look like.”

Game Development Professional of the Year

Sandy Jamieson (Oakleigh Golf Course)

If the simple things in life are truly the best, it’s little wonder the 1Club Golf concept pioneered by Sandy Jamieson has struck such a chord with new golfers.

The former PGA Professional at Commonwealth Golf Club for nine years and a 25-year PGA Professional, Jamieson looked at the downward trend in golfers and identified the perception that it was difficult, serious and expensive.

He wanted it to be easy, fun and affordable, just as it was when he fell in love with the game as a kid.

“I went back to the public courses where I played as a kid and they were empty,” Jamieson says.

“Given there was space available I wanted to coach new golfers on the golf course and to do that I needed to make it as simple as possible.”

Jamieson developed a golf club that was easier to hit and designed a program where after a 15-minute introduction new golfers were on-course and playing the game.

Prior to the onset of COVID-19 Oakleigh had witnessed a 50 per cent increase in both player numbers and turnover in just six months, females outnumbering men among the social players on a daily basis.

“I believe everybody already possesses the skills needed to play golf; I just need to help them to apply those skills on the golf course so they can play straight away,” he adds.

“For $100 a group of four can come and get a lesson and play nine holes and be a good golfer inside an hour. My definition of a good golfer is someone who can play safely, move at the right speed, understands their ability and looks after the course.

“I don’t teach grip, stance, posture or alignment; I teach them how to play golf and then refer them on for lessons elsewhere if they choose.

“I’m in the business of creating new golfers. PGA Professionals, golf clubs and equipment companies will all benefit on the back of new golfers coming in.”

Club Professional of the Year

Alan Patterson (Patterson River Golf Club)

Alan Patterson could have kept doing things the way they’d always been done.

It is the default setting for the majority of the population but it is not a sustainable way to do business.

Concerned by a flatlining of the golf industry within Australia, Patterson could see where the path was taking him and decided to redirect his focus.

The result is a thriving membership culture within the Patterson River Golf Club just south of the Melbourne Sandbelt and an atmosphere that makes going to work a pleasure.

“We place a big emphasis on customer service and giving members and guests a really good time when they come to the club,” Patterson explains.

“When they come to the club it’s their leisure time so we like to make it a happy place.

“When they walk into the pro shop they have a laugh and they’re smiling and they’re happy when they walk out the door.”

In addition to developing more flexible membership categories, Patterson River staff engage with new members to ascertain exactly what they want out of their golf club.

The Wednesday Twilight Comp is so popular that it has to begin at 2.30pm to accommodate all the players and the Golf Extravaganza on December 17 will include a nearest-the-pin competition from the back terrace to the chipping green, long drive comp in the PGA blow-up tent using FlightScope and a putting competition that anyone can participate in.

“If something isn’t working then we’ve got to try something different,” says Patterson, who is nearing 12 years at Patterson River.

“In my opinion the industry has been stagnant for a long time so we just wanted to do something different that gets as many people to the facility as possible.

“It’s just about getting as many people as possible into the club, especially our new members.

“Our whole retention plan is around giving them the opportunity to come to the facility more often and bring their partners and friends.

“That’s how it becomes their club as opposed to a place they come to play golf.”


Tasmanian PGA Professionals have come together to commemorate the year that was with the Tasmanian PGA, PGA Professionals Championship, Tasmanian PGA Foursomes Championship and PGA State Vocational Awards over the weekend.

Played across 36 holes at Claremont Golf Club on Sunday 29 November, the Tasmanian PGA and PGA Professionals Championship were both won by PGA Professional Luke Hickman with scores of 68-65 for a total of 5-under 133.

Early rain cleared to produce a stunning day. Despite increasing winds lower scores were recorded in the afternoon for the 14 player field.

Alex Hamilton claimed second place in the tournament, four strokes back from Hickman with rounds of 70-67 for a 1-under par total.

Played on Monday 30th November the Doug Murray PGA Foursomes Championship saw seven teams contest the event over 27 holes at Tasmania Golf Club.

Tasmania Golf Club PGA Professionals Nick White and Scott Priest claimed their third win as a pair and fourth win each overall with a score of 106. Peter Freeland and Bryce Gorham finished in second place with a score of 108.

To conclude the celebrations, the Tasmanian PGA State Vocational Awards were presented to Adam Holden for Game Development Professional of the Year, Jamie Corkill for Club Professional of the Year and Aiden Withers for Coach of the Year.


Australia’s PGA Professionals put their tournament skills to the test on Tuesday 1 December at the PGA Professionals Championships of WA, QLD/NT and NSW/ACT in what proved to be three highly competitive events.

Usually played throughout the year, the events provided PGA Professionals with the opportunity to enjoy a day of competition with their peers following what has been a challenging year for many in the golf industry.

On Wembley Golf Course’s Old Course Gavin Reed posted an impressive round of 5-under 67 to win the PGA Professionals Championship of WA by two strokes over Braden Becker, Scott Barr and Andrew Gott.

Light winds and temperatures of 26 degrees made for perfect scoring conditions for the field of 36 PGA Professionals. After a steady start Reed took advantage on the back-nine, posting three late birdies on holes 16, 17 and 18 to take home the winner’s cheque.

“It was great to be out there playing tournament golf for some money, rather than a friendly game for a bowl of chips,” said Reed post-round.

At Lakelands Golf Club, Victoria Park Golf Complex PGA Professional Darren Weatherall and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia regular Peter Martin recorded a one-stroke victory in the PGA Professionals Championship of QLD/NT.

With scores of 4-under 68 the duo sat atop a stacked field of 56 PGA Professionals. Christopher McCourt, Matthew Rogers and 2019 PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner Brad Burns tied for third place at 3-under the card, ahead of a further eight players tied for sixth place at 2-under 70.

“In my second competitive round since leaving the Troppo Tour 9 years ago, I was just happy to be out playing a great track with some fellow PGA mates,” said Weatherall wrote in an Instagram post.

“It’s been a long time between drinks the putter ran hot and I am pleased to say I managed a win at the PGA Professionals Championship of QLD/NT.

“Thanks to all the sponsors, the PGA of Australia and Lakelands Golf Club and congrats to Peter Martin.”

“It has been a difficult year this year with limited playing opportunities due to COVID so it is great to get a good result today,” said Martin, who recorded a 4-under front-nine before a back-nine of even par.

“COVID has changed the way I look at the golf industry and this year I have set up a coaching studio to generate some extra income.

“I’m really enjoying the coaching side of things and it is something I will pursue more as my playing career slows down.”

Long Reef Golf Club PGA Professional Michael Infanti bested a field of 67 Professionals at Castle Hill Country Club to be crowned the PGA Professionals Championship of NSW/ACT champion for 2020 with a round of 2-under 70.

ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia regular Anthony Choat was one of two other Professionals to finish under par at the challenging course, tying for second place alongside Anthony Summers at 1-under 71.

“I haven’t played a competitive round in three or four years. so it was nice to see a lot of friendly faces out there today,” said Infanti.

Held on 29 November, the PGA Professionals Championship of Tasmania was won by Luke Hickman at Claremont Golf Club.

Hickman claimed a brilliant four-stroke victory over runner-up Alex Hamilton thanks to rounds of 68 and 65.

The PGA Professionals Championship of SA will take place on 7 December at Grange Golf Club, ahead of the PGA Professionals Championship of Victoria to be held at Sandhurst Club on 14 December.


Mentorship, connection and ongoing education. The four recipients of the 2020 NSW/ACT PGA Vocational Awards all have different stories to tell yet there are common threads among them.

A former junior at the club, Joanne Bannerman has become the first female to be named the NSW/ACT Club Professional of the Year since Janelle Smith in 2016 while Charles Kares has been named Coach of the Year for a second time for his commitment to both The Lakes Golf Club membership and the next generation of PGA Professionals.

Nigel Gibson’s guidance in elevating Manly Golf Club into such a strong financial position saw him awarded the Management Professional of the Year and Warren Moses’s dedication to growth in a number of demographics led to the Nelson Bay Golf Club PGA Teaching Professional being recognised as Game Development Professional of the Year.

“During such challenging times as we have experienced in 2020, this recognition serves not only as acknowledgment of how these PGA Professionals have handled adversity in 2020 but the years of commitment leading up to it,” said NSW/ACT State Senior Manager, David Barker.

“There was a wonderful field of worthy nominees again this year and we are delighted to recognise Joanne, Charles, Nigel and Warren with these awards.”

Club Professional of the Year

Joanne Bannerman (Cumberland Country Golf Club)

Joanne Bannerman never imagined she’d receive the Club Professional of the Year award. Truth be told, she didn’t envisage becoming a PGA Professional in the first place.

A junior member at Cumberland Country Golf Club in Sydney’s western suburbs, Bannerman was on the verge of leaving Cumberland to pursue a teaching position in Brisbane when retiring club pro Philip Nance suggested it might be worth sticking around.

“He said to me that this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it has been,” Bannerman says.

“It was the best start I could have hoped for. He definitely paved the way for me to have a great future in golf.”

Now Bannerman is dedicating herself to making sure the game of golf itself has a bright future.

A thriving junior program that incorporates an excursion each term to the Terrey Hills par-3 course is encouraging the next wave of Cumberland members and Bannerman is putting her technological know-how to fast-track beginners into becoming avid golfers.

Certified in TrackMan, SAM PuttLab, K-Vest and the Titleist Performance Institute, Bannerman exposes newcomers to the latest in coaching technology from the moment they walk through the pro shop door.

“I feel that they find it a lot easier to get into the positions that they need to using the K-Vest because a lot of people who are new to the game have no idea how to move,” Bannerman reasons, her ultimate aim to become a PGA Master Professional.

“By viewing it on the screen they can see whether they need to rotate further or less. They can visualise it and then feel it once they get there.

“It provides instant feedback rather than trying to guide them into that position.”

Nearing 15 years as the club’s Professional, Bannerman’s commitment to excellence and warm personality have made her a treasured asset within the club.

“I can say from personal experience that she has the patience of a Saint when it comes to giving lessons,” says Club President Denis Clifford.

“We are very lucky to have her as our Club Professional.”

Coach of the Year

Charles Kares (The Lakes Golf Club)

He claims his Greek heritage is a factor but Charles Kares’ willingness to go above and beyond was a major reason for his selection as NSW/ACT Coach of the Year for a second time.

The Teaching Professional at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney, Kares not only provides lessons to the membership but offers guidance to elite amateurs, shares his knowledge with current Trainees from throughout Sydney and is continually seeking to better himself professionally.

A former junior at Royal Canberra who received coaching from Gary Barter at The Australian Golf Club, Kares engages with members at every opportunity to foster an environment of shared improvement.

“If I have a 30-minute gap in my schedule, I’ll walk around and speak to members on the driving range or on the chipping or putting green and just be available to them,” Kares says.

“I don’t want them to feel like the only way they can speak to me is by booking a lesson.

“The money they spend on a lesson is not just for that hour, it’s building a relationship and feeling comfortable to talk to me any time they want.

“We’re lucky that the member wants to talk to us and is seeking our advice with a lesson because we are there first and foremost to help them enjoy their game of golf.”

Citing the transition of Lakes member Chizuru Ueda into the professional ranks and successfully obtaining a China LPGA Tour card as a 2020 highlight, Kares is also heavily invested in the development of the coaches of the future.

Part of the PGA’s mentor program, Kares is always on the lookout for those he believes will develop into fine coaches themselves.

“When I present to the Trainees, it’s the ones who have their ears perked up for a start,” says Kares. “The ones who feel comfortable enough in their skin to stand up in front of people and talk about a topic and someone who is confident enough to back themselves. They’re the traits that you need to have to be a good coach.

“It’s the ones also who are willing to go outside the square, to listen to other coaches, wanting to research more so they can build a philosophy that they can develop and use to teach people.

“Above all though they have to enjoy golf and want to see someone progress and improve.”

Management Professional of the Year

Nigel Gibson (Manly Golf Club)

When Nigel Gibson worked under the late Paul Rak as Director of Golf at Kingston Heath Golf Club, communication was a key tenet of his management methodology.

That grounding proved to be highly valuable this year when the Manly Golf Club General Manager was required to communicate COVID-19 updates to his membership on an almost daily basis.

When Gibson joined Manly in 2013 and set about constructing a strategic plan, member consultation was a key part of the process. That connection to the club has cultivated a culture of belonging and pride that has seen the club post net trading surpluses in excess of $500,000 in each of the past five years.

“I was really fortunate to work with Paul Rak at Kingston Heath. He was my mentor coming through the ranks from a Director of Golf to a golf management role and he was really big on communication,” Gibson says.

“It creates a culture where members are very comfortable with what’s happening at the club.

“When we did a strategic plan back in 2013 we engaged with the membership right from the outset.

“It’s that open line of communication with members that gives them the confidence to have a positive culture in the club.

“That positive culture means they are comfortable bringing their guests and they’re proud of our club.

“All of our new membership has essentially come through our members’ guests.”

A strong financial position at the onset of COVID-19 meant that the club was able to guarantee staff full salary even in the case of complete lockdown.

Gibson also instituted a Pantry & Staples service that not only provided older members with a safe manner in which to purchase and pick up basics such as toilet paper but kept the kitchen staff engaged when most clubhouses were closed.

“That went down really well and was really well supported,” Gibson said of the Pantry & Staples service that included pre-prepared meals.

“We have a number of members who are aged 70-plus so they were quite concerned but felt very comfortable in being able to order online and then come by the club and pick it up.

“With our regular communication channels, at a time when things were bit strange, the members felt comfortable that they at least knew exactly what was going on at the club.”

Game Development Professional of the Year

Warren Moses (Nelson Bay Golf Club)

Whether it’s juniors, ladies or seniors, Warren Moses adopts the same philosophy towards growing the game: Comfortable and connected.

The Teaching Professional who works alongside his older brother Maurie at Nelson Bay Golf Club in Port Stephens, Moses is a tireless advocate for introducing new people to golf.

He partners with fellow Game Development Professional of the Year nominee Mark Ingrey (Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation) in taking golf into schools throughout the Hunter region and the relaxed way he conducts his regular Saturday ladies clinic has encouraged at least 20 ladies to date to progress to membership and participation in club competitions.

“Golf doesn’t need to be about playing competitions every weekend,” says Moses, who charges just $10 per session for any ladies who wish to attend.

“Some people are happy playing nine holes a week with their husband or son or daughter.

“The biggest asset that I have is that I try to make sure they never feel intimidated.

“One lady said to me that ladies won’t come to clinics if they feel intimidated in any way. You’ve got to make sure they feel relaxed.

“They want to be in an environment where they feel comfortable and wanted, and that’s what we provide.

“The Professional’s role is to get them to come to the clinics and then you’ve got to get them to connect. That’s the secret. If you want progression, they have to connect and become friends.

“That’s how you grow the game.”

A Gary Edwin devotee who also credits his brother for having a major influence on his career, Moses is equally passionate about introducing kids to golf and providing a pathway of progression.

“Myself and Mark Ingrey have been trying to get golf into school curriculum because we feel if you can get golf into curriculum we’re going to grow the sport,” says Moses, who with the help of members at Nelson Bay runs clinics for some 40 juniors each week.

“We’ve been trying hard to get teachers to think when they’re thinking about a sport they can offer to do golf.

“Our belief is that if we make it fun and the kids get a chance to experience it, we will attract some new kids to the game.”


South Australian PGA Professional Warren Symons has been awarded Life Membership of Stirling Golf Club in a ceremony to celebrate 34 years of service.

“It is a great honour to receive Life Membership of Stirling Golf Club,” Symons said.

“To be recognised in this way by the club and the Stirling community is deeply humbling.”

Symons joined Stirling as a junior in 1977 and quickly developed a love of both golf and the club that would lead him to begin his PGA Traineeship under Ted Williams from 1980.

Following his apprenticeship Symons spent seven years as the Assistant Professional at Stirling until 1990 before moving to Hahndorf Golf Club for 12 years.

When the opportunity arose to return to Stirling Golf Club in 2002 Symons jumped at the chance and never looked back. He has served as the PGA Professional in residence ever since.

“I am greatly appreciative to have had the opportunity to connect with the Stirling members and community through my roles over the years and to have mentored so many at the club,” he said.

Throughout his years of service few highlights stand out more for the PGA Professional than the way the club has grown within the community during his tenure.

Warren said his highlight has been raising the standard and profile of the club within the golfing community.

“Over the years I’ve worked hard to introduce a positive attitude to the club and a strong belief in what we can deliver for the community,” he said.

“My mantra has always been ‘we’ve got a right to be as good as any other club’ and it’s true.

“In working with the committee, our members and juniors that mantra has become engrained in our club’s fabric and it’s something I’m very proud of.”

As a PGA Professional of nearly 40 years Symons is #PGAProud to wear the PGA of Australia roundel that signifies its wearer as a leader within the community.

“Our logo commands respect within the golfing community and being part of the PGA of Australia sets who we are, the leadership we show and the mentoring we do every day.”


The PGA of Australia has launched a national advertising campaign celebrating the invaluable role of PGA Professionals in the industry.

The campaign – featuring three television commercials and outdoor media – aims to bring to prominence the vast skillset of PGA Professionals and enhance the recognition of the coveted PGA Professional accreditation badge.

“On the back of golf’s pandemic-inspired boom, we have seen thousands of new and returning golfers flood our fairways and facilities. Our multi-channel campaign is targeted to assist first-time golfers to understand who they can turn to for coaching or fitting advice and reinforce to existing golfers the important role and function of PGA Professionals,” said Gavin Kirkman, PGA of Australia’s chief executive.

“The fun, fresh and creative way in which we have promoted our PGA Professionals helps illustrate strongly that our Members are more than just good golfers. They are the heartbeat of the golf industry and are the leading experts in coaching, equipment and club fitting, retail, game development and golf club management.

“To earn the right to wear the prestigious PGA Professional badge, aspiring Professionals must undertake a three-year PGA Membership Pathway Program. Their education and training makes them golf’s most skilled person, so when you see the PGA Professional badge, you know you are getting the very best in golfing advice from a fully qualified professional in their field.”

This campaign sees the creation of a fictional character, Dale the Driving Ranger, who hilariously attempts to give advice to golfers using a series of bizarre coaching techniques. Dale adorns a child-like Sherriff’s badge with the words ‘Driving Ranger’ scrawled over it on masking tape. The ad concludes by illustrating that the only badge that should be trusted is that of a PGA Professional, and acknowledges that they are golf’s only accredited professional coaches.

The outdoor advertising encourages audiences to get a lesson and fitting by a PGA Professional and will be showcased in high traffic locations across Australia.

Some of the golf industry’s leading equipment manufacturers – Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra Puma Golf and Mizuno – have all assisted in widening the reach of this campaign by providing their support.

“These golf brands have been pivotal to bringing this campaign to life,” Kirkman said.

“They – like us – believe that a healthy golf industry is reliant on the success of PGA Professionals. We are proud to unite with these quality brands and thank them wholeheartedly for embracing this campaign.”


Australian golf’s 2020 boom continues at pace, with a surge in interest from young men its driving force.

In its latest report “New member demand … The impact of Covid-19”, Golf Australia confirms that more than 42,000 people have joined golf clubs in the 10 months to the end of October.

That represents a surge in new membership demand of 126 per cent nationally – despite the lengthy Covid-19 shutdown in metropolitan Melbourne – and on track for a five per cent overall annual rise, which would represent the best such number since 1989.

Golf Australia’s general manager of golf development David Gallichio was optimistic about the findings, compiled by Golf Business Advisory Services.

Gallichio pointed to the encouraging immediate results for Australian clubs and facilities, but highlighted the “critical” need for the industry to sustain the long-term interest.

“The numbers themselves are important right now,” Gallichio said.

“But what is paramount for the game’s future is for us to ensure the retention of the new members and players by extrapolating the data and taking those lessons to our clubs and facilities.”

The strongest growth has been among males aged 20-49 with almost 75 per cent of male membership growth from that cohort.

Male membership growth has represented 88 per cent of the total surge and it is women aged 50+ who have been responsible for more than 56 per cent of the female growth.

Gallichio said the research also pointed to the different ways new members were using their clubs.

In the corresponding six-month period in 2019, new members played 64 per cent of their golf at weekends.

“This year’s newcomers have switched that up to the point that only 56 per cent are playing across weekends,” Gallichio said.

And we’ve been excited to see a 133 per cent spike in new members in regional areas this year (to the end of October), too.

“These are just some of the lessons we have to take on as an industry to ensure that new members get the most value from their investment and continue long-term.”

Additionally, GA and the PGA have worked closely to begin development of a “membership attraction and retention” toolkit for clubs, facilities and PGA members, helping them to capitalise on this uncommon growth.

The Australian Golf Industry Council is fully invested in the initiatives with all member organisations to offer similar education packages to help their members deliver positive outcomes.

Rounds growth has also continued.

The report reveals that year-to-date October data (excluding Victoria) shows rounds eight per cent up on 2019 – and 22 per cent in the months May to October.

For this latter period, male and female rounds demand is up by 22 and 20 per cent, respectively.


In a parallel universe, Michael Sim completed his 11th Masters at Augusta National on Monday morning.

In that world Sim is a perennial major contender, has a handful of victories on the PGA TOUR and is a feted superstar whenever he returns to play on Australian shores.

That is how the Michael Sim story was supposed to go.

But at 36 years of age and with opportunities to play his way onto world tours dwindling in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sim has turned his attention instead to making other golfers better.

Possessing a swing that was admired not only for its fluidity but the results it yielded, Sim’s body began to fail him at an early age.

A stress fracture in his back that was diagnosed at just 21 restricted Sim to only middling results across two seasons on the PGA TOUR, ultimately losing his card at the end of 2008.

In 2009 he returned in emphatic fashion. He won three times on the US secondary circuit, finished top-20 playing alongside Tiger Woods at the US Open and rose to 44 in the Official World Golf Rankings by year’s end. In his second start of 2010 Sim was tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open behind Ben Crane to rank as the 34th best golfer on the planet.

He had been invited to make his Masters debut that April but a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw a week out from the tournament and that parallel universe soon vanished into thin air.

Currently the 507th ranked golfer in the world, Sim has won the 2017 Queensland Open, 2019 WA Open and 2020 Queensland PGA Championship in recent years but the elite level of world golf to which he appeared destined to reside has remained out of reach.

A proud father and husband based on the Gold Coast, Sim still has eyes on playing in Asia or Japan but given the uncertainty that comes with life as a touring professional is within weeks of completing his PGA Bridging course and has begun to establish himself as a coach.

Splitting his time between Lakelands Golf Club and an indoor facility where he can put his Trackman certification to good use, Sim says his method to developing players is a mix of old and new thinking.

“I just teach what I know. I don’t try to teach what I don’t know,” Sim revealed.

“Obviously playing at a high level and all around the world I feel like I’ve got a lot of knowledge that I can share.

“Most of my lessons that I have with people I start with the basic fundamentals. Get them on plane, make sure they’ve got a good grip and that their alignment is good.

“It’s amazing how many people aim not where they’re supposed to and then the ball position gets adjusted because of that.

“That’s certainly a good start to at least hit a good golf shot.”

Level 1 and 2 Trackman Certified, Sim has embraced the technological advances available to coaches but admits that his passion is in sharpening up the short game.

“It’s more of a technology-based lesson with Trackman but you can also go in there and play some courses, test your wedges on Combine tests, gather club data, ball data,” Sim explained.

“It’s a different lesson to being outdoors and doing short game and seeing the actual ball flight rather than hitting against a screen.

“I started with David Milne at a young age and we did a lot of chipping and putting and pitching and that’s certainly one of the strengths of my game.

“I certainly enjoy teaching that area as well. There are always amateurs out there who you can help save shots around the green, whether that’s from a three-putt or don’t get the ball up-and-down or sometimes don’t even chip the ball onto the green.

“I played with a guy in a pro-am recently who had a really long backswing with his putting stroke and then completely stopped on it. He’d hit it short, hit the next one long and it was like that the whole day.

“I gave him a little tip to shorten his backswing and then accelerate through and he holed two putts in the last four holes from 20 feet.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to the chipping green for three or four hours and hitting different types of shots rather than hitting balls on the range in the same spot. I’ve always liked moving around, hitting bunker shots, lob shots, chip-and-runs; it’s so much more enjoyable.

“It’s nice to have the two different styles of teaching available for me.”

Sim has by no means closed the door on returning to life on tour – the Japan Golf Tour is his favoured path back – yet he remains realistic about the chances available to not only himself but the young Aussies hoping to transition into professional golf.

“It’s not just us professionals but the elite amateurs are in the same boat,” Sim said.

“I played with Nathan Barbieri at the NT PGA and he’s a really good player but he might not get to a Q School until 2022 perhaps.

“We can’t just sit around and wait for events with this COVID pandemic.

“Q Schools now with quarantines in place, it’s certainly a world of the unknown for the professional golfer.”

To book a lesson with Michael e-mail him at [email protected] or direct message @michaelsimgolf on Instagram.


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