The young Hohnen had already tasted life as a pro on the old PGA Tour of Australia, won on the pro-am circuit and felt the culture of his established Sydney club. 

“I remember the encounter clearly. An older Killara member, John Harrowell, said, ‘Son, you might contemplate another position or one with more money but the best advice I can give you is, ‘Don’t leave anything you are enjoying’,” Hohnen recounted.

“Well, it’s 2023 and I’m still here with a passion. Every day I come in the driveway of the club I know I’m going to enjoy myself.”

Much of that has to do with Hohnen himself, his upbeat attitude and the genuine connection between Killara and its Head Professionals over decades.

Remarkably, the club has only had three over the past 70 years through the late David Mercer, Hohnen and his fellow Head Professional, Patrick Fairweather.

Killara Golf Club recently honoured Hohnen, 66, with a cocktail party for more than 200 people to celebrate his 50-year connection.

“It was a great evening and I consider it a wonderful association over 50 years. Killara has always been very supportive of its golf professionals when a number of clubs have changed ideas and taken over pro shops, some successfully, some not,” said Hohnen, pictured with David Mercer and Peter Fowler at the 2018 David Mercer Pro-Am.

“I’ve considered it a privilege that the club has twice given me trips to try to qualify for the Senior Open just as they did Dave in 1973 when he did qualify for The Open Championship at Royal Troon.

“It cuts both ways. I have wonderful members to work for. There’s no retirement plan.”

The teenaged Hohnen caught public transport to Royal Sydney when he started his apprenticeship under Mercer’s brother, Alex, in 1973.

“I’d caddied for Dave as a kid and he said if I got my handicap down to three he’d look at starting me as an apprentice. A position opened for me at Killara later that same year,” Hohnen said. 

Hohnen enjoyed his time playing on the local tour. In 1989, he finished joint 10th behind Greg Norman in the Australian Tournament Players Championship at Riverside Oaks.

It’s their third round together that he recalls with a classic story and a chuckle.

“Greg birdied the final three holes for a 69 and I birdied the final two holes for a 70,” Hohnen recalled.

“Greg said, ‘Great day, good luck, hope we play better tomorrow’.

“I had to say, ‘You might have felt you didn’t play great, but I did. That was my A game.’”

Hohnen is proud that his mentor’s name lives on so vibrantly through the David Mercer Senior Classic on the Legends Tour. This year, Hohnen will host at Killara on November 16 with a bumper purse of $100,000 thanks to the backing of Thompson Health Care.

“I always wanted a Pro-Am to honour David’s name. For it to be successful over the years with great member backing and showing off the renovated course is a great credit to Killara Golf Club,” Hohnen said.