EP.95 Keeper of the Greens - Richard Forsyth (The Royal Melbourne Golf Club)

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Richard Forsyth leads the team that maintain one of the greatest golf facilities on Earth, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club!

From a farming background on the outskirts of Melbourne, a young Richard took an opportunity as a apprentice greenkeeper at Riversdale Golf Club in Melbourne. He quickly acquired the taste for golf greenkeeping which included the overall landscape of the site and not just the turf.

A couple of appointments at golf resorts along the Murray River, including his first posting as a Superintendent, would set Richard up for the appointment as Superintendent at The Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne's famed Sandbelt region.

Richard's experience gained thus far in his career was becoming extensive and he was at home leading the team at Metro. However, when the seat was vacated at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Richard threw his hat in the ring and ultimately was bestowed the responsibility to hold the keys and lead the team of maintaining the hallowed MacKenzie/Russell designed 36 hole facility just as the 2011 Presidents Cup was knocking on the door!

Join with me as we ride with Richard throughout his greenkeeping journey before things get detailed and interesting as we talk about the inner workings of maintaining the Royal Melbourne golf courses. We discuss history, architecture, green firmness, the art and majesty of non uniform turf surfaces, philosophy of turf maintenance, and vegetation. We also discuss how Royal Melbourne is the sum of greater than its parts, and how, like that famous line out of the great Aussie movie The Castle, sometimes "it's the vibe" that is the indefinable quality of Royal Melbourne!

People and places mentioned in this podcast:

⁠The Royal Melbourne Golf Club⁠ (royalmelbourne.com.au)

⁠Riversdale Golf Club⁠ (riversdalegolf.com.au/cms)

⁠Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort⁠ (yarragolf.com.au)

⁠Murray Downs Golf & Country Club⁠ (murraydownsgolf.com.au)

⁠The Metropolitan Golf Club⁠ (metropolitangolf.com.au/cms)

⁠Alister MacKenzie⁠ (mackenziesociety.org)

⁠Mick Morcom & Claude Crockford (royalmelbourne.com.au/courses/creators)