industry news
A BIG first for Moore Park
Top gong for Byron Bay Super
B
yron Bay Golf Club Superintendent
Shaun Cross has been awarded the
prestigious gong for AGCSA Excellence
in Golf Course Management, presented in
partnership with John Deere. Having won
the Queensland award in March, Shaun was
automatically nominated for the National
Award.
The AGCSA (Australian Golf Course
Superintendent’s Association) awards
are judged on a criterion of commitment
to excellence, maintenance techniques,
innovation and community consultation. The
award honours the turf industry’s outstanding
achievers and Cross now stands alongside
previous winners who represent a veritable
“who’s who” of the Australian golf course
maintenance industry.
“In my 11 years at the club we have built a
wonderful and dedicated course crew – in my
opinion the best team in the country,” cross
said. “I would also like to thank the Golf Club
Board for sharing my vision and in particular
our past Captain Mark Wilson and our current
Captain Peter Sinclair. Thanks also to Mum and
Dad for forcing me into an apprenticeship and
huge thanks to my wife Tammy for all your
love and support over the past 20 years.”
Cross is attributed with “transforming
the Byron Bay Golf Course, in the space of
10 years, from a ‘good track’ to a first class
Regional golf course” and this award attests
to his professional standards which has seen
the course climb to 73rd in the 2013 Top 100
Public Access Golf Courses in Australia as
published by a national golf magazine.
Shaun’s winning submission included
the initial State nomination made by Byron
Bay Club Captain, Peter Sinclair which was
endorsed by Peter Lonergan, President
Byron Bay Golf Club’s Superintendent Shaun
Cross with his wife Tammy
of the AGCSA, as the most impressive
nomination received. The submission was
further enhanced by the personal references
contributed by two of Australia’s most popular
professional golfers, Ian Baker-Finch and Peter
Senior, both golfers having played the course
numerous times during the annual staging of
the PGA Legends Tour Championships there.
“Byron Bay Golf Course is always in excellent
condition due to the expertise of Shaun and
his management skills.” said Baker-Finch,
who won there in 2011. “I believe Byron Bay
Golf Course should be a model course for all
superintendents to visit and copy Shaun’s
standards.”
Three-time Tournament winner at Byron
Bay, Peter Senior concurred when he said, “I
have played the tournament there for three
years and can’t believe how good the course
is presented. This is how a golf course should
be set