2025 Apprentice of the Year - Max Gaskell

​​​​​​​Receiving the scholarship from the Central North Island Turf Managers Association to volunteer as a greenkeeper at the New Zealand Open was an awesome opportunity. It allowed me to experience tournament golf at the highest level and work alongside a large team of experienced turf managers and greenkeepers.

The week involved early wake-ups and late finishes. Most mornings started around 4:00am so the course could be prepared before play began. After the morning shift there was usually time for breakfast and a short rest before returning for the night shift around 6:00pm. Some nights we were still working close to midnight, which made the early starts challenging.

The event was played across two courses, which meant a huge amount of coordination was required. At my home course we normally operate with a four-man crew, but during the tournament the maintenance team expanded to around 38 people. Seeing all the machines moving around the course created a kind of controlled chaos, but everyone knew their role and it ran like clockwork.

A major challenge came on Thursday morning when 24mm of rain fell and delayed the start of the tournament by three hours. The heavy rain created surface water on parts of the course and caused some bunker damage. The team got the pumps, squeegees, and shovels out and worked to clear the water and repair the affected areas so the course was playable and presented well for the tournament.

Being part of tournament golf was an incredibly rewarding experience, and it was even better that a Kiwi won the trophy. It was a great chance to meet people in the industry and build connections. I am grateful to CNITMA for giving me the opportunity to be involved in such a memorable event.

Max Gaskell

The Dunes Matarangi