Member Profile

On 11 December 2014 I called it a day at North Ryde RSL after 45 and a half years.

Cooks River Bowling Club was where I started my apprenticeship in 1965. I had three different bosses in three years. My first boss, Tony Burns had his finger amputated while adjusting the spray pump. I was spraying the green at the time of the incident and found his finger laying on the grass (no micro surgery in those days!). He was rushed to the hospital and was off work for 7 weeks. While he was off work recovering he was terminated (so much for sympathy!).

After leaving Cooks River, I spent one year at Drummoyne Bowling Club. The three greens there were full seven days a week, how times have changed.

In 1969 I started at North Ryde RSL as assistant to Phil Flippence. After Phil left, I was promoted to Greenkeeper and I had some great assistants throughout that time. My son, Ben Rodger, Paul Webb and of course Don Storey who worked alongside me for 27 years.

The club was robbed two to three and on one of those occasions a father and daughter were found to be the culprits. They were apprehended the next day in Albury. It turned out that the father was a past employee of the club. Before entering the club they loaded a shot gun and a 22 beside the hedge near the green. Don was mowing the grass close to the hedge a day or two later and ran over a shot gun shell and was consequently wounded in the leg with pellets (the dangers of greenkeeping?!).

The Greenkeepers Bowling Club was a great institution in the Sydney metro. We played pennants reaching the No.2 grade. I was fortunate to play in the club championship 4’s with legends Col Ridge, Frank Dempsey and the late Jim Birmingham, they were great times!

I have enjoyed my life in greenkeeping and have met so many wonderful people along the way, too many to name.

The Greenkeepers Association is a great community. The yearly State Championships has been something that myself and my wife, Cheryl look forward to each year and have been attending for 20+ years. The present committee with Mick Woods, Simon Cooper and John Flaherty steering the young and enthusiastic committee I see the association only becoming bigger and better with a great future ahead with everybody’s support.

See you at South West Rocks in May 2015 for the next State Championships.