Rick Machray Wins 2022 Parkland Excellence Award

An industry veteran of over 40 years, Rick Machray has been recognised for his outstanding course management at Arrowtown Golf Club. He was awarded the Parkland Excellence Award at the 2022 NZGCSA Conference held in Christchurch in August.

The main criteria for the Award were:

• Consistently producing outstanding playing surfaces
• Maintaining a professional outlook and conduct
• Managing relationships with staff and stakeholders in a highly professional manner
• Producing a dossier of work history highlighting projects or course improvements
• Providing extra service to the turf industry or community

As part of the assessment process, NZGCSA judges visited each applicant’s golf course to see their work first-hand.

Rick’s Projects

Over the years, Rick has implemented many impactful projects at Arrowtown Golf Club, demonstrating his expertise in course management. Some of the most notable examples include:

Tee Upgrades

This work was essential to future-proofing the course. Over the years, more than 40 tee complexes were rebuilt or levelled.

Greens Drainage

The very wet winter of 2010 highlighted the need for enhanced drainage. The plan involved draining greens 1, 4, and 7, upgrading the existing drain under the 7th fairway, completing a new exit drain for the 1st green, and thrust-boring an exit drain under the road immediately behind the 7th green.

To achieve the right fall away from the first green, a 2.5m-deep trench had to be dug through a rock shelf near the green—a daunting task on which the entire project depended.

Greens Modification

Several architecturally designed green alterations were made over the years. After the completion of the ninth green redevelopment, members found it “too unfair,” so it was re-contoured to improve playability.

Hole Design and Realignment

A few projects improved the course layout by extending hole length or redirecting the golf corridor to enhance the playing experience. Strengthening holes was also achieved by shifting fairway zones left or right. For instance, moving hole nine to the left brought a challenging gully into play, while adjustments on hole 17 provided a better buffer zone between it and the road.

Irrigation Upgrades

The old irrigation system depended on pressure generated from a water intake located up the Tri Burn water catchment across the Arrow River. The water entered directly into a two-inch water main on the course, which struggled to achieve reliable pressure, particularly through the intense Otago summer.

Installation of a new irrigation system began in 1999. The old headworks are still in use but now divert into a holding pond on the 18th hole, allowing sediment from the Tri Burn ravine to settle before the clear water is used on the course.

Natural Grass Re-establishment

As Otago is renowned for its golden grasslands, Rick has been committed to reinstating the wilderness areas of the Arrowtown course by encouraging the natural browntop and fescue grasses. A low fertiliser programme, complemented by stringent irrigation practices, has promoted these native grasses across all main play zones. Selective herbicide use has also helped remove invasive species, such as Cocksfoot, further preserving the course’s natural aesthetic.

Wilding Pine and Broom Control

A rigorous effort has been made to eradicate broom and wilding Douglas fir from the course. This includes spraying during the growing season followed by brush-cutting in winter. Additionally, the Club initiated a wilding pine control programme aimed at returning the environment to its original state. This effort has since been expanded, with Regional Councils adopting similar control programmes in the surrounding hills of Arrowtown, making this an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.

Nurturing Greenkeeping

Rick has also demonstrated a strong passion for training and mentoring apprentices and staff. In 2012, he embraced the internship programme at the Otago Polytechnic campus in Cromwell, offering students paid employment at Arrowtown Golf Club through the growing season and academic support for their coursework.

This collaboration not only strengthened the Club’s recruitment efforts by bringing in talented individuals, but it also provided graduates with a strong foundation in their turf management careers. Many graduates have since started their turf careers at Arrowtown Golf Club, showcasing Rick’s lasting influence on the next generation of greenkeepers.

The Arrowtown Course

Located 25 km east of Queenstown and the Southern Alps, Arrowtown Golf Club offers a unique golfing experience, weaving its path through rocky outcrops and remnants of old riverbeds on the front nine, and running alongside the fertile floodplains of the Arrow River on the back nine. Once one of New Zealand’s richest gold-bearing rivers, the Arrow River’s legacy is still visible throughout the town and on the course, adding a touch of history to the golfing landscape.

“It’s amazing land to work on,” explained Rick. “The environment is challenging, yet the course possesses that little bit of magic that gets golfers talking and coming back for more.”