Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter
Categories
An action-packed week at the Cobram Barooga Golf Club saw the return of the Women in Turf Program, with Hutcheon & Pearce there in full support.
Hutcheon and Pearce returned for one of the most anticipated weeks of the golf calendar – the Murray River Festival of Golf – held at the picturesque Cobram Barooga Golf Club. This week-long event celebrates all things golf, featuring Women’s Clinics, Pro-Am competitions, and the prestigious PGA Webex Players Series event. It’s no wonder we eagerly look forward to it each year.
One of the main reasons for our excitement is the opportunity to support the John Deere Women in Turf Program, which runs throughout the festival. Now in its third successful year, Hutcheon and Pearce are proud to collaborate with John Deere and our highly valued client, Cobram Barooga Golf Club, on this meaningful initiative.
Women in Turf Returns
Developed by John Deere, the program brings together six female volunteers from across Australia to work alongside Cobram Barooga’s Superintendent, Terry Vogel, during their busiest week of the year, the 2025 Webex Players Series Murray River. These women play a crucial role in preparing and maintaining the course for the prestigious PGA event. The program not only offers professional development opportunities in greenkeeping but also showcases inclusivity within the industry.
Hutcheon and Pearce’s strong relationship with Cobram Barooga Golf Club has been a key factor in the success of this initiative. The Women in Turf Program embodies the foundational values of inclusivity in the golf industry, which Hutcheon and Pearce, John Deere, and Cobram Barooga Golf Club proudly uphold.
The six women arrived before the festival began and were heavily involved in the maintenance and preparation of the greens and fairways using a range of John Deere equipment.
Valuable Volunteers
Coming from various backgrounds and areas of experience, the six volunteers include Ella Arter (Melbourne), Olivia Cowan (Altona), Emma Lewis (Botanic Ridge), Vicki Liddington (Perth), Abbey Taylor (Hillsborough) and Christina Wilson (Brisbane).
“It’s been invaluable having the Women in Turf volunteers assist us with this tournament for the last couple of years, and we like to think they get a lot out of it as well,” Mr Vogel said.
“The extra hands on the ground makes a huge difference for a tournament of this size, and all the women bring their own diverse range of skills and experiences into the team. Their attitude and professionalism is infectious for the rest of the team”, he added.
This year’s program will take a step further than previous years, offering the women a year-long mentoring and development program for further support in the industry. Supported by Envu and ASTMA, the ongoing mentoring will not only foster important industry connection but provide the women with the skills and confidence to succeed in the industry.
Terry emphasised the programs value to both parties, saying “It’s a win-win because we get the help, and the volunteers get to hone their skills in preparing for a tournament, which some of them have never done before”.
H&P’s Commitment to Inclusivity:
Our Key Accounts Manager for Golf & Turf, Steve Foster, is passionately involved in the Women in Turf Program and was a key person on the ground supporting the women at the Webex Players Series on behalf of Hutcheon & Pearce. Steve is determined to continue striving for inclusivity and opportunity within the golf industry.
“We’ve got a massive skilled labour shortage within the turf industry and if we can create more pathways for some of the people in an entry level position to grow their careers, it’s going to leave the industry in a much better place,” Steve said.
Steve added, “For me personally, I’ve always been driven by trying to leave the turf industry a better place. So, to be able to have an impact on now 18 females and to be able to watch those journeys is something I’m really proud of but also something us as a business are really proud to be aligned with.”
Local Representation:
Steve will offer ongoing mentorship to local NSW representative, Abbey Taylor, from Hillsborough. Abbey is an apprentice greenkeeper at Charlestown Golf Club in Hillsborough and was thrilled to be chosen for this program and to participate in her first tournament experience.
Abbey found the week at Cobram to be an incredible learning experience and found so much value in connecting with other women in the industry.
“I was very nervous coming into the week not knowing anyone, but getting to know all the other volunteers and hearing how they’ve got to this point in their careers has been great. It’s important that more people know they have opportunities like this in the turf industry,” she added.
Hutcheon and Pearce are very excited to follow the women’s journeys and proud to be a part of such a great initiative, which we hope will continue for the years to come.
Articles And Resources From The Hutcheon & Pearce Newsroom
The 101 on Precision Essentials
John Deere’s exciting new Precision Ag model – Precision Essentials-
John Deere Seeding: Smarter Together
Experience precision, productivity and peace of mind with a complete
Celebrating Success: H&P Apprenticeship Graduation
Hutcheon & Pearce celebrate their newest graduates of the High
