Chris Murphy: St Clair’s new course superintendent

By Neville Idour

Chris Murphy, the St Clair Golf Club's new course superintendent, has wasted no time in making his impact on the course.

Caption: Chris Murphy who St Clair Golf Club’s new course superintendent.

Arriving in early September he brings a wealth of experience to the club. He is a qualified turf manager and has worked in the industry for the last 20 years.

For six years he was second in charge at Clearwater in Christchurch then, following that, 14 years as superintendent at Pleasant Point in South Canterbury. He has a sound knowledge of irrigation systems, changing greens from soil to a sand base, and machinery maintenance.

Murphy was raised in Otago on a large farm near Dunback. He attended Otago Boys’ High School then completed a turf management course at Cromwell.

Why that career path?

“Sport. I enjoy sport. But it is also kind of close to farming. I would have been quite happy to go farming, but I couldn’t afford to buy a farm. At Clearwater I started as irrigation technician then became 2IC (second in command). It was different having 11 staff but that was never enough.”

At Pleasant Point he enjoyed the assistance of many volunteers. Murphy is extremely passionate about volunteers having previously built up an extensive volunteer base and enjoyed the comraderie and help he received. He is also planning to build a great volunteer team at St Clair. That is already bearing fruit with two almost full time volunteer greenkeepers adding plenty of assistance to his team of three.

So how is he finding St Clair?

“I’m loving it. Good to be back in Otago. I spent too long in Canterbury. The club has been very welcoming. This is an awesome place. Sometimes we get told we are doing a great job but really we aren’t doing anything different to formerly,’’ he said modestly.

A current project is a mound of dirt formed on the 18th where the pine trees were removed. It has native plantings on it and will form a protective bank along the left of the fairway.

Murphy’s huge passion for sport and the outdoors includes cricket where he helped resurrect a local cricket club and then served on the South Canterbury cricket board.

Chris is married to Megan and has two young children. They are embracing this new adventure and if the current condition of the course is any indication Murphy will be a vital cog in the wheel that is St Clair golf course.