Neylan, Hugill honoured at Aust Golf Digest Awards

 

AGCSA general manager John Neylan has been honoured for his services to the golf industry at the Australian Golf Digest Player of the Year Awards held in Sydney in early December. Neylan, who joined the AGCSA in 2000 to head up the association’s newly created technical division and is now general manager of the peak body, was bestowed the Australian Golf Digest’s Services to Golf Award. The award has been presented since 1993 and in receiving it in 2009 Neylan joins an esteemed list of previous winners which includes Jack Newton (2008), Norman von Nida (2007), John Klatt (2006), Tony Rafty (2005), Tom Moore (2004) and Charlie Earp (2003).

“John has received our Services to Golf Award, which unlike the nine other awards handed out on the night, reflects ongoing excellence and contributions to Australian golf, rather than efforts made just during the past year,” says Australian Golf Digest editor Steve Keipert. “John’s work in what is an increasingly important corner of the golf industry deserved recognition, particularly as golf courses look towards sustainable futures and as everyday golfers better appreciate the role of the golf course superintendent.”

In what proved to a be great night for the golf course management profession, Mona Vale Golf Club superintendent Andy Hugill received the Australian Golf Digest Superintendent of the Year Award. Hugill, who received the AGCSA Excellence in Course Management Award at the 25th Australian Turfgrass Conference in Hobart, was again honoured for his efforts in transforming the northern Sydney suburbs course over the past five years into one of the region’s best.

Both Neylan and Hugill were among nine winners honoured on the night with Australian professional Geoff Ogilvy taking out the coveted Player of the Year Award. Other winners included Karrie Webb, former top amateur Scott Arnold, rookie Matthew Griffin, trainee Brent McCullough, senior Mike Harwood, junior Justine Lee and coach David Milne. Photo below courtesy of Australian Golf Digest.