Royal Canberra Golf Club assistant superintendent and 30-year industry stalwart Dennis Grounds (pictured left) has been elected onto the Board of the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA). Grounds replaces good friend David Thomson (pictured right) who stepped down at the association's Annual General Meeting held on 25 June during the 2025 Australian Sports Turf Management Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Sydney Showground.

Thomson, who has been Bermagui Country Club superintendent on the NSW South Coast for just over 24 years, spent three terms on the ASTMA Board after being elected at the 2019 AGM held during that year’s Brisbane conference. In addition to his departure and Grounds’ appointment, fellow ASTMA directors Mark Findlay and Damian Hough were also re-elected for further two-year terms at the AGM.

The full ASTMA Board comprises:

President: Ben Tilley (Headland GC, Qld)
Directors: Troy Jordan (Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, Vic – treasurer), Peter Lonergan (Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC, NSW and ASTMA life member), Damian Hough (Adelaide Oval SMA, SA), Mark Findlay (Werribee Park GC, Vic) and Dennis Grounds (Royal Canberra GC, ACT)

CLICK HERE TO READ THE 2024/2025 ASTMA ANNUAL REPORT

Grounds began his career as an apprentice greenkeeper at Young Golf Club in regional NSW back in the early 1990s. Stints at Yowani Country Club in Canberra and then Garangula Polo Club paved the way for his first senior role as assistant superintendent back at Young at the start of 2000. After three years there, he moved to Harden Country Club for his first superintendent posting, before moving back to Young to take over as superintendent, a role he would hold for over six years. In 2013 he moved to the NSW South Coast, taking up the position of superintendent at the 27-hole Club Catalina in Bateman’s Bay. After 11 years there, in February 2024 he headed to Canberra where he joined the crew at Royal Canberra as assistant superintendent under Ryan Stores.
 
Shortly before that move, in the January-February 2024 edition of Australian Turfgrass Management Journal (Volume 26.1), columnist Ben Gibson profiled Grounds who shared his career story and some of his achievements while at Catalina. You can read the Q&A HERE.