Australia's peak industry body for Sports Turf Management
Australia's peak industry body for Sports Turf Management
By Nick Creely
A promotion to assistant superintendent at Rosanna Golf Club in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne is a positive step forward in the promising career of Michael Bunston (pictured right) 
The talented 25-year-old recently graduated from the Future Turf Managers Initiative (FTMI) and believed the program played a major role in securing the exciting new position which he started on April 2.
Bunston has been in the sports turf management industry since he was 18, serving an apprenticeship at Melbourne's Box Hill Golf Club under superintendant Josh Leyland, before going on to become foreman. He has gone on to volunteer at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens at The Lakes and Victoria.
“I’m absolutely loving the new role so far, Dean Bailey (Rosanna superintendent) has been really supportive and it’s a great environment,” he said.
“I do really believe the FTMI program played a big part in me getting the job. I got heaps out of it personally and there were probably a lot of factors behind that.
“Whether it’s resume building, the structure, how you present yourself to reading other people’s body languages, it is important to learn about these things.
“Dealing with adversity is another, it was one of the key things I took out of it. It shapes you to be the best possible manager you can be, which is ultimately where I’m hoping to go in the future.”
Bunston said there were plenty of highlights in the FTMI program from a range of presenters and said Dr Juliette Tobias-Webb’s presentation was one worth the time.
He encouraged budding turf management professionals to invest the time into the program with valuable lessons to be taken out of it.
“When you’re on your journey to be a superintendent, one of the keys is to be able to present to boards and the FTMI gave me some tools to have your facts straight and be clear in communication which is a key part of the industry,” he said.
“If you’re accepted into the FTMI program, what I found is you get what you put into it, take notes, listen and learn and look at each perspective from the presenters, that's how I look at it.”
Image: Supplied