The best of Victoria’s golf industry were formally recognised at the annual Victorian Golf Industry Awards on Thursday October 16 at the Southern Golf Club in Melbourne’s famous sandbelt region. 

The National Golf Club’s Leigh Yanner (pictured right), the golf course manager across two sites on the Mornington Peninsula and in Frankston, was awarded the VGSCA Superintendents Recognition Award for his dedicated course management career spanning nearly three decades while Port Fairy Golf Links’ Zac Amer, in the south-west of Victoria, was awarded the VGSCA Apprentice of the Year.

It caps off a strong year for Yanner and his crew at The National, who won the coveted ASTMA Sports Turf Management Team of the Year Award at the turf management conference in Sydney back in June.

The night’s premier club recognitions, the Most Outstanding Club, Facility or Place to Play awards saw a split between Devilbend Golf Club (Metropolitan) and Warrnambool Golf Club (Regional).

Turf management pioneer Graeme Grant was acknowledged for his service to golf in Victoria by being inducted into the Victorian Golf Hall of Fame during the night’s ceremony.

2025 Victorian Golf Industry Award winners

PGA Club Professional of the Year
Luke Bleumink, Rosanna GC 

PGA Coach of the Year – High Performance
Brandon Rave, Metropolitan GC 

PGA Coach of the Year – Game Development
Scott McDermott, PGA Academy 

PGA Management Professional of the Year
Mark Lazenby, Beaconhills GC 

PGA Legends Tour Event of the Year
Gardiners Run Golf Course  

Regional Pro-Am of the Year
Axedale Golf Club 

Metropolitan Pro-Am of the Year
Portsea Golf Club 

Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association Apprentice of the Year
Zac Amer, Port Fairy Golf Links

Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendents Recognition Award
Leigh Yanner, The National Golf Club

Golf Management Victoria Excellence in Management Award
Brad Robb, Southern Golf Club

Golf Management Victoria Employee of the Year
Catherine Hirth, Royal Melbourne and Yarra Yarra golf clubs

Most Outstanding Club, Facility or Place to Play – Metropolitan
Devilbend Golf Club 

Most Outstanding Club, Facility or Place to Play – Regional
Warrnambool Golf Club

Most Outstanding Facility – Off Course
Morack Swing Factory

Get Into Golf – Venue of the Year
Barwon Valley Golf Club

MyGolf powered by Ripper GC Venue of the Year
Maroondah Golf  

Volunteer of the Year
Anthony Hargreaves, Charlton GC

Women & Girls in Golf Award
Melinda Binding, Merbein GC

Female Amateur Golfer of the Year
Jazy Roberts

Male Amateur Golfer of the Year
Max Moring

The ASTMA congratulates Leigh, Zac and Graeme for their recognition on the night.

Story by Nick Creely/ Pictures VGCSA