July 19, 2024 • 7 mins
Lesley Murdoch was joined by Tony Marriott of the Russley Golf Club on the show to talk all things golfing, with thanks to The Elmwood Trading Company.
In it's 96 years being established, the Russley Golf Club has been on of the leading clubs in the region, and Tony spoke about the wonderful diverse nature of it's members.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Newstalks. He'd be lets in association with our lovely friends
at the Onward Trading Company. I'm talking about Marty Fuller
and welcome to the program. The general manager of the
Rusty Golf Club, mister Tony Marriott.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, Hi, Leslie, Thanks very much for the opportunity
talking about their wonderful club.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yeah. Well, it's got a fantastic history. I've got to
say it is a real heavyweight of golf, not just
in Canterbury but in New Zealand. But how long have
you been GM out there?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I've been in an intant role since about February and
I'm just delighted to be appointed into it full time
just recently. So yeah, it's been a short journey so far,
but really enjoying it.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And are you a golfer?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, I play a wee bit of golf. I wouldn't
sad a great golf, but I've played a bit of golf.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
What's your handicap?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Thirteen? But working on getting a well? I was actually
I was actually funny enough, I was on a lower
handicap when I was twelve years old. So we where
to go?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
So your experience in sporting, Edmund, what's that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Very little. Actually, I come from a transport logistics background,
so heavy trucks and diesel, which couldn't be further away
from golf, But funnily enough, they do have similar challenges.
And transport especially is all about managing your cost tightly.
It's making sure that your people. You know, the greatest
(01:36):
asset that both businesses can have as your people. And
we've certainly got that in Spade Balls out there. So
you're managing people managing costs very similar elements to it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I totally get that. And it is about the people,
isn't it. Now you've got nearly seven hundred, probably have
got seven hundred members. How many are juniors?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Over one hundred and twenty, so yeah, that actually climbs
up to over fifty in the summer months, and yeah,
that's right. We've got a lot of juniors and that's
been in our DNA for many, many years. So yeah,
we have quite a big focus on bringing juniors into
the club. It's one of my kpy eyes and we
(02:15):
make sure that you know, they looked after really well.
They have a lot of fun and you know, great
coaches that look after them.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
So you're really close to the airport Is that a plus? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Absolutely, yeah, it's a great plus because you know, we've
got we basically I travel from Papanoid to Rustle every day.
It's twelve minutes it takes me and we've got you know,
pretty much all the parents who get juniors trained at
the club, they love the fact that they can be
(02:46):
there in ten minutes. We've got ten schools that are
less than ten minutes away and you know they can
come down and drop their kids off, have a coffee
and the cafe looking out over our beautiful eighteen and
nineteenth screens and been looked after by the best coaches
in Canobary.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It is a handsome golf course and it did get
that makeover from Greg Turner. What do you see as
the real attributes of the course?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Oh? Here, that back then, and that can really destroy
your card at times. But I mean the tenth that
you start off with a tenth, which seems like a
nice straightforward part four, but if you don't hit it
dead in the middle of the green, it's rolling off
both sides of the green. We've got probably the hardest
seventeenth in Canabury. When there's a southerly blowing you've got
to have that ball really high and long together on
(03:32):
the green. But the thing that one of the greatest
things about our clubs is the amount of bunkers. We've
got fifty over fifty bunkers and you know, we spent
a lot of time and energy with those. We're bringing
up this beautiful white sand from down south and it's
now a real pleasure to play out of them. If
you can play out of the bunker.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Kriky, that's our skill in itself, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Look, one of the things you talked about KPIs earlier,
but you will be feeling the here at to of
the Russeley Golf Club because you look at the Indo
club record. Eleven times in the past twenty years, Russeley
has won the Woodward Cup sixteen in the past twenty
the Blank Cup five times, and twenty is the Pollow Cup. Boy,
that's a bit on you, well you.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It is, but I mean it's not on me, It's
on the whole club. You know. As part of our culture,
you know, we embraced that history and we set really
high standards for those teams. We had sixty people put
their hands up to be in the inter Club teams
this year, and you know, we had a great team
of six leaders who took over the running the trials.
(04:36):
They briefed the players, they monitor their progress and you know,
this is this is why the juniors who come through
the programs, they end up in these teams. You know,
they get to play with some really great season players
who you know, show them what it means to play
for play end club and play at that high level.
And you know, this is why a lot of juniors
(04:58):
end up being approached by other clubs, is that they
know the background, they know the training they've had and
how good they are. And it's sort of leading on
to the twenty twenty four New Zealand Inter Provincials. We're
lucky enough to be selected for that to be hosting
that later in the year, and you know, we think
the Canterbury team is going to do really well this year.
(05:19):
A lot of them have been rusty players or know
the course really well, so we think it's going to
be a great tournament at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Oh well, the home advantage has to count for something,
right yeah you know, yeah, yeah you would. So for
the people that don't make the rep teams, what do
you think they find what are they like about the
Rusty Golf Club.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well, it's really a strong sense of community here. You know,
we've got a really inclusive club. We've got staff who
speak over six languages, seven if you're count Australian. We've
got there's a perception that Russey's sort of full of retired,
rich old men who you know, potter around, but it's
(06:02):
it couldn't be further from the truth. You know, our
members today are tradees, are school teachers, pilots, are retired
working CEOs, and you know they're playing alongside of chemists
and bakers and all sorts of people. So it's it's
a beautiful club for the setting, you know, the fifty bankers,
the layout for coaches, practice facilities. But you know, one
(06:25):
of the things that we have that a lot of
clubs don't have is that you can get on on
Saturday and a Sunday easily. It's like even Thursday this
week there was slots available Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and
you know you can get on easily. But it's really
the characters of the club. You know, we've got guy
like George the singing Scotsman, Beto, you Mark Best, good man.
(06:50):
He's a great man. He loves the organizing bus tours
and he runs our twilights for us. We've even't got
a retired pilot who used to be able to land
large aircraft on runways, but he keeps pressing his electronic
golf cardens with the punkins. So you know we've got
some real characters. Yeah, even comfortable Keith. He plays here,
so not snuff but comfortable to keep those.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Oh well, I heard Snuff was pretty good golfer in
his day. But anyway, Oh, you've painted the picture really
well on the passion for the Rusty Golf Club comes
through a live and well Tony Marriott. Thank you so
much for giving us this little insight into what has
been such an important golf club, not just for golf
but for sport in our city. And have a fabulous
(07:33):
weekend and we'll look forward to talking to you in
the future. And maybe that handicaps down a little bit by.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
The end, hopefully, hopefully, And you have a great trip
to Paris.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh, thank you very much, and thanks for answering the phone.
Really appreciate it. Okay, bybye. For more from News Talks
b listen live on air or online, and keep our
shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts on
IR Radio
Newstalks. He'd be lets in association with our lovely friends
at the Onward Trading Company. I'm talking about Marty Fuller
and welcome to the program. The general manager of the
Rusty Golf Club, mister Tony Marriott.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, Hi, Leslie, Thanks very much for the opportunity
talking about their wonderful club.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yeah. Well, it's got a fantastic history. I've got to
say it is a real heavyweight of golf, not just
in Canterbury but in New Zealand. But how long have
you been GM out there?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I've been in an intant role since about February and
I'm just delighted to be appointed into it full time
just recently. So yeah, it's been a short journey so far,
but really enjoying it.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And are you a golfer?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, I play a wee bit of golf. I wouldn't
sad a great golf, but I've played a bit of golf.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
What's your handicap?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Thirteen? But working on getting a well? I was actually
I was actually funny enough, I was on a lower
handicap when I was twelve years old. So we where
to go?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
So your experience in sporting, Edmund, what's that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Very little. Actually, I come from a transport logistics background,
so heavy trucks and diesel, which couldn't be further away
from golf, But funnily enough, they do have similar challenges.
And transport especially is all about managing your cost tightly.
It's making sure that your people. You know, the greatest
(01:36):
asset that both businesses can have as your people. And
we've certainly got that in Spade Balls out there. So
you're managing people managing costs very similar elements to it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I totally get that. And it is about the people,
isn't it. Now you've got nearly seven hundred, probably have
got seven hundred members. How many are juniors?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Over one hundred and twenty, so yeah, that actually climbs
up to over fifty in the summer months, and yeah,
that's right. We've got a lot of juniors and that's
been in our DNA for many, many years. So yeah,
we have quite a big focus on bringing juniors into
the club. It's one of my kpy eyes and we
(02:15):
make sure that you know, they looked after really well.
They have a lot of fun and you know, great
coaches that look after them.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
So you're really close to the airport Is that a plus? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Absolutely, yeah, it's a great plus because you know, we've
got we basically I travel from Papanoid to Rustle every day.
It's twelve minutes it takes me and we've got you know,
pretty much all the parents who get juniors trained at
the club, they love the fact that they can be
(02:46):
there in ten minutes. We've got ten schools that are
less than ten minutes away and you know they can
come down and drop their kids off, have a coffee
and the cafe looking out over our beautiful eighteen and
nineteenth screens and been looked after by the best coaches
in Canobary.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It is a handsome golf course and it did get
that makeover from Greg Turner. What do you see as
the real attributes of the course?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Oh? Here, that back then, and that can really destroy
your card at times. But I mean the tenth that
you start off with a tenth, which seems like a
nice straightforward part four, but if you don't hit it
dead in the middle of the green, it's rolling off
both sides of the green. We've got probably the hardest
seventeenth in Canabury. When there's a southerly blowing you've got
to have that ball really high and long together on
(03:32):
the green. But the thing that one of the greatest
things about our clubs is the amount of bunkers. We've
got fifty over fifty bunkers and you know, we spent
a lot of time and energy with those. We're bringing
up this beautiful white sand from down south and it's
now a real pleasure to play out of them. If
you can play out of the bunker.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Kriky, that's our skill in itself, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Look, one of the things you talked about KPIs earlier,
but you will be feeling the here at to of
the Russeley Golf Club because you look at the Indo
club record. Eleven times in the past twenty years, Russeley
has won the Woodward Cup sixteen in the past twenty
the Blank Cup five times, and twenty is the Pollow Cup. Boy,
that's a bit on you, well you.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It is, but I mean it's not on me, It's
on the whole club. You know. As part of our culture,
you know, we embraced that history and we set really
high standards for those teams. We had sixty people put
their hands up to be in the inter Club teams
this year, and you know, we had a great team
of six leaders who took over the running the trials.
(04:36):
They briefed the players, they monitor their progress and you know,
this is this is why the juniors who come through
the programs, they end up in these teams. You know,
they get to play with some really great season players
who you know, show them what it means to play
for play end club and play at that high level.
And you know, this is why a lot of juniors
(04:58):
end up being approached by other clubs, is that they
know the background, they know the training they've had and
how good they are. And it's sort of leading on
to the twenty twenty four New Zealand Inter Provincials. We're
lucky enough to be selected for that to be hosting
that later in the year, and you know, we think
the Canterbury team is going to do really well this year.
(05:19):
A lot of them have been rusty players or know
the course really well, so we think it's going to
be a great tournament at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Oh well, the home advantage has to count for something,
right yeah you know, yeah, yeah you would. So for
the people that don't make the rep teams, what do
you think they find what are they like about the
Rusty Golf Club.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well, it's really a strong sense of community here. You know,
we've got a really inclusive club. We've got staff who
speak over six languages, seven if you're count Australian. We've
got there's a perception that Russey's sort of full of retired,
rich old men who you know, potter around, but it's
(06:02):
it couldn't be further from the truth. You know, our
members today are tradees, are school teachers, pilots, are retired
working CEOs, and you know they're playing alongside of chemists
and bakers and all sorts of people. So it's it's
a beautiful club for the setting, you know, the fifty bankers,
the layout for coaches, practice facilities. But you know, one
(06:25):
of the things that we have that a lot of
clubs don't have is that you can get on on
Saturday and a Sunday easily. It's like even Thursday this
week there was slots available Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and
you know you can get on easily. But it's really
the characters of the club. You know, we've got guy
like George the singing Scotsman, Beto, you Mark Best, good man.
(06:50):
He's a great man. He loves the organizing bus tours
and he runs our twilights for us. We've even't got
a retired pilot who used to be able to land
large aircraft on runways, but he keeps pressing his electronic
golf cardens with the punkins. So you know we've got
some real characters. Yeah, even comfortable Keith. He plays here,
so not snuff but comfortable to keep those.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Oh well, I heard Snuff was pretty good golfer in
his day. But anyway, Oh, you've painted the picture really
well on the passion for the Rusty Golf Club comes
through a live and well Tony Marriott. Thank you so
much for giving us this little insight into what has
been such an important golf club, not just for golf
but for sport in our city. And have a fabulous
(07:33):
weekend and we'll look forward to talking to you in
the future. And maybe that handicaps down a little bit by.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
The end, hopefully, hopefully, And you have a great trip
to Paris.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Oh, thank you very much, and thanks for answering the phone.
Really appreciate it. Okay, bybye. For more from News Talks
b listen live on air or online, and keep our
shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts on
IR Radio
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