Fernland's turf team has a new face, and for plenty of turf managers across Northern NSW it's a familiar one. Josh Straub has joined Terry Barr's sports turf sales team, bringing more than 20 years of greenkeeping and course management experience with him.
Where it started
Josh's turf career began in 2000 with a traineeship on a turf farm near Taree, cutting and laying turf while completing his Certificate II and III in Horticulture. From there he took on an apprenticeship as a greenkeeper at Club Taree, earning his Certificate III in Turf Management and later stepping up to Assistant Course Superintendent. During that time he worked with the green staff team to build five new holes on the course.
A decade at Lismore Workers
In 2012 Josh joined Lismore Workers Golf Club as Assistant Course Superintendent, then ran the course as Superintendent from 2013 to 2022. His role covered everything a superintendent carries: course construction and upgrades across greens, tees, bunkers and cart paths, maintenance and improvement programs, fertiliser and chemical applications, irrigation and drainage, machinery purchasing, budgeting and staff training.
Josh is an AGCSA Accredited Golf Course Superintendent and also holds a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.
Around Australia and back
Over the last few years Josh and his family travelled and worked their way around the country, including time as 2IC Greenkeeper at Alice Springs Golf Club and as a greenkeeper at Hartfield Country Club in Perth. Managing turf in Central Australia and Western Australia added a wide range of climates and conditions to his experience. Now the family is back home in Lismore.
Why this matters for our customers
Josh has used the Fernland range himself to maintain courses to a high standard. He knows the daily pressure of keeping playing surfaces right because he has carried it. That means when you talk to Josh about a nutrition program, a pest problem or a renovation, you're talking to someone who has made those calls on his own course.
He also has long-standing relationships with turf managers across Northern NSW, and he's looking forward to catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones.
Get in touch
To talk turf with Josh or anyone on our team, call 07 5454 8800 or email sales@fernland.com.au. You can also browse our full turf care range.
Welcome aboard, Josh.