Kyle Wilson
A Morning with Portsea’s Superintendent
As the first light breaks over the Mornington Peninsula, Kyle Wilson is already deep in conversation with his crew, planning the day’s work at one of Australia’s most picturesque golf courses.
“We’ve got a shotgun start at 8:30,” Kyle explains to his team, his radio crackling with updates from crew members already scattered across Portsea’s 18 holes. It’s a typical morning for the man who’s been steering the course maintenance at Portsea since April 2024, bringing with him 17 years of experience from Moonah Links and time at The National Golf Club.
The morning briefing covers everything from bunker raking to the ongoing irrigation upgrade – a massive project that’s transforming how the club manages its most precious resource: water.
Portsea Golf Club – A Morning with Kyle Wilson
Perhaps the most significant challenge Kyle and his team face is the ambitious irrigation system upgrade that began in May 2024. “We’re operating with only two pumps at the moment,” Kyle notes, pointing to the temporary pump shed. The contrast is stark – where they can currently run only five sprinklers simultaneously, the new system will support 14 sprinklers for greens alone, with fairway capacity reaching 35-40 sprinklers.
The project involves installing 1.4 megalitres of water storage and completely new infrastructure. “The biggest piece of the puzzle is water harvesting – getting enough water to fill our tanks,” Kyle explains as he surveys the construction site where contractors are laying new mainlines through limestone reef.
Portsea’s coastal location brings unique challenges. The maintenance team battles invasive polygala weed that threatens native moonah trees and manages the delicate balance between playability and environmental preservation. “It’s ongoing forever – you’re never really on top of it,” Kyle admits with the pragmatic acceptance of someone who understands the rhythms of coastal golf course management.
The limestone reef that gives the course its character also presents obstacles. Contractors with jackhammers work in tandem with excavators, breaking through rock to lay new irrigation lines. It’s painstaking work that requires careful coordination to minimise disruption to play.
With a crew of eight, including casuals, Kyle orchestrates a complex daily operation. On this particular morning, teams are spread across the course – some raking bunkers ahead of the shotgun start, others trimming bunker edges, and a specialist spraying for nematodes in carefully selected areas.
“Working here has reinvigorated me a bit,” Kyle reflects. Despite the demanding schedule, he’s found renewed passion for the game itself, something that resonates with many in the turf management profession who sometimes struggle to find time to actually play the courses they maintain.
As Kyle guides a visitor to a future tee site with spectacular views across Port Phillip Bay – where ferries can be seen heading to Queenscliff and the coastline stretches to Point Nepean National Park – his vision for the course becomes clear. It’s not just about maintaining what exists but enhancing the golfer experience while respecting the natural environment.
A new women’s tee being constructed on the 15th hole, the plans to push back cart paths for better aesthetics and safety, and the careful reshaping of collection areas all speak to a thoughtful approach to course evolution.
“Most of the members don’t see it,” Kyle observes about the early morning work his team performs. “It’s sort of expected to be done.” Yet it’s this invisible orchestration – from the pre-dawn irrigation checks to the careful timing of maintenance around play – that ensures Portsea Golf Club continues to offer the exceptional conditions its members and guests expect.
As the shotgun start approaches and Kyle heads off to coordinate with his team on the 11th fairway trenching, it’s clear that being a golf course superintendent is about far more than grass. It’s about stewarding a piece of land that provides joy to thousands while managing complex infrastructure projects, environmental challenges, and the ever-present pressure of Melbourne’s variable weather.
For Kyle Wilson and his dedicated team, each day brings new challenges and opportunities to enhance one of the Peninsula’s golfing gems. And while members might not see the 5am starts or the careful planning that goes into every maintenance decision, they certainly experience the results every time they tee it up at Portsea.