Greenkeeper dies on club grounds he transformed

Wayne Glasgow spent more than three decades lovingly tending the Onewhero Golf Club green and it was there that he died, trapped beneath his mower in a pond between the 8th and 13th holes.

The small club, south of Pukekohe, is mourning the loss of the greenkeeper who died last Friday when his ride-on mower slid into a pond, leaving him stuck underneath it.

Mr Glasgow, 51, had worked at the club for 32 years.

Police have described his death as a tragic accident. Sergeant Adam Pyne of Pukekohe said Mr Glasgow headed to the 13th hole after morning tea to mow the green.

He was found about two hours later in a pond.

Mr Pyne said the ground was very wet and the mower may have slid into the pond. Skid marks were visible on the ground.

The mower landed on the side in waist-deep water and Mr Glasgow was trapped underneath. An autopsy found he died from drowning.

"It's a really tragic accident," said Mr Pyne.

"Nine times out of 10 he would have been thrown off it but for some reason he has got caught."

A statement from the club said Mr Glasgow's enthusiasm for improving the course had led to Onewhero becoming a highly regarded golf course.

He was highly commended in the annual Auckland Greenkeeper's Award in 1975 and went on to win the title three years later, "a great achievement for a small country club".