Tauranga greenkeeper, coach gain insights at NZ Open 2025

Tauranga Golf Club assistant superintendent Karl Knedler. Photo / Zoe Hunter

A top Tauranga greenkeeper and a professional golf coach found themselves at the centre of the action at the country’s biggest golf tournament this month.

Now they’re using the lessons learned from attending the New Zealand Open Championship 2025 — one as a greenkeeper, the other as a caddie — in their day-to-day roles.

It was a full-circle moment for Tauranga Golf Club assistant superintendent Karl Knedler, who was part of the greenkeeping team at Millbrook Resort.

A decade ago, he had walked the same course as a player, vying for a spot among the country’s top golfers.

This time, he was inside the ropes as a greenkeeper tending the fairways.

“I actually got a message from my old man while I was down there saying not many people get to say they have played in the New Zealand Open and worked in one as well.

“That moment, I felt pretty lucky.”

He said the best part was shaking hands with 2025 champion and former bikie gang member Ryan Peake.

Karl Knedler started work at 4.15am some days at the NZ Open 2025. Photo / Supplied

Knedler won the opportunity to be a greenkeeper at the NZ Open after being named the Central North Island Trainee of the Year last year.

As part of that, he and 15 trainee greenkeepers attended field days and were tested on their turf knowledge on everything from golf courses to sports stadiums and horse racing tracks.

The winner was chosen to be part of the greenkeeping team preparing the course for this year’s Open from February 27 to March 2.

“Most of the grunt work had been done in the 10 weeks leading up to the tournament. So we were just doing final touches, focusing on course detail, and basically putting the make-up on the golf course.”

Most days, he would start work at 4.15am. After breakfast, a few hours later, there would be time for rest before the afternoon shift at 3.30pm.

“It was a big week. The latest we got off the golf course one night was about 12.30am,” he said.

“It was pretty brutal coming off the golf course at midnight to getting back up again at 4am.”

But it was all worth it, he said, and brought back memories of competing.

Karl Knedler on the 11th green at Millbrook Resort. Photo / Supplied

“It was pretty cool standing there taking it all in now as a greenkeeper.”

He wanted to put his knowledge of working at the prestigious golf course towards preparing Tauranga’s fairways and greens for its biggest tournament, the Carrus Open.

“It wasn’t too much of a difference to what we do here. It’s just on a much bigger scale. I was impressed by how seamless it was.”

Knedler started greenkeeping in 2015 as a way of keeping in touch with his love for golf.

“I am pretty passionate about my job.

“My philosophy is trying to produce a playing surface for a golf course that is close to what I got to experience and give that back to members and players alike.”

His passion for turf doesn’t stop at golf courses. He also wants to start his own business renovating residential lawns.

“A lot of the stuff we do in greenkeeping is the same we do for our lawns. It is grass at the end of the day.”

Meanwhile, The Clubroom Tauranga’s Jackson Price was also at the centre of the NZ Open action as caddie for Kiwi professional golfer James Tauariki.

The Clubroom Tauranga NZPGA golf coach Jackson Price caddied for Kiwi professional James Tauariki at the NZ Open 2025. Photo / Supplied

“Walking alongside some of the best players in the field, seeing how they prepare, compete, and navigate a tournament week gave me a unique insight into the way top professionals approach their craft.”

Price said one of the biggest lessons he learned was how players approached their practice rounds.

“While these days were all about preparation — getting a feel for the course, building a game plan, dialling in distances, and reading the greens — there was also a huge element of fun … and plenty of banter,” he said.

Price said finding that balance between focus and fun was often lost for many golfers, especially amateurs over-analysing their swings.

“The best in the world work hard, but they also understand the importance of keeping things light.

Another major takeaway was how simple the players kept things, he said.

“There was no search for a perfect swing, no last-minute technical changes. Instead, the goal was to find one key feel — a sensation they could trust and rely on for the week."

- Content supplied by freelance journalist and The Clubroom co-owner Zoe Hunter