NEWS RELEASE 7 September, 2026
Mt Osmond Golf Club Goes to New Heights with John Deere
Crestmead, Queensland (7 September, 2026) — Mt Osmond Golf Club is entering one of the most significant periods in its near 100-year history, with a series of major infrastructure projects, course enhancements and operational investments designed to position the Club for the next generation of members.
Perched high in the Adelaide Hills overlooking the city skyline, Mt Osmond has evolved from a traditional members' golf club into one of South Australia's most in-demand golfing destinations.
Demand has never been stronger, with annual rounds now exceeding 60,000, prompting the Club to implement a long-term strategic investment program to ensure the course and facilities continue to meet member expectations.
General Manager Damian Wrigley said the Club's location, while spectacular, presents unique operational challenges that require careful planning and a commitment to continuous improvement.
"Mt Osmond is unlike almost any other golf course in Australia. The terrain is steep, the environment is demanding and every part of the operation requires careful management," Mr Wrigley said.
"Those challenges are also what make the Club so special. Our focus is ensuring we continue to invest in the course, our infrastructure and our equipment so that members can enjoy an exceptional golfing experience for decades to come."
The Club is currently progressing a range of projects including an expanded driving range, improvements to the first hole precinct, irrigation upgrades, a new greenkeeping workshop and the ongoing modernisation of its machinery fleet with John Deere.
Master plan to tackle tough environment
Carved out of the rocky landscape, the course maintenance crew have a range of responsibilities across the 45-hectare site, from traditional greenkeeping duties on the 25 ha playing area, to garden care around the clubhouse facilities, to environmental management in the rugged hilly pockets of unusable bushland.
The greens and fairways have to grow from heavy clay soils, which require annual gypsum treatments to improve water absorption.
Typical of southern temperate coastal environments, the course is subject to both extreme summer heat with moisture-sapping hot, dry winds, as well as cold, wet winters.
"Summertime we get 'gully winds' that take branches and leaves off the bushland, and our crews are constantly in clean up mode," Mr Wrigley said.
To move from maintenance mode to an improvement focus, the Club's Board developed a masterplan for new infrastructure to ensure it can thrive into the future.
"Our goal is to have more refined and more efficient operations that improve the golf course in the long term," Mr Wrigley said.
"We currently use two separate pumps to move water from two kilometres below to an on-site holding dam. We need to make the most of that water so the irrigation system will be fully upgraded to improve water use efficiency as well as ensuring the turf conditions can support year-round golf.
"The course used to be fully couch grass, but because of the clay soils and cold wet winters it wasn't really suitable for supporting year-round golf. Now we have converted to kikuyu tees, fairways and green surrounds, and A-1 and A-2 bent grass for the putting surfaces."
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Mt Osmond Golf Club General Manager, Damian Wrigley, has been progressively upgrading the greenkeeping fleet to John Deere machinery.
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Mt Osmond Golf Club's Damian Wrigley has been supported by Jackson Grace at John Deere dealership, Metropolitan Machinery in Adelaide.
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The John Deere 8700a fairway mower has been ideal in Mt Osmond's challenging conditions.
A new era of equipment for Mt Osmond
Making and maintaining these course changes in this environment required quality equipment, with a machinery replacement schedule a key feature of the master plan.
Mt Osmond Golf Club has been supported by their local John Deere dealership, Metropolitan Machinery in Adelaide, which was able to "offer more than any other machinery provider could at the time".
"The perception of John Deere's golfing equipment really changed during the Covid period. Other companies prioritised the US market, but John Deere had machinery, parts and servicing available and really made their customers feel valued," Mr Wrigley said.
"Our John Deere dealer has been more than just a friendly voice at the end of the phone. They've educated our staff, they've run demo days here and the quality of the machinery they've provided us has been great.
"They provided the trust and reassurance to give our Board the confidence to go ahead with the full fleet changeover. It was a real partnership approach rather than a transactional approach."
Metropolitan advised the Mt Osmond team through its transition to a full John Deere fleet, with the club so far purchasing two John Deere 185 E-Cut™ electric walk-behind greens mowers, a 2750 E-Cut Hybrid, a John Deere ride-on mower, a 1570 TerrainCut™ mower, three John Deere TX 4x2 Gators, and a 5E series tractor.
To complete the full fleet conversion, the club plans to purchase a ProGator™ GPS Precision Sprayer fairway mower, greens mower, surrounds mower, tractor and additional Gators.
"It took a mindset change in the maintenance shed to get used to the new machines but the team came to realise this equipment is as good if not better than what they were previously using.
"The walk-behind greens mower is reaching the high standards we are aiming for and we're very pleased with the overall results across the course. "We have brought the members along for this journey using all of the great slogans like 'Nothing runs like a Deere' and the 'greens are all good'."
Top quality housing for top quality machinery
As well as the ongoing machinery replacement schedule, the club is designing a new workshop to be built in the next two to three years to house and care for its fleet of John Deeres.
"The team is growing and our fleet is growing, so we need our workshop facilities to be up to the same standard as our new equipment," Mr Wrigley said.
The new workshop will include multiple points of access for staff and machinery, bathroom facilities to cater for both male and female greenskeepers, and office space for the head greenkeeper to monitor and manage both staff and fleet performance using the John Deere Operations Center PRO™ Golf software.
"We currently have challenges with connectivity which we're hoping to resolve with a new cell tower or booster nearby so that we can use the software to monitor operator usage patterns and reduce input costs through a move to precision spraying technologies," Mr Wrigley said.
Quality rewarded by membership growth
As the club enters its centenary next year, its commitment to quality and golfing traditions have created an atmosphere for members of old-school charm and understated dignity within a relaxed atmosphere for members and visiting players.
These high standards have proved popular, with the club moving from a member-attraction business model to a member-retention focus, recently capping its membership at its current level of 1400.
The long-term planning and investment by Mt Osmond could pay bigger dividends than expected with Adelaide now firmly placed on the global golfing map.
As well as the massive crowds that have flocked to Adelaide's annual LIV golf tournament, the city was recently locked in as the host of either the men's or women's Australian Open events each year from 2028-2034.
With its spectacular location just 15 minutes from the city, Mt Osmond's commitment to the highest of standards and continuous improvement will ensure it becomes known as the city's hidden gem for the golf tourists from around the world.
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Media Contacts:
Michael Thomson
michael.thomson@bluehillagency.com.au
0408 819 666
Lucy Vertes
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0412 938 114
