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. Back then, he was 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. It is pretty cool. It was nice to be able to soak it all up and just be part of it.”

He said the best part was shaking hands with the 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

“It was cool to be part of that. That’s something I will never forget. It was pretty special.”

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 from across the region 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 helping to prepare 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 to get some rest before reporting back for the afternoon shift at 3.30pm.

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

“It was pretty brutal coming off the golf course at midnight to getting back up again at four the next morning.”

But it was all worth it, he said.

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

“There was one point where I was driving around doing my nighttime duties when I sort of reminisced on playing there, and some of those memories started coming back. It was pretty cool standing there taking it all in now as a greenkeeper.

“My goal was to learn something new and meet new people. It was nice to network and make some new connections.”

He also wanted to put his knowledge of working at one of the prestigious golf courses 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.”

He encouraged any apprentice greenkeeper to make the most of their traineeship and “give it a good crack”.

Knedler has been greenkeeping since 2015 and beams when he speaks about his job.

“This is my way of keeping in touch with my love for golf through greenkeeping. 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. That’s my little mantra.”

But 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,” he said.

“Between the work, there was laughter, side matches, and plenty of banter. You could see these guys still genuinely enjoyed the game.”

Price said finding that balance between focus and fun was often lost for many golfers, especially amateurs who can get caught up in over analysing their swings.

“The best in the world work hard, but they also understand the importance of keeping things light. That enjoyment translates to freedom on the course, which ultimately helps performance.”

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.

“Every player in the field already knew their game inside and out. It was a great reminder that at the highest level, it’s not about chasing new ideas but about trusting what you already have.”

Price said being a caddie at the NZ Open reinforced some key lessons about the game and was a week to remember.

“Watching the best in the country do it firsthand was an awesome experience, and it’s something I’ll be bringing into my coaching.”