Sports Turf Manager

A Sports Turf Manager plans, establishes, and maintains grass surfaces for sports facilities including ovals, golf courses, bowling greens, and tennis courts across Australia. They apply turf science principles to manage soil health, irrigation systems, pest and disease control, and playing surface quality to meet sport-specific standards and safety requirements. This role combines horticultural knowledge with equipment operation and sport facility scheduling to ensure surfaces remain playable and compliant with relevant sporting codes.

Plan and programme turf renovation, overseed, and reconstruction schedules around sporting events and seasonal growth patterns. Operate and maintain specialised turf machinery including cylinder mowers, aerators, topdressing spreaders, and irrigation equipment. Monitor and manage soil fertility, pH levels, and organic matter content through soil testing and strategic nutrient application. Design and operate irrigation systems to maintain optimal soil moisture, adjusting for rainfall, evapotranspiration, and drainage conditions. Identify and treat turf diseases, weeds, and insect pests using integrated pest management principles and approved chemicals under state pesticide licensing. Conduct daily playing surface assessments and prepare incident reports for safety hazards such as uneven surfaces or hazardous conditions. Supervise and train ground staff in turf maintenance techniques, machinery operation, and safe work practices on sports facilities. Maintain detailed records of maintenance activities, chemical applications, fertiliser use, and equipment servicing in accordance with workplace health and safety requirements.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need a diploma or advanced diploma in turf management or horticulture to be competitive, which takes time and money to get. The work is heavily seasonal and weather-dependent, so your schedule gets packed around major sporting events and growing season. Pay stays modest even with experience because most employers are councils, clubs, or smaller facilities with tight budgets. You're also on call for emergencies like disease outbreaks or surface damage before big matches.

Golf courses, council ovals, and private clubs need these roles, but they're spread across metro areas rather than concentrated in one spot. Regional towns have fewer positions. Remote work doesn't exist in this role since you need to be on site managing the turf every day.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3623, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Rostering and Scheduling Supportcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Advise customers on types of flowers
• Advise on plant fertilizer
• Digital Literacy
• Inventory Tracking
• Process Improvement Identification
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Record Management
• Report Writing
• Research and Analysis
• Supplier Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026