WINDSOR Country Golf Club first year trainee Matt Robertson tied for 30th at a PGA NSW-ACT trainee tournament played at Riverside Oaks last week.
More than 100 trainees from across Australia were at the course in Cattai for the four day tournament.
Robertson said he had a great week catching up with people who he knew through the game.
The tournament is one of many Robertson needs to play throughout the year during his traineeship.
A golfing traineeship is like an apprenticeship, and goes for three years where the trainees learn about all aspects of golf including management, coaching and, of course, playing the game.
Robertson said passion for the game was a necessity if people wanted to do well in the traineeships.
‘‘Golf is a funny game, if you don’t love or breath for it, you won’t make it,’’ he said.
‘‘I definitely live and breathe golf.
‘‘I’d like to make one of the major golf tours. It is a pretty hard thing to do but I have been putting the hard work in.’’
Robertson said to make it through the first year of his traineeship, he had to do a number of assignments, and play a minimum of 20 rounds of PGA golf, like the one last week.
‘‘To qualify you need to have a minimum of 4.75 above par to get into your second year,’’ he said.
‘‘It takes up a lot of time, you don’t get too much time for yourself.’’
Robertson said he started his traineeship earlier this year, and has been working at the pro shop in Windsor.
‘‘The traineeship takes you down all different avenues in the golf industry,’’ he said.
‘‘As a first year trainee you don’t coach. I work in the golf shop, giving everyone who walks in a hand and a few tips.
‘‘We learn how to work on our nutrition and practice properly too.’’
Robertson said the course at Riverside Oaks was young, but would be a superb course in about five years’ time.
