Jeremy Ward, who became a full member of the PGA of Australia 15 years ago, is continuing a tradition of mentorship within the organization. Ward credits his own mentors, Bruce Burrows and David Northey at Castle Hill Country Club, for shaping his approach to developing future golf professionals.
Applications for the 2026 Membership Pathway Program (MPP) have been open since July 1. The program gives aspiring golfers a route into the golf industry and allows current PGA Members to support new entrants.
Ward currently serves as Head Professional at Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney, where he supervises Associates including Sam Reece, now in his second year of the MPP. Another former Associate, Max Dakic, graduated from the program in 2025 and has moved to California to become Assistant Professional at Montecito Club.
“I’m so proud of him for that,” Ward said about Dakic’s move. “I just love that part of it.
“We have FaceTime calls every couple of weeks and he’s telling me what it’s all about.
“With Sam, I have watched this young man grow. His personality has come out over the last two years and he’s just a completely different human being.
“I’m always receiving positive feedback from members about Sam, which is awesome. That’s why I do it.”
Ward emphasizes professionalism among his Associates while encouraging them to take responsibility in different aspects of club operations. During Dakic’s time under Ward, he managed food and drink orders for the pro shop. Reece has become known among club members as a reliable person for club repairs.
“A lot of the members go to Sam now for repairs,” Ward explained.
“He’ll complete the work, I’ll go and have a look at it, make sure that he’s on the right track, but that’s it. For the most part, I just let him go because he has earned that right over the past 12 months to be the repair guy.
“He’ll zip off to the repair bench and spend an hour or two there doing whatever work that needs to be done and he can do that completely unsupervised.”
Ward believes giving Associates room to develop their skills not only benefits them but also helps him focus on coaching and engaging with club members. He credited former Oatlands General Manager Sam Howe for recognizing how PGA Professionals contribute value to clubs.
“Knowing that they’re capable of doing the work allows me to do my job properly and frees me up to build relationships with members and coach,” Ward added.
Reflecting on his experience in mentoring others within PGA of Australia membership ranks, Ward stated:
“I’m a direct result of a guy like David Northey, who I learned so much from,” said Ward.
“I’m sure he felt a responsibility over me, to make sure that I finished with some idea as to how to run a golf shop and how to be a Head Professional or a Director of Golf.
“It’s the same with the Associates that I take on. I see myself as being responsible for the finished product after three years and I also feel a continued responsibility to mentor them even after their time with me has ended.
“I feel like that is my duty as a PGA Professional.”
Applications remain open for those interested in joining future intakes through the Membership Pathway Program.
