Championship hopes being brought back to life

IPSWICH Country Club manager Darren Richards is determined to make the most of having an 18-hole championship course at Leichhardt.

Richards, who has previously worked at clubs in Brisbane, said significant maintenance had been done on the Ipswich course.

Recent work includes fertilising and spraying programs on the greens and tees.

"It probably hadn't been done for two years," he said.

"The response has been great.

"Now we can get some consistent growth which means when he (the greenkeeper) mows, you get a flatter surface."

Having dams on the Leichhardt site has helped the course recover.

"We've been the envy of a lot of golf clubs with the amount of water we have in storage," Richards said.

He is hopeful the Ipswich Open can be reintroduced next year, reviving some fine past traditions.

"That was the backbone of the club there for quite some time," he said.

The new venue manager said a Pro Am would also be considered in the future.

Richards is chairman of the PGA state board and has played on the Australasian and Troppo tours.

He still plays socially but his main focus now is on improving what is offered at the rebranded Ipswich Country Club.