Zirkler in farewell to Ridge club fairways
Johnathon Zirkler will end his latest association with Toowoomba Golf Club confident he is leaving it in positive shape.
Zirkler finishes his reign as TGC general manager on October 27 to take up the position of secretary-manager at Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club.
Zirkler has enjoyed several stints at the Middle Ridge course since 2002, including trainee professional, assistant pro and general manager.
His move to the NSW midnorth coast will reunite him with former TGC pro Paul Habgood who is now based at the Nambucca Heads club.
“I feel as though the club is certainly in a stronger position now than it was when I first got here,” Zirkler said this week.
“At the same time I’ve got a couple of small boys, and I’m just starting to realise how much time they deserve from me as much as everyone else does.
“I’ve got in-laws up here so it will be sad to leave them.
“I’ve got a lot of friends from the club itself who I’ve got close to over the time and get on really well with.
“But at the same time I’ve got family down at Macksville near Nambucca and I really think I can give back, helping to grow golf down in that area.
“I actually came to this club in 2002, looking to get a traineeship for 2003 under the former pro Paul Habgood.
“I finished my time in 2005 and was Queensland Trainee of the Year then.
“I then took the job as head pro down at Kempsey Golf Club in 2006 and was there until early 2009, before coming back here as assistant pro under Paul.
“I left gain in 2016 to pursue my former career as an accountant and when I saw the job come up here as general manager I thought it was a chance to combine both my passions so to speak.”