John Mellish’s approach at Queensland’s Beerwah Golf Club is proof that life really is about other people
On his first day at Beerwah Golf Club in 1985, John Mellish recalls that he took a grand total of $2, after a golfer begrudgingly stumped up the fee for a pull buggy.
The first head professional the club had ever employed, Mellish was only meant to be on a six-month trial contract at that time. Nearly four decades later and he is still there, celebrating his 40th year in 2024.
“I am very proud, really,” Mellish smiles as he reflects on his time at the club. “To maintain what I have been doing for this period of time shows that I must really like it and that there is some value in it for other people, too.”
For Mellish, that focus on other people – elevating their experience and making them feel at home at Beerwah – has been instrumental to his longevity. From the moment he completed his apprenticeship under Charlie Pettit, to the day he accepted the role at Beerwah at the foot of the Glasshouse Mountains, Mellish has made other people his priority.
“My attitude has always been that when a visitor comes to the golf course, it is our job to make sure they have a day to remember,” he explains. “To get it to a point where they want to go and tell their friends about the experience they have had.”
An approach that Mellish has instilled in each of the trainees who have come through the club throughout his tenure, it is always warmly received and has ensured that Beerwah has established itself as one of the destination clubs on the Sunshine Coast.
As well as creating a friendly and welcoming culture, Mellish has also helped elevate the offering of the club, as Beerwah has gone from strength to strength during his time. Now host of the annual Beerwah Legends Pro-Am, the club has also completed a range of works, including course upgrade projects and clubhouse developments, that have made it one of the premier courses in the region.
“I remember when I started, there was barely a tree on the place and you could see the main road from my pro shop,” he recalls. “But now, it’s all grown up and it is very satisfying to sit back and reminisce on how things have changed.
“We are Ian Baker Finch’s home club, and he came back here last year for the pro-am,” Mellish says. “It was a very proud moment for him to come back, enjoy the course and be very complimentary of what we have achieved.”
A long way removed from those early days when the club would make roughly $65 per week on green fees, Mellish has also seen a prodigious growth in the appetite for the game at Beerwah during his time as head professional. A steady increase that he describes as “very pleasing”, the club now has in the realm of 900 members, and welcomes about 1,500 golfers each week.
For all that he has contributed to Beerwah, Mellish was made a life member four years ago – an honour that means a lot to him and his family. Mellish is proud that Beerwah is also an important place for those closest to him.
“My daughter actually got married here,” he smiles. “It was a magical day, down on the first tee, and special to know that this place means so much not only to me but to my family as well.”
With his current contract set to expire in 2028, Mellish does not know what lies ahead, but for now is content to keep doing what he has done for the past 40 years.
“Every day I still enjoy it as much as I did on day one,” he says. “I am still keen to do it and it has just been such an enjoyable ride.”
To find your local PGA professional, visit pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro
