Accountant Don Munro and professional diver Terry McAvoy’s Good as New Golf Balls business

Amid a golfing boom, a Queensland accountant has teamed up with a professional diver to established a profitable little business selling balls recovered from water courses.

Covid-19 has been a boon for golf as people headed for the greens to get some fresh air.

It also has been profitable for 81-year-old accountant Don Munro and professional diver Terry McAvoy, who have established a nice little side hustle recycling the thousands of balls hit into water courses around Brisbane.

Munro admits he doesn’t play golf himself, preferring a good game of cards. “I think personally it’s a silly game but it has been a good little earner for me,” says Munro.

Munro’s business As Goods As New Golf Balls sells about 60,000 balls a year at pro shops around south-east Queensland.

For the past 15 years, he has worked with local diver Terry McAvoy, who dons scuba gear to retrieves golf balls lying on the bottom of lakes and dams.

McAvoy made headlines 20 years ago when he retrieved US golfer John Daly’s putter from a lake during the third round of the 2002 Australian PGA Championship at Coolum. Daly disgraced himself, by tossing his putter into the lake beside the 18th green and storming off the course. McAvoy tells City Beat that Daly never came back for his putter and as far as he knew it was still at the Coolum course.

Terry McAvoy holds the putter that John Daly threw into the lake in 2002.

He says Covid-19 shutdowns over the past two years have increased the popularity of golf as people headed for the outdoors, ultimately meaning more balls to collect from the water. 

Over the years, he has collected more than balls from watercourses, with golf buggies and clubs among the various items found on the bottom.

“One guy got so mad during a game that he threw his whole golf bag in the water,” he says. “Then he thought about it and gave me $50 to retrieve it.” McAvoy has a collection of balls of famous players including Greg Norman in a display case at his home.

Munro says there is an environmental benefit to putting thousands of golf balls back into play instead of them clogging up local waterways.

”Our motto is that we are saving the planet one ball at a time,” he says. Many of the balls retrieved are “one hit wonders” that after a quick wash are as good as new.

While the veteran bean counter can’t drive or putt, he can spot the difference between a Callaway and a Wilson in an instance, spending hours at night grading and packaging the balls. “I have a very understanding wife,” says Munro.

Munro, who works at Chequers Financial Services in Lutwyche, says he originally came up with the idea after his son started collecting balls from the edges of Keperra Golf Club.

He started the business selling the balls at local markets before setting up display in golf course pro shops.

TAKING OFF

Harvey Lister may be spending a little more time in Singapore as the convention boss prepares to open new venues across the region.

The chief executive of ASM Global APAC says the firm will open a new office in Singapore as it dramatically increases its footprint across the Asia Pacific.

Lister, who will remain based in Brisbane, says venues set to open their doors over the next couple of years include Kai Tak Sports Park on the site of the old Hong Kong airport, the recently unveiled Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center and six other yet to be announced sites across the region.

ASM Global APAC CEO Harvey Lister. Picture: Annette Dew

ASM Global’s new Singapore operations will have a joint leadership team comprising former Suncorp Stadium boss Paul Sergeant and Ed Sanderson, who has 20 years of commercial and operational experience in venues and facilities across Asia, most recently with Populous.

Lister says the new office was reinforcement of the importance of the Asian region to ASM Global’s growth plans. “Having our industry professionals like Paul and Ed on the ground will bring a wealth of local knowledge and experience to our operations,” says Lister. ASM Global president Ron Bension said that this part of the world is ready for a phase of robust growth.

“We’re investing in personnel and plans to ensure we’re at the forefront of a significant growth curve,” Benison says.

HEAVY METAL

They are heavy lifters down at The Boat Works on the Coomera River. The marine maintenance yard has set a record for the heaviest vessel ever to be hauled out of the water on the Gold Coast - the 292 tonne, 45.7m superyacht Mistress.

Despite the inclement weather, The Boat Works’ team took just two hours to lift the vessel out of the water and onto the hardstand where it will undergo a brief period of maintenance. Boat Works general manager Shane Subichin says the yard’s 300-tonne lift nicknamed Rhino has proven itself a versatile machine that can adapt to any vessel.

The Boat Works on the Coomera River.

Subichin says there is increasing demand from larger vessels for maintenance facilities, with construction underway on new maintenance sheds to accommodate tri-deck and flybridge motor yachts. “Vessels of this size contribute millions of dollars to the economies of the ports they visit each year for both pleasure and maintenance,” says Subichin. “Not only do they spend with trades and marine enterprises but with local businesses.”

TOP JOB

Changes at the helm of Brisbane-based Global Payments with former Cash Converters executive Mark Reid appointed managing director of the company’s Australia and New Zealand operations.

Reid has more than 30 years experience in international retail and financial services, including chief executive roles at Bankwest, Cash Converters and Greenstone Insurance. Global Payments owns five brands in the Asia Pacific including payment technology platforms Ezidebit and Eway. “It’s a very exciting time to be joining Global Payments,” says Reid. “There are significant growth opportunities in the Australia and New Zealand markets.”

TOP DROP

Young Burleigh Brewing Co beer maker Rowan Haling stole the show at a pre-Christmas get together for business and political types put on by Star Group this week.

Haling, who earlier this year was named best new craft brewer at the Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show Beer Awards, produced a ale called Little Bruty for the event at the Treasury Hotel.

Rowan Haling from Burleigh Brewing Co was named best new craft brewer this year.

Haling, 25, described the brew as a little like champagne with a hint of citrus. It was certainly welcome by guests at the soiree including Deputy Premier Steven Miles, Education Minister Grace Grace, former Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie, Star casino boss Geoff Hogg and ASM Global chief executive Harvey Lister.