Portrush, Northern Ireland: Lessons learned from a memorable week at Royal Portrush Golf Club will have a positive impact on the 2026 edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP).
A guest superintendent at 153rd Open Championship, Sam Keats now aims to put into practice invaluable insights he gleaned in Northern Ireland when he returns to his regular workplace at Royal Wellington Golf Club this week.
Keats and his greenkeeping team will be responsible for the presentation and conditioning of the acclaimed New Zealand course which will host the eighth staging of the WAAP in February,
“It’s a big event, both for Royal Wellington and New Zealand. And it’s a big opportunity for us to showcase to the world one of New Zealand’s finest golf courses,” said the 35-year-old, who was appointed Course Superintendent in 2023 after two previous stints at the club.
The WAAP was founded in 2018 by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) with a view to nurturing talent and providing a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage and the opportunity to play in three Major championships.
The 2026 WAAP champion will earn starts in the AIG Women’s Open, The Amundi Evian Championship and The Chevron Championship as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 123rd Women's Amateur Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Next year’s championship will be the first time it’s been held in New Zealand and Keats anticipates offering a tough but fair challenge for the region’s foremost female amateur golfers.
“The championship will take place in the middle of our summer, the hottest time of the year. We should have firm and fast conditions,” said Keats, who will follow the mantra of The R&A greenkeeping team at Royal Portrush in leaving no stone unturned when it comes to course preparations.
“The attention to detail was incredible, in every aspect. Especially so in the data gathering, ensuring all the greens were performing the same and there was consistency across the property,” he said.
Keats, who shared a house with fellow guest superintendents from Australia, Argentina and Morocco, was also impressed with the teamwork and sense of camaraderie among the greenkeepers.
The first shift of the day was from 4 am to 9 am with a second stint from 5 pm to 10 pm. In between, they’d be on stand-by, if required. The main focus for Keats was mowing the tees.
“It was long hours but rewarding team-work with everyone trying to achieve the best results possible,” said Keats, who cherished every moment of his trip.
He said: “It was unbelievable – the scale of the operation is breathtaking. But it runs like a well-oiled machine.
“For me it was an opportunity to gain tournament experience and see how the team at The R&A work.
“I’d say it surpassed my expectations in what I thought I would take away and the insights into how we can do things ahead of WAAP.”
