Steve Berger celebrates 50 years as a greenkeeper at Wee Waa Bowling Club

It may be an old cliché, but Wee Waa’s Steve Berger is well and truly a club legend at the Wee Waa Bowling Club.

Some describe Steve as the face of the club, which is quite fitting after all, given he has been there for 50 years.

He celebrated his milestone 50th anniversary as the club’s greenkeeper last month and told The Courier that he was proud of the achievement and the work that he has done at the club across six different decades.

“I feel pretty proud of what I’ve done, being here for 50 years at one club,” he said.

“There’s not too many greenkeepers that I’ve seen around NSW that have done 50 years at one club.

“There’s a couple around that have been part of different clubs that have reached 50 years greenkeeping.

“It’s quite special to have done it at one club, and I’m very happy with it.

“I am always trying to achieve the best I can for the bowling green.

“I play too, which I think makes a big difference. Greenkeeping bowlers always seem to want to have that little bit more to do with their green.

“You can ask my wife, I’m not happy when things aren’t going good, and I’ve been like that since I started.”

Berger joined the Wee Waa Bowling Club as a 15-year-old in 1972 after his mother, the late Beryl Berger, heard of a greenkeeper’s apprenticeship going at the club.

“She found out that it was being advertised, and I knew nothing about it, but one day she told me I had a job interview the next day,” he said.

“I asked ‘for what’, and she told me at the bowling club.

“I went down there and I had my interview, and they said we’ll try for three months. Four or five put in for it, but they gave me first shot at it.

“The first few weeks I did nothing but weeding, and I was thinking ‘I don’t know if I like this job’.

“Jimmy O’Brien was the greenkeeper when I started. He was a great man. After a few weeks he got me doing a few other things green-related and grass-related, which was quite good.

“I did enjoy it, but I didn’t think I’d be doing it this long.

“It’s certainly changed since I first started here but it’s been great.”

Berger is a well-respected member of the Wee Waa Bowling Club and his expertise and commitment have both been appreciated by many over the years.

Wee Waa Bowling Club president Wayne Booby congratulated him for his milestone achievement.

“This milestone is an achievement that is very rarely matched,” Booby said.

“In those 50 years, Stephen has won many bowls championships, not only at club level but district and zone as well.

“He is basically now a greenkeeper extraordinaire, and it’s fair to say our greens are undoubtedly the best in the district.

“The club surrounds are also Steve’s department, and they are a credit to him as well.

“Steve is always there to help out when things don’t quite go to plan, especially on raffle nights when our system fails.

“Thanks, Steve, for the dedication you show to your work and our club in general.”

Berger said he had made many great memories as a player on the bowling green, one of which was qualifying for the NSW finals with Bruce Cowan in the State Pairs.

“That was in the early 2000s,” he recalled.

“We got to go to Sydney and play against some gun, big-name bowlers.

“It was a very big achievement.”

He listed winning his first A-grade Singles title in 2006 as another major achievement, and he has won five of those in total.

“I love my bowls and I love my job. What more can I say,” he said.

Berger said that time had passed by quickly and declared that Wee Waa has been and always will be a great town.

“Everyone is so easy-going and laid back,” he said.

“Wee Waa is a typical country town. It’s a great place.

“The club has been great to me and they’ve looked after me.

“A lot of guys I’ve looked up to over the years have now passed on.

“It doesn’t seem like 50 years. It feels too quick, but that’s the way it is. Life moves on.”