Through his volunteer work with Echuca Neighbourhood House, Barry has become one of the first people you see on course.
He is the self-defined gate keeper, greeting all players with a warm smile and handshake (or an elbow bump in today’s crazy world).
“One of the best parts about my role is being able to meet different people all the time,” Barry said.
“You learn a lot about the world when you talk to so many different people.
“I love being able to volunteer my time at the club because I’ve built a lot of great friendships through the years.
“It’s just nice to be able to do my part for our wonderful community.”
Barry is at the club three times a week – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday – completing a three-and-a-half four shift each day.
He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, acting as the maintenance man for any issues with the golf carts.
“You want them to keep working because they’re a valuable part of the club,” Barry explained.
“I usually wash them every couple of weeks and do a battery check at least once a month.”
Barry said the club had grown in leaps and bounds since he first arrived in 2006 with the condition of the course continuing to improve.
“At the moment, it is looking fantastic after all the rain we’ve had,” he said.
“The team of volunteers who do work around the club always do a terrific job.
“Murray Osborne is a great greenskeeper, so he deserves a lot of credit for the way the course is looking.”
In the past few weeks, Barry saw his life turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic.
But with restrictions easing on golf, he can now finally get back out on the course.
“The whole situation threw out any routine that I had,” he said.
“We have our Saturday morning social round, which has about eight members currently. It’s good we are able to get out there together.
“There is only so much cleaning and gardening around the house you can do. And crosswords do get quite boring after a while.”
When Barry’s shift at the Back 9 does finish, he immediately dashes off to Echuca (208) PS, where he is a school crossing supervisor.
Remarkably, he also took on that role in 2006.
“It’s amazing how much has changed since then,” he said.
“I see former students walking their own kids to school now. And there are often times where we have a bit of a chat.
“To still have that relationship is something I love about the role.”
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