Asian Turf Seminar

Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia countdown: three weeks to go

Just three weeks remain until the start of Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012. Delegates are registered now from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam — and the list goes on. We expect nearly 20 countries to be represented at this conference, featuring presentations from university professors, turfgrass scientists, and golf course superintendents.

Both the GCSAA and the AGCSA have assigned pre-approved education points to the conference, where delegates will learn about management of turfgrass diseases, management of soil water to improve grass conditions and playing surface performance, characteristics of different grass cultivars, and practical information about improving turfgrass playing conditions.

The conference includes three days of learning, networking, and fun. Conference dinners each evening are a great way to catch up with peers in the industry from across Asia, learning about techniques that work in the management of fine turfgrass. At the Asian Turfgrass Field Day, we will study the conditions of different grasses, learn about the identification and control of turfgrass diseases, and see equipment demonstrations. The conference is organized by the Thai GCSA and ATC on behalf of the Thailand Golf Association, with support from The R&A and additional support from AGIF.

AGCSA Accreditation for 2012 Conference

The Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association (AGCSA) have awarded 10 continuing education points to the March 12 to 14 Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference as part of their AGCSA Accreditation Program (AAP). 

To learn more about AGCSA membership and the AAP, visit the AGCSA website.

 

Asian Golf Industry Federation to Support 2012 Conference

For the second consecutive year, the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) has agreed to support the educational program at the Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference through the printing of the conference proceedings.

Delegates to the conference will receive a copy of the proceedings that include the presentation materials along with supplementary data and turfgrass management information that will serve as a reference and resource in the sustainable management of golf courses in Asia.

Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 is organized by the Thai GCSA and Asian Turfgrass Center on behalf of the Thailand Golf Association, with generous support from The R&A.

GCSAA Education Points Approved for 2012 Conference

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) have approved the Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference for education points. GCSAA members who attend the conference will recieve the event approval code for 1.0 GCSAA education points.

To register for Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012, click here.

To learn more about GCSAA membership, click here.

Registration Now Open for Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012

Registration is now available for the Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference. The registration fee for this three day conference includes two days of classroom seminars at the 5-star Amari Orchid Pattaya, the Asian Turfgrass Field Day, two conference dinners, three lunches, and a printed copy of the conference proceedings. Hotel reservations should be made directly with the conference hotels.

Download the registration form in Thai (ภาษาไทย) 

Download the registration form in English

New Grasses on Old Courses

One of the especially interesting presentations at Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 will be the one by Boonthong Ngamsaprang, golf course superintendent at Laem Chabang International Country Club, on the topic of introducing new grasses to an established golf course.

I wrote about the work being done at Laem Chabang to introduce seashore paspalum into the hybrid bermudagrass fairways in this blog post entitled An Interesting Technique to Modify Fairway Conditions in Thailand. 

This process involves slicing the fairways and then planting stolons of the new grass directly into the existing turf. At Laem Chabang, this technique has been successful on tees and fairways, improving both playability and the visual appearance of the golf course. By planting a grass that will thrive in a certain environment, and then by managing the growing environment to favor that grass, it is possible to see remarkable improvements in course conditions, all with a reasonable investment of time and money. Come to the Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference to hear from Khun Boonthong about this technique and to see the results for yourself at the Asian Turfgrass Field Day.

How to Get the Best-Maintained Course

Siam Country Club has won the "Best-Maintained Course in Asia-Pacific" award from Asian Golf Monthly magazine the past two years. These images, courtesy of Brian Ewen, from the 2011 Honda LPGA Thailand show why Siam CC wins the award. The immaculate Novotek bermudagrass greens and Salam seashore paspalum fairways are prepared by Sittichai Dusadeeporn, Golf Course Maintenance General Manager at Siam CC.

At the Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 conference, Khun Sittichai will share the turfgrass maintenance techniques that he uses to create these award-winning conditions. In his presentation, entitled Best Management Practices for Golf Course Turfgrass at Thailand, Khun Sittichai will explain what maintenance work is required to create these playing surfaces on ultradwarf bermudagrass, dwarf bermudagrass, and seashore paspalum.

This presentation, along with a visit to Siam CC during the Asian Turfgrass Field Day, is guaranteed to be of interest to all delegates and to provide plenty of maintenance techniques that you may want to try at your facility.

2012 Speaker Profiles Now Available

Speaker profiles for Dr. Lane Tredway, Dr. Douglas Karcher, and Dr. Micah Woods, along with Mr. Philip Russell and Mr. Michael Coffey from The R&A are now posted at the Speakers page of the Asian Turf Seminar website. 

In 2012 we will provide an even more advanced and data-intensive conference, packed with information that you can use to optimize playing conditions at your facility in the most efficient, sustainable manner. Whether you are preparing for a major tournament, striving to provide consistent playing conditions throughout the year, or focusing on minimizing maintenance costs while still producing excellent playing surfaces, this conference will provide information that you can put to immediate use.

Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia 2012 focuses on advanced management of turfgrass diseases, management of soil moisture, selection of grass cultivars based on specific performance characteristics, evaluation of light intensity and quality and how that affects turfgrass performance, and the actual measurement of turfgrass performance characteristics.

The conference is organized by the Thailand GCSA and Asian Turfgrass Center for the Thailand Golf Association, with support from The R&A. Registration will be available in late 2011.