Biodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity valueBiodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity value2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn OdellSteve Marsden
Ben Tilley
Scott Roberts
David Canterbury
Rory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn Odell
Steve Marsden
Ben Tilley
Scott Roberts
David Canterbury
Rory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club sheds2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club shedsMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.4 JUL-AUG 2012ISSN 1442-2697Rain Bird Australia10 Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, Vic, 3043.   Phone: 1800 225 512www.rainbird.com.au   Email: gspservices@rainbird.com.au© 2012 Rain Bird CorporationYou chose Rain Bird® equipment for unsurpassed reliability and performance. Choose Rain Bird Service and guarantee that your equipment continues to operate at the highest level.Rain Bird™s new range of Global Service Plans provide Central Control end-users with comprehensive service and support bene˜ts essential to maintaining a healthy irrigation system. Our new Board Exchange Program o˚ers a variety of circuit boards with next business day delivery service at discounted rates. For 100% performance, choose Rain Bird Service.  We™re here for you!For all service enquiries call: 1800 225 512.Asia Pacific Technical Call Centre based in Melbourne with extended hours of support.  All service enquiries: 1800 225 512For 100% performance,  demand 100% Rain Bird®That™s intelligent.Enrol in our professional irrigation training program. For more information, visit:  http://www.rainbird.com/au/trainingAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     1SUBSCRIPTION FORMI wish to apply for:One year™s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management(Six editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOXONE COPY PER EDITION $55.00 O/S ONE COPY PER EDITION $95.00Prices include GST.Winner of 8 awards at the TOCA International Communicators Contest  2012Woodlands Golf Club The sandbelt™s unique siblingWoodlands Golf Club The sandbelt™s unique siblingFirm and fast Royal2011 Presidents Cup reviewFirm and fast RoyalResearchGolf course benchmarkingMowing heights and water useResearchGolf course benchmarkingMowing heights and water useWorking in ‚harmony™The new WHS Act and what               it means for turfiesWorking in ‚harmony™JOURNALwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.1 JAN-FEB 2012ISSN 1442-2697ResearchBentgrass variety trialsOrganic matter dilution
Native patch diseasesResearchBentgrass variety trials
Organic matter dilution
Native patch diseases2011 Rugby World CupKiwi curators take centre stage2011 Rugby 
World CupKiwi curators take centre stagewww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 13.5 SEP-OCT 2011ISSN 1442-2697Royal Melbourne™srenaissanceForsyth fashions Royal of oldRoyal Melbourne™s
renaissanceForsyth fashions Royal of oldDavis Cup Royal Sydney serves up a thrillerDavis Cup Royal Sydney serves up a thrillerFuture-proofingIs your club keeping up with the times?Future-proofingIs your club keeping up with the times?www.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 13.6 NOV-DEC 2011ISSN 1442-2697State of disasterQueensland™s summer of destructionState of disasterQueensland™s summer of destructionWarringah 10 years onWhat haven™t we learned?Warringah 10 years onWhat haven™t we learned?JOURNALwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2010 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2010 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 13.2 MAR-APR 2011ISSN 1442-2697QLD floods one year onBrisbane courses bounce backQLD floods one year onBrisbane courses bounce backMacKenzie returnsNSWGC greens conversionMacKenzie returnsResearchRyegrass clipping yieldsAnthracnose managementResearchThe PulseBunker refurbishment
and reconstructionThe PulseBunker refurbishmentand reconstructionwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.2 MAR - APR 2012ISSN 1442-2697AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     39GREENSMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
4-8 June 2012Welcome to MelbourneYour exclusive guide to the  28th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceWelcome to MelbourneYour exclusive guide to the  28th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceGiant stepsShowgrounds set for AFL debutGiant stepsEast meets WestRoyal Melbourne™s East Course transformationEast meets WestRoyal Melbourne™s East Course transformationThe global superFrom Toowoomba to The Tiger Woods DubaiThe global superFrom Toowoomba to The Tiger Woods DubaiResearchWarm-season wear trialsOversown couch winter ET ratesResearchWarm-season wear trials
Oversown couch winter ET rateswww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.3 MAY-JUN 2012ISSN 1442-2697ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName: .............................................................................................................................................Company: ........................................................................................................................................Postal Address: ...............................................................................................................................Town/Suburb: ....................................................................State: .............Postcode: ......................I enclose cheque for (amount):.......................................................................................................Please charge my credit card: MasterCard .......................................................... Visa .........................................................................................Card Number:  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ Expiry Date:_____/_____Cardholder Name: ...........................................................................................................................
Address: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Signature:. ...............................................Funds have been paid by electronic transfer to Westpac BSB 033 380 Acc 385360Please send me more information about becoming an AGCSA memberForward to: Australian Turfgrass Management Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Road Clayton, VIC 3168 FAX: (03) 9548 8622  Australian Turfgrass ManagementPublished by:Australian Golf Course Superintendents' AssociationABN 96 053 205 888Production:Editor:  Brett Robinson Ph:(03) 9548 8600 brett@agcsa.com.auArt Direction & Design: Jo Corne Ph: (03) 9548 8600
jo@agcsa.com.auAdvertising: Peter Frewin Ph:(03) 9548 8600 peter@agcsa.com.auAGCSASuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168P: (03) 9548 8600  F: (03) 9548 8622E: info@agcsa.com.au   W: www.agcsa.com.auAGCSA BoardPresident:  Peter LonerganDirectors:  Darren Wilson Tony Fogarty Brett BallochGeneral Manager 
Peter Frewinpeter@agcsa.com.auEvents and Education ManagerSimone Staplessimone@agcsa.com.auMembership and AdministrationLyndel Conwayinfo@agcsa.com.auAdministrationAllison Jenkinsadmin@agcsa.com.auAccountsPhilip Horsburgh
philip@agcsa.com.auAGCSATechAndrew Peart andrew@agcsa.com.auJohn Gearyjgeary@agcsa.com.auHR & Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellardaryl@agcsa.com.auPrinted BySouthern Colour Pty Ltd
2 Southpark CloseKeysborough Vic3173Copyright © 2012 The AGCSA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation thereto, and disclaims liability for all claims 
against the AGCSA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. No portion, in whole 
or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA.SUBSCRIBE NOW2     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCONTENTSCOVER: Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand: The stunning 15th hole at Cape Kidnappers which literally drops off the East Coast of New Zealand™s North Island. Cape Kidnappers course superintendent Steve Marsden received the 2012 AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award at the recent Australian Turfgrass Conference.Photo: Gary Lisbon  (www.golfphotos.com.au)Biodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity valueBiodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity value2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn OdellSteve MarsdenBen TilleyScott RobertsDavid CanterburyRory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn OdellSteve MarsdenBen TilleyScott RobertsDavid CanterburyRory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club sheds2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club shedsMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.4 JUL-AUG 2012ISSN 1442-2697FEATURES112th US Open - Olympic odyssey  12Luke Spartalis, Simon Blagg and Stephen Mallyon were among 100 course management volunteers from 16 countries to descend on The Olympic Club 
in San Francisco for the recent 112th US Open.Transcending limitations 18In Volume 14.3, Cameron Thompson recounted 
his fascinating journey in golf course management 
which has taken him all over the world. Now director of agronomy for IMG in Asia Pacific, in this follow-up 
article he looks at this diverse role and examines 
what it takes to work in the Asian golf industry.  COLUMNGrass-roots with John Neylan 
Drought? What drought? 24Given the levels of precipitation many parts of the country have experienced in recent times, water management planning would probably 
be well down the priority list for most course 
superintendents and turf managers at present. 
However, as ATM columnist John Neylan writes, such complacency could come back to bite them.MELBOURNE 2012Rossi makes his mark in Melbourne 30The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre played host to the 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition in early June. ATM reviews what was a memorable week for turf managers in the Victorian capital.2012 AGCSA Awards 44ATM profiles the winning Class of 2012 Œ Steve Marsden (Claude Crockford), Ben Tilley (Excellence), Scott Roberts (Academic) and Graduate of the Year recipients David Canterbury (AGCSA) and Rory Bairnsfather-Scott (STA).Understanding golf™s biodiversity value 6 In late 2011, researchers from the University of Melbourne embarked on a groundbreaking three-year project to investigate the biodiversity value of golf courses. In this first update, ATM looks at the goals of the project, while visiting Spanish ecology student Luis Mata looks at the initial insect surveys which have been conducted at the 13 Melbourne-based golf clubs involved in the project. As part of this lead feature, ATM also looks at the first round of grants handed out by the Federal Government™s Biodiversity Fund.PHOTO BY LUIS MATATIME FOR WATER QUALITY TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent water quality report Send samples toPh. 03 9548 8600Fax. 03 9548 8622Email. andrew@agcsa.com.auEmail. jgeary@agcsa.com.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn RoadClayton 3168 VicTechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     3      Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management JournalVolume 14.4 (July-August 2012) Martyn Black (Castle Hill CC); Simon Blagg (Roseville GC); Peter Boyd (NZGCSA); David Canterbury (Adelaide Shores); Chris Chapman (STA NSW); Neil Craig (Australian Golf Course Management); Wade Cranston (Glenden GC); Glenn Cross (Mt 
Lawley GC); Frank Dempsey (TAFE NSW); Mal Durkin (Moore Park Golf/Centennial Parklands); Peter Frewin (AGCSA); Brendan Hansard (Twin Creeks); Luke Harris (Ranfurlie GC); 
Steve Hewitt (VGCSA); Matthew Holmes (Turf Australia); Danny Hull (STA ACT); Andrew Kolbee (STA QLD); Stephen Lewis (Royal Hobart GC); Gary Lisbon (Golf Photos); Peter Lonergan 
(GCSAQ); Stephen Mallyon (Roseville GC); Steve Marsden (Cape Kidnappers); Luis Mata (University of Barcelona, Spain); Ian McKendry (STANZ); Matthew Merrick (Heritage Seeds); 
John Neylan (Neyturf); Andrew Peart (AGCSATech); Scott Roberts (Sebastopol BC); Eddy Ruis (Portland GC); Sam Sherriff (SAGCSA); Luke Spartalis (Royal Melbourne GC); 
Simone Staples (AGCSA); Ben Tilley (Headland GC); Cameron Thompson (IMG); Dr Caragh Threlfall (University of Melbourne); Brad Tucker (Whittlesea GC); Jim Vaughan (Turf Queensland); 
Mike Walker (STA VIC); David Warwick (Avondale GC); Darren Wilson (Wembley Golf Complex); Jenny Zadro (STA NSW). As I sit and type this edition™s preamble, I do so with a smile from ear to ear. No, it™s not because England have just been bundled out of Euro 2012 on penalties Œ yet again Œ or the fact that the All Blacks are world champions Œ don™t worry readers you™ve got another three and half more years before I let up. No, it™s the simple fact that I have just finished reading my son™s very first school report. Okay, granted, he™s only in preps and comments like ‚easily distracted™, ‚could apply himself a lot more™ and ‚Why, in heaven™s sake did he choose math!™ (which regularly marred 
my old reports) would be unlikely, but to read about his progress and achievements in just 
his first six months made me goddamn proud. (To be brutally honest though I was inwardly high-fiving myself more when, on the way to the shops the other day, out of the blue he 
coolly asked mummy to put on daddy™s Black Sabbath CD instead of the horrid 80s CD he 
has been brainwashed with for the past six years. Now that™s my boy!)  We all have something to be proud of and delegates to the recent 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne should have returned to their respective facilities with a renewed sense of pride in their industry having heard of some of the goals their colleagues 
are continuing to kick day in, day out. For me there were two talks in particular which stood out and highlighted in different ways the skill and professionalism that is the hallmark of 
today™s modern turf manager.The first was Michael Bradbery™s presentation on the redevelopment of Manly Golf Club. The sheer scope of this $13.5 million project has to be seen to be believed and it has 
consumed Michael, his staff and the club for the past 11 years. Sure he might be giving 
his counterpart at Avondale Golf Club a run for his money in the grey hair department as a 
result, but the meticulous manner in which Bradbery has dedicated himself to all facets of 
this project has been truly remarkable. The list of challenges and hurdles Bradbery has had to overcome would have proven the death knell for any lesser superintendent and are too numerous to include here, but if ever 
there is anyone who now deserves to sit back, relax and watch the grass grow with a sense 
of pride Œ the redevelopment finished this past autumn Œ then it™s Bradbery.  Do yourself a 
favour and get a hold of this year™s Conference Proceedings to get a taste of the works that 
have gone at Manly Œ then again it might leave you feeling just a tad inadequate!Likewise Adrian Black and his team at the Melbourne Olympic Parks Trust precinct. The End Users Forum conducted by Adrian in the Sportsfield stream provided a fascinating insight into the management of one of this country™s largest and most diverse sporting 
facilities. To get an idea of the logistics behind running a precinct that hosts everything from AFL training, international rock concerts, a Grand Slam tennis tournament, to week in, week out elite level competitions such as the NRL, Super 15 and A-League Πand then chuck in a $500 million precinct redevelopment for good measure Πgives you a new-found 
appreciation of the truly dynamic role turf managers play nowadays. If there is one thing that you can always be guaranteed of, it™s walking away from the annual conference with renewed vigour and affirmation of the many benefits our industry 
provides to local communities. Whether it was listening to the large scale projects that 
Michael and Adrian have been or are involved with, or hearing from fellow delegates some of 
their recent achievements, I trust you all took something away from your time in Melbourne which will ultimately spur you and your facility on to bigger and better things. Enjoy the read...  Brett Robinson, EditorAGCSATECH UPDATEBentgrass trial holes out 36John Neylan and Andrew Peart present the major results to emerge from the three-year AGCSA bentgrass varieties trial (HAL Project TU08002) which came to an end in March 2012.OPINION
Don™t mention the war! 40 The Pulse quizzes superintendents whether they have altered their Poa annua control strategy in recent times and what they have found works and 
doesn™t work at their course. Also in this edition–Foreword Thinking 4Regional Profile Œ Glenden Golf Club, QLD 56News 60Around the Trade 62AGCSA Book Shop 64Turf Producers 66 State Reports 68 LOOKING FOR GREENKEEPING STAFF?Advertise on the AGCSA website - the Australian turf industry™s LEADING online job resourcePost your job online now at www.agcsa.com.au/jobs or email info@agcsa.com.au4     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTFOREWORD THINKINGPETER FREWIN, GENERAL MANAGER, AGCSAWell, the dust has settled from what was a very successful 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition. Those that attended have been very complimentary about 
the event, in particular the quality of speakers. I 
would like to take this opportunity to thank all the 
AGCSA staff for doing a fine job in organising what was a great week.In the days leading up to the conference, the AGCSA hosted the International Summit with many representatives from overseas superintendent and 
greenkeeper associations converging on Melbourne 
to discuss issues relevant to the golf turf industry. As well as full representation from the AGCSA Board, as well myself and AGCSA HR and Best Practice Manager Daryl Sellar, the summit included 
the following international guests:  Jim Croxton (chief executive, the British and 
International Golf Greenkeepers Association)  Philip Russell (assistant to the Director - Golf 
Course Management, The R&A)  Dean Cleaver (executive officer, Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations)  Sandy Queen (president, GCSAA)  Rhett Evans (chief executive officer, GCSAA)  Lars Tveter (president, Norwegian Greenkeepers Association)  Peter Boyd (president, NZGCSA)I am pleased to report that the two-day meeting was a huge success with many topics discussed 
and more significantly agreement made on some 
important subjects. Accordance was reached on 
a global position paper regarding sustainability 
and the environment and also some agreement on 
information and intellectual property sharing Πmore 
information will follow in the coming months. The summit concluded with a formal dinner hosted by the AGCSA in partnership with Syngenta at the Grand Hyatt. Our international guests got 
up close and personal with some of our country™s 
famous fauna, including crocodiles, koalas and 
a kookaburra. Many subsequently attended the Accordance reached during successful International SummitMain photo: Representatives from superintendent and greenkeeper associations in Europe, the US and New Zealand made the journey to attend the International Summit held prior to the recent 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference||AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     5AGCSA MEMBERSHIPconference, while a number also took the time to play a couple of Melbourne™s famous sandbelt 
courses. All guests spoke glowingly of the courses 
they played and the overall hospitality shown by 
everyone during their short stay Down Under.AGCSA CODE OF ETHICSI thought I would also devote some space in this 
column to highlight a very important document that 
all AGCSA members should read - the AGCSA Code of Ethics. This code was established early in the 
association™s history to act as a guide to appropriate 
conduct for the members of the association and to 
promote a high level of professional standards of 
service and conduct among members. It reads:   Each member shall maintain courteous relations with the association and their fellow members.   Each member shall recognise and discharge all of their responsibilities and duties to the best 
of their ability and knowledge, and shall apply 
sound principles of business management in all 
their professional endeavours.   Each member shall maintain the highest standards of personal and professional conduct 
in order to reflect credit upon and add stature 
of the association and the profession of golf 
course management.   No member shall provide professional or consulting services (paid or unpaid) to another 
without first notifying the golf superintendent 
(AGCSA member) associated with the club.   No member shall seek to obtain employment or career advancement by applying for or 
otherwise seeking to secure a position already 
filled by a member of the association.  Where a member is aware that an employment 
vacancy for a golf superintendent exists, every 
effort should be made by the member to 
encourage the potential employer to retain a 
golf superintendent who is a member.   No member shall offer any endorsement on behalf of the association, exploit their affiliations 
with the association in connection with any 
endorsement, or otherwise suffer the name, 
goodwill or reputation of the association to be 
mentioned in connection with any endorsement 
without the written approval of the association.   Each member shall support and actively participate in the efforts of the association to 
improve public understanding and recognition 
of the profession of golf course management.   When any member becomes aware of any wilful 
violation of this code of ethics, that member 
shall report such violation to the association.   Each member is to carry out their duties in accordance with all relevant state/territory or 
federal laws pertaining to their vocation. Please feel free to contact me on 0418 593 072 or peter@agcsa.com.au should you have any 
issues, concerns, suggestions, or feedback. It is 
always welcome. AUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS™ ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORMHelping superintendents and their staff to achieve the best possible playing surfaces and adjacent environment within the limitations of the available resourcesSurname: ...............................................First Name:..........................................................Preferred Mailing Address: .................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Position: .............................................................................................................................Club/Organisation: .............................................................................................................Phone: Landline:   ..............................................................................................................              Mobile:  ................................................Fax: ....................................................................Email: .................................................................................................................................Member Category:  ............................................................................................................State Membership: ............................................................................................................ PAYMENTPlease send me a tax invoice Please charge this purchase to my credit card account  MasterCard VisaCard Number: ................................................................................Expiry Date:  ___/___CCV No: ..............  ............... ..............Cardholder Name: Signature: ...........................................................................................................Send completed application form and payment to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, 3168, Vic
Phone: 03 9548 8600  Fax: 03 9548 8622  Email: info@agcsa.com.auAGCSA MEMBERSHIPSuperintendent ..........................................................................................................$339Assistant Superintendent. ..........................................................................................$292Ground Staff/Foreman/Irrigation Technician/3IC/Arborist. ........................................$145Sports Turf Manager...................................................................................................$292Consultant ..................................................................................................................$339International . .............................................................................................................$195Trade ..........................................................................................................................$292Retired ........................................................................................................................$130STATE MEMBERSHIP NSW - New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association  .......................$88 QLD - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland ..............................$88 SA - South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association ............................. $75 TAS - Tasmania Golf Course Superintendents Association........................................$60  WA - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia .....................$110VIC - Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association .......Please call 0408 354 100 THE NEXT GENERATION (STUDENT MEMBERSHIP)Australian Turf Industry Apprentice/Student ............................................................FREEFor superintendents and two or more staff joining AGCSA, a discounted membership rate may be available. For further information send your list of names and positions to info@agcsa.com.au6     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTBIODIVERSITYIn late 2011, researchers from the University of Melbourne started work on a groundbreaking three-year project which will investigate the biodiversity value of golf courses. In this first of a series of updates, ATM looks at the goals of the project, while visiting PhD student Luis Mata looks at the initial insect surveys which have been conducted at the 13 Melbourne-based golf clubs involved in the project. In  2011 the Australian Golf Course Superintendents™ Association (AGCSA), in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, announced that it was establishing a joint research project with 
the objective of improving the understanding of 
biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration 
provided by urban green spaces, in particular golf 
courses. Jointly funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Australian Research Centre for 
Urban Ecology (ARCUE) and the AGCSA, the three-year project got underway in late 2011 and has three 
specific aims:  To quantify the carbon stored and sequestered in the vegetation biomass and soils of urban golf 
courses according to management intensity and 
age;  To quantify the biodiversity benefit of urban golf courses in comparison to the adjacent 
residential urban areas; and  To develop, or apply, spatially-explicit models to predict the carbon and biodiversity benefit 
of urban golf courses, parks and gardens, and 
to then validate the predictive capacity of these 
models.Thirteen golf courses throughout south-east Melbourne agreed to take part in the study, ranging 
from newly established courses through to golf 
courses that have been on their existing site for 
more than 100 years. The courses are located from Brighton down to Frankston and include:Brighton GC Spring Valley GCVictoria GC Kingswood GCWoodlands GC Rossdale GCSandhurst Club Amstel GCRanfurlie GC Centenary Park GCPeninsula Country GC Settlers Run G&CCFrankston GC To date researchers have surveyed:  Bat biodiversity: Researchers installed devices 
to record night-time activity of insect-eating bats; Insect biodiversity: Researchers used three methods to capture diurnal and nocturnal 
insects, including pan trapping, sweep netting 
and light trapping (see more on this below).Over the spring and summer of 2012-2013, researchers will continue with the above surveys as 
well as look at: HiddenhelpersHiddenhelpersAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     7 Bird biodiversity: Researchers will visit each golf course 4-6 times a year to record birds 
observed based on sightings and song;  Vegetation: Researchers will visit each golf 
course to map and record plant species and 
vegetation communities present;   Soil sampling: The research team will collect 
soil samples from throughout the golf course 
from wooded areas, roughs, fairways and 
greens. This extensive project aims to provide the golf course industry with a detailed and predictive 
understanding of the biodiversity value their urban 
green spaces provide. The research team is led by 
University of Melbourne™s Dr. Stephen Livesley and 
also includes Dr. Amy Hahs, Dr. Caragh Threlfall, 
Dr. Nick Williams and Prof. Nigel Stork. Results of 
the insect surveys undertaken so far are presented 
below by Luis Mata, a visiting PhD student from the 
University of Barcelona, Spain.PLAYING A ROLE IN INSECT CONSERVATIONAustralia is a continent that has fascinated biologists 
for centuries. For many, this is directly related to the uniqueness of its plants, mammals and birds. Where 
else can you be amazed by the beauty of gum-trees, 
paperbarks and banksias? Where else can you see 
wallabies, enjoy the laughing calls of kookaburras, 
or the sulphur-crest of the cockatoo? However, 
despite sharing a fascination for Australia™s unique 
animals, my true fascination and research interests 
are for the diversity of Australian insects!In late 2011, I was lucky to join the University of Melbourne research team, as a visiting insect 
ecology PhD student, and be a part of this major 
scientific study into the biodiversity and carbon 
benefits provided by golf courses and other urban 
green spaces within our cities. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of this project is the investigation of the link 
between golf course structure and management 
and insect biodiversity. This means that we will 
have an opportunity to learn more about how 
the management decisions related to golf course 
vegetation structure and vegetation elements 
may influence the biodiversity values within golf 
courses. This knowledge can then be used to guide management decisions that promote higher 
biodiversity values within golf courses. But what do we mean by the value of biodiversity? And how does this relate to insects? Furthermore, how does insect biodiversity relate to ‚ecosystem 
services™ provided to the wider environment and 
community by golf courses? The first thing to realise about insects is that some of them are herbivores and some are 
carnivores. Herbivorous insects can become ‚pests™ 
of valued trees, shrubs, crops, herbs and turf under 
favourable conditions. These insect pests are the 
ones we try to fight off with expensive and often 
ecologically unfriendly pesticides. But many insect groups, such as assassin bugs, damsel bugs, ladybugs, mantidflies and 
praying mantis, are carnivorous, feeding principally 
upon other insects. This is fortunate as they are  Main photo: Assassin bugs, which are part of the heteropteran bug family, are predatory species characterised by their stout beaks. 
During the first collection season of the golf course biodiversity project, 80 different species of 
heteropteran bugs were found on the 13 courses involved in the projectDamsel bugs are economically important predatory species that act as natural pest control agents PHOTO BY LUIS MATAPHOTO BY CHRISTOPHE QUINTIN8     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTBIODIVERSITYin fact performing a service for us by keeping potential insect herbivore pests in check. This 
can be considered to be an ‚ecosystem service™, 
as it is one of the benefits people obtain from the 
environment. The common ecosystem services that insects can provide are derived from processes 
such as pollination, predation and parasitoidism. Insects lay eggs, and sometimes in large numbers. These eggs hatch into larvae which will often feed voraciously on plant material. Most of the 
time insect eggs are laid upon leaves, branches or 
soil surface litter, but there are a special group of 
insects that lay their eggs inside the larvae of other 
insect species.  When these eggs hatch inside the larval host they eat their way out and eventually consume 
their host. This group of insects also provide an 
ecosystem service to us by keeping potential larval 
pests in check. They are known as the parasitoid wasps. Now that you know them, you might value them more, as they are out there in the tree and shrub 
canopies and the grassy rough. HIDDEN GEMSShortly after arriving last October, I got my boots, 
fluro vest and sun hat and set off to gather evidence for the presence of some of these important 
herbivorous and carnivorous insect species at the 
golf courses of Melbourne™s sandbelt. In particular, 
I wanted to investigate their relationship to golf 
course vegetation structure and management. Working with project research fellow Dr. Caragh Threlfall, we collected insects using three different 
methods on repeat visits to the 13 golf courses that 
had agreed to be part of this study. Insects were collected from areas of the golf course classed as 
‚rough™ vegetation, sampling equally from rough 
areas below tree canopies and open rough areas. 
The three key methods we used to collect insects 
were:  A sweep-net to gather insects from grasses, 
shrubs and low tree branches;   Coloured bowls to attract and trap bees;  Light traps set at dusk and dawn to attract nocturnal bugs and moths. The first group of insects that we looked at, and that are the focus of my research, are the 
heteropteran bugs or ‚true bugs™. The diversity, 
endemism and evolution of heteropteran bugs have 
been thoroughly reviewed in a recent report by 
leading Australian entomologists (Austin et al, 2004). 
Many heteropteran bug species are already well 
recognised as natural pest control agents. An example of an open grassland-type rough at the Peninsula Country Golf Club, one of the 13 courses that are part of the project. Predatory heteropteran bugs, including the damsel bug, where found predominantly in open rough areas such as theseBoth parkland style golf courses (such as Centenary Park, pictured left) and bushland style courses (like Frankston Golf Club, pictured right) are involved in the three-year biodiversity and carbon benefit projectPHOTO BY LUIS MATAPHOTO BY LUIS MATAPHOTO BY LUIS MATAAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     9In total we found 80 different species of heteropteran bugs in the 13 golf courses, which is a high number when you recognise that only 350 
heteropteran bugs species have been collected 
in the whole of Victoria to date. Furthermore, this number of species was only found during one 
collecting season. We expect to repeat insect 
collection in the coming spring, so it is safe to 
speculate that the number of species will increase. Of these 80 heteropteran bug species, nine were predatory species. The most frequent and abundant 
predator was the damsel bug, or according to the 
Finnish entomologist Odo Morannal Reuter, who 
named it back in the 19th century, Nabis kinbergii 
(see photo bottom right page 7). This predator 
bug species is a celebrity in Australia as it naturally 
controls the cotton bollworm, the most economically 
damaging pest of broad-leaf crops in Queensland 
and New South Wales. Interestingly, predatory heteropteran bugs, including the damsel bug, where found predominantly 
in open rough areas, with a tall grassland-type 
vegetation structure, like that of Peninsula Country 
Golf Club pictured top on page 8). Therefore, from an ecosystem service perspective it might be 
beneficial to maintain and incorporate more of these 
grassland-type roughs into golf courses.  Globally, land-managers and decision-makers, including golf course superintendents, are showing 
an increased interest in, and understanding of, the 
values of biodiversity. By actively collaborating with 
the scientific community, these groups are taking 
the first steps towards a key target of the latest 
Convention on Biological Diversity which stated 
that by 2020, at the latest, people will be aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can 
take to conserve and use it sustainably. Hopefully, 
an old game will start using a new angle, one in 
which golf courses play an important role in insect 
conservation.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe AGCSA wishes to thank the University of 
Melbourne research team, in particular Dr Caragh 
Threlfall, for their assistance in putting this article 
together. Luis Mata is a PhD student at the Department 
of Animal Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain. His 
research focuses on the ecology, biodiversity and 
conservation of insects. He was first exposed to golf 
here in Victoria, and this last summer played his first 
9-hole game at Burnley Golf Course.  Luis Mata is pleased to acknowledge the invaluable support of Frances Alexander, John Geary, 
Amy Hahs, Steve Livesley, Mick McCarthy, Mali 
Malipatil, Briony Norton, Nigel Stork, Caragh Threlfall 
and Nick Williams during his involvement in the 
project.   REFERENCESAustin et al. 2004. Insects ‚Down Under™ Œ Diversity, 
endemism and evolution of the Australian insect 
fauna: examples from selected orders. Australian 
Journal of Entomology 43: 216-234.
Department of Primary Industries. 2012. Online at 
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au  
Convention on Biological Diversity. 2010. Revised and updated strategic plan: technical rationale and 
suggested milestones and indicators. Montreal, 
Canada.PHOTO BY CARLA KISHINAMIPHOTO BY RICHARD NAYLORAbove: Visiting PhD student Luis Mata uses a sweep-net to sample insects from golf course rough vegetationAbove middle: Mantidflies are nocturnal predatory species 
whose wings are characterised by numerous branched veinsAbove left: Ladybugs are predatory beetles characterised by their colourful and contrasting body 
patternPHOTO BY LUIS MATAAdult female parasitoid wasps 
(right) are known to lay their eggs inside insect larvae. When these eggs hatch into larvae themselves 
(middle) they grow by eating their host larvae10     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTBIODIVERSITYAn ecological rehabilitation and biodiversity study of Sydney golf courses and improvement works at Katherine Country Club in the Northern Territory to assist in the regenerating of the Katherine River flood plain were among more than 300 projects to receive funding 
from the first round of the Federal Government™s Clean Energy Future Biodiversity Fund.  More than $271 million in grants to 317 successful projects around Australia was announced 
on 4 May by Federal MPs Greg Combet (Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and Tony Burke (Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities), with golf-
related projects securing more than $3.1 million of 
that amount.The Biodiversity Fund is set to invest around $946m over the next six years to help land managers 
store carbon, enhance biodiversity and build greater 
environmental resilience across the Australian 
landscape.To do this, it will fund eligible land managers for activities in three main areas:   Biodiverse plantings: Funding will help land managers expand native habitat on their 
property through planting mixed vegetation 
species appropriate to the region. This will help 
build landscape resilience and connectivity.  Protecting and enhancing existing native 
vegetation: Funding will support land managers to protect, manage and enhance existing native 
vegetation in high conservation areas on their 
land for its carbon storage and biodiversity 
benefits.  Managing threats to biodiversity: Funding will control the threat of invasive pests and weeds in 
a connected landscape.CARBON CONNECTIONS TO TEE OFF AT SYDNEY GOLF COURSESAmong the more than 100 NSW projects to receive grants in the first round is an environmental initiative driven by the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment 
Management Authority (SMCMA) which aims to link 
‚corridors of green™ through some of Australia™s most 
urbanised suburbs. The project, titled Teeing-off Carbon Connections which will get underway in July 2012, has received 
more than $1.8 million over four years and aims 
to facilitate the rehabilitation of select ecologically 
important habitats that connect regional and 
subregional biodiversity corridors. Integrated revegetation, habitat protection and invasive species control projects will be undertaken 
on golf courses, public open space and in natural 
areas not actively managed for conservation to 
build resilience and safeguard Sydney™s biodiverse 
carbon stores. A research partnership will also be 
established to audit and prioritise biodiverse carbon 
stores on golf course sites in the region.SMCMA chairman Mark Bethwaite AM says the project has huge potential for golf clubs and 
the authority itself to realise the significant benefits 
golf clubs provide to the biodiversity of the urban 
environment.fiThere are more than 50 golf courses covering some 3000 hectares within our catchment,fl says 
Bethwaite. fiThis provides an exceptional opportunity 
for the SMCMA and golf courses to work together to 
protect native vegetation and reduce the impact of 
weeds and invasive pests.fiWhat is also interesting is the opportunity for the SMCMA to find out more about the role of golf courses as carbon sinks and how they may be 
able to participate in the Australian Government™s 
Carbon Farming Initiative. Golf courses are already considering this and the SMCMA project includes 
an important research component which will assist 
golf courses, among others, to understand the best 
way to proceed.fiWhat makes the SMCMA unique among the 13 NSW catchment management authorities is 
our focus on urban landscape issues. We work 
to build connections both between landscapes 
and between landholders. This project will allow 
us to offer training to golf course managers and 
ground maintenance staff on how to increase native 
biodiversity on their land.fiBy working with a number of golf courses and councils we hope to build and link vegetation 
corridors extending right across Sydney. Birds and 
animals can use these corridors to move to new 
places to breed and feed, which helps the species 
to thrive.fl Bethwaite says the SMCMA has already received expressions of interest for 13 project sites across 
Sydney, including five golf courses. Announcements 
of the successful golf course project sites will be 
made within the first six months of the project. ATM looks at the first round of grants handed out by the Federal Government™s Clean Energy Future Biodiversity Fund which were announced in early May.Golf to benefit fromBiodiversity FundBiodiversity FundAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     11The SMCMA is no stranger to working with golf clubs in the area and has just finished a project with Eastlakes Golf Club and is currently working 
with the NSW Golf Club (course superintendent Gary Dempsey) as part of earlier biodiversity/native 
vegetation programmes.fiWe hope to work with about 10 organisations in this first stage of the project and continue to include 
additional sites over the next few years as funding 
becomes available,fl says Bethwaite. fiWe are also 
talking to Golf NSW so that the lessons we learn can 
be shared by courses across NSW.fiFor grounds maintenance staff at golf courses, the project will be very direct and hands-on, with the 
focus on preserving existing native vegetation along 
with fostering regeneration and revegetation where 
required.fl GREEN WITH ENVY IN KATHERINE Katherine Country Club (KCC) in the Northern Territory, in conjunction with the Katherine Town Council and Green Australia, was another to benefit 
from the opening round of Biodiversity Fund grants. A grant of $1.329 million over a period of four 
years will enable the restoration of several areas 
within and adjacent to the Katherine CBD and the 
Katherine River flood plain.  These areas will be 
linked creating green corridors from the river with 
the town™s golf club and showgrounds. According to a news release on the Katherine Country Club website, the grant money will enable 
the nine-hole course to undertake civil works to 
expand the size of the lakes and increase water 
collection, plant a range of native trees and bushes, 
remove exotic tree species, install a new automatic 
irrigation system to sections of the golf course and 
undertake major plantings in out of play areas. KCC president Alden McCue and general manager Frank Dalton say the grant provides a fantastic opportunity for the club to reduce its water 
bill, install new irrigation and improve landscaping, 
as well as providing an opportunity to develop future 
carbon credit offsets.  
Editor™s Note: For more information about the Biodiversity Fund, visit www.environment.gov.au/cleanenergyfuture/biodiversity-fund.  Opposite page: A number of golf-related projects have secured significant funding in the first handout of grants by the Federal 
Government™s Biodiversity FundREPORT LOOKS AT CARBON TAX IMPLICATIONS FOR GOLF CLUBSGolf Australia, Golf Management Australia (GMA) and the AGCSA have released a report which looks at the introduction of the Federal Government™s carbon tax and its likely implications for golf clubs. With the new carbon tax legislation coming into effect 
from 1 July 2012, the report, titled ‚The Impact of the Carbon Pricing 
Mechanism on Golf Club Operations™, aims to provide golf clubs 
with detail of the carbon pricing mechanism 
and its likely impact on club operations. The carbon pricing mechanism, or ‚carbon tax™ as it is often referred, is central to the 
Federal Government™s Clean Energy Future programme to reduce carbon emissions 
(carbon pollution) and encourage investment 
in clean energy via four key initiatives Πcarbon 
pricing, renewable energy, energy efficiency 
and land management. Under the carbon pricing mechanism, the biggest emitters in Australia will be required to 
pay for their emissions, or offset their usage via the purchase of carbon credits. This represents approximately 60 per cent of Australia™s total 
carbon emissions and includes emissions 
from electricity generation, some business 
transport, waste and industrial processes. The carbon price will be fixed for the first three years and after that it will be determined 
by the market. Households, farmers and smaller businesses (including 
golf clubs) will have no direct obligations under the carbon price 
mechanism. However, golf clubs will be indirectly affected as the 
impact of the carbon pricing mechanism filters through the supply 
chain of goods and services that a club typically purchases. The report also discusses the eligibility for golf clubs to generate carbon credits via the golf course landscape. Land management 
is one of the four components of the Clean Energy Future plan to reduce carbon emissions by providing farmers and landholders the opportunity to earn carbon credits via the Carbon Farming Initiative scheme as established by the Government.The scheme provides a framework for compliant and non-compliant carbon credits to be generated by reducing emissions or 
storing carbon on the land. Compliant carbon credits can be earned 
by farmers and landholders from approved activities, including reforestation and avoided deforestation. 
In turn, compliant carbon credits can then 
be purchased by business to offset their 
emissions.Non-compliant carbon credits can be earned by farmers and landholders 
from other activities, including soil carbon, 
improved forest management and non-forest 
revegetation. Non-compliant carbon credits can be made available to the voluntary carbon 
market, and some will also be purchased by the Government.Components of a typical golf course landscape relevant to storing carbon are the existing tree population (non-forest vegetation) 
and soil. At present there is no activity 
recognised by the Carbon Farming Initiative relating to these golf course landscape 
components and therefore no present 
opportunity for a golf club to earn carbon credits.However, Golf Australia, together with GMA and the AGCSA, will be considering whether to jointly explore this issue further with a 
view to identifying an industry-based opportunity that could benefit 
golf clubs by allowing them to generate carbon credits via an eligible 
activity, or activities.
The joint GA/GMA/AGCSA report was sent to all golf clubs in May 
and AGCSA members can download a copy through the member™s 
area of the AGCSA website (HR and Best Practice-Carbon Tax).12     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 US OPEN2012 US OPENThe US Open has a reputation for being the toughest Major in golf and the 112th Open held at The Olympic Club was no exception. Royal Melbourne technician Luke Spartalis was one of eight Australians to assist with course preparations for this year™s event and here he looks back on the tournament accompanied by photos taken by fellow volunteers Simon Blagg and Stephen Mallyon.  With a cold blast descending on Melbourne in early June, it was a nice feeling to be 
boarding a plane bound for the warmer climes of San Francisco to work at the 112th US Open. Along with seven other Australians, I was fortunate to be among 100 volunteers brought 
together from 16 different countries to assist with 
course preparations at The Olympic Club, my first experience of one of golf™s four Major tournaments.The Olympic Club was selected back in 2005 to stage the 2012 Open, with the renowned Lake Course hosting its fifth US Open since 1955, the 
last being in 1998. The Olympic Club is steeped in 
history and is the oldest athletic club in the United 
States, boasting some 5000 members and a total 
staff of 400.A core crew of 55 look after the 45-hole golf complex, which also comprises the Ocean Course 
(18 hole) and Cliffs Course (9-hole), with Patrick 
Finlen the director of golf maintenance operations. 
A near 30-year superintendent veteran, Pat is the 
current vice president of the GCSAA and has presided over The Olympic Club for the past 10 
years. Since hosting its last US Open some 14 years ago, the Lake Course has undergone a number of changes and in between hosted the 2005 US Amateur. Using that tournament as a trial run for the 
Open, a number of new tees were constructed to 
add length to the course and for the 2012 Open the 
course played 320 metres longer than it did in 1998. 
The 16th for instance was lengthened from a mere 609 yards (556m) to a mammoth 670 yards (612m).  
The most significant work, however, was undertaken 
in 2008/2009 when all the Lake Course greens were converted from Poa annua to a 70/30 blend of Tyee/007 creeping bentgrass. Through my involvement with the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association, I 
was to be one of five volunteer turf technicians in The 
Olympic Club sheds. As mentioned, the volunteer 
corps numbered 100 and the other Australians who 
made the journey across were:  Simon Blagg (senior greenkeeper, Roseville GC, NSW)  Jeff Bowtell (Globe Australia, NSW)  Russell Fletcher (superintendent, The Lakes GC, NSW)  Rod Hinwood (superintendent, Ellerston, NSW) Stephen Mallyon (assistant superintendent, Roseville GC, NSW)  Craig Molloy (superintendent, Shortland Waters GC, NSW and current NSWGCSA president)  Mike Pearce (assistant superintendent, 
Sanctuary Lakes GC, VIC)The San Francisco State University dormitories would be our home for the next week or so. 
With the regular inhabitants on summer vacation, 
The Olympic Club had procured the dorms as 
accommodation for the event, which considering the 
proximity to the club, shortage of accommodation in 
the surrounding area and the hours we were to be 
working, made good sense. We were paired two to 
a room and I bunked in with Dean Hall, an ex-pat odysseyOlympicOlympicThe Olympic Club™s Lake Course hosted its fifth US Open from 14-17 June. Pictured is the par 3 3rd being watered and rolled on the Monday of tournament weekAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     13from Melbourne who has spent the past 10 years living in the US as superintendent at a large facility 
in Scottsdale Arizona.The weather for the week looked good with temperatures between 18-24oC the norm and the usual San Francisco summer fog a real possibility, however, the last day of the tournament was the only 
time we were to see it roll in from the sea.On the Sunday before tournament week I got my first look at the club and met up with 
Pat along with the HR director Celeste Repsher and newly appointed equipment manager Kevin 
Rendueles. Kevin and his lead technician, J.R. 
Celestino, maintain a large fleet of equipment along 
with two other techs, however, the addition of Jeff 
Kellison and Thomas Hurst from Bernhard and Co, 
along with Mike Ginelli (Turfstar), Mike Newbould (Claremont CC) and me was greatly appreciated 
considering the task at hand for the week.Once the formalities were dispensed with, the volunteer contingent along with Olympic™s own 
groundstaff assembled in a large marquee where 
Pat welcomed the group and introduced the key 
management personnel for the week. We were then 
given a week™s worth of polo shirts, each adorned 
by a different sponsor™s logo, along with several 
other items to make our stay more comfortable. 
Everyone was assigned their tasks and then taken 
out onto the course to familiarise themselves with 
their surroundings. While the rest of the Aussie contingent were involved in a myriad of tasks Πfrom hand watering 
tees and fairways, moving mats and raking bunkers 
Πin the workshop it was all about fine-tuning the 
equipment and ensuring each machine was running 
at its optimum.  Machinery for the Open comprised:  10 Toro eFlex mowers (greens);  7 Toro 1600 tees mowers;The Australian course volunteer contingent for this year™s Open with The Olympic Club™s director of golf maintenance operations 
Pat Finlen (left) and the US Open trophy14     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 US OPEN2012 US OPEN  60 Toro MDX and 2110 Workman utilities;  5 Toro 3250D triplexes;   13 Toro 5410/5610 fairway mowers;  2 Salsco greens rollers;   1 Salsco fairway roller (more on this below);2 Toro 3100D Sidewinders;  2 Toro 3500D rotary mowers; and 2 Toro Tru Trak stand-on mowersOf the 60-plus walk-behind mowers I counted in the workshop, just 10 Toro eFlex mowers were being utilised for greens. The recently released battery powered model had been used at the course for 
several weeks leading into the tournament with a 
minor modification needed to enable it to meet the 
conditions.Mowing heights started out at 0.12fl (3.0mm) a little over two weeks out from the tournament with 
gradual drops in height to 0.105fl (2.7mm) and 
0.095fl (2.4mm) before the final tournament cutting 
height of 0.09fl (2.3mm) was dialled in from 5 June 
onwards.The gradual decrease in heights leading into the tournament had been uneventful, however, the 
contouring of the two-tiered, par three 7th green was 
such that at 2.3mm the edge of the bedknife would 
scalp, obviously causing a significant problem. An 18-inch eFlex mower had its bedknife shortened to a width of 14 inches which alleviated the problem, however, the wider Wiehle roller from 
an eFlex 21 gained the same advantage and was 
given the nod in preference to the customised blade.As with the rest of the volunteer contingent, the workshop crew was assigned various tasks for the 
tournament, however, on my first day I found myself 
draining the fuel from an out-front mower after an 
operator made that all too common mistake. Once 
that minor situation was dealt with, I was assigned my task for the week Πto ensure the 13 Toro fairway mowers were cutting perfectly. Because they were to be used to blanket cut each fairway (see photo top of page 16), any slight 
variation in adjustment would be visible so it was 
important to be meticulous with my setting. Cutting 
height for the fairway mowers was 0.400fl (10mm) 
and each machine was to be checked and adjusted 
before both the morning and evening cuts. With all 13 mowers tweaked, we were still awaiting delivery of the remainder of the catchers 
and accompanying brackets which were en-route 
from the distributor Πcutting it fine would be an 
understatement Πso I assisted in setting up the Toro 1600 mowers used for tees, collars and approaches. 
The wayward parts finally arrived and we spent that 
evening fitting the brackets until well after 11pm.The following day I arrived just as the morning cut had been completed and after finishing my 
duties I was able to get out on the course for the first time to have a good look. Along with the overall 
beauty of the location, the presentation was second 
to none and the greens were extremely firm and ran 
between 12.5 and 13.5 on the stimpmeter.The one thing which really stood out though was the short, fast and extremely narrow fairways 
and extremely penal Kentucky bluegrass rough. On 
the short par 4 18th for instance, the width along 
the entire length of fairway was just 19 metres (21 
yards), with most other fairway widths only between 
24-31m (27-34 yards). The rough around some of 
the par threes and short par fours was simply brutal.After that little reconnoitres, I headed back to the workshop where the guys were busy fitting 
makeshift lights for the rollers, along with a last 
minute drive chain replacement to one of them.  Speaking of rollers, one of the more unusual pieces of equipment used to prepare the Lake Course for this year™s Open was a Salsco fairway 
roller (see the two photos, top right hand page 16). 
While two conventional greens rollers were used 
throughout the lead-up and during the tournament, 
their much larger sibling Πthe Tranz-Former Πwas fired up in the immediate lead-up to the event in 
order to firm up and quicken the fairways.To see this beast of a machine in action was quite an eye-opener. Manufactured by Connecticut-
based company Salsco, the Tranz-Former weighs in at a hefty 1.2 ton (2260lbs) and comprises three 
rollers (two of which retract when transporting) for a CONTINUED ON PAGE 16The fairway width on the short par 4 18th was just 21 yards (19m) for the tournament A clear cut example of just how penal the Kentucky bluegrass roughs were at this year™s OpenMoisture levels in greens were taken every day using a TDR probe˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˘˘
ˇ˘
˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˘˘˘˘˜˚˛˝˙“…—˚˛˙˙˚˚”€˚™™€‘‘‘…—˘‡16     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 US OPEN2012 US OPENtotal rolling width of 3m (10 feet). It is powered by a 24-horsepower engine and when rolling travels at an impressive 18kph. I™m not quite sure if it would find 
a place back here in Australia, but it was certainly a 
sight to behold.On the Wednesday before the tournament, while performing a morning check on the fairway units, I 
decided that two of them weren™t going to go the 
distance, so the cutting units were pulled and with 
the help of the Jeff and Thomas from Bernhard and Co we set about removing and re-grinding all 
the bedknives. With the club owning two sets of 
grinders, the task was achieved in plenty of time for 
the evening cut and we rewarded ourselves with a 
long lunch at Joe™s Steakhouse!The first day of the tournament went off without a hitch and along with my usual fairway mower 
setting duties I was determined to organise the sea 
of red machinery into some sort of workable order. 
Until now, the sheer amount of equipment Πthere 
were 60 utilities alone! Πhad transformed the yard 
into a large Tetris puzzle. That evening the eFlex greens mowers had their bedknife blades removed 
and re-ground which would be the last major 
maintenance operation we would undertake for the 
tournament.The remainder of the tournament was smooth sailing with the workshop staff able to enjoy some of 
the golf being played and soak up some California sun. Kevin took time out to show me the club™s other 
courses, in particular the Cliffs Course which was 
once an 18-hole layout reduced to nine some 50 
years ago when a large portion slipped into the sea. 
The views from this now derelict piece of land were 
truly superb and topped off a fantastic week I won™t 
soon forget.TOURNAMENT STATS ΠTHE OLYMPIC CLUBTournament history: US Open (1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012); US Amateur Championship 1958, 1982, 2007; The TOUR Championship (1993-1994)
Grass varieties: Tees Πbentgrass/ryegrass/Poa annua; Fairways Πbentgrass/ryegrass/Poa annua; Greens ΠTyee/007 creeping bentgrass (70/30 mix); Rough ΠKentucky bluegrass.
Tournament yardage: 7170 (6556m), par 70
Tournament stimpmeter: 12.5-13.5 feetAverage green size: 4400 ft2 (408m2)Average tee size: 2000ft2 (186m2)Acres of fairway: 22 (nine hectares)
Bunkers: 62
Soil condition: Sand-based
Greens mix: USGA (90/10 sand/peat)
Rounds per year: 32,000Water source: Effluent waterAbove: Thirteen Toro 5410/5610 Reelmasters were used to blanket cut the cool-season grass fairways at a height of 10mmTop right: The impressive 1.2 ton Salsco fairway roller in actionFar right: The modified eFlex greens mower with shortened bedknife and taped up reelA number of new tees had been constructed since the last US Open held at Olympic in 1998, adding 320m in length to the course. Pictured is the 16th hole which measured 612m for the tournamentCONTINUED FROM PAGE 14In any sport, there are key moments that create legendary status; great reputations are forged at such times. Take the Jacobsen 
Eclipse 322, bristling with innovative features; it™s designed to 
overcome all challenges. That™s why Arnold Palmer speci˜ es 
Jacobsen for his golf courses.HIS MOMENTOUR MACHINESFor a legendary performance on your course, please contact:McIntosh & Son Redcliffe, Western Australia 6104  Tel: +61 (08) 9475 1600   Email: perth@mcintoshandson.com.au Web: www.mcintoshandson.com.auGodings Pty Ltd Whittlesea, Victoria 3757  Tel: +61 (03) 6716 9000  Email: sales@godings.com.au   Web: www.godings.com.auProTurf Machinery Pty Ltd Moorebank, New South Wales 2170   Tel: +61 (02) 9824 0811   Web: www.proturfmachinery.com.auK C Farm Equipment Yatala, Queensland 4207  Tel: +61 (07) 3807 1100    Email: sales@farm-equipment.com.au  Web: www.farm-equipment.com.auATM/AP9/07/2012AP9 Aus Turfgrass Mngnt.indd   121/06/2012   10:4118     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTEX-PATSTranscendinglimitationsTranscendinglimitationsSo you want to work in Asia? Why not, right? It™s no secret the development of the global 
golfing market has slowed to all but a standstill over the last couple years, but Asia, and China 
in particular, is seemingly picking up speed and 
building new courses at an alarmingly rapid pace. The question is, are you sure you™re ready for the challenge of having your established ethics and 
ideologies confronted head-on and questioned at 
every turn? Remember that as ex-pats we are judged 
differently; moreover, we represent as ambassadors 
not only our respective countries of origin but also 
the course superintendent profession and the noble 
game of golf. With all the myriad distractions and responsibilities, I™d estimate a vast majority of ex-pat golf professionals are unexpectedly unhappy in 
their work–and it™s not uncommon to see shorter 
tenures than originally planned.Imagine a place where almost all your social values and agronomic expertise may be irrelevant, 
or viewed as wrong, or even considered offensive. 
The old adage of ‚one should treat others as one 
would like others to treat oneself™ simply doesn™t 
apply in many cases. I™ve found that in Asia, ‚one 
should treat others as they themselves would like 
to be treated™. Trouble is, most times we don™t know what that is; it takes time to understand the Asian 
mindset. Nothing comes easy here. Sacrifice, hard work and dedication is the formula most Chinese abide 
by, so be prepared to adopt that ethos. I™ve rarely seen my family over the past decade, have missed 
funerals, marriages, weddings, etc... and have 
drifted ever further from my oldest, dearest friends Π
all in the pursuit of international success.While today™s technology breeds global awareness, China remains surprisingly sheltered 
from the outside world. Did you know that Facebook and YouTube are blocked there? Every Asian country has its own quirky rules and enlightened outsiders 
are quick to embrace them.MY REALITYIn the last edition of ATM (Volume 14.3, May-June 2012) I traced my golf course management career to date. It has been a wonderful and eye-opening journey which has taken me to the US, the Caribbean, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Thailand and now China. I 
am currently director of agronomy for IMG Golf Services, a territory that spans Asia Pacific. With 
extensive travel I™m certainly kept on my toes and 
the learning curve is extremely steep. The diversity of the job fascinates. The Chinese, for instance, tend to place a great deal of importance 
on actual China golf experience. Two questions sure to be asked by any course developer when In ATM Volume 14.3, Cameron Thompson recounted his fascinating journey in golf course management which has taken him to the Caribbean, the Middle East and now China. The former Toowoomba native is currently the director of agronomy for IMG Golf Services in Asia Pacific and in this follow-up article he looks at this diverse role and examines what it takes to make a fist of it in the highly competitive Asian golf market. China has been a hub of golf course development in the past decade with some impressive courses constructed in some unique locations, including The Kings Course (pictured) in Guangzhou. But as Cameron Thompson (pictured inset) stresses, ex-pat superintendents willing to take the plunge and work in Asia must adapt to and embrace what is a vastly different cultureAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     19they are interviewing prospective superintendents are how renowned is the superintendent and how 
much China experience do they have? As you can 
imagine, this really limits our choices.I make regular site visits to all IMG facilities in support of the superintendents, offering technical 
advice to IMG on all matters relating to golf course grow-in, pre-opening, conditioning and tournament 
play. But I would estimate that 70 per cent of my 
time during site visits is spent on cross-cultural 
issues, especially when an ex-pat superintendent 
is involved. Regular phone or email contact with our superintendents is paramount. There are 1.3 billion people in China and everything I do here involves 
a crowd, yet it can be a cold and lonely place, 
particularly when superintendents are posted in 
remote locations where language barriers undermine 
any attempt at relationship building.I meet often, with owners where possible, on all sites, providing feedback and recommendations. 
As many owners don™t come from a golfing 
background, it™s good policy to sit and explain 
and justify technical agronomic processes and the 
potential ramifications. That said, we frequently have 
wonderfully engaging and extravagant meetings 
over lunch or dinner– which may include such 
delicacies as chicken feet, sea cucumber, or live 
seafood jumping around on the plate!Other key components to my scope include:  Reviewing and assessing annual golf course maintenance budgets at IMG facilities;  With superintendents, approving mowing 
regimes for tees, greens, roughs and fairways, 
including the height, pattern and frequency;  Approving aerification, irrigation, fertilisation and 
pesticide programmes on each golf course;  Monitoring inventory levels of chemicals, 
fertilisers and other supplies at all facilities;  Providing onsite equipment training to 
employees as needed;  Recommending fertiliser, chemical and machinery suppliers during construction;  Ensuring all clubs adhere to sound environmental practices;  Maintaining the database of superintendents 
and assistants and recruiting as required;  Working with course designers on site-specific 
soil system functionality and turfgrass selections 
where appropriate;  Providing agronomy standards manuals to each 
club™s superintendent and customising for their 
unique conditions; and  Advising about the turf grow-in and guiding 
grow-in fertiliser programmes.As you might imagine, when all these duties are coming at you from 16 different projects, all day 
every day, it can be more than a little challenging. We 
manage a broad spectrum of agronomic conditions, 
superintendents and personalities. Below is a brief 
rundown of feature clubs with which I™ve shared 
consultation in recent months:JINJI LAKE GOLF CLUBIn addition to the IMG regional role, I am also the director of agronomy at Jinji Lake Golf Club, situated 
in Suzhou, China, which is a 27-hole Gary Player design. As my flagship project, it receives the lion™s 
share of my attention. Eddie Bao, an up-and-coming young local superintendent, has been aligned with the Jinji 
tradition since day one of construction. We pride 
ourselves on keeping daily green speeds at least 
11 on the stimpmeter and go well beyond 12 for 
special events. The 27-hole Jinji Lake Golf Club, situated in Suzhou, China, hosted the 2010 Volvo China Open and is consistently named one of Asia™s 
top 10 conditioned golf courses20     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTEX-PATSPositioning ourselves as the technological industry leader, we conduct and evaluate trials all the time. Currently we are undertaking a 20-hectare 
grass removal programme in order to naturalise 
the golf course and tighten the golfing corridors to 
provide greater textural contrasts. Jinji hosted the highly successful 2010 Volvo China Open and is consistently named one of Asia™s 
top 10 conditioned golf courses. In 2011 we became 
the first club in China to receive Golf Environment 
Organisation certification. www.jinjilakegolf.com HIDDEN TIGER GOLF CLUBAt Hidden Tiger we work with superintendent Jason Blacka from Australia. Also designed by Gary 
Player, this course is tucked away in the province 
of Huangshan, a winding four-hour drive through 
breathtaking mountainous terrain from Nanjing 
Airport. At Hidden Tiger, one of the daunting challenges is the hot and humid monsoon season of June through 
to September. Managing T1 bentgrass greens is tricky under such stifling conditions, so I work 
closely with Jason while engineering comprehensive precautionary fungicide programmes. We™re also 
currently trialling Turfbreeze fans to artificially influence surface air movement. Despite a 2010 fire which consumed the maintenance building and all equipment therein and 
the fact the course experienced torrential rains and 
flooding last year, Hidden Tiger was nevertheless recognised as one of the best new courses in Asia 
for 2011. www.hiddentigergolf.com.LAN HAI GOLF CLUB Here I provide full pre-opening technical services and operational consulting services for this 36-hole 
Nicklaus Design project, located on Chongming 
Island, Shanghai. Enjoying an outstanding location, this property will feature Asia™s first ‚Jack Nicklaus Legacy 
Course™. The vision is an exclusive private members club with an extensive real estate component, which 
would eventually host a significant international 
professional tournament. Barry Britton from Canada 
is the Lan Hai superintendent and coordinates 200+ 
maintenance personnel. On the Links course we recently modified and retrofitted the fairway mower cutting units to 
articulate over the severely contoured fairways. 
Conversely, on the Woodlands Course we are 
planting more than 10,000 fully mature feature trees 
to create an artificial forest and completing the T1 bentgrass greens grow-in. www.lanhairesort.comYISHAN GOLF CLUBSituated in Wuhan, one of China™s hottest ‚furnace 
cities™, Yishan is currently under construction. With 
Superintendent Benny Jin, we recently did the spec 
for this Rick Robbins-designed course with Tifeagle greens, Tifsport wall-to-wall and Irish Links in the outer rough. The engineering of a scientifically-
based physical soil system has just been completed 
and soon we™ll move onto the chemical testing 
module to create site-specific grow-in, soil remedial 
and first year maintenance fertility programmes. 
Most recently, we sourced the entire equipment fleet 
and design for the maintenance building.NIRWANA BALI GOLF CLUBRecently named 66th best course outside the US and number one in Indonesia by Golf Digest, Nirwana Bali is a long-term success story for IMG, 
with course proceedings managed by Canadian 
Adam Calver. In this beautiful and tranquil setting, 
we focus on managing the jungle which requires 
constant trimming. Originally spec™d with Bermudagrass, the course is now mainly managed for zoysiagrass 
contamination and thatch control, with drainage and 
grass varietal masking through fertility also among 
our current priorities. Unique to this Greg Norman 
designed course, Adam has opened up the jungle 
to showcase local temples and traditions for the 
golfers. www.nirwanabaligolf.com/The idyllic Hidden Tiger Golf Club is just one of a number of courses that Thompson deals with in his role as director of agronomy for IMG Golf Services in Asia. Hidden Tiger is currently home to ex-pat Australian superintendent Jason BlackaOne of the biggest challenges at a place like Hidden Tiger is the hot and humid monsoon season and managing the T1 bentgrass greens through such tricky, stifling conditionsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     21SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS As I see it, the Chinese golf industry is 80 per cent politics and 20 per cent knowledge plus results 
and not the other way around to which most 
superintendents are accustomed. The quicker that ex-pats embrace this, the quicker their lives become 
that much easier here. I don™t impose my way of doing things too much as I think it™s important to let Asian golf find 
its own feet and evolve autonomously. My role is to 
guide and provide direction as needed. This way 
we™re creating a happy marriage of the two cultures, 
involving everyone™s ideas and ultimately producing 
the best possible results.Of course, much depends upon the skills of each individual superintendent and the next 
generation of locals is showing a lot of promise, with 
more and more travelling overseas for internships or 
university training.To further illustrate this point, here is a quote from a long-time ex-pat living in Hong Kong, Danny 
Potter, principal of Centaur:fiMy company conducts business in 15 Asian countries and the way in which we do business 
varies wildly from one country to another. However, 
it™s not really about being Chinese, or Indian, or 
Korean, or Filipino, or Caucasian. Yes, sure, race has 
something to do with the way we all are, but ‚culture™ 
is what makes us. Culture is what defines who we 
become and the way in which we live our lives. Look at the Chinese in mainland China, versus the Chinese in Singapore and the Chinese in 
America. In general they all look the same, but 
their characteristics are worlds apart. They have 
been ‚cultured™ by different surroundings and have 
their own unique identities Πand we have the 
responsibility to understand each different nationality 
and respect them for who they are. The assumption many foreigners make when they come to live and work in Asia, is thinking that 
Asians are all the same. Big mistake.flBefore anyone ventures to Asia, I recommend reading these informative publications:The Asian Mind Game;Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and 
Life; andWorking with the Thais.ASIAN AGRONOMY 101Course conditioning is judged on a completely 
different criterion in Asia. For example, I was working at a club in Thailand when we sent two members to Augusta National for the US Masters. 
Remarkably they returned with horrible reviews of 
the experience. In Asia, a great deal of emphasis is placed upon interpersonal relationships, even in business. The 
line between personal and professional can be a 
very blurry one indeed, subtly shifting underfoot 
without warning, so even the most exquisite course conditions of Augusta could not counterbalance the 
negative interpersonal experiences there.As for technical matters, I would say that water management is probably the most misunderstood 
agronomic practice in Asia. ‚Green is good™ remains 
the primary principle, brown is frowned upon and 
often seen as simply an unhealthy turf or playing 
surface. This philosophy can lead to trouble as over-irrigation often occurs. In northern China the summer brings rampant disease pressure on the cool-season grass varieties. 
In the south, where we tend to spec Bermuda 
or paspalum, it gets very hot and humid and the 
natural urge is to irrigate more and more, which I dub ‚panic watering™. While water may be part of 
the solution, it often compounds existing agronomic 
agitation.In China, perhaps the most important foundation for success is finding an assistant who believes in 
you and your philosophies and can be trusted to 
execute according to plan. He/she will also be the 
first to inform you when any underhandedness is at 
play and guide you on how to react ΠI cannot overly 
stress how vital this part is. I am very lucky in that I have found a very good assistant in Keri Xu and she comes with me on all site 
visits. Simply having confidence in your translator is 
also enormously important; unfortunately, even at 
the best of times, I plan to lose 30 per cent of my 
meaning in translation.TOURNAMENT PREPARATIONSThere™s nothing like hosting a big event. I love the pressure, the excitement and all the many 
challenges. It feels great when the lights go on, the 
players are receptive to the conditions provided and 
all goes well. A televised international tournament 
is the ultimate showcase for any club, as it builds 
history, story and even myths. As mentioned in my previous article, I have been involved in the WGC HSBC Champions Tournament in Sheshan and the Shui on Land China Challenge at Topwin Golf and Country Club and Red Flag Red Flag Valley Golf Club in Dalian is another dramatic Chinese golf course. Elevation changes of 300m from boundary to boundary create 
some unique course management issues, especially when it comes to irrigation and pumping22     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTEX-PATSSheshan Golf Club hosts the WGC HSBC Champions Tournament, the highest-profile golf event in all of Asia. Sheshan consists of A1/A4 bentgrass greens and wall-to-wall Salam paspalum. One of the biggest challenges is the limited time (six weeks) between overseeding the paspalum with perennial ryegrass and establishing a thick 100mm rough, as required by the European TourValley Golf Club. I was also involved with the construction, grow-in and tournament prep at Lake Malaren for the Shanghai Masters.WGC HSBC The WGC HSBC held at Sheshan Golf Club in 
Shanghai is the highest-profile golf event in all of 
Asia and I work closely with local superintendent 
Mike Meng year-round in preparation. During the 
lead-up, advance week and tournament time we 
both coordinate with Eddie Adams, the European 
Tour™s consulting agronomist. Sheshan, designed by Nelson & Haworth, consists of A1/A4 bentgrass greens and wall-to-wall 
Salam paspalum. One of the biggest challenges is 
the limited time (six weeks) between overseeding the 
paspalum with perennial ryegrass and establishing a 
thick 100 millimeter rough, as required by the Tour, in time for the event. We carefully balance an accelerated grow-in fertility programme with an awareness of potential 
long-term issues such as Poa annua development 
and the dreaded spring transition. Happily, the 
tournament was a complete success and the course 
was recently named one of Golf Digest™s Top 100 courses outside the US. www.sheshangolf.comSHUI ON LAND CHINA CHALLENGEThis tournament prep put me in the unique position 
of having to literally fly back and forth between 
two IMG golf courses ΠRed Flag Valley (RFV) in 
Dalian and Topwin Golf & Country Club in Beijing. The format included a quartet of world-renowned 
players ΠLee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy 
and China™s number one golfer Liang Wen Chong Œ competing over six days at eight different venues. Issues encountered at RFV are primarily irrigation based, as it™s quite hydraulically daunting 
pumping water around a site with a 300m elevation 
change from boundary to boundary. At Topwin we were just recovering from excessive summer patch 
disease on the Kentucky bluegrass fairways. But 
we managed it well and the players had a ball, so 
to speak. SHANGHAI MASTERS  My first assignment after arriving from The Tiger Woods Dubai was quite the challenge. In just six 
months we had to rebuild and reroute an existing 
Peter Thomson (of the US) design and turn it into a 
Nicklaus Legacy design. Amazingly, we pulled it off 
(we were planting trees and laying sod right up to 
Wednesday evening before the event!) Sprigging the 419 Bermuda to 100 per cent turf coverage took just three weeks on average 
and the grow-in of the A4 greens necessitated the 
construction of enormous shade tents in order to 
sustain growth through the scorching summer. 
How barren was it before we began? During the 
camera location tour, there was not a blade of grass 
on the course–now that has to be a first! www.
lakemalaren.com.FROM BOOM TO BANThe burgeoning middle class has made golf an 
immensely popular game in China. But with 600 
courses (which is roughly one per cent of world 
golf) and China having a predominantly agrarian 
economy, the central government called a halt to 
new golf course construction in 2011 and began 
investigating all golf projects. A ban on golf course development was originally imposed in 2004 to protect China™s dwindling 
farmland and conserve water, yet 400 golf courses 
have opened since then (courses are built and 
operated without the proper approvals and licenses 
on a regular basis.) Often initial construction 
deadlines go unmet due to the protesting and even 
rioting of local villagers. Some courses therefore 
become stuck in idle and semi-completed sites dot 
the landscape. The fear to draw attention is so real at times we have been forced to employ camouflage techniques 
to conceal unfinished courses! Specifically, at one 
Beijing site we completely covered all the comfort 
stations in dirt and seeded with Irish Links to prevent the area resembling a golfing venue.We remain hopeful the government will soon complete their due diligence and declare a direction 
forward for Chinese golf development. Until then, we 
must sit back and wait patiently.DECISIONSHopefully through this and my previous article 
I have provided a broad overview and a little 
personal insight of what to expect in Asia. It can be 
very rewarding, especially when watching a young 
superintendent grow into a polished professional. It is my bold goal that we influence Asian golf on an international level, and as you can see, both 
IMG™s and my own personal accomplishments 
depend upon a team of individuals with that special 
blend of agronomic, and more importantly, social 
skills. On balance, I am quite lucky in that golf is not 
a job for me, but instead a lifestyle I™m trying to make 
the most of.Contact Cameron Thompson  ctgolffather@gmail.com  www.cameron-thompson.com  www.facebook.com/thegolffather http://twitter.com/#!/TheCTimes http://www.linkedin.com/pub/          cameron-thompson/24/45a/400The offset cutting units.  These ensure a beautiful clean-up cut on  tees and greens.Quick Adjust 5 cutting units. Adjusts height-of-cut in seconds. Create a putting surface players will remember.The 2500E E-CutŽ Hybrid Riding Greens Mowers.  The only greens mower everyone can appreciate.Only the 2500E E-Cut Hybrid riding greens mowers offer: Œ 
Offset cutting units that greatly reduce fitriplex ringfl in the clean-up cut, and a durable ball-joint suspension system that reliably follows 
 Œ Fast maintenance, with Quick Adjust 5 cutting units that make it simple for a technician to change height of cut in seconds. ŒProven hybrid components and experience stretching back to 2005.All this, and surprisingly affordable, too. For a test drive or more 
infomation contact your local John Deere Golf Dealer today.51412How can one greens mower satisfy so many people?JohnDeere.com.au24     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANGiven the levels of precipitation many parts of the country have experienced in recent times, water management planning would probably be well down the priority list for most course superintendents and turf managers at present. However, as ATM columnist John Neylan writes, such complacency could come back to bite them.At the recent Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne, there were two presentations that made me start thinking about water management planning Πagain! Visiting US experts Dr. Frank Rossi (Cornell University) and Dr. Van Cline  (Toro) both spoke about water, water use efficiency and water management planning as part of the 
everyday activity of managing turf. As I write this article Melbourne™s Herald Sun newspaper has published a cartoon by renowned 
cartoonist Mark Knight showing a rusty ‚white 
elephant™ labelled as the Wonthaggi desalination 
plant, implying that the plant is now redundant. Seeing this cartoon both deflated my idea but also annoyed me in that it highlights what appears 
to be an endemic lack of water management policy 
in one of the world™s driest continents. While we now 
have fiplentyfl of water, it is the perfect time to review 
your own water management strategy. We cannot 
continue to react in a ‚knee-jerk™ manner when times 
are desperate. Sounds like government planning doesn™t it?Water is a major issue in that without it there is no turf, or at the very least a very poor quality turf,  
while at the same time there are major pressures on 
inland waters that potentially reduce the availability 
of water for turf. Some of the pressures affecting this 
availability are;  Drought and climate change;  Greater demands on water supplies for urban use;  Loss of riparian vegetation (i.e.: vegetation adjacent to waterways);   Excessive surface and groundwater extractions; and  Altered flow regimes resulting from dam and 
barrage construction.Golf courses continue to be challenged about water use and have to demonstrate that they are 
ecologically and economically sustainable. As Philip 
Russell from The R&A discussed at the Melbourne 
conference, it is all about the sustainability of the 
business and the business depends on a reliable 
water supply and it is an expense. We must continually remind ourselves that the golf course is part of a larger catchment and as such 
impacts on the water flows into and out of the site. 
You just need to discuss with anyone involved with 
a new golf course development about the stringent 
compliance procedures that need to be completed 
before approvals are granted. The responsible 
management of all natural resources within the site 
is essential for the future of golf and sound water 
resource management is absolutely critical.While the pressure is off and the desalination plant is firustingfl, the next drought may only be a few 
dry months away. The process of water management 
planning provides the necessary information for 
understanding water needs, assessing the water 
source(s), demonstrating best practice and 
identifying where improvements can be made. It 
is also very important that superintendents and turf 
managers realise improved water management will 
result not only in water savings but also reduced 
energy use, monetary savings and improved turf 
quality and consistency. Drought?What drought?Drought?What drought?It was only a few years ago that many course superintendents were having to manage their courses with reduced water thanks to the drought. While the pressure is seemingly off at present, the next drought may only be a few dry months awayAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     25CASE STUDYWhile working at AGCSATech I undertook a water management planning exercise for a golf club that is a worthy reference of what one golf club was 
able to achieve. The golf club was prompted into undertaking the water management investigation 
due to a period of dry weather where their water 
storage reached a critical point and the decision 
had to be made to cease irrigating fairways. While it 
was a relatively unseasonable event, this event did 
prompt the club into reviewing its water strategy and 
putting a water management plan in place. A key objective of the golf club™s water management plan was to have adequate water to 
irrigate greens, tees and fairways for 40 rain free 
days during summer. The philosophy of the plan was to not only have water available for all areas of 
the golf course in a dry summer, but to always have 
sufficient water for the greens and to a lesser extent 
the tees. During the water management planning exercise there was a large amount of information collected as 
it related to the local catchment, soils, turfgrasses, 
water sources and turf quality objectives. The 
following information is a summary of the key 
information compiled. Type of course: A parkland/bushland golf 
course where the mature forest vegetation 
aligning the boundary and fairways of the course 
is a major feature. It is a private members course 
where a high level of presentation is provided. 
The course consists of bentgrass greens and 
Santa ana fairways and roughs.Topography and soil: The topography of the 
local area including the golf course is part of a 
plateau and is bordered by a series of ridges 
and gullies which in part forms a component 
of the water catchment and storage for the golf 
course. The golf course is undulating and the soils are heavy clay loam topsoil with frequent 
sandstone outcrops. Climate: The climate can be described as 
temperate, with warm summers and cold 
winters and a uniform rainfall pattern exceeding 
800mm. In terms of turfgrass management 
the growing season for warm-season grasses 
(i.e. couchgrass) is about eight months and 
about 10-12 months for the cool-season grasses 
(i.e. bentgrass, Poa annua etc.). Because of its location, the golf course has numerous 
microclimates with extensive areas of shade 
during winter and increased temperatures and 
humidity in summer. The treescape also reduces 
air movement which contributes to plant stress 
and disease pressures.Native vegetation: The native vegetation consists of remnant Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna), Angophoras (Angophora costata) and Scribbly gums (Eucalyptus racemosa) in the shallow soil areas. Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata) and Turpentines (Syncarpia glomulifera) are the main tree species.DAM AND WATER CATCHMENTThe principal source of irrigation water for the golf 
course is derived from an on-site dam that collects 
stormwater from the surrounding catchment. Given that the dam is such an integral component, it was 
essential to understand how the catchment worked. 
Studies on both the capacity of the dam and the 
catchment were undertaken by hydrologists. The catchment covers an area of 220 hectares and in the hydrology study it was estimated that 22 
per cent of the catchment was impervious and the 
remaining 78 per cent pervious. The study used the 
ILSAX simulation model to determine the potential 
runoff from the catchment based on various storm 
events. The process of water management planning provides the necessary information for understanding water needs, assessing water 
source, demonstrating best practice and identifying where improvements can be madeUpgrading older irrigation systems is one of many ways to improve water management efficiency26     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANThe runoff model accounts for various factors including soil types, soil moisture content, area of impervious and pervious landscape as well as 
rainfall intensity. The model was run for various 
antecedent moisture conditions in the catchment 
from a completely dry catchment to a saturated 
catchment.As part of the catchment study the average daily outflow (irrigation usage) was determined from 
meter readings for a typical irrigation season. The usage volume adopted from that data was 0.4ML/
day which reflects peak usage less wet days and 
non-watering days.An average daily evaporation of 6mm was adopted based on local meteorological data. The existing capacity of the dam when full is 29.7 
megalitres (ML) and the finding of the report, based 
on the current irrigation strategy, was that the dam 
would be empty after 65 days of no rainfall. The golf course relies on summer rainfall to ‚top up™ the dam and importantly the models indicated 
that on a rather dry catchment (i.e.: where there will 
be some absorption of rainfall by the soil), 10mm 
of rainfall would provide about 1.2ML of runoff into 
the dam.  WATER QUANTITIES AND FLOW RATESThe golf club depends entirely on the 30ML (approx.) 
capacity stormwater collection dam which depends 
on summer rainfall to top up levels in order to meet 
the total irrigation requirements of the golf course 
(about 80ML). Water costs the club about $450/ML/annum which is principally the cost of pumping the water 
and maintenance costs. The cost of water is an 
often neglected cost when the club does not pay 
a direct charge for the water extraction, however, it 
is important to consider it as a per megalitre cost 
rather than allow the costs to be lost among other 
charges such as electricity and other maintenance 
items. WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTSThe water from the golf course dam is low in 
dissolved solutes (including salts, sodium and 
chloride) and nutrients and is classified as a high 
quality water supply.CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGYThe golf course employs several water conservation 
practices including:PC-based irrigation control system that has 
good flexibility;Application of wetting agents to fairways using 
an injection system as part of the irrigation 
system. The wetting agents improve water penetration and evenness of distribution;Hand-watering of localised dry areas instead of 
irrigating the entire turf area;Spot watering of dry sections of fairways instead 
of irrigating the entire fairway;A formal irrigation maintenance schedule is important to systematically check sprinkler operation and performance, leaks and component operationWeather stations can provide a more accurate determination of golf course water demandAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     27Modified irrigation programmes for the north and south sides of fairways which are affected 
differently by shade.Most golf courses are undertaking some water conservation techniques and they should be 
documented.WATER BUDGETBased on the available data the typical water 
use was calculated at about 80ML/year. Long-term 
weather data was compiled for the golf course 
as a means of determining the theoretical water 
requirement for the golf course. The process of estimating the irrigation requirement is as follows: Estimated water requirement 
= Irrigated area (m2) x (Evapotranspiration rate ΠEffective Rainfall) x (1/ Efficiency). The calculated water requirement was around 89ML/year. Across 
most of the turf areas water use efficiency was high, 
however, it was identified that use efficiency could 
be improved on the fairways as it related to irrigating 
roughs.       The adopted crop factors reflected the required quality of the playing surfaces. A CF of 1.0 was used 
for high presentation cool-season grass putting 
greens consisting of creeping bentgrass. For the fairways a CF of 0.7 was used for couchgrass that is 
green and at a high level of presentation. When the water budget for the course was considered it may be necessary to reduce the 
amount of water applied and a CF of 0.5 was 
considered the minimum water requirement for 
couchgrass while providing reasonable ‚greenness™ 
and a good playing surface. Under severe water 
limitations the CF of 0.25 was considered the minimum amount of water for couchgrass survival 
while maintaining a playable surface.For each individual golf course it is important that the turf quality requirements are identified and 
then appropriate crop factors allocated.STRATEGIES, IMPLEMENTATION AND REVIEWFollowing the collection of all the relevant site and water use data, it was concluded that irrigation 
management was at a high level but there were 
opportunities to increase water use efficiency by 
refining the method of irrigation scheduling through 
the installation of a weather station to calculate ET, soil moisture sensors, an improved control system 
and undertaking a system audit. The area of greatest waste identified on the golf course was the over-watering of the fairways in 
order to provide adequate water to the roughs. The 
other identifiable loss of water from the system was 
evaporation from the dam which was considered to 
be significant, though the extent of the loss was not 
precisely known. THE LAST FRONTIER OF GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT During a recent trip to Thailand to inspect Black Mountain Golf Course, I had the opportunity to travel to Myanmar (Burma) to participate in a turf seminar. The seminar was put on by the newly formed Myanmar Golf Course Superintendents Association 
(president Myo Dan) and I was privileged to be able to speak along 
with Phil Ryan (Pacific Coast Design) and Peter Sawyer (Links Golf) about our experiences in golf course maintenance.Fifty attended the seminar, which was opened by Myanmar Golf Federation vice-president Aung Kyi, with representatives of the local PGA also being involved. My colleague in Thailand, Gavan Wilson, 
has recently assisted in course preparation for the Myanmar Open 
on behalf of the Asian Tour and did much of the organising for the seminar along with Thaik Din. Myanmar is truly the last frontier of golf course management though it does have about 100 golf courses with many of them being 
built by the British during the early 1900s. There are some more recent additions including the Gary Player-designed Pun Hlaing GC on the outskirts of Yangon and the Pacific Coast Design course Royal Myanmar Golf and Country Club located at the new Myanmar capital 
of Naypyidaw. Staff numbers and budgets are generally low. As was pointed out to me, mowing of greens may be limited to twice a week because 
there either isn™t the fuel available or it is too expensive to mow more 
frequently. We also had a great discussion about rolling greens and 
the benefits versus the negative aspects. It took some time to sort out that the local version of rolling was based on the use of a rather large 
and heavy roller used on the salt farms rather than the lightweight 
greens rollers we are used to! From a turfgrass agronomy perspective there is much to be learnt about weeds, weed control, grass types and their management 
requirements and the overall conditioning of golf courses. However, 
with the changing political scene, the country is predicted to start 
to encourage more tourists etc. and there seems to be plenty of 
opportunity for the local golf scene to capitalise.         - John NeylanThe Gary Player-designed Pun Hlaing GC on the outskirts of Yangon in MyanmarMore than 50 people attended the seminar put on by the newly 
formed Myanmar Golf Course Superintendents Association28     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANA cursory investigation was undertaken of the feasibility of obtaining other sources of water. Sewer mining was seen as the only opportunity, however, 
preliminary advice indicated that the flows were 
insufficient to be of economical use. RECOMMENDED ACTIONSThere were several actions that were recommended 
to improve water use efficiency and to increase the 
understanding of the water cycle on the golf course 
and to be able to better plan for periods of reduced 
water availability. The key recommendation was the development of a drought management plan. A key objective of 
the golf club™s water management plan was to have 
adequate water to irrigate greens, tees and fairways 
for 40 rain-free days during summer and to always 
have sufficient water for the greens and to a lesser 
extent the tees. A simple model was developed to manage the gradual reduction in water use as the number 
of days without rainfall increased. The model was 
based on the assumption that the peak irrigation 
requirements were 0.4ML per day for the golf 
course. Key trigger points were established for 50, 
40, 30, 20 and 15 per cent of dam capacity. The drought management strategy allowed for the available water, assuming that the dam starts 
off full, to be extended to about 100 days. The 
calculations did not allow for evaporation or other 
possible losses. The model provides ‚unlimited water™ for about 37 days without rainfall, with a 
reduction of 25 per cent at about this time. At 63 
days without rainfall (dam at 30 per cent capacity) 
water use would need to be reduced by 75 per cent.The rationale behind this strategy was to achieve a gradual reduction that will slowly harden the turf 
compared to a sudden cessation of irrigation. The 
greens are the most susceptible turf areas on the 
golf course and there is no chance of bentgrass 
surviving more than a week during peak summer 
without irrigation. Therefore the greens are always 
given priority. Other recommendations of the water management plan included:Installation of a weather station to provide a 
more accurate determination of water demand;Upgrading the irrigation control system to 
provide a more targeted approach to irrigation;Installing soil moisture sensors; Installing irrigation system in the rough which 
would allow for improved water use efficiency, 
less waste of water and prevent over-watering of 
fairways;Installing water level monitoring equipment in 
the dam;Investigating options for increasing dam storage 
capacity due to siltation of the dam over time;Initiating a formal irrigation maintenance 
schedule that systematically checks sprinkler 
operation and performance, leaks, pump 
operation, solenoid operation and satellite 
operation;Undertake an irrigation system audit. Although 
the irrigation system had a high level of efficiency, 
it was recommended to undertake an in-house 
water audit to confirm assumptions regarding 
precipitation rates and irrigation uniformity; andInvestigate regional long-term water 
management and catchment planning. OUTCOMESThere have been several aspects of the water 
management plan that have been implemented 
including:Installation of sprinklers in the roughs which has 
provided several benefits including improved 
distribution uniformity, reduced water use on 
fairways by about 30 per cent, more controlled 
growth resulting in reduced mowing and less 
scalping, reduced pest and disease potential 
and improved fairway presentation and 
consistency.Installation of a ring main around each green 
with adjustable arc sprinklers that only irrigate 
green surrounds. This provides better control of 
water to greens and surrounds with improved 
surface quality.Irrigation system software upgraded to the latest 
Toro Lynx system including moisture sensors in four greens, weather station installation and 
improved overall water management.At this particular site there has been water savings and a more systematic approach to 
irrigation management. While water conservation is 
a key outcome there are other very tangible benefits 
in terms of improved turf quality, more consistent 
surfaces and the ability to better manage the various 
microclimates around the golf course.As a desktop exercise, it is a relatively easy process to undertake. The AGCSA has provided all of the tools to assist in undertaking a water 
management review through its water management 
portal which can be accessed at http://water.agcsa.
com.au/water-management-review. While it is raining and you are stuck in the office, sit down and work through the review. At the very 
least you may demonstrate that all is good and there 
are minimal improvements required. More likely, you 
will develop a list of priorities that you can budget for 
and implement over time.  Soil moisture sensors are a very good tool for establishing soil moisture status and the effectiveness of irrigation and rainfallUndertaking an irrigation system audit is recommended to confirm assumptions about irrigation distribution uniformityFLAME_SYCR192 06/12The wide spectrum broadleaf weed specialistFor more information see your Syngenta agent or go to greencast.com.auSyngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ® Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. Ž Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. AD 12/440 
Highly effective in controlling creeping oxalis,  dandelion, ˜eabane, wireweed and many more 
Dual active ingredients, including prosulfuron,  a NEW active for turf  
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Complete weed solution for turf in combination  with BARRICADE and MONUMENT LIQUID Note: While FlameŽ has taken great care in preparing this artwork responsibility for the printed artwork and copy accuracy lies with the client. The printer is responsible for checking artwork before plates are made, accuracy in measurements, plates tolerance requirements, registration and construction detailing. Any questions please contact flame before proceeding with the job. Copyright 2011 Flame.Luigi Pagnozzi (account service) | luigi@flame.com.au | +61 2 9887 8500 | flame.com.auName:  FLAME_SYCR192 Casper Launch AdDate: 20.06.12 | Round: FSize:  287Hmm x 210Wmm30     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 CONFERENCE2012 CONFERENCENearly 600 delegates converged on a wintry Melbourne for the 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition held at the start of June. ATM reviews some of the highlights from a memorable week in the Victorian capital.Cornell University™s Dr Frank Rossi headed to the recent 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition with a wildly regarded reputation as one of the turf industry™s great minds and entertaining presenters. After a week at 
the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre he 
returned Stateside with that reputation firmly intact, if not bolstered, after being without doubt the highlight 
of this year™s turf industry gathering which brought 
together nearly 600 delegates.The energetic and effervescent associate professor, one of the industry™s foremost researchers 
in the areas of nutrient management, mowing 
technology and non-chemical pest management 
programmes for golf and sports turf, was widely lauded by conference delegates. Across all education streams his interesting and provocative 
presentations were among the highest attended of 
the week and his ability to never miss a beat from go 
to whoa left many delegates asking for more.Dr Rossi, speaking at his first Australian turf conference, gave three talks during his time in 
Melbourne, including:    Organic and biologically based cultural and 
pest management programmes in the real world 
which discussed the 10-year research project he 
was involved with at Bethpage Golf Club;  Sustainable turf management programmes which addressed practical aspects of sustainable 
turf management with an emphasis on climate 
change and carbon economy and easy-to-
implement management practices; and  Resource efficient sportsturf management which wrapped up the conference education 
sessions on Thursday. This seminar focussed 
on mowing, fertilisation, cultivation and pest 
management programmes and challenged 
delegates™ conventional thinking about current cultural management practices with an eye on improved efficiencyWhile there were plenty of accolades forthcoming for Dr Rossi, it also appeared that Melbourne left a 
lasting impression on the native New Yorker if the comments to AGCSA events and education manager Simone Staples post-conference were 
anything to go by:makes his mark inMelbourneRossimakes his mark inMelbourneRossiWORDS AND PHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSONAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     31fiI am very grateful for your invitation to speak at the Australian Turfgrass Conference. It was by far my favourite trip and conference of my 
22-year career. The people, the places, the food, 
the footy will always hold a special place for me.  
Thanks so much for the wonderful hospitality and 
if success is measured by the 12 to 15 emails I 
have already received from participants thanking 
me, then we did great!flWhile Rossi was a firm favourite, there were plenty of other speaker highlights during the week. 
Following the opening Plenary session address on men™s health by Avondale Golf Club captain Dr John Riley (who immediately won the audience over 
by giving it to ‚his™ superintendent David Warwick), 
former AFL star Wayne Schwass talked passionately 
about mental health issues and how he battled 
depression during his playing career.Schwass™s open and compelling talk resonated with many in the room, none more so than AGCSA president at the time and session chair Allan Devlin 
who divulged his own battles with mental illness. 
Schwass commended Devlin for having the courage 
to open up in front of his peers and congratulated 
the AGCSA for having the inclination to put mental health issues on the agenda. Schwass concluded by saying that he hoped that his talk would encourage those dealing with mental 
health issues to open up and seek advice. Given the 
stressful environment that many superintendents 
and turf managers have to perform under, his words 
would no doubt have been heeded.Alongside Dr Frank Rossi, the international contingent of speakers in Melbourne was bolstered by The R&A™s Phillip Russell, assistant to the director 
of golf course management Steve Isaac who toured Australia back in 2008. Russell, who was here as part of the International Summit hosted in the days leading up to the conference, teamed with John 
Neylan and Daryl Sellar to discuss the issue of golf 
course sustainability. From an agronomic perspective the conference contained a wealth of technical information, from 
Dr Henk Smith™s discussion of chemical resistance 
to Andrew Peart and John Geary reviewing the latest results from AGCSATech™s various Horticulture Australia Limited funded trials. Dr Don Loch also returned to the stage in Melbourne to present 
findings on some of his recent project work on 
mites and the screening of warm-season grasses for 
herbicide tolerance.For the technically aware and not-so-aware, the turf industry™s own social media gurus Nadeem 
Zriekat (Colin Campbell) and Robin Doodson 
(Sanctuary Cove G&CC) presented a one-and-a-
half-hour session on how new technology can assist 
turf managers in their jobs. Despite some technical 
glitches Œ isn™t that always the case with tech-related 
talks ΠZriekat and Doodson introduced delegates 
to some very useful turf management smart phone 
apps and how the likes of Twitter, Facebook and blogs can be effective communication tools when 
used appropriately.Another popular presenter was Sharon Kaibel from Right Turn who left a lasting impression on delegates with her two presentations. Kaibel 
presented a fascinating behavioural profiling session 
as part of the Management stream on Thursday Former AFL star Wayne Schwass gave an open and passionate talk on mental health issuesMain photo opposite and below: The many expressive faces of conference keynote Dr Frank RossiThe post-conference Turf Tour visited the Melbourne Olympic 
Parks Trust precinct where Adrian Black (below) showed delegates around AAMI Park (above) and 
Gosch™s Paddock32     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 CONFERENCE2012 CONFERENCEbefore conducting a two-hour workshop on Friday which focused on communication and presentation skills.  The AGCSA was also delighted to host Cottesloe Golf Club superintendent Simon Bourne and wife Marina who were part of Gerry Power™s talk 
on finance. In the sportsfield stream, Melbourne Olympic Parks Trust (MOPT) horticulture manager Adrian Black chaired a highly informative ‚end users 
forum™ which brought together representatives from 
the Melbourne Demons, Melbourne Storm and 
Melbourne Heart. At the end of the conference he 
then took more than 60 delegates on a tour of the 
impressive MOPT facilities which includes AAMI 
Park, Gosch™s Paddock (training facility Œ both 
Melbourne and Collingwood were in the throes of 
training) and Rod Laver and Hisense Arenas.Cameron Sutherland also brought together fellow curators Damian Hough (Adelaide Oval), 
Marcus Pamplin (Bellerive Oval) and Brett Sipthorpe (Westpac Stadium, Wellington, NZ) as part of an open forum which looked at such topics as 
transitioning grounds from cricket to winter sports, 
preparation techniques, T20 and the expectations of preparation and issues unique to each stadium.The two-day trade show was again well supported with more than 70 companies exhibiting, including a number of new companies such as 
Maredo BV and SST Australia. (Winners of the various competitions are listed in the Around the 
Trade section pg 67). As in previous years, webcasts were recorded of all golf, sportsfield, agronomic and management 
stream presentations and these have now been 
made available to all conference delegates. If you 
were unable to attend the conference but would like 
to view these webcasts, you will be able to purchase 
access. To find out more details contact the AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600. Photos from the week can also 
be viewed on the AGCSA™s Flickr photostream. FOGG COLLECTS FIRST RED JACKETRecently appointed Queanbeyan Golf Club course superintendent Scott Fogg collected his first Toro Red Jacket after winning the 2012 Toro AGCSA Golf Championships held at Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne at the start of conference week.Playing off a +1 handicap, Fogg posted a three-over 76 in wet and testing conditions to win the 
championship by two shots from two-time previous 
winner Anthony Toogood (Commercial Golf Club, Albury). Fogg started his round on Commonwealth™s 3rd hole and was six over at the turn after a string of 
four bogeys and a double bogey. However, on the 
run home he nailed three birdies (on 13, 17 and 2) 
to finish with 76.Fogg™s victory came in just his first year as a fully fledged golf course superintendent and AGCSA superintendent member. Despite being a regular 
contestant in past AGCSA Golf Championships and on two occasions posting the best stroke score, 
because he was an assistant superintendent at 
the time he was ineligible to win the Red Jacket. Fogg™s win quickly made the local headlines and his exploits in Melbourne were plastered across the 
sports section of The Queanbeyan Age newspaper.Hawks Nest Golf Club superintendent Damien Murrell, a former runner-up in the stroke event 
back in 2009, won the newly created Nett title on a 
countback from Toogood, while the state teams title (nett) went back to NSW which pipped WA by five 
shots. Defending state champion ACT was one shot 
further back in third. The NSW team comprised Wayne Hensley (Breakers CC), Trevor Ridge (Sawtell GC), Ben Norton-Smith (Longyard GC) and Andy Hugill (Mona 
Vale GC) and it is the fifth time since 2006 the blues have carried home the trophy. Nearest the pin and 
longest drive prizes were scooped by Turnpoint superintendent Corey Budden.The AGCSA Golf Championships were played across two venues for the first time this year with 
Metropolitan Golf Club hosting the stableford event 
which was won by Toowoomba Golf Club course superintendent Danny Beresford. Playing off an 
18 handicap, Beresford posted an impressive 39 
points to beat home Paul Sanson (Townsville City Council) by one point. Harley Copeland (Bonville More than 70 companies exhibited at the trade show2012 Toro AGCSA Golf Championship winner Scott FoggLONERGAN, BALLOCH CONFIRMED ON AGCSA BOARDCoolangatta & Tweed Heads course superintendent Peter Lonergan was 
officially elected president of the AGCSA at the 2012 AGCSA Annual General Meeting held during the Melbourne 
conference. Lonergan becomes the 
seventh AGCSA president sine 1991 and takes over from Allan Devlin (Secret 
Harbour) who stepped down after four 
years as president and a total of seven 
years on the Board. The AGM also saw Anglesea Golf Club course superintendent and former 
VGCSA committee member Brett Balloch officially elected as an AGCSA director for a term of two years. Balloch takes 
over the Events and Education portfolio from Lonergan and joins incumbent 
directors Darren Wilson (Wembley Golf 
Complex, WA Œ Treasurer) and Tony Fogarty (Club Catalina Country Club, NSW Œ State Liaison).AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     33International) won the nearest the pin on Metro™s 2nd hole while Sean Stuchbery (Bundaberg GC) 
smashed the longest drive.While the big guns slogged it out at Commonwealth and Metropolitan, across at 
Woodlands Golf Club the inaugural AGCSA Trade Challenge was contested. The three-man team stableford event was won by Jacobsen (69 points) 
which was represented by Nick Brown, Peter 
Morrison and Noel Delia. Delia capped off a fine day by finishing with the best stableford score of 
39 points. ODELL TOPS AGCSA AWARDSWhile the week proved memorable for Fogg, for industry icon John Odell the conference was made 
even more special after he received the AGCSA™s highest honour. The former Royal Sydney Golf Club superintendent of 24 years joined a who™s who of 
the golf course and turf management profession 
after being bestowed the AGCSA Distinguished Service Award which was presented during the 
Syngenta President™s Dinner held at the MCG on the 
final night of the conference.Odell was joined by fellow 2012 award winners Steve Marsden (AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award), Ben Tilley (AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award), Scott Roberts (AGCSA Award for Academic Achievement), David Canterbury (AGCSA Graduate of the Year) and Rory Bairnsfather-Scott (STA National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year). Profiles on all winners, 
except John Odell who will be featured separately 
in Volume 14.5 (September-October 2012), can be 
found on pages 44-55 of this edition.SEE YOU AT TWIN WATERS 2013 At the conclusion of the Melbourne conference, 
it was announced that the 2013 conference will 
be heading to Queensland. The 29th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition will be held at Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast from Sunday 23 June to Friday 28 June 2013. Put it in your diary now! 2012 AGCSA Award winners and sponsors at the MCG34     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 CONFERENCE2012 CONFERENCE34     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTmemoriesMelbourneMelbourneGCSAA chief Rhett Evans (left) and wife Colleen get cosy with a crocA happy return to the stage for Dr Don LochA scurvy-ridden quartet 
spotted at the Bayer Welcome 
ReceptionManly maestro Michael BradberyThe R&A™s Phillip RussellAnthony 
Toogood 
weighs up his optionsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     35AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     35The Red Jacket brigade welcomed a new member to the fold in the form of Scott Fogg (with trophy)Ben Norton-Smith crushes his drive down 12 at CommonwealthThe ex-pres bids farewellGetting hands-on during the trade showJeremy Mamet, from Mauritius, deftly chips onDoodson deliversDr Henk Smith 
talks resistanceDr John Riley discusses men™s  health issuesBourne inspirations36     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEMarch 2012 brought to an end the AGCSA™s bentgrass varieties trial which has been ongoing at three sites in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria since April 2009. John Neylan and Andrew Peart present the final results to emerge after three years of data collection. TechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesSince 2001 there have been about 14 new creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) 
cultivars developed in the USA, with about 12 of these released in Australia. With these new 
releases there has been very little independent 
trialling undertaken to determine their performance 
under Australian conditions. With the assistance of matched funding from Horticulture Australia Limited, in 2009 AGCSATech embarked on a three-year project (HAL Project 
TU08002) to conduct replicated trials in Victoria, 
New South Wales and South Australia. The project™s 
primary aim was to compare the newly released 
bentgrass cultivars with industry standards, along 
with a vegetative selection (AGCSA1) that was selected and evaluated during HAL Project TU06001.Fifteen creeping bentgrass cultivars, including two industry standard cultivars (Penn G2 and Penn A1) were sown at Cromer Golf Club, NSW (CGC) and Keysborough Golf Club, VIC (KGC) with 17 at Royal Adelaide Golf Club, SA (RAGC). At each location the 
vegetative variety AGCSA1 was also planted using stolons. AGCSA1 was the best performing selection from over 400 selections that were evaluated over 
five years (refer to TU01001 and TU06001) and was included to compare its performance with the 
newest and best performed seeded cultivars. Working with the Australian Seed Federation, varieties submitted for trial were: Tyee, 007, Dominant Xtreme, SR1150 and SRP1RH93 (Advanced Seed); T-1 (Simplot); Penn G2, Authority and Penn A1 (Heritage Seeds); Cobra 2 and CY 2 (DLF Seeds); 
Shark (Seed Force); Declaration, Mackenzie, SRP1GMC and Mariner (PGG Wrightson).The trials were established at the three sites in mid-April 2009. The seeded bentgrasses were sown at an equivalent rate of 5 grams per square 
metre allowing for the differences in percentage 
germination and seed coatings, while the vegetative 
variety was planted using stolons (scarified turf) at a 
rate of 0.28m3/100m2. Plots were in a completely randomised block design and assessed visually for germination 
and seedling vigour, rate of establishment and 
performance as a putting surface. The results of the 
establishment data have been previously reported in 
ATM Volume 11.6.Plot assessments were undertaken every two months at each site using the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) turfgrass evaluation 
guide (Morris, undated).  Most visual ratings 
collected on NTEP trials are based on a 1 to 9 
rating scale. One is the poorest or lowest and 9 is 
the best or highest rating. A rating of 6 and above 
is generally considered to be acceptable. The NTEP methodology was adopted with modifications for 
these trials. In judging the significant difference between cultivars, readers and users of data from this project 
should be aware that cultivar differences are based 
on use of Least Significant Difference (LSD) statistics 
for mean separation. The LSD value(s) is located at 
the bottom of each table presented. To determine whether a cultivar™s performance is truly different from another, subtract one entry™s 
mean from another entry™s mean. If this value is 
larger than the LSD value, the observed difference in cultivar performance is significant and did not 
happen by chance. It is important to remember that 
results can vary from year to year and from location 
to location. Therefore, always reference the LSD 
value when interpreting test results.RESULTSTables 1-3 (pages 39 and 40) represent an overall rating for each cultivar when all the assessment 
data was averaged for the two-and-a-half years. 
The tables show results for turfgrass quality, colour, 
density.TURFGRASS QUALITY (TABLE 1)At KGC, the long-term average indicated that the 
cultivars Authority, Declaration and Shark had significantly better turfgrass quality than 007, 
Dominant Xtreme, AGCSA1, SR1150, T-1 and Tyee. At CGC, the long-term average indicated that the 
coded variety SRP1RH93 had the best turfgrass 
quality, however, it was not significantly better than 
AGCSA1, while at RAGC there was no significant difference for the long-term average. TURFGRASS COLOUR (TABLE 2)The colour of individual cultivars is not a critical 
factor in selecting a particular cultivar and is more 
a personal choice depending on the required 
aesthetics. At the KGC site the long-term average 
demonstrated that the cultivar T-1 provided the trial holes outBentgrassBentgrassOver the past three years the AGCSA™s bentgrass varieties trial has analysed the performance of up to 17 creeping bentgrass cultivars, assessing the newer varieties for their performance against existing industry standardsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     37darkest green colour and significantly darker than all other cultivars apart from Cobra 2. This was 
similar at CGC where T-1 was significantly darker than all cultivars. While it was also one of the 
darkest cultivars at RAGC, there was no significant 
difference between any cultivars.TURFGRASS DENSITY (TABLE 3)At KGC, the long-term average provided a significant 
difference between cultivars with Shark having a greater turfgrass density compared to T-1, Tyee, SR1150, Penn G2, Dominant Xtreme, Cobra2, CY2, 
Penn A1 and 007. Authority, Mackenzie, Declaration, 
SRP1GMC, SRP1RH93 and AGCSA1 were not significantly less dense than Shark.  At CGC, the long-term average showed that the cultivars SRP1RH93 and AGCSA1 had significantly greater turfgrass density compared to all cultivars 
except Tyee. Penn G2 had the lowest turfgrass density compared to most other cultivars.At the RAGC site, the long-term average provided a significant difference with AGCSA1 having greater turfgrass density compared to all cultivars except 
for 007, Authority, Shark, SRP1RH93 and Tyee. The cultivars Shark, Tyee and SRP1RH93 also rated highly for turfgrass density.THATCH ACCUMULATION (TABLE 4)Table 4 represents the total amount of thatch (in millimetres) that had accumulated for each cultivar 
at the end of the trial period, three years after 
sowing.Across all the trial sites there were only significant differences in thatch depth determined 
at CGC and this was at the first and last assessment 
date. At about five months after seeding, AGCSA1 had significantly greater thatch depth compared to 
all cultivars except for 007, Shark and SRP1GMC. At the last assessment date, Tyee had a significantly greater thatch depth compared to Authority, CY 2, 
Cobra 2, Declaration, Dominant  Xtreme, SRP1GMC 
and T-1. The cultivars Shark and AGCSA1 also had a greater thatch depth compared to Authority, CY 2, 
Cobra 2, and Dominant  Xtreme.TRAFFIC TOLERANCETraffic was applied at the KGC site using a wear machine as described by Neylan and Robinson 
(1997) fitted with Black Widow soft spikes. In 
October 2010 traffic was applied on five consecutive 
days with a total of 160 passes of the wear machine. 
This level of wear is considered to be the equivalent 
of more than 500 Π600 rounds of golf.In 2011, traffic was applied on15 occasions from mid-August to early November. On each occasion 
there were 20 passes on each plot. In 2012, traffic 
was applied on four occasions during mid-January 
with 40 passes on each plot.Traffic tolerance is a visual estimate and was rated by the effect it had on turfgrass density using 
a 1 to 9 rating scale, with 1 being no tolerance or 100 per cent injury and very poor density, while 9 
being complete tolerance or no injury and excellent 
density.The data was analysed as a ‚two factor with replication™ which provided an analysis of the two 
variables - cultivar and wear - as well as the 
interaction between the two variables. There was 
a significant cultivar effect on all dates as well as a 
significant wear effect (i.e. wear causes a significant 
reduction in turfgrass density). There were no 
significant interactions on any assessment date.GREEN SPEED AND SURFACE HARDNESSOn different occasions there were significant differences observed for green speed, however, on 
no occasion was there consistency with any of the TABLE 1: LONG-TERM AVERAGE OF VISUAL TURFGRASS QUALITYVariety Keysborough Cromer Royal Adelaide007 6.5 6.5 7.2 Penn A1 6.6 6.6 7.1 Authority 7.0 6.3 7.1 CY 2 6.7 6.5 6.9 Cobra 2 6.7 6.6 6.9 Declaration 7.0 6.4 6.7 Dominant  Xtreme 6.5 6.3 6.7 Penn G2 6.8 6.1 7.1 Mackenzie 6.8 6.6 6.9 AGCSA1 6.3 7.2 7.3 Shark 7.0 6.9 7.4 SR1150 6.5 6.9 6.9 SRP1GMC 6.8 6.6 6.9 SRP1RH93 6.9 7.3 7.2 T-1 6.4 6.8 7.0 Tyee 6.5 7.2 7.3 Mariner - - 6.5 RAGC Blend - - 6.7 LSD (P<0.05) 0.4 0.3 ns TABLE 2: LONG-TERM AVERAGE OF VISUAL TURFGRASS COLOURVariety Keysborough Cromer Royal Adelaide007 6.6 6.6 6.9Penn A1 6.7 6.5 6.9Authority 6.7 6.4 6.7CY 2 6.4 6.6 6.6Cobra 2 7.1 6.7 6.8Declaration 6.5 6.5 6.4Dominant  Xtreme 6.7 6.6 6.8Penn G2 6.7 6.5 6.8Mackenzie 6.6 6.6 6.8AGCSA1 6.9 6.9 6.8Shark 6.7 6.6 6.9SR1150 6.4 6.5 6.4SRP1GMC 6.7 6.6 6.7SRP1RH93 6.7 6.9 6.9T-1 7.2 7.2 6.9Tyee 6.4 6.6 6.7Mariner - - 6.5RAGC Blend - - 6.5LSD (P<0.05) 0.2 0.1 nsRegular field days were conducted throughout the project38     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEcultivars that had previously shown significance. Surface hardness was evaluated with a Clegg 
hammer and on no occasion was there any 
significant difference observed.POA ANNUA INVASION, DISEASE INCIDENCE AND LATERAL MOVEMENTIn late 2011 and 2012 an assessment was undertaken 
of the percentage of Poa annua infestation that had occurred at the Royal Adelaide trial site. On 
both assessment dates there was no significant 
difference among the cultivars.At Keysborough, during the middle of 2011 Yellow Tuft (Sclerophthora macrospora) disease was evident among the trial plots, however, there was 
no significant difference observed between any of 
the cultivars.Lateral movement was assessed at all three sites on one occasion and at only one site was there 
a significant difference observed. SRP1GMC was 
the cultivar at Cromer Golf Club that showed the 
quickest rate of recovery, however, another seven 
cultivars were not significantly slower. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONSThere were significant differences for turfgrass 
quality, density and colour at the CGC and KGC 
sites, whereas at RAGC the differences were far less conclusive. The most notable feature of many 
of the new cultivars (including the vegetative 
cultivar AGCSA1) is the very high tiller density. The high tiller density provides a smoother putting 
surface, however, it does contribute to greater 
thatch accumulation. All the bentgrass cultivars 
accumulate thatch very quickly and there was little 
or no significant difference between the cultivars. The trials have demonstrated that there are several new cultivars that have improved turfgrass 
quality, turfgrass density, traffic tolerance and ball 
roll characteristics but not all contained within the 
same cultivar. As observed in previous trials there are local effects which can alter the order of performance 
and highlights the importance of undertaking local 
trials before selecting a new cultivar. The trials have demonstrated there are new cultivars that provide 
superintendents with a variety of alternatives that 
may be best suited for their location. In selecting a new cultivar the recommended process is as follows;  Inspect trial plots (where possible) and/or review the local trial plot data;  Select 3-4 cultivars that may be most suitable and establish them in large plots (minimum 
10m2) for testing in the specific location under the maintenance regime for that site. Ideally the 
plots should be subjected to regular wear (e.g.: 
a practice putting green); and  Evaluate for at least two years. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis research project has been funded by revenue 
generated through AGCSATech. Matching funding was provided through Horticulture Australia and is 
gratefully acknowledged. Thanks to Dr. Jim Hull, 
for assistance with the establishment of the trials 
at Cromer; Brett Chivers, Chris Allan and staff 
at Keysborough Golf Club for their assistance in maintaining the Melbourne trial plots; Mark 
Couchman, Leon Hennesey and staff at Cromer Golf Club for their assistance in maintaining the Sydney trial plots; and Jeff Kaines, Nathan Bennett and staff 
at Royal Adelaide Golf Club for their assistance in maintaining the SA trial plots. Daryl Sellar is also 
thanked for his assistance and assessments of the 
plots at Royal Adelaide. The full final report on this project can be downloaded at www.agcsa.com.au/
agcsatech/research. TABLE 3: LONG-TERM AVERAGE OF VISUAL TURFGRASS DENSITYVariety Keysborough Cromer Royal Adelaide007 6.7 6.5 7.4Penn A1 6.6 6.6 7.1Authority 7.1 6.5 7.3CY 2 6.8 6.7 6.9Cobra 2 6.8 6.7 6.9Declaration 7.0 6.6 6.6Dominant  Xtreme 6.4 6.4 6.5Penn G2 6.8 6.3 7.2Mackenzie 7.0 6.6 7.1AGCSA1 7.0 7.4 8.0Shark 7.2 7.0 7.7SR1150 6.6 7.0 7.2SRP1GMC 6.9 6.7 7.0SRP1RH93 6.9 7.4 7.4T-1 6.5 6.9 7.0Tyee 6.7 7.3 7.4Mariner - - 6.4RAGC Blend - - 6.8LSD (P<0.05) 0.3 0.3 0.7TABLE 4: FINAL THATCH DEPTH ACCUMULATION (MM)Variety Keysborough Cromer Royal Adelaide007 19 20 25Penn A1 19 21 24Authority 20 19 25CY 2 20 19 24Cobra 2 21 17 27Declaration 20 20 26Dominant  Xtreme 19 18 28Penn G2 22 22 26Mackenzie 20 22 26AGCSA1 20 24 27Shark 21 24 28SR1150 19 22 27SRP1GMC 19 20 24SRP1RH93 21 22 28T-1 20 20 27Tyee 20 25 28Mariner - - 25RAGC Blend - - 28LSD (P<0.05) ns 3.6 nsThe best guarantee you™ll never need.McCallum BAYE3560THE BEST GUARANTEE YOU WILL NEVER NEEDPERFORMANCEGUARANTEEWhen you buy a genuine Bayer product you are buying the absolute con˜dence that it will perform. In fact, we are so con˜dent that if the product doesn™t perform to label claims, 
we™ll replace it or give you another one of equivalent value. To ˜nd out more contact Bayer on 1800 804 479 or visit www.bayeres.com.au All products are Registered Trademarks of Bayer ©2011. 40     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEIn the May-June 2012 edition of ATM (Volume 14.3), John Neylan™s column looked at the issue of Poa annua control and questioned whether superintendents needed to take a more holistic approach to its eradication. In light of that column, The Pulse quizzed superintendents whether they have altered their Poa control strategy in recent times and what they have found works and doesn™t work at their course.war...Don™t mention thewar...fiOver the years, as with most superintendents, I have tried everything possible for Poa annua control. The most success I™ve had was restricting the amount 
of nutrient available to the plant at different times 
of the year. Unfortunately members require more 
grass on greens through winter for some reason, 
making fertilising through winter necessary, 
thus encouraging a good thick healthy sward of 
wintergrass to go with the bentgrass.For 15 years we™ve been spraying two applications of Exporsan and still getting Poa germinate plus continual complaints of the smell 
that would last for days. We also put out up to four 
applications of endothal but still to no avail. Last 
year I sprayed Nominee which had a devastating effect on all greens to the point that I will never use the chemical again. A paclobutrazol programme is used throughout winter, controlling the size of the plant but by no 
means reducing the number of plants. Our policy now is to manage greens until the surface is 
deemed to be too heavily infested with Poa to be a 
true surface. We then remove the surface and start 
again with solid turf.fl  Glenn Cross, Mt Lawley Golf 
Club, WA~~~~fiThe greens at Avondale are Penn G2 bentgrass and vary in age from 6-12 years due to the reconstruction 
process which we undertook. For the most part, the greens are 100 per cent Poa-free, which is primarily 
the result of huge amounts of labour spent hand-
weeding. To give you some idea of how much is involved, every green is hand-weeded every week 
from May until first renovation in September. All staff 
are involved and generally we would have 6-8 staff 
assigned this task daily for anywhere between 2-4 
hours. Depending on what golf events we have, this 
will vary.I have been using Exporsan at the full label rate for a number of years. Given how much Poa is removed by hand, I am left wondering about the usefulness of these applications. The 
first application is made during February at full rate, followed by split applications monthly to keep the 
maximum amount of active in the upper level of 
the profile. I™m looking forward to the future of Poa 
control with products like Nominee on the market AGCSAAGCSASERVICEProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance standardsContact AGCSA HR and Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellar 0408 322 397 daryl@agcsa.com.auAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     41and methiozolin hopefully not too far away.fl David Warwick, Avondale Golf Club, NSW~~~~ fiI guess Poa control for us would be considered a 
job in the ‚too hard/too expensive™ basket if we were 
to attempt to rid our greens of it in a quick fashion. 
Being a club with only two groundstaff, a tight 
budget and very old push up greens comprised of 
a very fine sand, our Poa population is about 30 per cent at its worst. A chemical solution is out of the question for us, so we generally concentrate on improving soil 
conditions with thatch reduction, regular dusting with 
USGA-spec sand to improve drainage and keeping 
the profile fairly hungry by limiting the amount of 
nitrogen we apply. Through these methods, over the past five years the soil profile has improved its 
drainage potential in the top six inches, increasing 
the length of the bent rootzone and diminishing the 
need to water as frequently. Because of this we can 
dry out the top couple of inches more in the summer 
months and allow the bent to flourish while the Poa dries out. As a result, Poa populations have come down from 50-60 per cent 10 years ago to the 30 per 
cent we have today. While larger, more prosperous 
courses tend to fix the Poa problem and keep a vigilant eye on any Poa problems on a weekly or 
monthly basis, I guess we just have to take a more 
patient route to Poa control.fl Eddy Ruis, Portland Golf Course, VIC~~~~fiThe construction of Ranfurlie Golf Course (Melbourne) began in 2000 with the course opened 
for play in April 2002. The greens at Ranfurlie were constructed out of sand sourced onsite that drained 
at between 150-180mm per hour, slowing down to 
90-100mm after compaction. Mechanical devices 
such as Vertidrains etc means that we keep the 
profiles open promoting good root depth. Dusting 
and grooming greens is and always has been an 
integral part of our maintenance programme along 
with annual renovations.Our methods for Poa annua control for the first 6-7 years was the traditional way, keeping the bentgrass lean/mean and stressing the Poa 
out. This practice though was achieving minimal success in keeping the greens pure with Poa gradually infesting the unhealthy and not very happy 
bentgrass. We applied light rates of endothal during 
summer and were forever hand-watering trying to 
keep greens alive.It became evident that we were slowly losing the fight and the wintergrass was becoming more 
prevalent and harder to remove as time went 
on. With that we decided to spend some time 
researching wintergrass control and talking with 
the industry leaders in the field. Following several conversations and site visits with Glenn Stewart 
(then Woodlands Golf Club, now Metropolitan Golf Club) we decided to change our whole philosophy 
on controlling the problem.Our endothal applications are in mid-July and August, one month apart at high rates, with fiIf there is ever a topic to get the 
adrenaline flowing in an old bloke 
who has dead set lost hair and years off his life (and so very nearly his 
job on several occasions), it is the enigma 
that is Poa annua! Why do we want to get rid of it? Because it is an inferior turfgrass! 
If that is the case how does it invade and 
then conquer?  At Castle Hill Country Club I fought the good fight for 20 years, but at what 
cost?  I lost a lot of turf and 49 per cent 
of the Board at one stage. We were 
throwing everything at this amazing little 
competitor, but still it hung on like a 
mongrel dog! We could eradicate 90 
per cent of it effectively, but the last 
10 per cent was so hard to shift we 
would debilitate the host sward in our 
attempts at perfection! Pre-emergents, 
post-emergents, cultural techniques, 
psychological techniques Πyou name it, 
we took the ‚holistic™ approach and then 
some, but no matter what we had started to call Poa ‚bloody™ annua, it was giving us a great run for our money! About three years ago I decided to stop the fight and let the different grasses 
try and cohabitate. In this multicultural society of ours it seemed like a logical 
approach. So what has transpired?  Overall the greens are pretty good 
year round and the vast majority of the 
members have never been happier! We 
use lots of PGRs and needle tines through 
the summer months. It is very rare these 
days for the putting surfaces to be the 
topic of heated debate in the clubhouse 
and I enjoy getting behind a walk mower most mornings with one of my young 
apprentices and bore him senseless 
about the days when we used to fight 
that little pale yellow grass in among the 
Agrostis stolonifera! P.S.: The Poms call it annual meadowgrass, the Yanks call 
it annual bluegrass, I call it #!@*&^ 
wintergrass!fl  Martyn Black, Castle Hill 
Country Club, NSWProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance standards42     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEgreens sprayed in two different directions to avoid possible serious damage from overlap. We also 
raise the height of cut to 4mm over the non-growth 
period. Irrigation practices and monitoring have 
improved particularly over the past few years. More 
irrigation over the summer months has resulted in a 
happier, healthier plant along with higher volume of 
fertiliser through the growing months to ensure the 
bentgrass is vigorous and strong, not allowing Poa 
to infest. Cultar is applied monthly from September through to March.We have had fantastic results using these methods and will continue to follow this programme. 
The amount of wintergrass in our greens surfaces has 
reduced to less than 10 per cent from somewhere 
around 40 per cent and rising prior to starting the 
above programme.fl Luke Harris, Ranfurlie Golf 
Course, VIC and Neil Craig, Australian Golf 
Course Management~~~~fiWembley Golf Course has 42 bentgrass greens 
that vary from two to 30 years old with a varying 
amount of Poa in them (0-20 per cent). When I first arrived at Wembley 10 years ago there was a lot 
more Poa (up to 50 per cent in some greens) mainly because of over-watering due to a poor irrigation 
system. I have always had the belief of a slow eradication approach here with limited chemicals being used 
on our greens. In my first few years I used to hit 
the Poa hard with growth regulators throughout the year which provided good slow control/reduction 
of Poa over time with no pre- or post-emergent chemicals used. This approach probably took six 
years to get them to the level where they are at 
now. Spoon feeding the greens with liquids has also 
provided the best results.We tend to tolerate small amounts of Poa as the seasons dictate how much is in the greens at any 
time. Over the last few years the hot WA summer 
months have controlled the Poa to the point where we have not needed to treat the Poa at all. This has been good as any chemical treatments just make 
the summers harder on the bent.When we hit autumn renovations we again don™t apply any chemical treatments until the greens 
are fully recovered, then we use growth regulators 
again in combination with spoon feeding.  There will 
always be Poa there but the growth regulators do a 
good job in slowly reducing the Poa and stopping any seed production, which is the key in my opinion. 
This approach is repeated until August or just 
before we renovate where we stop any treatments 
and follow the same applications until they recover, 
then apply growth regulators every two weeks until 
mid-November before heading into summer mode 
again. I personally believe Poa in small amounts is 
tolerable and the health of the root system of the 
bent is far more important than applying chemicals 
on a regular basis to control this weed.fl Darren 
Wilson, Wembley Golf Complex, WA~~~~fiPoa annua thrives in the ideal climate of Tasmania and therefore it is an ongoing battle to eradicate this 
grass species. The fairways and surrounds have 
a fair percentage of Poa in them mixed with other cool-season grasses, so controlling it on the greens 
becomes a constant containment programme. The only change we have made to our programme is using Primo mixed with a liquid 
fertiliser on a regular basis during the growing 
season. It works very well and produces a good putting surface.  It also stops any seed head 
problems affecting ball roll. I have also noticed 
a lower water requirement and less dry patch 
problems on the greens. The club has looked at a future greens resurfacing programme, so we have been doing 
some trial work with G2 bentgrass and have installed 
the new grass on half of a pitching green. This is a 
good comparison to the current surface and with 
the trial now running for 15 months it is interesting 
to note we are already battling Poa invasion in the 
new bentgrass.fl Stephen Lewis, Royal Hobart 
Golf Club, TAS~~~~fiIn the past here at Whittlesea we have had a 
programme for Poa control. We used endothal 
with various results, but the biggest problem we 
found was that we were left with bumpy greens. We have learnt over time that it is now easier to work with it (Poa annua) rather than against it and that the majority of our golfers wouldn™t know what they are putting on, as long as it exhibits the characteristics of what they call a good putting surface- Mal DurkinGet your signed copy of Thom Nikolai™s book.  The superintendent™s guide to controlling green speed. This great book, now on special, through the AGCSA Bookshop 03 9548 8600AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     43After many complaints from members we had to incorporate a topdressing programme to combat 
the bumps left after the endothal had done its job. Being a club with very limited funds we found the programme an expensive exercise and we 
couldn™t spray fairway and surrounds to try to 
eliminate the Poa altogether because of the cost.  
With the amount carried onto the greens and blown 
in from the fairways and surrounds it became a lost 
cause. I would love to have sprayed pre-emergent 
chemicals to help with the Poa but this wasn™t to be. We currently don™t spray for Poa and accept that it will be back as always. We cut our greens a 
bit more often when the Poa is about and roll them 
to try and reduce the uneven surface caused by the 
seedhead.  With Poa being present in our greens we 
have to keep an eye out for anthracnose as it tends 
to come in quite severe. I am hoping in the near 
future to try Nominee which I have read provides a 
gradual removal of Poa thus eliminating a lot of the 
bumpy surfaces that you get from other products.fl 
Brad Tucker, Whittlesea Golf Club, VIC~~~~fiAt Twin Creeks we treat Poa annua control/prevention with a holistic approach which has 
been vital in the success of keeping our greens 98 
per cent Poa free. Twin Creeks has been open for seven years and the then superintendent Phil Beal 
introduced strong pre-emergent and to a lesser 
extent post-emergent control programmes. We were 
lucky to have a new golf course built around old 
pasture land with no previous seed bank other than 
paspalum, therefore it was important not to become 
too complacent and start from day one with both 
pre- and post-emergent control programmes. Our current programmes are still the same for our warm-season grassed areas and for the first 
time in 2011 we used Exporsan on our greens 
from April-September. As we did see some Poa 
in selected greens, it was decided to put out an 
application of Nominee with good results achieved. 
Currently in our greens we have no visable Poa but I would expect to see some plants by the end of winter. If this is the case, another application of 
Nominee will be made. Of course hand-weeding is always part of the programme on all surfaces.fl  
Brendan Hansard, Twin Creeks Country Club, 
NSW~~~~fiWe no longer try and control the Poa annua in our greens, but we do attempt to minimise or suppress 
the seedhead that it produces with the use of growth 
regulators. No longer do we worry about reducing 
the percentage of Poa in our greens, especially as we do very little to control Poa in the rest of the golf 
course, except on our kikuyu fairways. We have 
learnt over time that it is now easier to work with 
it rather than against it and that the majority of our 
golfers wouldn™t know what they are putting on, as 
long as it exhibits the characteristics of what they 
call a good putting surface (i.e.: flat, smooth and 
consistent ball roll )By following an integrated plan of  Poa seedhead suppression, preventative pesticide programme, 
increased dethatching and scarifying, regular daily 
double cutting, irrigation management, use of 
wetting agents,  higher rates of bentgrass seed 
oversowing at renovation time and  increasing the 
frequency of Vertidrain aeration, we have found 
that the bentgrass/Poa annua combination provides us with a putting surface that can be managed 
comfortably by our staff, but then tinkered with to 
improve for bigger events.fl Mal Durkin, Moore Park Golf/Centennial ParklandsPick up Dr Frank Rossi™s book, now on special, through the AGCSA Bookshop 03 9548 8600Turfgrassproblems?44     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSSteve Marsden created history by becoming the first international superintendent member to win the AGCSA™s coveted Claude Crockford Environmental Award at the recent Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne. ATM looks at Marsden™s achievements during his tenure as golf course manager of the stunning Cape Kidnappers on the east coast of New Zealand™s North Island.AGCSA International superintendent member Steve Marsden has capped off a remarkable 18 months after receiving the AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award, sponsored by 
Bayer, at the 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne.The AGCSA award adds to a string of accolades Marsden and the Tom Doak-designed Cape Kidnappers Golf Course has achieved recently, 
starting back in October 2010 when it became the first 
golf course in New Zealand to achieve designation 
as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.  At 
last year™s NZ Turf Conference in Hamilton, Marsden collected the NZGCSA™s Environmental Award, while earlier this year he was on hand in Las Vegas 
to accept the GCSAA™s Environmental Leaders in Golf Award in the international category. fiI have always felt strongly that as superintendents or managers of land we need to 
be understanding and sensitive to the environment 
we manage to demonstrate to the wider community 
that golf courses do have a positive effect on the 
environment,fl says Marsden. fiBeing situated inside 
New Zealand™s largest mainland sanctuary - The Cape Sanctuary - it is important for us to play our 
part in the great environmental work being carried 
out across the wider property.fiIn a little over three years that I have been employed as golf course manager at 
Cape Kidnappers we have focused strongly 
on environmental stewardship.  As a team, we 
have implemented some new strategies in the 
management of the golf course, always trying 
to obtain quality playing surfaces and striving to completes treble forCape KidnappersCrockfordcompletes treble forCape KidnappersCrockfordAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     45ensure that the course plays the way Tom Doak intended it to. We have made steps to achieving these things while making a positive contribution to 
the environment.fiI have sought to up-skill my knowledge by attending relevant educational seminars and 
presentations.  We have also engaged with respected 
organisations such as Audubon International to help 
us formulate good practices that complement a 
quality golfing experience for our guests.fiWe have strived to manage this great piece of land with consideration and respect and promote 
our success with the golfing community and the 
general public that a well-managed golf course is of 
benefit to the community.flCape Kidnappers Golf Course was opened in January 2004 and resides among 5,500 acres (2225 hectares) of farmland known as Cape Kidnappers 
Station. In 2005, a joint initiative of adjoining landowners decided to create The Cape Sanctuary, which was established for the conservation of 
endangered wildlife and to restore native wildlife on 
the Cape Kidnappers Peninsula.  This sensitivity to 
the land continues as part of Marsden™s golf course 
maintenance operations, with particular attention 
afforded to water management, flora and fauna 
preservation and lowering pesticide usage.FLORA AND FAUNA PRESERVATIONThe Cape Kidnappers site was formerly grazed 
(sheep and cows). As a consequence of this, 
water courses and gullies have been damaged and 
eroded, native vegetation has declined and suitable 
habitat for wildlife has been compromised. A focus Above: In a little over three years as golf course manager at Cape Kidnappers, Steve Marsden has focused strongly on environmental 
stewardship, resulting in three major association environmental awardsLeft: Being situated inside New Zealand™s largest mainland 
sanctuary ΠThe Cape Sanctuary Πit is important that Cape Kidnappers Golf Course plays its 
part in the great environmental work being carried out across the wider property In October 2010 Cape Kidnappers became the first NZ course to achieve Audubon certificationPHOTO BY GARY LISBON46     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSfor Cape Kidnappers has been to restore these degraded areas with native plant species while 
improving habitat for wildlife with the reintroduction 
of native canopy cover.  An ecological report by a leading New Zealand ecologist was commissioned which provided 
details of the vegetation, fauna and the need for 
ecological restoration at Cape Kidnappers. A well-
regarded local ecologist was also engaged to 
carry out further work specific to the vegetation 
through the gullies on the golf course. Noxious plant species throughout these areas were identified and 
aggressively removed and staff are now able to 
identify these weeds and have become vigilant on 
any new activity or regeneration.  To promote its role in the preservation of flora and fauna, Cape Kidnappers has been proactive 
in engaging with the local community. When 
endangered wildlife has been brought to the 
property, such as kiwi and New Zealand™s rare 
brown teal duck, local school children have been 
able to experience hands-on releases, along with 
native tree planting projects where they are taught 
to understand the importance of providing a safe 
habitat for New Zealand™s unique wildlife.  Planting work by golf course staff over the winter months has concentrated on enrichment planting 
of gullies. In consultation with Doak, planting work  
has also been carried out to bring the landscape 
into certain parts of some golf holes. Seed has been 
collected from plant material on site which is taken 
to a local native nursery which in turn grows these 
for planting on course the following year.fiCreating and restoring habitats is a very satisfying part of environmental stewardship and 
to date we have planted 1748 native plants,fl says 
Marsden.  fiWe have built relations in the community 
with school children, parents and teachers 
and promoted our work to our playing guests.  
Endangered wildlife like kiwi and the brown teal now 
reside on the course and we have gained control 
over the invasive and exotic species that were once 
in significant numbers.flWATER MANAGEMENTWater consumption is a key environmental concern 
for all golf courses and the goal at Cape Kidnappers 
is to reduce water use.  This is being achieved by 
improving water quality, naturalising areas on the 
golf course that allow for the reduction of sprinklers, 
reducing thatch levels and improving soil structure.Tom Doak™s consulting agronomist Dave Wilbur made references to the soils on the Cape Kidnappers 
site as being ficompacted and lacking tilth and 
structure, indicating heavy soil de-flocculation... 
Under typical golf course irrigation this soil will be 
hard to manage in its current statefl.This lack of structure is evident throughout the year. In winter the soils become heavy during periods 
of rain as infiltration is slow, while in summer these 
soils are difficult to re-wet after they dry out.  During 
the summer months when irrigation is required it 
becomes a balance of offering firm fairways and 
surrounds while ensuring no turf cover is lost.  
Extensive and irregular dry patch is a challenge 
during the summer months and overwatering of the 
golf course can be very easy.Work has been undertaken to improve water quality drawn from bores which indicated high 
bicarbonate levels along with a high pH.  The 
introduction of acid injection has improved water 
quality. The application of granular gypsum to 
fairways and the implementation of thatch control 
will further help improve water infiltration and 
penetration.  Marsden has stretched out watering 
cycles with the use of broad spectrum wetting 
agents along with isolated hand watering of fairways 
with wetting agent tablets.The introduction of soak cycles (a pause or break among a sprinkler run time) has also helped 
water penetration and reduced runoff.  Annual 
auditing of the irrigation system and the on-site 
weather station are also important parts of the 
course™s water management strategy.  The recent 
purchase of a SPS moisture meter will further assist in regard to monitoring moisture in greens, putting 
more emphasis on hand watering.CHEMICAL USAGECape Kidnappers™ goal is to utilise an integrated 
pest management approach to keep turfgrass pest 
populations below levels that are economically and 
aesthetically damaging, without creating a hazard to 
people and the environment.Marsden has sought to use low toxicity products and further evaluation is continuing which will assist 
the club in the selection of the most effective, but 
safest option.  The use of new products with low risk 
chemistry has been implemented with products like 
Acelepryn which has a favourable environmental 
and toxicological profile and low toxicity to most 
non-target animals.  This is particularly important in 
the club™s quest to provide a safe environment to the 
wildlife on the property.Noxious plant weeds, such as blackberry, have been identified across the property and aggressively removedCape Kidnappers has promoted its environmental credentials by engaging with the local community. School children have been actively involved with the hand-releasing of wildlife, such as New Zealand™s rare brown teal duck, onto the propertyAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     47The introduction of pure fescue roughs, which involves the removal of the colonial bentgrass, is also ensuring long-term a more simplified 
management to these areas by allowing easy 
removal of unwanted grass weeds.  The pure fescue 
not only provides improved playability for golfers, 
it also requires less water and provides reduced 
incidence of the disease Melting Out.Fertiliser applications to greens and tees are all foliar (except at renovations), with sulphate of 
ammonia, sulphate of potash, magnesium sulphate 
and chelated iron and liquid seaweed extract as the 
main ingredients.  The addition of manganese has 
assisted with Take All prevention over late spring and summer. Fairways are also foliar fertilised, minimising leaching to ground water.  With just over 
50kg N/ha/yr applied, applications are modest.fiWe have established sound cultural practices, improved our observations/scouting of pest 
populations and have put in place acceptable 
and unacceptable threshold levels for all playing 
surfaces,fl explains Marsden. fiWe have looked at 
the suitability of our turf types and implemented 
changes where necessary.  fiUltimately the focus of our course maintenance operations here at Cape Kidnappers is to produce 
high quality playing surfaces. At the same time we 
are looking to employ management practices that 
minimise or eliminate the potential for negative 
impacts to the environment and the surrounding 
property. We also ensure we are compliant with all 
appropriate legislation and constantly re-evaluate 
our processes to achieve the highest standards of 
environmental excellence.flMonitoring of water quality (pictured is the dam on the 10th) is a regular part of the course™s water management strategyAnnual auditing of irrigation uniformity along with ongoing thatch control programmes and gypsum 
applications have ensured that water applied is made available to the plant more efficiently48     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSWhile Steve Marsden created his own slice of history by winning the AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award, popular Headland Golf Club course superintendent Ben 
Tilley also etched his name among the industry™s elite at the recent Australian Turfgrass Conference. Tilley, who has been employed as superintendent of the Sunshine Coast golf club since April 2007, 
received the 2012 AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award, sponsored by John 
Deere, adding to the AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award he won while superintendent 
at Beerwah Golf Club back in 2000.  Tilley won this year™s award ahead of strong challenges from fellow finalists Max Laverty (Redland 
Bay Golf Club, QLD) and Jon Carter (Wanneroo 
Golf Club, WA) and becomes just the second superintendent to win both the Excellence and Claude Crockford awards, joining Avondale Golf 
Club™s David Warwick who completed the double 
in 2004 (Claude Crockford) and 2010 (Excellence).Tilley becomes just the third Queensland course superintendent to win the AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award since it was inaugurated 
back in 1990. He joins former Gold Coast Burleigh 
Golf Club superintendent Jeff Gambin and fellow 
Sunshine Coast superintendent Pat Pauli (Horton 
Park Golf Club) who won their awards in 1995 and 
1999 respectively.For winning the award Tilley receives $3000 to put toward a study tour to the United States courtesy of award sponsor John Deere. This study tour will include a visit to the TPC Deere Run championship golf course in Illinois which hosts the annual John Deere Classic PGA Tour event.Tilley was nominated for the 2012 AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award 
by Headland Golf Club secretary manager Ben 
Dobson, with glowing recommendations from club 
president John Joseph and course director Alec 
Meares. All were highly complementary of Tilley™s course management efforts which were ultimately 
rewarded back in 2009 when Headland was named 
Queensland Golf Club of the Year at the Queensland 
Golf Industry Awards.fiThe AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award is just reward for Ben who 
puts his heart and soul into the job and who brings 
golfing pleasure to the members of and visitors to 
Headland Golf Club,fl says Dobson. fiDuring Ben™s 
time he has taken the golf course at Headland to 
another level Œ and at times under some of the most challenging circumstances.flCourse director Meares has worked closely with Tilley during his tenure and in his nomination letter commented that Tilley™s skill and enthusiasm as a superintendent was largely the reason behind why Headland had developed into one of the region™s 
leading courses. fiBen brought with him a strong work ethic, a solid background of experience and a clear attention to 
detail,fl says Meares. fiHe has exhibited a high level 
of technical skills particularly in the management 
of the greens which has resulted in a consistent 
surface appreciated by club members. During Ben™s 
tenure the club has experienced extreme drought 
and flooding rains, but his management has allowed 
the course to be playable at all times. fiBen™s ‚people™ skills are remarkable. He has moulded a multi-skilled work force and developed In winning the 2012 AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award, Headland Golf Club™s Ben Tilley has become just the second course superintendent to collect the AGCSA™s two most sought after awards.takes Headland tohigher groundTilleytakes Headland tohigher groundTilleyThrough the work of course superintendent Ben Tilley and his crew, Headland Golf Club has 
grown to be recognised as one of the best presented courses on 
the Sunshine CoastAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     49a strong club members™ Volunteer Working Group. At all times he is willing to talk to members either 
singly or as a group and regularly issues newsletters 
explaining the planning and purpose of major 
course works.flAdds club president John Joseph: fiBen™s most valuable work has been his staff management. 
Led by Ben, the staff now carry out almost all work 
associated with tee and bunker construction, as well 
as concrete paths. The leader in a team of eight, Ben gets 100 per cent effort out of all of his small 
team and has instilled in them a rigorous attention 
to detail to achieve high standards.flTHE NEXT LEVELTilley currently manages the Headland course with a staff of seven which includes assistant 
superintendent Brad Beetson. With over 1000 
members, Headland is a busy course and pumps 
through in excess of 60,000 rounds per year. Tilley™s brief during his initial interview for the Headland job was to continue to develop the golf 
course (within budget) to become the club of 
choice on the Sunshine Coast for both golfers and employees. Having spent the previous six-and-
a-half years as assistant at nearby Twin Waters Resort, Tilley has tried to instil a resort presentation mentality at Headland, constantly striving to attend 
to the ‚one percenters™ (e.g.: blowing tees and 
greens daily, no rubbish, tee markers uniform width 
and aligned properly).Since arriving in 2007 Tilley and his team have undertaken a raft of course improvement projects. 
They have constructed six new tee complexes and completed other single tee refurbishments 
with Grand Prix couchgrass and incorporated 
new concrete buggy paths, all of which has been 
constructed in-house. A number of bunkers have 
also been refurbished in line with the 2004 course 
Master Plan drawn up by Pacific Coast Design 
principal Phil Ryan. Most importantly for club management, Tilley has managed to complete all of these projects within budget.fiWe have migrated to Grand Prix as our preferred surface on tees and so far it is performing 
very well,fl says Tilley, who earlier in 2012 won the GCSAQ Achievement Award at the Queensland Golf Industry Awards. fiI do have some microclimates that 
are influenced heavily by shade which makes for a 
very challenging environment to grow grass in. We 
still have some conversions to complete, but they 
will only be a change of turf rather than complete 
rebuild.fl The removal of carpetgrass (Axonopus affinis and A. compressus) from the fairways has also been an ongoing project during Tilley™s time at Headland. In a bid to maintain a clean mono-stand 
of Greenlees Park couch, the removal programme 
has taken a number of forms.  Larger areas had 
two applications of glyphosate before being ripped 
to 150mm with skid steer loader rippers to loosen 
up the profile, then raked and levelled with a 
bunker rake. All loose debris was removed and 
then sections of fairway and rough were scarified 
to produce enough stolons to cover the prepared 
area. Despite the obvious down time for grow-in, 
this process has been successful in achieving 
consistency of cover. Smaller sections of carpetgrass have been hit with glyphosate, removed with a sod cutter and 
replaced with solid turf from Roberts Turf Farm at Chevallum.  Other methods of control have been Ben Tilley added to his 2000 AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award by taking out the 2012 AGCSA Excellence in 
Golf Course Management Award in MelbourneDuring Tilley™s five years at Headland a number of projects have been undertaken in line 
with the 2004 course master plan developed by Pacific Coast Design. A number of tees have been 
reconstructed and converted to Grand Prix couch50     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSherbicide-based with initial broad area spraying. Tilley now only concentrates on selective spot spraying with a hand gun from a 400L tank. He has 
also applied dolomite at 5T/ha to improve pH levels 
and encourage an environment that the carpetgrass 
won™t tolerate.fiThe reduction in carpetgrass contamination has improved the playing quality and presentation 
of the fairways and the members are experiencing 
a higher standard of playing surface,fl says Tilley. fiWe still have some improvement to go but we are 
heading in the right direction.Tilley™s greens nutrition programme follows a high carbon, low nitrogen approach. Regular tissue testing forms an important component of this 
approach, giving Tilley a guide to the plant™s nutrient uptake and deficiencies. Tilley has a strong focus on improving soil biology with regular applications 
of fungal and bacteria brews and liquid Vermicast. fiMy greens are by no means always blemish-free and not the greenest or lushest going around, 
but the members are used to sacrificing the visuals 
for smooth, true surfaces,fl says Tilley. fiMy mowing heights vary from 3mm in the growing season to 
5mm in the dormant months. I substitute mowing with rolling in the cooler months and even though 
it may raise some eyebrows with the 5mm height, 
we can still maintain green speeds around 10ft with 
regular rolling while preserving a longer leaf through 
the months where there are shorter daylight hours.flAs well as the on course work, as mentioned earlier some of Tilley™s greatest accomplishments have been his ability to engender a strong work 
ethic among the maintenance team, as well as 
develop strong relationships with the members 
through regular communication and interaction. He is proactive in communicating with members through the club™s newsletter and website and is 
open to talking to various sectors of the membership 
to explain his course management strategies. The member™s volunteer group, which comes in every 
second Friday, has also formed into a hard-working team under the guidance of Tilley who has found that they have become a great conduit through which to 
communicate course maintenance information back 
to the membership.Tilley™s approach to staff management has always been to allow his charges to take ownership 
of the course. As Tilley comments, he doesn™t want robots working for him and actively supports them 
to make decisions regarding course maintenance. Tilley is particularly aware of providing a safe, enjoyable and active learning environment for his 
staff. He also takes an interest in their lifestyles away 
from work and, within reason, will accommodate 
them on weekend rosters.Tilley has developed a machinery replacement programme which now ensures that roughly the 
same amount is spent on machinery replacement 
every year and that the machinery available to the 
staff is of the highest quality. He also adheres to strict 
WHS regimes and, as his past Claude Crockford 
Award demonstrates, has an acute awareness of the 
environment. Headland has implemented the e-par 
environmental management system and currently 
maintains platinum membership status.With the support of the management, Tilley regularly has staff bonding sessions, whether over a 
BBQ or golf afternoons at other clubs to look at the 
presentation and work routines of those courses. 
Off-site training for staff in their various fields to help 
develop a broader skill set is also important and last 
year Tilley™s apprentice worked as part of the crew at Coolum for the Australian PGA Championships. fiI know all these things aren™t possible at all clubs, but it works for us and the Board fully 
supports these initiatives,fl says Tilley. fiSuch a philosophy has really benefited our quality control 
and all the staff take pride in the presentation of the 
course and do a fantastic job.flBunker refurbishment has also been among the array of course improvement worksAlong with the tee reconstruction work, concrete buggy paths have been installed, all of which have been completed in-houseThe Headland course volunteer group has also formed into a hard-working team under the guidance of Tilley52     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSHighly regarded Sebastopol Bowling Club greenkeeper Scott Roberts has become 
the third Victorian Diploma of Horticulture graduate in as many years to win the AGCSA Award for Academic Achievement, presented 
in partnership with PGG Wrightson Seeds. The award was struck back in 2010 and Roberts, the 
first bowling greenkeeper to win it, joins inaugural 
winner Steve Johannessen and 2011 recipient Tim Fankhauser who both hailed from Victoria™s Mornington Peninsula.Roberts, who completed his course through The University of Ballarat, beat a field of four 
other fellow graduate students Œ Craig Geeve (NSI Ryde College), Ben Lucas (Wodonga TAFE), Kane McCartin (Chisholm TAFE) and Gerri O™Callaghan (NMIT) Œ and in doing so will be rewarded with a trip 
to New Zealand courtesy of PGG Wrightson. Roberts only began his greenkeeping career in 2005 despite having played bowls for some 25 
years. Playing from a young age, Roberts quickly 
took a shine to the game and over the years tasted 
much success, including picking up an Australian 
title in the early 1990s. In 2011, while undertaking his diploma course, Roberts won the Ballarat Region 
Pennant grand final with the Sebastopol team and finished runner-up in the state pairs championships. Prior to his career in turf Roberts worked in a foundry, but his love of the game convinced him to switch to greenkeeping and in a short space of 
time he has become highly regarded both within 
the classroom and out on the greens. During his 
studies Roberts was appointed greens manager at 
Sebastopol and as well as looking after the club™s 
two bentgrass greens and one synthetic green, he 
also helps maintain the turf greens at two other local 
bowling clubs.Such a role facilitated the need for Roberts to expand his turf management knowledge and 
when respected turf management teacher Phil Ford announced he was starting up a one-off diploma 
programme through The University of Ballarat from 
2009 to mid-2011, Roberts was the first to sign up.fiWhen my initial horticulture traineeship started in 2005 it was based on all aspects of horticulture 
which gave me a solid base of industry knowledge,fl 
reflects Roberts. fiHowever, most units only touched 
the surface in regards to turf management and didn™t 
go in depth enough in order to help me provide first 
class greens at Sebastopol.  fiWhen Phil notified me that he was starting the diploma course I jumped at the chance to enrol. As well as Phil™s immeasurable knowledge and 
great respect, an enormous advantage of doing 
the diploma was the knowledge the course™s seven 
other students possessed and their willingness to 
share their advice. It was a fantastic environment for 
me in which to learn.fiWith Phil™s training and course guidance I learned more in the first six months of my diploma 
course than all my previous time in my traineeship.  
One such example is having a clearer understanding 
about pest and disease management to the point 
now that if a problem arises I am fully confident of 
what course of action is required.flFord, who has had a long career teaching the next generation of turf managers (which was 
recognised at the 2011 AGCSA Awards when he was bestowed the AGCA Distinguished Service Award), knew that in Roberts he had a student who 
showed plenty of promise and greenkeeping nous.fiDuring his diploma studies Scott achieved excellent results in his exams and assignments,fl Sebastopol Bowling Club in Ballarat, Victoria, boasts two bentgrass greens and one synthetic. As part of his Diploma in Horticulture course, greenkeeper Scott Roberts undertook a study to 
compare surface temperatures on the two different surfaces during hot weatherAfter going the way of golf course greenkeepers in the past two years, the 2012 AGCSA Award for Academic Achievement has been bestowed upon up and coming Victorian bowling greenkeeper Scott Roberts.  award hason a rollRobertsAcademicRobertsAcademicAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     53says Ford. fiWhat impressed me most was how readily Scott applied the skills and knowledge gained in the diploma course to the management of 
his greens. As a teacher that is the most satisfying 
result Πseeing someone apply their learning directly 
and practically and achieve good results.fiScott™s research trial was an example of his uncomplicated approach. He identified a problem of 
excessive heat on synthetic bowling greens, found 
there was little local research on the topic, devised a 
simple but fair and unbiased trial, collected data and 
applied the relevant statistical treatment. fiHis final report is clear and indisputable. It has already been forwarded on to Bowls Victoria and 
Bowls Australia and I think it will have enormous 
ramifications for the use of synthetic turf in bowls 
and other sectors of the industry.flFEELING THE HEATRoberts™ report Œ titled ‚Bentgrass and synthetic 
bowling green surfaces: A comparison of surface 
temperatures™ Œ was completed as part of his diploma course. The study had two aims:  To compare surface temperatures on grass and synthetic surfaces during hot weather; and  To discuss the impact of the study™s findings on the current RVBA ‚Heat Policy™ for Pennant play.Using his home club Sebastopol and Central Wendouree Bowling Club (also in Ballarat) as 
research locations, Roberts undertook three tests on 31 December 2010. Fifteen surface temperature readings were taken on a bentgrass green at 
Sebastopol Bowling Club with the process repeated 
on the club™s neighbouring synthetic green. 
Roberts then travelled the short distance to Central 
Wendouree Bowling Club where he took similar 
readings on their carpet surface.The ambient temperature was recorded using a standard Stevenson Screen temperature box which at the time of the study was 37.8oC. Surface temperatures were measured with an infra-red 
thermometer, with the 15 measurements taken at 
randomly selected locations on each green. The results showed that the mean surface temperature 
of the natural turf greens was 34.5oC, significantly lower than the synthetic grass mean of 66.4oC and the carpet green of 68.1oC (LSD = 5.1oC). Robert™s study backed up previous research which had demonstrated that synthetic surfaces are 
significantly warmer than bentgrass surfaces. His 
results also offered further confirmation of the long-
held anecdotal belief voiced by bowlers who play on 
synthetic surfaces that they are hotter to stand and 
play on than turf greens. Such high levels of heat 
has the potential to endanger the physical health 
and wellbeing of some players.Roberts noted that it was important that Bowls Victoria was made aware of the study 
and encouraged the RVBA to urgently consider rewording the contents of its existing heat policy 
in order to make sure bowling clubs and their governing association are better able to meet their 
obligation to exercise the highest possible level of 
duty of care to all who play on synthetic greens.Roberts concluded by saying he would also argue that any move to revise the existing heat 
policy offers an ideal opportunity to re-introduce 
an incentive to bowling clubs wishing to retain their 
existing grass bowling greens.As well as the report being sent to Bowls Australia and Bowls Victoria, Sebastopol Bowling 
Club were so impressed with Roberts™ report that it 
has included in its 10-year future plan a provision to  
construct a roof over the synthetic green in order to 
improve player welfare as well as safeguard against 
Ballarat™s unpredictable weather.fiDuring my bowling career I started noticing an increasing number of synthetic surfaces entering 
the sport,fl says Roberts. fiAt first it was a novelty 
with most clubs keen to try something different.  
Unfortunately, synthetic surfaces are cleverly advertised as a cost efficient way for clubs to save 
money.  However, in my experience, this is not the 
case.  I want to present a reputable case for turf as a cost effective alternative to synthetic surfaces which 
can only be achieved by continuing to produce high 
class turf bowling greens.fiIn my job at Sebastopol I also maintain, with the help of volunteers, turf greens at two other clubs.  
These clubs previously were struggling to present 
respectable natural greens.  Many small clubs 
are without full-time greenkeepers and have two 
important factors to consider Πfinancial costs and 
labour.  Currently I am working hard to keep costs down and presenting good surfaces which are not 
overly labour intensive or rely heavily on chemicals.fiBy developing good turf management practices with reduced labour and overhead costs there will 
be strong budget savings without compromising 
quality.  By utilising machinery across the three 
clubs we have reduced capital costs per club.  Also 
by having a trained person using the machinery/
managing nutrition/controlling chemical usage, we 
are increasing efficiencies at all three clubs.2012 AGCSA Award for Academic Achievement recipient Scott RobertsBy undertaking the diploma course and improving his turf management knowledge, Roberts has been able to present first class 
greens for the Sebastopol Bowling Club members54     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 AGCSA AWARDS2012 AGCSA AWARDSAdelaide Shores course superintendent Tim Warren must have known he was on to a good thing when he gave a young lad from regional NSW a break back in 2011. Appointing 
David Canterbury as his assistant at Adelaide 
Shores, one of the state™s busiest golf facilities, 
Warren was impressed by the young greenkeeper™s 
credentials which had been honed during his time at 
Kiama Golf Club on the south coast of NSW.Canterbury has failed to disappoint since starting and after winning the NSWGCSA Vince Church Graduate of the Year Award back in March 
2012 continued to shine at the recent Australian 
Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne where he beat five other state finalists to win the AGCSA™s coveted Graduate of the Year Award, sponsored by Toro.Canterbury hails from the town of Moss Vale in the NSW Southern Highlands and undertook his apprenticeship at Kiama Golf Club and Yallah TAFE, initially under superintendent Scott McLaurin and then Mark Yates. Canterbury credits his brother-in-
law and former Kiama apprentice Michael Nichols 
for getting him into greenkeeping and for aspiring 
him to continually improve his knowledge and skills.Despite only being a second year apprentice and 19 years of age, in 2010 Canterbury was 
appointed as Kiama assistant superintendent, 
taking over from, ironically, Nichols. Yates had little 
hesitation in elevating Canterbury to assistant and 
he quickly became an integral part of management. fiAs far as experiences go, this was one of the greatest,fl reflects Canterbury (21). fiAs Kiama is 
only a short course with a small team, it was a great 
course to learn the ropes in a managerial role. Not 
long after I was appointed, Mark welcomed the birth of his third child and took some time off, leaving me 
in charge over Christmas/New Year.fiI managed to keep the course alive and functioning with the only complaint from the golfers 
being that the rough was too long! This was a real 
confidence boost for me and was proof not only to 
Mark, but to myself that he had made the right call.flAlthough the assistant™s position at Kiama was extremely rewarding, Canterbury was keen to further 
his career and in late 2011 he got the break he was 
looking for. Adelaide Shores superintendent Tim Warren was looking for an assistant and Canterbury 
duly applied, although not confident of how he 
would fair.  He need not have worried. fiIf you had asked me three years ago where I would be at the completion of my apprenticeship, 
I would never have dreamed I would be 2IC at the 
largest, most popular golfing establishment in South 
Australia,fl says Canterbury.fiMy responsibilities at Adelaide Shores are similar to Kiama but with a few key differences, the 
first of which is the scale of the operation. Adelaide 
Shores pumps through 100,000 rounds of golf 
annually, which means my focus is on maintaining 
the courses and presenting premium surfaces that 
can handle the massive influx of golfers.fiAs the assistant superintendent of such a large golf park, my managerial responsibilities are far 
greater than that of Kiama. The Adelaide Shores organisation is a government-managed facility and 
the golf park is no exception. The reality of this is that Tim must devote a great deal of time to meetings, budgeting and general office work, leaving the 
physical responsibilities of the golf course to me. fiI am relied upon to give a detailed analysis of both courses, providing Tim with an accurate assessment of course conditions and my personal 
recommendations for future actions.flDuring his time at Adelaide Shores, Canterbury is looking to further his skills by undertaking the 
Diploma of Sports Turf Management course, as well as continue to pass on his knowledge and 
experiences to help future turf managers. David Canterbury and Rory Bairnsfather-Scott collected the respective 2012 AGCSA and STA Graduate of the Year Awards in Melbourne and in early 2013 will be packing their bags to attend the University of Massachusetts Winter School for Turf Managers in the US courtesy of award sponsors Toro.top of their classGraduatesGraduatesAdelaide Shores is the home of 2012 AGCSA Graduate of the Year winner David Canterbury  (right) who was appointed assistant superintendent after serving his apprenticeship at Kiama Golf ClubAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     55fiI currently supervise three highly competent apprentices and take great joy in knowing that I am helping to build their careers,fl says Canterbury. fiUsing knowledge to run a golf course is a great 
thing, however, I believe all of my mentors would 
agree that it is even more rewarding to share that 
knowledge and witness the success of a pupil.fiLong-term my aspirations are to one day become superintendent of a top metropolitan 
course. While I know that this won™t be achieved 
overnight, I believe that with the right amount of perseverance, dedication to the job and passion for 
the industry, that I might one day get that chance.flWACA WONDERRory Bairnsfather-Scott has become the second 
winner of the STA/TGAA National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year Award, also sponsored by 
Toro, which was presented at the Melbourne conference. Bairnsfather-Scott, the first finalist put 
forward by TGAA WA for the award, pipped fellow 
finalists Logan Booby (NSW), Tim Hunt (VIC), David Sampson (SA) and Damien Miller (ACT) to join 
inaugural recipient Rebecca Dynon. For the past three-and-a-half years, Bairnsfather-Scott has been employed by the Western Australian 
Cricket Association (WACA).  While studying 
horticulture, he started working two days a week at a 
local bowls club and after completing his Certificate 
II began a turf management apprenticeship under 
WACA curator Cameron Sutherland. Such was his dedication that he picked up the CH Bailey & Son 
Shield Award for technical and further education at 
the completion of his apprenticeship.Bairnsfather-Scott has been involved in assisting the redevelopment of the WACA™s wicket block, the 
construction of the Murdoch University playing fields 
and assisting in bulk density testing of the wicket 
block. His long-term ambitions include travel to 
further his career and experiences with wickets and 
turf in different conditions.National Sports Turf Graduate winner Rory Bairnsfather-Scott (right) with STA VIC president Nathan ToveyBCI_J7588TRILO SPORTS FIELD  MACHINERYwww.evergreen.com.auTrilo market a range of equipment designed for sports grounds & golf course maintenance that includes professional grade 
Sweepers, Blowers, Vacuums, Verticutters and Scarifiers.The SG300 & SG400 Trilo vacuums have the ability to collect leaves, grass clippings, scarify and collect in one pass. They also 
have the option of mower blades enabling you to mow and vacuum 
clippings immediately. Manufactured in Europe Trilo holds an 
outstanding reputation for quality.Contact Warren Barker on 0418 301 005 for further information on the exciting Trilo range.Evergreen Turf is the exclusive Australian agent for Trilo products.BCI_J758856     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILEA passion for playing the game of golf got Wade Cranston interested in greenkeeping as a teenager. Now more than 15 years into his turf management career, Cranston calls the small coal-mining town of Glenden in Queensland home where he is in sole charge of managing the town™s nine-hole golf course and bowling green.Superintendent: Wade Cranston.Nickname: Fader.Years as a superintendent: Seven.Years as an AGCSA member: Three.
Turf management career: Mackay Golf Club 
(groundsman, 3 years); Indooroopilly Golf Club (groundsman, 16 months); Mackay Golf Club 
(apprentice greenkeeper, 4 years); Harbortown Golf 
Links, South Carolina, USA (Ohio internship, 5 
months); Glenden Golf Club and Glenden Bowls 
Club (superintendent, 7 years).
Turf management qualifications: Certificate III Horticulture (Turf Management) through Grovely TAFE, Brisbane.Where in Australia is Glenden and what is the 
town famous for? Glenden is located about 180 kilometres west of Mackay in the coalfields of central/north Queensland.  Apart from coal production, the town is known to have the best golf course in the 
region!Give us a bit about your background in turf management and how you came to be 
superintendent at Glenden Golf Club. I started playing golf at the age of 10 and as a result my 
passion continued on to the greenkeeping trade.  By 
the time I was 16 I was very interested in what was 
going on with the course and how the greenkeeping 
staff achieved their results.  I would volunteer my 
time in helping the staff during school holidays until 
I finished school in 1993, after which time I was able 
to start permanent part-time work as a groundsman 
under superintendent Eric Rickman at Mackay Golf Club.  I moved south to Indooroopilly Golf Club in Brisbane to improve my golf game.  I worked full-
time as a groundsman and played two Pennant 
seasons for the Division 1 team.  I soon realised that 
I wanted to pursue greenkeeping and returned to 
Mackay Golf Club to complete my apprenticeship.  I 
really enjoyed the work ethic and camaraderie within 
the working crew while in Mackay.After finishing my apprenticeship I applied for an internship through the Ohio State University and 
was accepted to work at Harbortown Golf Links in 
South Carolina.  After five months there I was made 
aware of a position being available in Glenden.  I was already aware of the layout of the course as I 
had played in previous Glenden Opens.  Soon after 
my return to Australia I began working at Glenden in September 2005.  As an extra challenge, I also 
maintain the Glenden Bowls Club green and as a result have now taken to playing lawn bowls as well!Give us an overview of Glenden Golf Club and some of its unique characteristics? Glenden Golf Club is a good challenge to all golfers as it has 
alternate tees on every hole except the 1st/10th. The unique thing about the course would be similar to 
that of other small rural courses in our region. The 
rough is thick and lush through the wet season and 
hard pan, exposed rocks in areas and dead dry tufts 
of grass through the dry months.  The fairways are 
lined with native trees from our region.The course was designed in 1985 by two local mining workers who thought that Glenden would be a better place for having a nine-hole golf course. 
The course has been built on the lie of the land with 
a natural creek that has to cope with the town™s run-
off and storm water.  Parts of the course have more 
topsoil than others and the soil profiles are erratic 
with rocks in the mix. Glenden Golf Club is a nine-hole course located in the coal-mining town of Glenden, about 180 clicks west of Mackay. During his time at Glenden, Wade Cranston has undertaken various small reconstruction projects around the course including changes to the green and surrounds on the par 4 7th picturedGlendenGolf Club QLDGlendenGolf Club QLDAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     57The tees and greens have been built from local creek bed soil which is a sandy silt loam.  The greens have become easier to manage with more 
regular aerating and the introduction of imported 
dune sand from Mackay.  This has improved root 
depth, drainage and the uptake of nutrients to the 
plant.  Having healthier greens has made weed 
eradication easier with selected herbicides too, with 
shorter recovery time of the 328.Take us through your turf management operations there and how you have fine-tuned them during 
your time as superintendent. The best things 
I have done in regards to turf management is to 
convince the members to purchase an aerator and 
topdresser.  I can now do renovations when I have 
to instead of waiting for a contractor to line up with 
the other courses in the area.  Aerating the greens 
with light dustings between renovations has really 
helped the greens stay healthier and play better all 
year round.What special environmental considerations do you have to incorporate into the management of 
the course? The only environmental consideration 
to worry about is limiting how much overflow or 
run-off from our effluent irrigation water reaches our 
waterways.  Overflow from our holding dam is hard 
to control during wet seasons.What are some of the major challenges facing Glenden Golf Club both from a turf management 
perspective and general club management 
perspective? Since I have been at Glenden, the Glenden Town Club has amalgamated both golf and bowls clubs under the one umbrella.  This has taken 
the financial burden off the two smaller clubs and 
their respective committees.  The main focus now for the clubs is to promote their sports by hosting more events and bigger 
tournaments.  The clubs are required to try and 
raise as much revenue as possible.  Both receive 
substantial amounts of funding to purchase 
machines and the general upkeep of the clubs and 
greens.  We also receive regular donations from our 
community coalmine Xstrata Coal. Outline any major course improvement works completed in the past couple of years and Course specs: Nine holes with alternate tees (6198m for 18 holes, par 72). Approximately 
18-20 hectares of managed turf comprising 
of 328 couchgrass greens, Queensland blue 
couch tees and fairways. Roughs are a mix of 
blue couch, paspalum and differing natural 
weed varieties.
Members: 90.Annual number of rounds: 5000-6000.
Major tournaments/events held during the 
year: Glenden Open (Amateurs) in April, 
Glenden Pro-Am (June), Holden Scramble 
(July) and Glenden Classic (4BBB Open) in 
October.
Annual course budget: $150,000.
Staff structure: Sole qualified greenkeeper plus volunteers who are able to maintain the 
roughs and help with jobs when major events 
are on.
Climate: September-April between 25-40+ 
degrees; May-August between 0-25 degrees. 
Annual average rainfall 800mm-1000mm.
Soil types: Silt/clay and rock.
Water sources: Treated effluent pumped into a secured storage dam located in the middle 
of the course.
Irrigation system: Course ring main is 
100mm PVC with variances of 100mm AC 
piping. Fairways are 80mm PVC, one main line down the middle of the fairway with 
Toro 670 valve-in-head sprinklers. Tees are 25-40mm PVC lines with Delrin 235™s and 
250™s impact sprinklers. Greens are 40-50mm 
PVC lines with 250 Delrin impact sprinklers. 
Toro solenoids for tees and greens being 25-50mm.
Cutting heights: Greens (3.5mm), tees and surrounds (12mm), fairways (18mm) and 
rough (30-40mm). 
Renovations: Our major renovation is carried out during October/November. Greens are 
scarified twice with a manual walk-behind 
scarifier (blades 6-7mm apart) at 5-6mm 
depth. We then use reno scarifying heads on 
an old greens mower (blades 25mm apart 
with brushes in between for sweeping into 
catchers, at 7-8mm depth) as many passes 
as necessary.  Greens are then topdressed with sand approximately 12mm thick. Greens 
are aerated with 12mm solid tines at least 
8 inches deep and sand/gypsum/fertiliser 
broomed in with 60mm broom heads.  Two passes or more if necessary during early 
stages of recovery.A minor renovation, if necessary, is carried out in February/March. We run two passes with scarifying heads on the 
greens mower and then mow.  Topdress with sand approximately 5mm thick then 
manually broom in two passes. We will aerate 
greens normally twice a year outside major 
renovation with either 12mm solid tines at 4-6 
inches deep or 8mm tines at a 4 inch depth. 
During the warmer months we groom greens 
when necessary.
Major disease pressures: Black and white helminthosporium and dollar spot are our 
major issues which I treat with Penncozeb 
and Thiram mixed together.  Pythium is treated with Rovral GT or Banner Maxx.  Dry patches are treated with Aquaforce or 
Revolution in bad cases.AT A GLANCE - GLENDEN GOLF CLUB, QLDGlenden Golf Club has been home to course superintendent Wade Cranston for the past seven years58     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILEhighlight any ongoing or future works that the club is undertaking. In 2008 I reconstructed our par 5 4th green using the existing irrigation.  The 
course™s first two bunkers were built on that same 
green complex. The green now consists of two tiers, 
making it far more playable than previous. In 2009 I constructed two greenside bunkers, complete with drainage, on our par 4 1st. With the 
soil removed to create these bunkers I built a new 
mound in front of the green as well. In 2010, I reconstructed the par 4 7th green using soil to form mounds in the surrounds.  The 
green, which is now kidney-shaped, was made 
flatter and has all new drainage and irrigation lines. 
Future plans include the construction of a bunker on the par 3 8th hole. Water is obviously a critical issue around the country at present and for country 
superintendents is probably even more critical. How is Glenden faring in the water management 
stakes?  Our club is lucky enough to have a more 
than sufficient supply of effluent water. Even though 
effluent provides other challenges with irrigation and 
turf management, it still does a great job keeping 
our course green and in a healthy condition.What are some pros and cons of being a regional superintendent? Being a regional superintendent, 
I™ve found that it™s very rewarding making 
improvements to the course.  Having worked at 
Mackay and Indooroopilly golf clubs, I™ve noticed 
that you receive more recognition for good work and 
not as many negative comments about your work 
and the course.  The challenges here at Glenden would be the availability of resources which are very scarce and 
as a result you have to order well in advance to have 
things when you need them. And, of course, you 
usually pay extra for freight.  The Glenden course was designed in 1985 by two local mining workers who thought that the township would be a better place for having a golf course. Pictured is the approach into the 1st greenGlenden hosts a number of major events throughout the year including its annual Pro-Am which is constantly rated among the state™s best regional events Tees and greens at Glenden have been built from local creek bed soil, which is a sandy silt loam.  The greens have become easier to manage with more regular aerating and the introduction of imported dune sand from MackayAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     59It is also very difficult to hang on to an apprentice greenkeeper due to the pay in comparison to the mining companies in the region.  I don™t blame the 
young people for leaving, but it is becoming harder 
to train someone and spending a lot of time, effort and money on them, only for them to leave.  I have now resigned myself from the idea of having an 
apprentice and rely wholly on what help I can get 
from volunteers.  Are expectations of course presentation and conditioning any less than that placed on your 
metropolitan counterparts? The members of the club are very happy, as are the travelling players 
from the PGA who play in the annual Pro-Am.  
We have hosted a Pro-Am event for the past 
five years and in every one of these have been 
nominated as the best event. This is in large part due to the condition of the course which has been 
labelled as ‚the best conditioned regional course in 
Queensland™.If you could change one thing about your job as a regional superintendent, what would it be 
and why? I wouldn™t change a thing in regards to 
the terms or conditions I work under.  As with any 
job you have your good days and bad days, but 
there are many benefits to working in a town such 
as Glenden.  How important are the relationships you have with other nearby regional course supers/
trade reps? I regularly keep in touch with other 
superintendents around the area and volunteers.  
Even now I still find that I am able to learn new techniques by communicating with others.  I firmly 
believe that it is important to maintain contact where 
we can trade information and keep up to date with 
the latest products that are made available to ensure 
that the high standards at Glenden Golf Club are 
maintained.What have you got in your shed?   John Deere 2500D greens mower;  John Deere 3365 fairway mower;  John Deere 1070 tractor with roller mower;  John Deere 6x4 diesel Gator;  Jacobsen GK4+ tees and surrounds mower;  Wiedenmann greens Terraspike aerator;  Cushman topdresser;  New Holland T1520 tractor with slasher; and  Viking 42-inch ride-on mower.At the top of my machinery wish list would have to be a bobcat.  At present I have to borrow local machinery when it is made available.  Do you think regional superintendents have a better work-life balance than their 
metro counterparts? Both regional and metro 
superintendents have their own benefits.  I would really like to have staff working under me to assist with the day-to-day running of the course and major 
renovations when they arise, however, at the same 
time being your own boss does have its benefits 
(as long as you have dedicated volunteers who are willing to spend their time helping out). The distance between Glenden and the nearest major centre (Mackay) is an inconvenience, but on the whole I am 
very happy here doing what I am doing.Favourite spot on your course?  The bottom of the 5th hole. You can look back and pretty much see the whole course.  The green is in great condition, as is the ribboned fairway.Most rewarding moment during your time as Glenden superintendent? It would have to be showcasing the course to any visiting pros or 
members from other clubs. The regular high 
praise feedback I receive in regards to the course management ensures that I maintain a high level of motivation as I know that the course is heading in the right direction under my leadership.Name three golf courses (they can be in Australia or overseas) that you would like most to visit 
and why? Augusta National, St Andrews (Old Course) and Cape Schanck in Victoria (it has some 
very challenging holes from what I have seen in 
magazines and golfing journals).OFF THE COURSE - WADE CRANSTONAny interesting hobbies/past-times 
away from turf? I have just started 
playing lawn bowls over the past year. I 
have worked on the bowls green here for 
the past seven years but never thought of 
playing the sport until recently. It is now 
fair to say I am hooked. 
Favourite sporting team: North Queensland Cowboys (NRL) and Brisbane 
Lions (AFL).
Favourite golfer: Greg Norman.Handicap: Three, but on the rise.  I have 
been down to 1 previously.
The best thing about Glenden apart from 
the golf club is... the social interaction between the locals here. Everyone seems 
to know everyone!
What do you do to get away from it all? 
Get in my car and drive out of Glenden, 
either to Townsville, Mackay or Brisbane to catch up with friends and family.Glenden comprises between 18-20 hectares of managed turf with 328 couchgrass greens and Queensland blue couch tees and 
fairways60     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTNEWS AND LETTERSWHERE™S THE WEAR TOLERANCE DATA?  Dear Editor,Thank you for producing a quality magazine time and time again, however, a recent article by Phil Ford titled ‚Winter clipping rates of turf-type perennial ryegrasses™ (ATM Volume 14.2, p44-46) did raise 
some cause for concern.  I was disappointed with 
the article and would like to go on record as saying 
that measuring clippings only is not an accurate 
way to advocate the use of a ryegrass for sport.  
Surely by this measure, an agricultural type annual 
ryegrass would look very appealing? I think the biggest question that is not addressed in this article is, fiDo Mediterranean ryegrasses 
handle wear as well as a Continental variety?fl  In 
addition to this, how do they perform over a range of 
important turf performance categories, i.e.: disease 
pressure, density, tillering, colour, aesthetics etc? 
In agriculture, Mediterranean varieties are used for 
increased upright growth and yield for grazing, but 
does this mean it is suited to a turf application? The article suggested that the differences between clipper rates of Mediterranean vs. 
Continental types can have significant effect on turf 
performance and should be factored in when turf 
managers select cultivars. This is very compelling, 
but what is significant turf performance? The article states that winter performance of a variety on a 
football field depends on its initial wear tolerance 
and then its recovery. This being the case, where is the wear tolerance data? Does the winter growth 
rate/clipper rate of a grass matter if it can™t handle 
wear?  Interestingly, I am aware of data where a Mediterranean variety was submitted in a trial in 
Europe and early results certainly raised some serious questions. Out of 80 perennial ryegrasses the Mediterranean variety ranked in the bottom six for a number of categories, these being visual 
merit (sward density, leaf width, disease resistance 
and colour), shoot density, fineness of leaf and live 
ground cover after applied wear.  For recovery after wear, it had the lowest score for the entire trial Π80th 
out of 80 varieties! These are what most agree are significant turf performance categories.  Based on some further study on turf performance, clipper rates should not be the only deciding 
factor when looking for a turf ryegrass for sports 
fields.   Attributes such as wear tolerance, recovery, 
density, disease, tillering, colour and shredding 
should be considered at the same time. We have 
covered some of these in the Australian National 
Turfgrass Evaluation Program (ANTEP) trials which are industry funded, from members of the Australian 
Seed Federation.  It would be good to see some of these Mediterranean varieties marketed here in Australia trialled and named in these independent ANTEP trials rather than having in-house trials done 
to show up individual traits. If they are not named or entered into ANTEP trials for these other categories 
one must ask the question why not?  Turf managers should be recommended to select varieties over a number of important turf 
performance categories, not just one.  I would 
agree, most definitely, some more research should 
be done before any conclusions are drawn from a 
one-parameter trial. MATT MERRICKNATIONAL TURF MANAGER HERITAGE SEEDSGOING ABOVE AND BEYONDDear Editor,
I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your comments about John Odell in the March-April 
issue of Australian Turfgrass Management (‚The lucky ones™, p5, Volume 14.2). I know exactly 
what you mean as I have been in the same position 
as you were in, sitting there riding around Royal Sydney Golf Club with John. You are correct in that 
it is his passion and knowledge that does come 
through and stays with you long after.I believe that in every generation there are many good and like-minded people in this sports 
turf industry who are working hard every day and 
pushing for what is best for the industry. However, 
all of these people need someone to take that extra 
step and fight and lead the industry forward. As far 
as I am concerned, for this generation that man was 
John Odell. FRANK DEMPSEY HEAD TEACHER, TURF MANAGEMENTTAFE NSW - NSION THE MOVEA quick wrap up of recent superintendent/assistant movements 
Scott Fogg (pictured): From assistant superintendent Gold Creek Country Club, ACT to superintendent Queanbeyan Golf Club, NSW.
Neil Graham: From superintendent Pinjarra Golf Club, WA to superintendent Melville Glades Golf Club, WA.Hayden Mead (pictured): From superintendent Spring Valley Golf Club, VIC to superintendent Kingston Heath Golf Club, VIC where he replaces Martin Greenwood.
Matt Milner: From superintendent Clare Golf Club, SA to superintendent Renmark Golf Club, SA replacing Ken Mumme.
Simon Muller (pictured): From assistant superintendent Royal Melbourne Golf Club, VIC to superintendent The Dunes, VIC replacing retired superintendent Mark Gahan.
Michael Nicholls: Departed as superintendent at Echunga Golf Club, SA and has left the industry after 27 years. 
Simon Prosser: Departed as superintendent from Oakbank Golf Club, SA and has left the industry after 20-plus years at various clubs. 
Mark Thomson: From superintendent Warrnambool Golf Club, VIC to superintendent Federal Golf Club, ACT.Dave Warnaar: From superintendent Wangaratta Golf Club, VIC to superintendent Warrnambool Golf Club, VIC.FoggMeadMullerPh. 03 9548 8600 Fax. 03 9548 8622 Email: andrew@agcsa.com.au;  jgeary@agcsa.com.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Road, Clayton 3168 VicTechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesLet us provide you with a truly independent diagnostic and analytical serviceAGCSA members 
receive a 20% 
discount off all 
AGCSATech 
services. 62     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAROUND THE TRADETHE LYNX EFFECT HITS AUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSES JOE™S JAC LOYALTY PAYS OFF Jacobsen has helped the tiny outpost of Edgeroi on the Newell Highway in New South Wales with the donation of a new mower following the devastating 
floods in February 2012. The only local shopping facility in Edgeroi is the little shop and service station owned and managed 
by the Nassif family which has stood on the site for 80 years serving the community and local farmers. 
As well as losing the majority of their stock and 
needing to pump out the fuel tanks which were 
compromised, Joe Nassif also lost his Jacobsen 
Turfcat out-front mower.Nassif is well known throughout the town because he is always mowing the six acres of lawns, 
roadside verges and paddocks around the small 
settlement using his aged but well-loved Turfcat. Unfortunately for Nassif the deluge washed away the 
machine which was subsequently found in front of a 
culvert, damaged beyond repair.Son Adam tracked down and contacted Alan Prickett, Jacobsen™s regional managing director in 
Singapore, and asked whether an old Turfcat could be found that could be purchased though a fund-
raising drive in the town. Jacobsen, together with local NSW distributor Proturf, quickly organised for an almost new Turfcat 728 4WD from the USA and at a specially organised 
town barbecue in early May the new machine was 
donated to an unsuspecting Nassif in front of friends 
and family.fiJoe was completely overwhelmed at the gesture and, after thanking his son for his thoughtfulness, 
he promptly jumped on the machine and started 
mowing!,fl says Prickett, who along with Proturf™s 
Chris Stig was on hand to present the Turfcat. fiWe were obviously delighted to be able to help and 
everyone connected with Jacobsen and Proturf 
hopes this event marks the start of a run of much-
needed good luck for Joe and his family.flToro™s new Lynx Central Control System has a number of exclusive features which provide greater flexibility for superintendents when it comes to managing their irrigation requirementsEdgeroi™s Joe Nassif with his replacement Turfcat out-front mower which was donated by Jacobsen following the NSW floods in FebruaryToro™s new Lynx Central Control System is gradually winning over Australian golf 
courses with Avondale Golf Club in Sydney and The Western Australian Golf Club in Perth 
among the first to install the new irrigation product. Toro™s latest irrigation control system for golf courses, Lynx takes the guesswork out of golf course maintenance by advising superintendents 
exactly where and when their attention is needed.  
The system gives instant access to past, present 
and planned course management information from 
multiple irrigation system components, including 
weather and pump stations, electrical systems, 
sprinklers, intelligent field controllers, Toro Turf Guard wireless soil sensors and more.The Lynx system can be customised according to the way superintendents individually visualise 
and manage their course. The Lynx central control has been built with an interactive interface and 
once the user has selected what information is 
most important to them, Lynx intuitively presents all essential data on one screen in an easy-to-use 
format. Its dynamic drill down feature generates watering plans and course reports by specific 
area holes or stations, allowing users to easily 
pinpoint problems and focus only on the areas 
of their course that require attention. This gives 
superintendents the capability to designate preset 
or customised water distribution patterns based 
on the entire course, specific holes or individual 
sprinkler heads so water is applied exactly when 
and where it is needed.The Lynx Central Control System has a number of exclusive features which provide greater flexibility 
for superintendents. Lynx auto-generates a detailed course report daily that lets superintendents know 
if their irrigation ran as planned, or if they need 
to step in and make changes based on course 
conditions presented by the system. After setup 
is complete, all programmes that are linked to 
Lynx can also be accessed from the field using either a handheld radio or a smartphone. Lynx is also connected to Toro™s National Support Network (NSN) which provides around-the-clock 
software and system support from experienced 
professionals. The Lynx Central Control System is available in three models ΠLynx SE, Lynx PE and Lynx CE. While all models display essential irrigation control 
features, the PE and CE versions are ideal for 
larger and more complex hydraulic systems. 
For more information about Toro™s Lynx Central 
Control System visit www.toro.com.au or 
contact Toro™s National Marketing Manager, 
Irrigation, Jennie Hartwell on 0408 828 920.AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     63INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTSMELBOURNE CONFERENCE WINNERS AND GRINNERSA number of delegates to the recent 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference Trade Exhibition walked out of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre with more than just 
a show bag.Superintendents Jason Bushell (Rowes Bay Golf Club, Townsville) and Mark O™Sullivan (Roseville Golf Club, Sydney) will be packing their 
bags for the 2013 Golf Industry Show in San Diego after they were named as dual winners of the 
Simplot Partners US trip.Commercial Golf Club course superintendent Anthony Toogood (pictured right) won Bayer™s 
business card prize draw, picking up an iPod 
Touch uploaded with Bayer™s Turf ID app. Justin Groves (Adelaide Oval), Idris Evans (The Western Australian Golf Club) and Bill Watchman (Sanctuary 
Golf Resort, WA)  each collected the runners-up 
prize of a Tribute-branded waterproof vest.Big hitting Shaun Page from Yarra Yarra Golf Club won a Sureshot GPS ss9000x for taking out the AGCSA Longest Drive Competition. Runners-up Adrian Morris (City of Whitehorse) and Mark Burton (Willows Golf Resort) each walked away with a Sureshot GPS Micro. Mark Johnson, 
superintendent of Ulverstone Golf Club on the north coast of Tasmania, won the Toro stand prize of an Apple iPad 2.RAIN BIRD OPENS NEW MELBOURNE CALL CENTRERain Bird has opened a new Asia Pacific Global 
Service Plan (GSP) call centre based in Melbourne.  
The call centre, which can be contacted Freecall 1800 225 512 (within Australia), provides 
comprehensive technical support and advice to 
Rain Bird™s customers throughout the region and, 
in particular, will support Rain Bird central control 
customers including councils, sporting complexes, golf courses and other specialist areas. The new call centre will be managed by Rain Bird Australia™s national service manager Dean Lillis and is the third international call centre that the 
company has established, the others being in the 
US and Europe.Rain Bird is also currently conducting its Academy Training series throughout Australia. Perth and Adelaide have already hosted the week-long 
training sessions with upcoming Academy dates 
scheduled for the Gold Coast (16-19 July), Townsville (23-26 July) and Melbourne (20-24 August). The Academy Training comprises a series of extensive and comprehensive technical classes centering on 
irrigation installation, maintenance, basic design 
and pumps. 
For more information about the Academy Training 
series and to download a registration form, visit 
www.rainbird.com/au/training.SYNGENTA ANNOUNCES KEY STAFF CHANGES                Syngenta Lawn & Garden Australasia has recently made some staff changes in order to better serve the market.  The Lawn & Garden sector covers the company™s Turf & Landscape and Professional Pest Management, as well 
as the Flowers Professional, Forestry and Consumer portfolios. Dr. Henk Smith (pictured) has been appointed as business 
manager for Turf & Landscape. Henk has been with Syngenta since 2003 supporting turf professionals in 
all technical aspects of growing turf, most 
recently as technical manager Lawn & 
Garden based in Sydney.  Henk™s previous role will now be filled by Dr. Mark Walker.  Mark joined Syngenta Lawn & Garden in late 2011 as the Queensland 
manager for turf, bringing with him a wealth 
of disease experience after working with 
AQIS for more than a decade and being 
a qualified greenkeeper.  Sean Arnott will continue his role as Victorian sales manager 
for turf and Syngenta will further augment its turf sales team with additional appointments 
in NSW and QLD in the near future. Paul Jackson has also recently joined Syngenta™s Lawn & Garden team as business 
manager for Professional Pest Management.  
Paul has most recently been national 
marketing manager with Globe Australia/
Barmac Industries and will be charged with driving the professional pest management 
portfolio into new areas and finding business 
synergies across the group.  EASTON JOINS SIMPLOT PARTNERS             Simplot Partners has expanded its team with the appointment in June of Craig Easton 
as senior territory manager NSW.  Easton™s arrival continues a string of new appointments 
made by Simplot Partners in recent times 
and he joins the likes of fellow newcomers 
Scott McKay and Stuart Miller. Easton, who 
makes the move after a number of years with 
Nuturf, is a former course superintendent and 
past president of the NSWGCSA. Easton can be contacted on (02) 9741 2960, 0419 768 
034 or email craig.easton@simplot.com.au       RUSSELL ACCEPTS NEW ROLE WITH TORO                  Cameron Russell has accepted the position of Toro Asia Business Manager, Golf (Equipment and Irrigation) and will also 
be responsible for the emerging non golf 
equipment business, within Asia. Russell has been with Toro since 1989 during which time he has held positions in 
Asia and Australia, having served as Area 
Manager Irrigation for South East Asia and managed the Irrigation business in Australia. 
Most recently, Russell has held the position of Business Manager, Equipment, which 
encompassed all Toro equipment business products and channels in Australia. Russell 
started his new role on 1 July.  In other Toro movements, Peter Schumacher has left his position as Toro Australia National Sales Manager, Golf to take up the general manager™s role at Pennant 
Hills Golf Club in Sydney. Schumacher, a 
former AGCSA Board member from 1999-2002 and AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award winner (2004), joined 
Toro in July 2007 after leaving his position as course superintendent at Elanora Golf Club in Sydney™s northern suburbs where he spent 
10 years.Anthony Toogood receives his iPod Touch from Bayer™s John Hall at the recent Melbourne trade exhibition64     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSA BOOK SHOPThe Golden Age of Golf DesignBy Geoff ShackelfordSleeping Bear Press, 1999For those who have an appreciation of golf course architecture, the name Geoff Shackelford will be well known. Over the past two decades Shackelford has developed a reputation as one of the foremost experts and commentators on golf 
course design. He is a contributing editor to Golf 
Digest and has a dedicated following on his blog Π
www.geoffshackelford.com Over the duration Shackelford has also penned a total of 11 books and perhaps the most enduring 
and acclaimed of these is The Golden Age of Golf Design. Although first released in 1999, it still 
remains one of the best golf course architecture 
books around and indulges Shackelford™s passion 
for and intimate knowledge of those classic US golf 
courses designed and constructed between 1910 
and 1940.  That period was renowned as one of the most fruitful and creative periods of golf course design 
and today many of the championship layouts of that 
era remain firmly entrenched within the myriad of 
rankings lists. Touted by many as Shackelford™s finest work, The Golden Age of Golf Design takes an in-depth look into the course architects of that era, presenting 
a veritable pantheon of the profession™s elite Œ 
the likes of Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross (of 
which Shackelford is an unabashed devotee), A.W. 
Tillinghast, C.B. MacDonald, Pine Valley maestro George Crump, Seth Raynor and Hugh Wilson. 
Each architect is profiled and their greatest works 
explored in detail. All the major classics constructed during this ‚golden age™ are represented and the list is 
exhaustive ΠOakmont, The National Golf Links, Pine Valley, Merion, Baltusrol, Winged Foot, Riviera, Shinnecock Hills, Pinehurst, Oakland Hills, Cypress 
Point, August National, Pebble Beach, Prairie 
Dunes, The Country Club and so many more. The 
book brings to life many forgotten holes, courses 
and great architects in superb detail.While the text is rich and fulfilling, what makes Shackelford™s book such a treat is the incredible 
use of old and in many cases rare photos, most of 
which had never been seen before the book was 
published. They are simply stunning and you can 
spend hours losing yourself in them and soaking 
up the delightful intricacies of these classic layouts.These magnificent photos are complemented by original quotations from the course designers 
themselves, shedding wonderful insight into their 
design philosophies and wisdom which in most 
instances carry just as much relevance today as they did back then.As Shackelford says in his introduction, there comes a time when, as we get older, we yearn for the old days when things seemed more simplistic 
and better. For golf course design, there was no better time than this ‚golden age™ and Shackelford™s 
book pays wonderful homage to an era which has 
left an indelible mark on the history of the game of 
golf.
The Golden Age of Golf Design is available for 
purchase through the AGCSA Bookshop. AGCSA 
members can purchase a copy for only $96 (non-
members $116). Contact Lyndel Conway on (03) 
9548 8600 or email info@agcsa.com.au. Visit the 
AGCSA website to check out the full range of 
turf management books available for purchase at 
www.agcsa.com.au/products/books.ALSO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM THE AGCSA BOOKSHOP–.The Environmental Stewardship 
Toolkit
By Anthony L. Williams, Wiley 
2012Dedicated to anyone who is striving to 
become a better environmental steward, 
Anthony Williams™ 300-plus page soft-cover 
book titled The Environmental Stewardship Toolkit is a practical, single source guide to all facets of environmental management. 
With detailed coverage of site assessment, 
water quality and conservation, wildlife 
habitat management, IPM and resource conservation, this book offers guidance and 
customisable implementation plans from a 
leading golf course superintendent. 
AGCSA members: $92Non-members: $110The Royal Melbourne Golf Club Π
History of the CoursesBy John S. Green, FSGP 2011
This superb, limited edition (just 500 copies 
have been printed), 224-page hard cover 
book details the history of Royal Melbourne™s 
famed West and East courses. Compiled by 
former club champion and avid historian 
John Green, the book concentrates on 
the period 1901 to 2001, from when the 
Royal Melbourne Golf Club first moved to 
its location in Sandringham in Melbourne™s 
south east through to the time before recent 
alterations were made. One of the most 
complete works produced on this sandbelt 
icon, this book is an absolute must-have.
AGCSA members: $215 (not available to 
non-members)Turf Maintenance Facility Design 
and Management
By John Piersol and Harry Smith, 
Wiley 2009Aimed at turf technicians and turf managers 
alike, this 180+page hardcover book 
examines a range of proven techniques that 
will enable them to design, build and manage 
an efficient and safe turf maintenance facility 
or overhaul an existing facility. Calling on 
nearly 50 years™ combined experience, the 
authors look at how to develop and implement 
cost effective maintenance programmes to 
help maximise the performance of plant 
equipment. One of the AGCSA™s best sellers over the past 12 months
AGCSA members: $99Non-members: $115PARTNER RECOGNITION PROGRAMMEPowered by the IndustryThank you to all the partners who help the AGCSA provide members with the greatest programmes and services the industry has to offer.PLATINUM SPONSORAGCSAGOLD SPONSORAGCSASILVER SPONSORAGCSABRONZE SPONSORAGCSA˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˝˘ˆ˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˝˜ˆˇˇ˘˛˘ˇ“€˘˘“€€€66     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTURF PRODUCERSThe Turf Producers Australia conference is a little over a month away and ATM looks ahead to what will be highly informative and entertaining programme for the nation™s turf growers.Surf andturfturfwww.turfaustralia.com.auTurf Producers Australia (TPA) will mark its 10-year anniversary when it hosts its annual 
conference at the Mantra Legends Resort on the Gold Coast from 22-24 August. Sponsored by Horticulture Australia, Turf Australia has put together a three-day conference for delegates which will 
incorporate a full day of education sessions, the TPA 
Annual General Meeting, annual Turf Levy payers meeting, trade expo as well as a tour to DEEDI™s 
Redlands Research Station.The opening day of the conference will be taken up by the field day and trade expo at Australian Lawn 
Concepts before that evening™s welcome reception. 
Day two features a full schedule of education 
sessions and conference dinner, while day three 
includes the TPA AGM, levy payers meeting and 
field trip to Redlands where delegates will get the 
chance to view the new soil erosion control research 
and development facility. This year™s education sessions have been designed to address a range of topics and some of 
the highlights of the conference will include:  From bedroom to boardroom ΠWorking with 
family (Jackie Furey): Gain an understanding 
of what makes family and staff members tick, 
how to work well together and how to respond 
rather than react to challenges.   Strategic planning for your family and your 
business (David Harland): Most turf production 
businesses are family-run and inevitably children 
will one day wish to have input or even take over 
business decisions from the current owners. Do 
all children wish to be part of the business, what 
about those that don™t, or what if none of them 
do but staff want to take a greater part? David™s 
session will provide real life examples of how to 
successfully transition your business.  Attracting and rewarding a top performing 
team (Stephen Wanmer): With competition 
from other industries, especially mining, it is 
hard to attract and keep good turf production 
and administration staff. This session will provide some new and innovative methods 
to keep employees performing at their best 
and providing them with a sense of pride and 
enthusiasm.   Marketing and advertising ΠHow to kill an ad 
(Rohan Johnson): Most turf producers have 
advertised at some stage, often without success. 
This interactive workshop will take delegates 
through several classic ad design blunders, 
explain how they affect the ad™s performance 
and how to fix them. Delegates will also get the 
opportunity to design their own ad.  Cost of production modelling (Jim Vaughan): 
This important session will look at how to determine your true cost of production. Many 
growers think they allow for most costs, or have 
a calculated guess, but there are many hidden 
considerations that impact on profitability. This 
turf cost calculator has been developed by Turf Queensland and DEEDI (see Turf Queensland column on opposite page).   Tips for tender writing and gaining grants 
(Katrina Tehan): Turf customers are increasingly specifying jobs or placing out to tender in order 
to gain the best possible price for a given quality. 
In this session learn how to seek and find these 
tenders from areas you might not have thought 
of and how to write convincing tenders.  QUEENSLANDERS NAMED FUTURE LEADERSThe upcoming conference will give delegates the opportunity 
to congratulate Turf Australia™s recently announced Future Leaders Program recipients. Erin Quinlan 
(Australian Lawn Concepts) and Michael Newton (Bay Turf Gladstone) have been named as 
dual recipients in 2012, the fourth 
year in which the Turf Australia initiative has been running.The Future leaders Program aims to foster, develop and 
encourage knowledge and 
leadership in the younger 
generation of people who work within the turf 
industry and offers them opportunity to travel to 
international destinations and ensure that research 
and networking developments are maintained.Quinlan and Newton will be heading to Florida in late July to inspect a range of turf farms and 
sports stadiums, as well as the University of Florida 
research facilities. They will also attend the Turf Producers International mid-summer conference to 
be held in Asheville, South Carolina from 30 July-3 
August.Quinlan has been working in the turf industry for five-and-a-half years and started her employment 
with Australian Lawn Concepts as a sales assistant.  
Through her commitment to further her career, this The upcoming Turf Australia conference on the Gold Coast will include a visit to Redlands Research Station to view the soil erosion control trial siteQuinlanNewtonAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     67role has transitioned through roles of sales and marketing and logistics to her recent role as general 
manager in 2010.Newton has been raised in the turf production industry and realises the importance of what he 
and other turf producers are trying to achieve.  After 
only a few years of completing his senior schooling, 
Newton has undertaken part of a joint venture with 
Bay Turf Gladstone. Quinlan will be presenting at the Turf Australia conference and will join with Paul Donovan to give a session on making turf invoicing and delivery 
easier and efficient. This interactive case study demonstration will show how a clever software 
programme has helped a business become more 
efficient without costly mistakes when it comes to 
harvesting for jobs, invoicing and delivery.
For more information about the Turf Australia 
conference, visit www.turfaustralia.com or 
contact Turf Australia administration officer 
Christine Hughes on 07 3286 6601, 0402 500 616 
or email admin@turfaustralia.com.auTA CALLS FOR FORMALISED GREEN SPACE RATIOAs part of a national marketing campaign to 
promote the benefits of turf and preserve 
community grassed spaces, Turf Australia is calling on councils Australia-wide to formalise 
a minimum green space ratio. With no current 
formal minimum green space ratio in Australia, Turf Australia is willing councils to meet a benchmark of 
40 square metres of green space per resident as 
part of its Council Kudos programme.  The call to action comes as a result of consumer research that revealed 91 per cent of Australians 
claim publicly accessible grassed areas in cities and 
towns create a better quality of life. fiAll councils work to set local environment plan guidelines for development, including the minimum 
size of house and units,fl says Turf Australia general manager Matthew Holmes. fiOur Council Kudos 
programme calls on councils to guarantee a 
minimum green space ratio for the benefit of their 
residents. Forty square metres is approximately the size of a large living room and many councils, 
including those in the inner city, already provide 
much more than this.flTurf Australia has singled out for praise several major councils nationally that are committed to 
sustainability, creating community green spaces 
and forward-thinking urban planning. Major councils who have agreed to meet the minimum suggested 
green space ratio include Adelaide City Council, 
Perth City Council, Warringah Council, Manly 
Council and Townsville City Council. Turf Australia applauds the work of councils such as Warringah Council, which this summer 
announced a $2 million programme to maintain 
turfed open space, including 127 sports fields which 
will be aerated, fertilised and returfed. The City of Greater Geelong Council has committed $120,000 over three years to turfing 
and maintaining Steampacket Gardens, its most highly prized and largest public area situated on 
the Geelong Waterfront. Adelaide City Council lays 
6400 square metres of new kikuyu turf each year in 
Rundle Park, to ensure the park remains useable.Councils committed to Turf Australia™s Council Kudos programme are: Bankstown City Council, 
Liverpool City Council, Manly Council, Warringah 
Council, Cairns Regional Council, Fraser Coast Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council, 
Rockhampton Regional Council, Sunshine Coast 
Regional Council, Townsville City Council, Adelaide City Council, Greater Geelong City Council, Monash 
City Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, 
Fremantle City Council, Mandurah City Council and Perth City Council.TURF QUEENSLAND FOCUSES ON COST REDUCTIONTurf Queensland has for the past two years been 
developing an economic 
turfgrass production 
management tool and in June 
2012 it was finally released to members. The Turf Cost Calculator was officially released by John O™Neil, director 
of the Sustainability Branch within the 
Queensland Department of Environment and 
Heritage Protection.  This cost calculator has been explained to Turf Queensland members at workshops in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane and to date has been trialled on four turf farms 
and continuously modified and updated prior 
to its final format. At the release in Brisbane, all turf farms present were eager to obtain a 
copy of the cost calculator which is under Turf Queensland password protection due to its 
intellectual property rights and only available 
to members at this stage.  This tool has been developed by a Queensland Government economist in 
conjunction with the Queensland turf 
production industry. The economist has more 
than 200 cost calculators to his credit, thus 
ensuring its credibility.Supporting the Turf Cost Calculator is another Turf Queensland efficiency project entitled ‚Eco-Turf™ that focuses on waste and increasing efficiencies on the farm. This is 
again supported by the State Government. 
During these hard economic times it is important to identify inefficiencies in order to 
improve farm productivity.Research and development continues to be an integral part of ongoing professionalism 
and quality with Turf Queensland undertaking a number of research programmes on Turf Queensland member sites. These projects 
all support our push for recognition and 
awareness that Turf Queensland is a professional, quality and sustainable industry 
group. The Turf Queensland website has also recently completed its development and we 
encourage you to have a look at it - www.
qtpa.com.au  JIM VAUGHAN CEO, TURF QLDTurf Australia general manager Matthew Holmes with Manly Council mayor Jean Hay AM68     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSI was fortunate along with about 20 other Kiwis to attend the 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition held in Melbourne. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the 
great hospitality and warm welcome we received. As 
AGCSA Distinguished Service Award winner John Odell spoke about during the President™s Dinner, 
there is a great ANZAC spirit between us and our 
industry is a fine example of that. Congratulations to Peter Frewin, Simone Staples and all the AGCSA staff for such a tremendous week of education, networking 
and fantastic social occasions. Attending the 
International Summit prior to the conference was a first for the NZGCSA and was a very positive event to partake in and a bit of an eye opener for such a 
small association as ours. Congratulations also to 
Steve Marsden and Cape Kidnappers for winning 
the AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award.The North Island Fine Turf Seminar hosted by the Manawatu/Wanganui Turf Managers Association mid-June was a great success and their organising 
committee led by Glenn Finlayson needs to be 
commended for the effort and work that went into 
the seminar. A special thanks to all the sponsors and 
trade companies that continue to lend their support 
to these important events. The NZGCSA AGM was held during this event and has seen a changing of the guard with some 
new faces coming on board. After my brief stint 
as interim president following Grant Bunting™s 
departure, I am pleased to announce that Ryan Irwin from Queenstown Golf Club is our new president. Ryan has been on the NZGCSA Board for a number of years and takes over at an exciting 
time for the NZGCSA as we start to build on some of the initiatives that have been recently introduced. Two new faces have joined the board in Dane Hawker (North Shore GC) and Steve Hodson (Westtown GC). Both of these gentlemen have 
spent numerous years at regional level in various 
capacities for their associations and will do a fine job 
on the national executive. The retirement of Ian Carruthers from the Board after nearly 14 years deserves special mention. 
His commitment, passion and loyalty to all things 
NZGCSA says a lot about the man and he has helped to shape and direct all of us that have had 
the pleasure to work alongside him. Ian was always 
there when you needed him, had a great calming 
influence and eye for detail and a wonderful grasp 
of the financial demands of running the association. 
Sadly Steve Marsden has also stepped down but I am sure he will not be lost to our association. Thank you to both Ian and Steve.An awards dinner was held during the seminar with our three major winners announced. The 
NZGCSA Graduate of the Year Award, presented in conjunction with Power Turf NZ and Jacobsen, was presented to Dwayne Dunn (Recreation Services, Takapuna Golf Club). The NZGCSA Environmental Award, presented in conjunction with PGG Wrightson 
Turf, went to Rick Machray (Arrowtown Golf Club), while the NZGCSA John Deere Excellence Award went to Rob Dunkley from Ngaruawahia Golf Club. Congratulations to all winners and finalists along 
with all of our wonderful sponsors. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to a great mate and servant 
of the industry, immediate past president of the 
AGCSA Allan Devlin. Allan, to be invited to sit on your table at the President™s Dinner in Melbourne 
was a privilege. The work and commitment that you 
have given in your time at the AGCSA, culminating as president, has been second to none. You have done a wonderful job, been a great ambassador and you should be very proud; our 
industry needs more people like you for us to 
continue to move forward. Thank you for the support you and the AGCSA have given the NZGCSA and to have you involved in our conference last year was 
greatly appreciated by our members and our board. 
To top it off, you™re a bloody good bloke! PETER BOYDIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, NZGCSAI was very impressed with the recent 
Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne, in particular the presentations in the Sportsfield stream. It was a great opportunity to catch up with 
many people in our industry and I would like to congratulate the AGCSA for all the work that goes into producing such 
a big event. It was also great to see our young sports turf graduate representatives 
enjoying themselves at the conference. 
The week was a big opportunity for them as they mixed with industry leaders. 
Congratulations to Rory Bairnsfather-Scott from WA on taking out the national title. We are very grateful to Toro Australia for their support of this award. On the home front, we are preparing for our annual Regional Seminar at Kurri Kurri TAFE in the Hunter Valley on 14 August. This is always a great day with 
plenty of informative presentations and 
machinery demonstrations. We have also had a change of date for our Cricket Wicket Seminar which will now be held on 16-17 October. This event 
is a great experience for anyone working 
on wickets. It comprises two days of presentations and demonstrations on live 
wickets covering every aspect of wicket 
preparation and maintenance. We are 
fortunate to again have Les Burdett who not only is very knowledgeable but has a 
great way of entertaining and engaging 
the audience while demonstrating on the 
wickets. This year we are also planning for presentations from other leading wicket 
curators from around the country so it 
will be a big event. All the details will 
be on our website and I look forward to 
seeing many of you at this and our other 
upcoming events. CHRIS CHAPMANPRESIDENT, STA NSWIncoming NZGCSA president Ryan Irwin from Queenstown Golf ClubSTA NSWNZGCSAAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     69It looks as though we are in for another cold winter here in the ACT region. Already we have 
had some heavy frosts with well below zero temperatures tipped to arrive as you read this 
report. Couch surfaces are now well into dormancy 
and with grass growth slowing right down it allows 
greenkeepers to catch up on some much needed 
annual leave.  The STA ACT committee is busy finalising arrangements for the upcoming annual turf seminar to be held on 25 July at the Hellenic Club in Woden. This year™s seminar will feature speakers presenting 
on a wide range of topics including:   Superannuation;  Skin cancer;  Trial work bringing couch out of dormancy;  Converting bowling green surfaces;  Building of ACT™s first synthetic bowling green;  Watering sportsgrounds using stormwater; and  Using artificial light to enhance turf growth. There is certainly something for everyone and trade stalls will also be set up around the auditorium 
with sponsors keen to show off their latest products. 
It is a great time to catch up with fellow greenkeepers 
and share our experiences.In the last ATM you were introduced to our two representatives in the final for the Toro-sponsored Graduate of the Year Awards at the Australian 
Turfgrass Conference ΠMark Spicer from The Moorings Resort, South Coast (AGCSA Graduate of the Year Award and Damien Miller from Young Bowling Club (National Sports Turf Graduate Award). The STA ACT congratulates both Mark and Damien on this recognition and it is re-assuring to 
know there are greenkeepers of this calibre coming 
through our industry.The STA ACT Annual Golf Day was recently conducted at Gold Creek Country Club under 
perfect blue sunny skies. Superintendent Scott 
Harris and his staff should be congratulated for the 
condition the course was presented in. The event was a three-man Ambrose with Peter George, Brendan Warby and Andrew Steele taking out the nett prize and Rob Cooper, Scott Fogg and 
Dave Ablett winning the scratch event. A great day was had by all and I encourage everyone to put next 
year™s event high on their list of priorities. Thanks to 
everyone who helped on the day, particularly Billy Franklin (Nuturf) for his culinary skills on the BBQ. In other news our lawn bowling greenkeepers headed off to Newcastle for their annual NSW Bowling Greenkeepers Association Conference in mid-June. Our AGM will be held in coming months 
and details will be advised shortly.DANNY HULLCOMMITTEE, STA ACT REGIONNo doubt the 2012 Australian Turfgrass Conference will be well covered by editor 
Brett Robinson elsewhere in this issue suffice to say it was heartening to see such a 
large contingent from Queensland in attendance 
and especially good to see Headland Golf Club 
superintendent and GCSAQ committeeman Ben Tilley take out the John Deere sponsored AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award. Queensland will be host for the next two conferences with Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast hosting 2013 and the Gold Coast back in 
the limelight in 2014.  Those of you who haven™t 
seen Twin Waters will be in for a treat as host superintendent Gary Topp and his crew do a sensational job on the course and provide some of 
the best turf in south east Queensland.On a personal note I would like to thank everyone who has wished me well on my appointment as 
AGCSA president.  It is a great honour to accept the role and one that I don™t take lightly.  If I can be of any assistance to AGCSA members in any way please do not hesitate to contact me.The annual GCSAQ bus trip is just around the corner and we will be travelling to the beautiful city of Toowoomba and playing golf at John Halter™s City Golf Club on the Friday and at Tom Meara™s Clifton Golf Club on the way home on Sunday.  
Clifton has a couple of other claims to fame in that 
it is home to GCSAQ member Ross Watson™s first design, while QLD drumMUSTER  guru Colin Hoey is Clifton Golf Club captain.The GCSAQ AGM will then be upon us and this year we visit Charlie Giffard™s Indooroopilly Golf 
Club on Monday 27 August.  Golf will be a 7.30am 
shotgun and lunch will follow, proudly sponsored by 
Toro.  This year we will also have a course inspection from 10.30am for those not wanting to play but 
eager to see the great work Charlie and his crew 
have done in the aftermath of the floods.  As always 
if you would like to nominate for the committee just 
keep an eye out for the relevant documentation or 
contact a current committee member for information.The 2012 GCSAQ Turf Research Golf Day on Tuesday 30 October will return to Sanctuary Cove G&CC and host Robin Doodson has us playing the 
Pines Course this year.  Twin View Turf will again be our major sponsor.PETER LONERGANPRESIDENT, GCSAQSTA ACT REGIONGCSAQIndooroopilly Golf Club will host the GCSAQ AGM in late August70     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTVGCSAThe VGCSA had a great turn out of members for its 85th Annual General Meeting held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club at the start of May. Host superintendent Richard Forsyth had the East Course in fantastic condition and it was great to see the results of the new resurfacing work that has 
been carried out in recent times.   The VGCSA committee members were all re-elected for another term which will provide 
consistency and a clear focus for the association in 
the year ahead. The full VGCSA committee is:   President: Steve Hewitt (Thirteenth Beach)   Vice-president: Tim Bilston (Heidelberg GC)   Secretary: Barry Proctor (Cranbourne GC)   Treasurer: Mark Jennings (Box Hill GC)   Committee: Michael Freeman (Huntingdale GC), Mat Poultney (Greenacres GC), Dave 
Mason (Riversdale GC) and Jeremy Cutajar 
(Ringwood GC).   To complement the AGM, the day was made even more memorable by being able to present 
Richard Forsyth life membership of the VGCSA.  Richard served on the VGCSA committee from 1993-2000, including two years as vice-president 
and then a further two as president (1998-2000). Speaking to the members Richard commented: fiI™m very proud and honoured to receive life 
membership and will treasurer it always. The VGCSA has been something that has been dear to me 
over many years and I still remember Ben Nowell 
bringing me along to my first meeting when I was an assistant. Since then I have really enjoyed every moment of being involved with the association, 
whether it has been through my involvement on 
the committee, attending meetings and gaining 
knowledge from other superintendents, or the many 
wonderful friendships I have made over the years.fl As well as honouring Richard, Nick Marino was presented with the VGCSA Apprentice of the Year Award.  Nick is currently employed at Rosanna 
Golf Club under Dean Bailey and completed his 
apprenticeship at Ivanhoe Golf Club.  The other candidate this year was Scott Middleton from The 
Barwon Heads Golf Club.The major golf winners on the day were Brett Hawkey (Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club) who won the Powell Trophy and Sandhurst Club superintendent Peter Jans who collected the Toro Cup stableford honours. Mark Dougherty (Globe Australia) won the President™s Shield in the trade competition. The VGCSA gratefully acknowledges sponsors Toro.The combined VGCSA Country Meeting and Assistants meeting was held at Rich River Golf Club in late May. There was a fantastic attendance with 
56 players booked in for golf and 92 attending the 
dinner and educational sessions. As guest speakers, Richard Forsyth, Leigh Yanner (The National) and Terry Woodcock (Sportsturf Consultants) excelled in their role, 
providing great content which resulted in plenty of 
discussion. Thank you to all guest speakers and 
to sponsors Anco, David Golf, K&B Adams, Turf Culture and Toro. Rich River superintendent Andrew Johnson had his two courses in magnificent condition and 
we greatly appreciate the efforts of Andrew, the staff 
and Rich River Golf Club for providing a fantastic 
venue for our meeting. Our next education meeting 
will be held at Kew Golf Club on Monday 6 August 
with Globe sponsoring the day.STEVEN HEWITTPRESIDENT, VGCSASTA VICWinter is upon us, but exciting 
times are happening in Victoria. 
As of 20 May 2012 TGAA Vic (Inc.) has changed its name to STA VIC (Sports Turf Association of Victoria).  This facilitates the opportunity to create 
a national peak body to improve and 
formalise national industry standards.Melbourne has just hosted the 28th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition and from all reports it was another successful event for the AGCSA and the turf industry represented by STA VIC, NSW, ACT and QLD and TGAA SA 
and WA. Delegates from the turf stream 
commented on the excellent standard of 
all the speakers, in particular Dr. Frank 
Rossi. During the conference, the Toro National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year was awarded to Rory Bairnsfather-Scott form Western Australia.  Rory™s 
acceptance speech brought the house 
down! STA and TGAA would like to thank Toro for its sponsorship of the award and look forward to their continued support.The STA VIC Cricket Wicket Seminar will be held in the Olympic Room at the 
MCG on 25 July.  Registrations open at 
7.30am. Guest speakers include cricket/business personality and all round 
nice guy Max Walker and WACA guru 
Cameron Sutherland. The Cricket Wicket 
Seminar is proudly supported by Cricket 
Victoria.MIKE WALKERVICE-PRESIDENT, STA VICSTATE REPORTSRichard Forsyth (centre) was presented with VGCSA life membership at the 2012 AGM held at Royal Melbourne. Also pictured 
is VGCSA president Steve Hewitt (left) and Richard™s son PatrickVGCSA golf winners Peter Jans (Toro Cup) and Brett Hawkey (Powell Trophy) AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     71As I write my first chairman™s report winter has well and truly hit much of New Zealand after 
a mild and predominantly dry autumn across many parts of the country. Inclement weather conditions during the cooler months often results in field and park closures. For the young (and not so young I might add), cancelled 
sport is a huge let-down. The closure of sports 
grounds has a profound effect on the sustainability 
of our sports clubs and communities and the health 
and well being of our participants. Many ground and facility providers across New Zealand are doing some fantastic work with detailed 
planning towards injecting large capital investment 
to secure our future ground provision, however 
many have not yet got the balance right. Too often fields are closed for training and actual play is cancelled at the grass roots of 
participation.  Cancellation of sport on our parks 
can effect ongoing participation, put pressure on a 
club™s sustainability and lead to a disengagement of 
our youngsters who then turn their attention to other 
activities (i.e.: sitting in front of a computer).  Councils, schools and other ground providers need to strategically plan grounds provision (i.e.: 
not be reactive when a problem comes up) and 
invest in the many options available by introducing 
improved technology and resources to ultimately 
reduce sports cancellations.  Moving forward a key focus is on the grass roots of sport and the STANZ must channel its energy alongside key stakeholders to ensure that it can 
support and contribute to deliver our new vision 
statement - Healthy Turf, Active Communities.As was written in our last report, I have taken over as chairman following the departure of Dr 
Richards Gibbs who has returned to the UK to work for the STRI. I would like to formally recognise and thank Richard for his enormous contribution to the 
New Zealand turf industry through his distinguished, 
globally-recognised research, education and 
training, consultancy and governance. Also standing down from the STANZ executive is Peter Gray. Peter has represented STANZ on the board of the Sports Turf Industry Training Organisation for many years. Peter™s contribution 
will allow us to move forward in the coming years 
assured that the training pathway for the next 
generation and ongoing education of turf managers 
is well catered for.Finally, a number of NZ first class and international curators descended on Melbourne for 
the recent Australian Turfgrass Conference and we would like to thank all the Melbourne curators who 
showed us through their magnificent facilities. IAN MCKENDRYCHAIRMAN, STANZSTANZThe first STA QLD event for 2012 was an education and trade show day 
held at Villa Nova Park in Tingalpa. Grounds manager Adam Reilly hosted the day and it was evident that despite 
the heavy rains the team has been putting 
in the big ones to get the place looking 
great. It really is a credit to the hard work of Adam and his team at the park. On the education side, the day was a mixture of industry specialists sharing 
information from a wide range of areas, 
as well as a healthy number of company 
representatives sharing product and 
machinery knowledge. A big thank you 
to all the sponsors for making the STA 2011-12 year a big success and we look 
forward to working with them all again 
over the coming 12 months.Dan and Matt from the Sports Turf Institute kicked off the day with a look into 
the field assessment work that they have 
been doing for Brisbane City Council. With 
over 600 fields assessed they certainly 
have a wealth of data to share and the 
knowledge gained from this work will 
prove beneficial for all turf managers.Paul Beaton from Pinnacle Safety shared the latest amendments to the 
Work Health and Safety laws, regulations and codes of practice. Despite the heavy nature of the topic, Paul made it relevant 
and it was by far the most well received 
and widely discussed topic of the day.All the interest in STA QLD and the added workload means that we have 
to start hiring people, well one person 
at least. Susan Smith has started on a part-time basis helping the management 
committee with member and sponsor 
communication. We look forward to 
working with Sue, but really we just want 
to be told what to do–.The STA QLD Annual General Meeting was held at the Glenn Hotel on Tuesday 17 April. About 30 people were in attendance 
to see Mal Caddies re-elected as 
president for another 12 months. Brendan Ott (Toowoomba Grammar School), Jarrod Bird (Queensland Cricket), Terry McPartland (Perfect Earth) and Sheldon 
Simmonds (TIS) were voted onto the 
management committee and I am sure 
they will serve the association well. The first ever dedicated sponsor™s day is coming up on 18 July and will give all 
our sponsors the opportunity to show their 
wares. All relevant details are on our new 
website www.staqld.com.au.ANDREW KOLBEESECRETARY, STA QLDSTA QLDIn May a small group of 12 SAGCSA members ventured down to the state™s 
south east. Out first destination was Penola Golf Club. Penola is a small country 
course in the beautiful Coonawarra and is 
surrounded by pine forests and vineyards. 
Superintendent Peter Roughana is the only paid greenkeeper and is backed up 
by a number of willing volunteers. The greens were in great condition and the boys were very keen to ask plenty 
of questions. The club also had some very 
forward thinking ideas about generating 
money which included using extra 
acreage for pine logging. Penola, like 
many other country clubs has struggled in 
recent times for members and income, but 
with Peter, who is very keen to learn and 
develop, and its enthusiastic volunteers, 
the club has a strong future. We then headed to Mount Gambier Golf Club to catch up with superintendent 
Craig Gillin. A break in the weather allowed us out on the course where Craig 
explained recent changes, in particular 
the tree removal programme which has 
opened up a number of holes. He also 
described the difficulties of the irrigation 
system and how the club has dealt with a 
transition to Santa ana fairways.Mount Gambier is an undulating layout with some well designed bunkering 
and quick greens making for a very 
strategic course. Again Craig has only 
a small number of staff and has done 
a magnificent job since taking up the 
position a couple of years ago.The SAGCSA AGM will be held in July at Tea Tree Gully Golf Club. October sees a meeting at The Grange Golf Club which will provide a great opportunity to see the 
East Course redevelopment works. See 
you there.SAM SHERRIFFPRESIDENT, SAGCSASAGCSAWith a broad range of applications, more power than ever before and cutting-edge precision technology, every machine in the new Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ series is designed to get your course in pristine condition.Every Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ features Double A-Arm suspension for superior ground following, while Flex suspension allows cutting units to ˜ oat freely over every contour and undulation of the green, resulting in
a superior quality of cut and after-cut appearance. Precision manufactured DPA cutting units require minimal 
adjustments and are proven to maintain their adjustments for longer periods of time.The series includes the powerful GR3400 (24hp Kubota® diesel engine) and GR3300 (21hp Briggs and Stratton engine), as well as the GR3320 and GR3420, both with electric reel drive for increased fuel economy, versatility, and overall turf health. Forget a green thumb, get a new Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ on course.TOR0275Contact your local Toro Golf Specialist on 1800 356 372toro.com.auWith a broad range of applications, more power than ever before and cutting-edge precision technology, every machine in the new Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ series is designed to get your course in pristine condition.Every Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ features Double A-Arm suspension for superior ground following, while Flex suspension allows cutting units to ˜ oat freely over every contour and undulation of the green, resulting in
a superior quality of cut and after-cut appearance. Precision manufactured DPA cutting units require minimal 
adjustments and are proven to maintain their adjustments for longer periods of time.The series includes the powerful GR3400 (24hp Kubota® diesel engine) and GR3300 (21hp Briggs and Stratton engine), as well as the GR3320 and GR3420, both with electric reel drive for increased fuel economy, versatility, and overall turf health. Forget a green thumb, get a new Greensmaster® Tri˜ exŽ on course.TOR0275Contact your local Toro Golf Specialist on 1800 356 372toro.com.auDELIVERING PUMPING SOLUTIONSDue to the recent drought and increasing cost of potable water, 





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