The Cut - The AGCSA's Weekly E-newsletter - 18 Feb '10
Welcome to this edition of The Cut, the AGCSA’s weekly e-newsletter. In this week’s instalment we look ahead to the AGCSA Water Initiative workshops which have been finalised for late March and head to the NSW south coast where a few courses copped a wet start to the week. Enjoy the read.
AGCSA Water Management Review workshops - March 2010
The AGCSA will hold a series of water management workshops in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania in late March. The workshops will revolve around the AGCSA’s online Water Management Review, a key component of the AGCSA’s Water Initiative, which was launched in 2009.
The Water Management Review is aimed at golf clubs that do not have a current water management plan and provides golf course personnel with an easy to use template. The review comprises a detailed online questionnaire, which when completed will generate a comprehensive report outlining your clubs current water status. The management review also identifies and outlines where efficiencies can be made and provides a range of action and implementation plans.
To help assist golf clubs to implement the Water Management Review, John Geary and Daryl Sellar will be conducting a series of workshops across the three states at various TAFE facilities with attendees being able to work through the plan online. Places are limited so book early to guarantee a spot. The workshops will be held on the following days:
Victoria
Monday 22 March: Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Tuesday 23 March: Gordon Institute of TAFE
Wednesday 24 March: Chisholm Institute of TAFE
South Australia
Tuesday 23 March: Urrbrae TAFE
Tasmania
Time and dates TBC (keep an eye on The Cut for updates on this workshop)
The workshops are free for all AGCSA members, $60 for non members. Morning tea is included. Members of the AGCSA Accreditation Programme will receive 3 Continuing Education Points for attending this workshop.
Click here for more information and to download a registration form.
Click here to access the AGCSAs online Water Management Review.
2010 AGCSA Awards nominations close 2 April
With the 26th Australian Turfgrass Conference fast approaching the AGCSA wishes to remind members that its now time to start thinking about nominating a colleague for the 2010 AGCSA Awards. To be considered for the 2010 AGCSA Awards, all nominations must be with the AGCSA by the close of business on Friday 2 April after which time the judging panel will review the nominations. For more information about the AGCSA Award visit the AGCSA website or contact AGCSA events manager Simone Staples on (03) 9548 8600 or email simone@agcsa.com.au
Click here to find out more about the AGCSA Awards.
Click here to download a nomination form for the AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award.
Click here to download a nomination form for the AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award.
Final siren sounds for AGCSA footy tipping competitions
Well, it was fun while it lasted but the AGCSA regrets to inform that it will not be conducting the AGCSA footy tipping competitions for 2010. After much discussion it has been decided to put the Mullet and Warrior out to pasture due to the significant time constraints and resources taken to administer and run the competition each year. The AGCSA wishes to thank all the sponsors, in particular last year’s sponsors Floratine (AFL) and Simplot Pro-Line (NRL), for their support of the competition over the past six years, as well as the many competitors who signed up each year. Looking back, prize money in excess of $60,000 was given away during that period.
NSW south coast courses get wet start to the week
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As reported in last week’s edition of The Cut, a number of south east Queensland and Sydney superintendents were mopping up following some heavy falls nearly a fortnight ago. Well, their colleagues down on the NSW south coast were also in clean up mode after a rather wet start to the week.
AGCSA member and Moruya Golf Club superintendent Brent Hull sent these photos through of flooding to his course after it copped 157mm on Tuesday to go with 78mm the day before. February has been a damp one for Hull and his crew and to date the club and town has recorded 416mm to date (this after recording 33mm for January, 50mm in December and 30mm for November.
Moruya wasn’t the only south coast town to get a drenching, with Merimbula, home to AGCSA Board member Bryce Strachan (Pambuila-Merimbula Golf Club) getting hit with 200mm-plus on Monday and Tuesday as well. Further north in Queensland and Brisbane got nailed again on Wednesday with upwards of 120mm being recorded.
AGCSA Update - What we've been up to recently...Welcome to this continuing segment of The Cut where we keep the industry up to date with goings on at the AGCSA. Here's what we've been up to this week... * The AGCSA publications team – Melissa Wallace, Jo Corne and Brett Robinson – have signed off on Volume 12.2 (March-April) of Australian Turfgrass Management. The journal is currently being printed and will be distributed towards the end of next week. The February edition of AGCSA Action newsletter has also been distributed in the past week. * Andrew Peart and John Geary continue to undertake ground assessments ahead of the AFL season which kicked off last week with the NAB Cup. AGCSA Tech staff have also been undertaking assessments at Melbourne's new rectangular stadium. John Geary has also been co-ordinating the upcoming AGCSA water management workshops. * Daryl Sellar has been working in tandem with the AGCSA’s legal representatives Madgwicks to formulate an updated sample employment agreement for golf course superintendents. This is now before the AGCSA Board and once given the final tick of approval will be available through the members section of the AGCSA website.
* A number of sections on the AGCSA website have been update over the past week, in particular the Australian Turfgrass Management Journal archive and MSDS section. The ATM archive is now fully up to date to Volume 12.1 (January-February 2010), while the Pesticide labels and MSDS section in the members area of the website now contains links to the various companies supply products to the industry. |
Bookshop special - Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases
The AGCSA has additional copies of the Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases (3rd Edition) by Smiley, Dernoeden and Clarke in stock and is selling them at a special rate. This excellent reference book is devoted to the diagnosis and control of about 80 diseases affecting grasses maintained for fine turfs on residential and commercial lawns, sod farms, golf courses, sports fields, bowling greens, cemeteries, and other areas. The AGCSA has copies of this book in stock and can ship immediately. Prices are:
AGCSA Member Price: $98 (norm. $178)
Non-Member Price: $110 (norm. $205)
To order your copy contact AGCSA membership coordinator Lyndel Conway on (03) 9548 8600 or email info@agcsa.com.au
Environmental and health benefits of golf report now online
Following the literature review undertaken by Dr Ross Higginson and Peter McMaugh (The Environmental, Social, Economic and Health Benefits of Turfgrass: A Literature Review) in 2008, the AGCSA requested an expansion of the review focussed principally on the environmental aspects (benefits or otherwise) of golf courses, and to identify any knowledge gaps for the industry. The key factors to be included were as follows:
- Water quality
- Water use compared to other industries
- Bio-diversity value
- Creating or recreating indigenous flora areas
- Wetlands and their benefits
- Carbon sequestration
- Carbon foot print of golf courses
- Nutrient and soil movement associated with golf courses
- Golf course construction – managing the environmental impacts
- Golf course construction – rejuvenation of degraded sites.
The report is now available for viewing and can be found in the AGCSATech research section on the AGCSA website. Click here to view the full report.
Turfgrass conference online registration NOW OPEN
Online registration for the 26th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition is NOW OPEN. Those wishing to register for the conference, which will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 21-25 June 2010, can now do so online by simply clicking the link below or through the registration page on the AGCSA website. Delegates can also download a hardcopy of the registration form through the AGCSA website (click here) and either post or fax to the AGCSA.
As mentioned in previous editions of The Cut, the Early Bird registration rate will be available until 28 March 2010. Early Bird member registration prices have been set at a rate approximately 8 per cent lower than the 2008 fee to reward and encourage membership. Registration costs for 2010 are as follows:
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Early Bird Member $770 (AGCSA and TGAA/STA members)
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Early Bird Non-member $990
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Full Registration Member $990 (AGCSA and TGAA/STA members)
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Full Registration Non Member $1100
AGCSA events and education manager Simone Staples is currently finalising the conference delegate brochure and this will be available in early February. Until then the AGCSA advises that delegates keep an eye on the conference section of the AGCSA website and The Cut for updates on speakers and events when they are confirmed. If you have any enquiries about the conference or registration, please contact Simone on 03 9548 8600 or email simone@agcsa.com.au
Click here to register online for the 26th Australian Turfgrass Conference.
Click here to download a pdf of the registration form for the 26th Australian Turfgrass Conference.
Good luck to...
... the following AGCSA members and their crews who are preparing their courses for tournaments in the coming week.
Riversdale Golf Club, VIC (superintendent David Mason): Women's Riversdale Cup, 21-24 Feb.
Lakes Entrance Golf Club, VIC (superintendent John Stapleton): Eastcoast Plumbtec Lakes Entrance Pro-Am, 22 Feb.
Gold Creek Country Club, ACT (superintendent Scott Harris): Bakers Delight Gold Creek CC Pro Am, 24 Feb.
Yowani Country Club, ACT (superintendent Justin Haslam): Australian Marine Technologies Yowani Pro Am, 25 Feb.
If you have a major event coming up at your club, please email details to AGCSA editor Brett Robinson
