The Cut - The AGCSA's Weekly E-Newsletter - 30 Oct '09

 

Welcome to this week’s instalment of The Cut, the AGCSA’s weekly e-newsletter. Enjoy the read and we hope you back a winner on Cup Day.

!!The AGCSA wishes to advise all that the office will be closed on Tuesday 3 November due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday. The office will re-open again 8am Wednesday, 4 November!!

SAGCSA Meeting - Thursday 5 November

Mt Lofty and Mt Osmond golf clubs will play joint hosts of next week’s South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association meeting on 5 November. The day, which carries the theme ‘tree safety, audits and maintenance’ will literally tee off at Mt Lofty with nine holes of golf followed by trade presentations (Globe and Syngenta) and a course walk with superintendent Chad Dawe. From there the meeting heads to Mt Osmond Golf Club (superintendent Barry Bryant). Arborist Gordon Sykes will accompany both Chad and Barry on each course walk and will discuss various aspects of tree maintenance and safety. The day concludes with a BBQ lunch at the Mt Osmond maintenance facility.
Click here for more information about the SAGCSA day.

In other upcoming industry trade days, Bernhards and Company chief executive Stephen Bernhard will conduct four seminars around the country from 5-10 November. Click on the ‘Better Grass for Less Money’ listing under Upcoming Events (right of page) for more information.

Australian Turfgrass Management - Volume 11.6

Volume 11.6 (November-December 2009) of Australian Turfgrass Management has been printed and will be sent out to subscribers in the coming week. With the 2009 Australian Open at New South Wales Golf Club on the horizon (3-6 December), this edition’s cover story looks at course superintendent Gary Dempsey’s 20-year career at the club and the work he has undertaken to establish it as one of this country’s great courses. As part of the cover story, ATM looks at NSWGCs unique revetted bunkers as well as the mystery couch disease which has afflicted the course and others in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Elsewhere in Volume 11.6, Gavin Darby looks at how Etihad Stadium’s $2.2 million investment in growth lights has paid huge dividends by improving management of the arena surface, while AGCSATech’s Andrew Peart presents the first batch of results from the AGCSA’s new bentgrass variety trial being conducted at Keysborough GC, Cromer GC and Royal Adelaide GC. Keep an eye out for Volume 10.6 soon.

Women's Golf NSW and NSWGA merge looms

Women’s Golf NSW and the NSW Golf Association have signed a merger agreement earlier this week which sets out an agreed framework for the creation of GolfNSW next year. Talks of amalgamation between the two organisations started some six years ago but a number of hurdles had prevented any progress. While the signing of the agreement doesn’t entirely seal the union, NSWGA president Stuart Cox says it sets out the guiding principles that will underpin the new GolfNSW entity.

Sue Fabian, president elect of Women’s Golf NSW, says their organisation was “delighted with the progress made recently” and that the merged organisation would bring greater benefits and opportunities and a stronger profile for golf in the state. A steering committee has been established to finalise the new constitution, which is expected to be ready for distribution to clubs and other relevant stakeholders for comment in December. The member vote for the merger is scheduled for March 2010.