TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN KEEPING THE GREEN
(Part One)

As those of us in the golf course maintenance business are all well aware of, our single most important responsibility is keeping golf course greens in excellent condition. Members will be more forgiving on all other details of golf course presentation if you provide them with great putting surfaces.

In keeping with this tradition, the management and membership at
Thai Country Club took the long-term view over the short-term one when deciding to renovate their greens.

AN OPEN INVITATION

From 13th-16th October, one of Asia’s newest and most spectacular courses, Santiburi Samui Country Club, will host the US$200,000 Bangkok Airways Open on the burgeoning Asian Tour. The event will place the course, and indeed the idyllic tropical island of Koh Samui, firmly in the regional spotlight and represents a fitting accolade to its outstandingly challenging design and pristine conditioning.

ONE CHANCE TO DO IT RIGHT!

The resilient golf course construction and renovation industry is on the move here in Southeast Asia once more. With the golfing populations continuing to expand in neighbouring countries, strongly supported by massive tourism growth, golf courses are finding it necessary to upgrade and improve, and indeed to build new facilities, to keep up with the competition for revenues from tourists, memberships and leisure golfers.

QUALITY GOLF PREPARES TO HOST A TRIO OF TOURNAMENTS

Quality Golf is delighted to announce that its three major clients in Asia will all be hosting professional tournaments in the second half of 2005.

WATER MANAGEMENT

With the dramatic changes in climate across the Region caused by planetary development issues, Golf Course Owners, Managers and Superintendents would be wise to take a serious look at how they are managing their water resources. Knowledge of the data relevant for water management at their facilities will go a long way towards protecting their golf course asset from regulation by government agencies during times of drought.

TGCA AND QUALITY GOLF FORM EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

The Thai Golf Course Association (TGCA) and Quality Golf have formed a partnership to organise a series of educational seminars for Golf Course Superintendents in Thailand, and indeed from across the Region, throughout 2005. The seminars will take place on a monthly basis and are specifically designed to support Superintendents with the maintenance practices of their golf course facilities. Guest speakers will be brought in from countries such as the USA, the UK and Hong Kong to provide knowledge and insight on key topic areas.

THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANT

The Golf Course industry is extremely diverse, and requires specialized knowledge in a vast array of professions. In the management of a golf course, the Owners and their Staff face issues daily in diagnosing and solving agronomic problems and prioritizing maintenance, irrigation, drainage and nutritional needs for the turf. In many cases, they also need to plan and confirm the need for capital projects, capital equipment needs, lake and water resource management, tree management, architecture and facility design and safety.

GREENS GRASSES FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA

Background
Prior to the boom in golf course construction which started in the 1960s, the vast majority of greens in Southeast Asia were composed either of sand or indigenous grasses. With the ensuing surge in popularity of the sport, there was a demand for greens grasses that would provide a better quality of putting surface by both amateur and professional golfers alike.

SANTIBURI SAMUI COUNTRY CLUB ATTAINS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

We are delighted to report that the quality rating for Santiburi Samui Country Club has reached 81%, as measured by Quality Golf's unique Success System, indicating that the course has attained a level of playing conditions that is consistent with the highest of international standards after only its first full year of operation since opening in January 2004.

TOURNAMENT PREPARATION GUIDELINES

We are entering the months that traditionally witness the staging of numerous large professional golf tournaments in this Region, for example the Omega Hong Kong Open and the Volvo Masters of Asia. From previous experience in working with the PGA European Tour, it is generally understood that when a tournament is staged at a Club, the course itself is subject to close scrutiny, not only from the competitors but also from the world's press and public. In this article, we highlight the principle factors to consider when preparing to host such a tournament according to the guidelines of the PGA European Tour.

PANYA INDRA PUTTS ITSELF INTO LEAD WITH EXCITING GREENS RENOVATION

Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok is currently undertaking an exciting and pioneering renovation programme, replacing its 10-year old Bermuda TifDwarf greens with the much-acclaimed SeaIsle 2000, a certified licenced Seashore Paspalum grass especially created for tees and greens.

SeaIsle 2000 was developed by plant geneticist Dr. R.R. Duncan at the University of Georgia's Griffin Experiment Station. Regular verti-cutting, light top-dressing and periodic rolling will deliver stimpmeter readings of between 9-10 feet. It is a grass that thrives on salt and poor quality water.