A record turnout of 250 is expected at this week’s Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) Turfgrass Management Exposition.
To be staged at Pattaya’s acclaimed Laem Chabang Golf and Country Club, the second edition of the event has attracted delegates from almost 20 countries, representing Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe, and North America.
The Expo is part of a three-day gathering in the Central Thai beach resort that also includes the 6th Asian Turfgrass Field Day and a high-profile conference on Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Asia.
Organised in partnership with the Thailand Golf Association, the Thai Golf Course Superintendents’ Association (TGCSA) and The R&A, the AGIF Turfgrass Management Exposition will feature an array of equipment as well as product demonstration and education.
Richard Walne, Managing Director of Toro for Australia and Asia-Pacific and Chairman of the AGIF’s Education Committee, said: “We congratulate the TGCSA on their positive initiatives and are delighted to be supporting education programmes such as this. At the AGIF we see our role as providing support and organising part of the meeting, allowing practical training on the golf course.”
Leading a strong delegation of AGIF members who will be showcasing products at Laem Chabang are Jacobsen, Foley United, Campey Turf Care, Syngenta, Toro and Toro Irrigation, Graden (JDS), True Surface, Bernhard, Hunter Industries, Atlas Turf, Rain Bird, Sports Turf Solutions, Shriro Equipment (Thailand), Jebsen & Jessen, Centaur Asia Pacific, Flowtronex and GCSAA.
Among the many products on show will be the Koro Field Topmaker with Universe rotor, a machine that strips off all the thatch and unwanted organic matter, leaving just stems, leaves, and a few stolons for regrowth. In tropical climates where grass grows at a rapid pace year round, it’s predicted that such a machine could be of great use at many facilities.
Meanwhile, the conference will include superintendent speakers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar as well as intensive seminars on zoysia grass management from Dr Milt Engelke and on management of putting green speed from Dr John Sorochan.
Of his presentation, Dr Engelke, one of the world’s foremost authorities on zoysia grass, said: “After this seminar you will be able to understand my passion for the grass and why I believe it can be truly a game-changer when it comes to sustainability of our landscapes.”
Micah Woods, Chief Scientist at the Asian Turfgrass Centre, an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee and a member of the AGIF, added: “There will educational seminars on a range of topics sure to be of practical use to all delegates.”
Asian Golf Industry Federation www.agif.asia