The Montgomerie Golf Club in Belek Turkey hosted the first ‘Turf Day’ conference on the 15th of May for the benefit of turf professionals of the region. An international line up of speakers agreed to visit Turkey for the event.
Included were Dean Cleaver of the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations; John Lockyer from Sports Turf Research Institute, UK; and Mike Wood from Golf Environment Organisation. Keith Kensett of Kensett Sports and Jon Proffitt of Tycrop gave demonstrations of machinery and renovation techniques for golf and football pitch surfaces.
The day was supported by all the key golf clubs in the area and has been agreed by all to herald a new era of co-operation and commitment to form a turf association in the near future.
Peter Bradburn, director for golf maintenance and event organiser said, “The aim of the day is to inform, educate and stimulate discussion within the Turkish turf industry. We have an internationally recognised golf and sports pitch venues in the Antalya regions and it now is the time to develop the associated support systems around the industry to make it work. Education and continued learning within the main frame of an association body will be the key to this plan.”
The Antalya region now has a thriving golf and winter pitch business with 261 golf holes and over 140 sport pitches within the environs in the of the coastal town of Belek. All of the clubs are within 15 minutes of each other and are usually part of resort group’s facilities. Football training camps are predominately a feature of the winter programme and attract internationally teams of all divisions.
Cahit Sahin, general manager for the Montgomerie Golf Club, said, “I am very pleased to be welcoming the delegates for the first turf seminar of its type in Antalya and hope that the results of this breakthrough will set fruit for the future. The turf professionals of the area hold the keys to the success of an industry that is worth over 140 million Euros for the region annually. We are keen to support education and learning such as this and foster contacts with organisations and companies that will help to enrich the experience of golfing in Belek and Antalya for all our clients.”
The Montgomerie Papillon Golf Club www.papillon.com.tr