China Golf Show 2010

Golf in the Asian market is booming at an all-time high and brought international
exhibitors to the 2010 China Golf Show held at the China National Convention Center located at the Olympic Village in downtown Beijing. The show is a combination of all aspects of golf from maintenance, architecture, pro shop equipment, apparel, indoor golf, driving range, tourism, and so much more under one roof. It is the PGA show and the GCSAA Golf Industry Show all tied into one show. This is very impressive for a country who is just emerging as a golf powerhouse and will continue to do so with the world’s best golf designers flocking there to find work. The build-it-bigger mentality follows with some of the largest golf facilities being built in China. With equally large clubhouses resembling palaces, the golf courses are dream facilities for any golfer. Designers need qualified superintendents to fill positions for these dream facilities and are looking to the States and other countries to fill these jobs. It will be interesting to watch as this mighty powerhouse grows.

Ecological Golf

Perhaps more than any other sport, golf's relationship with the natural world is one of its defining characteristics. As relatively large green spaces, often with a variety of natural and semi-natural vegetation, and typically with sizeable out-of-play areas, all golf courses have the potential to contribute to the conservation of nature and promotion of biodiversity.
All golf facilities should take the opportunity to maximize the ecological value of their courses. It is an incredibly creative and rewarding process that won't simply benefit wildlife, but members, visitors and staff - all who will appreciate more diverse and naturalized surroundings in which to work and play.

The big question is...how to do that? How to create ecological richness and diversity in a way that compliments golf?

We would like to hear what you are doing at your course...

2010 World Forum of Golf Architects

My trip last week took me across the pond to the home of golf, St. Andrews.
The event was the World Forum of Golf Architects, consisting of architects from all over the world and industry partners like Tee-2-Green. The discussions focused on golf course sustainability in design, renovation, and the future of golf. The hot topics were Water (efficient irrigation, salt water, grey water, brackish water and water harvesting), Naturalization (using fewer acres of high maintained turf in the rough),Turgrass Science (selecting the right turfgrass for the course), Bunkers (reducing the amount), and other related topics. Another topic of discussion was the idea of building shorter courses for players of all ages, handicaps, and abilities to allow everyone to play. Providing courses that can be played in less than 4 hours with limited hazards could be appealing to more than just the high handicappers with the limited recreation time most people have these days.

As a former superintendent and golf course manager, it was great to see them talking
about topics that affect us on a daily basis as well as our livelihood. With budgets becoming tighter, we need to look at the best use of our courses and how to draw more players into the game.

“If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.”
-Bob Hope