Australian Golf Course Superintendents’ Association Backs AGIF Vietnam Event

Ho Chih Minh City, Vietnam: Next week’s Asian Golf Industry Federation [AGIF] Vietnam Turfgrass Management Seminar has received official backing from the Australian Golf Course Superintendents’ Association (AGCSA).

In a timely boost for the gathering at the Tan Son Nhat Golf Course on July 11-12, the AGCSA has confirmed it will offer educational points to attendees.

Educational points are also being granted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America [GCSAA] and the Club Managers Association of America [CMAA].

The AGCSA was formed in 1981 to further the profession of golf course management in Australia and the Pacific Rim.

Peter Frewin, the AGCSA’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The AGCSA has steadfastly promoted the role of the golf course superintendent and course maintenance personnel for the betterment of the game of golf.

“We are happy, therefore, to offer Australian education points for the forthcoming event in Vietnam and look to explore how we can work closely with the AGIF going forward.”

It was in the late 1990s that the AGCSA Board introduced the AGCSA Accreditation Programme (AAP) to encourage golf course superintendents to undertake continual training throughout their careers and thereby promote the position of superintendent as a highly skilled and professional role.

In recent times, more demands are being made of turf professionals and the role of a modern golf course superintendent goes well beyond just daily course maintenance. Once unheard of terms such as annual programmes, strategic plans, budgets, financial planning, environmental and OH&S management are now common within our industry.

The AGCSA is offering seven education points. With the increasing complexities and responsibilities of golf course and turf management the AGCSA Board has made some changes to the AAP to reflect the improved professionalism of our members and to highlight the increasing need for on-going education. The AGCSA Accreditation Programme aims to:

• Promote the profession
• Build a culture of career-long training
• Reward those that achieve a high industry standard and actively stay updated
• Give programme members ‘an edge’ when negotiating pay rates or seeking employment
• Give clubs a clear choice when employing course maintenance staff

Eric Lynge, the AGIF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We thank Peter and the AGCSA for the backing they are giving to Vietnam Turfgrass Management Seminar and we are hopeful of further co-operation with them in the months and years ahead.”

Organised by the AGIF, the seminar will focus on communications with management and members and greens maintenance and renovation. All seminars will be delivered on July 11.

A field demonstration and equipment exhibition will take place on day two.

Speakers at the seminar are Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club Course Superintendent Mohd Nizam Othman; Ali Macfayden, Course Superintendent from The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip; Son Vu Minh, Golf Course Superintendent at Van Tri Golf Club; Ron Carlyle, a respected Golf Maintenance Consultant based in Taiwan; and John Holmes, President of Atlas Turf International.

Tan Son Nhat Golf Course is conveniently situated in Tan Binh District, next to the Tan Son Nhat Airport.

The golf course was designed by Nelson & Haworth Golf Course Architects, an Associate Business Member of the AGIF.

Emphasising the AGIF’s aim to support the entire industry, Lynge confirmed that the field day is open to members and non-members of the Federation.

In 2015, the AGIF organised eight Turfgrass Management Seminars and Field Days in eight different countries – China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Vietnam Turfgrass Management Seminar is the third event in the AGIF series of Turfgrass Management Seminars and Field Days in 2016.

March saw the staging of the AGIF Turfgrass Management Exposition in Pattaya, Thailand.

The Philippine Golf Course Management Conference took place at The Orchard Golf and Country Club at the start of May.

Following on from Vietnam, further events this year will be held in Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan.

For further information, please contact the AGIF Secretariat at pk.ong@agif.asia