It was a great month for catching up with people about how 2023 went, and getting under the skin of many of the issues facing greenkeeping teams.
I love getting to speak to so many about what’s going on and how the agronomic situation is changing.
I was lucky enough to attend three major turf events in January which had some interesting insights:
ATPI Conference
Irelands turf show was in Galway again this year in the second week of January.
A great event was put on with good attendance from Irish superintendents.
Whilst it’s not as large as the other two shows I’ll talk about, everyone is very open and we had some great discussions about how dollar spot was looking in 2023, chafer and leatherjacket control.
If you get the opportunity to attend I would take it, the more turf managers are able to support the better the events can be, and all the better for networking with those in a similar situation to yourself.
Some great education and speakers over from the US. With talks split into to streams on golf, horse racing and stadiums. I stayed mainly in the golf stream and watched talks on dollar spot, water management and the position of PGRs.
Thank you to he ATPI for putting such a good event together.
And thanks to the ICL Ireland team for not giving me too much stick about having a moustache.
BTME
Always one of my favorite events in the calendar.
Perfect opportunity to get up-to-date with what’s going on in the turf grass industry.
Let that not just be from the exhibitors in the trade show, but in all the fantastic education BIGGA organises and the informal conversations with peers throughout the week!
Dollar spot presentation and survey
With dollar spot our turf disease focus of last year it was great to have an hour for me and Glenn to dig into the subject and what Syngenta have been working on in this area.
Please do take a few minutes to fill in the dollar spot 2023 survey the more information we capture from those on the ground the better we can target future research & advice in this area, even if you’re not seeing it that information still helps!
ASOOTY Award
Dan Waring (JCB Golf & Country Club) won this years Amenity forum spray operator of the year (ASOOTY) award for his contribution and dedication the improving the art of application for sprayers. Read more about it here…
Below is Dan on stage collecting the award. Make sure you encourage someone to enter this year!
GEA awards
The Golf Environment Awards are another really important event for raising awareness of the great work that’s being done in golf to improve sustainability and champion biodiversity.
Read more about the winners of the awards this year, including Operation Pollinator award winners Huntercombe Golf Club.
So much more can be done in this space, and its great that the awards highlight what’s possible, with the hope to inspire others to get stuck in.
You can read more from the recent insight article on the topic here.
There is a huge community of greenkeepers who are more than happy to talk about practical tips and advice for getting started, so do reach out!
GIS (Golf Industry Show)
From sunny Harrogate to balmy Phoenix, Arizona next, for the GCSAA conference and trade show.
The worlds largest turf event.
It was my first time visiting GIS, and whilst I knew it was going to be big I was blown away by the scale!
The welcome reception was sponsored by Syngenta this year, and was genuinely one of the best ‘street parties’ I’ve been to, kitted out with a huge range of street food options, fairground games and obviously a mechanical rodeo bull (my legs still hurt a bit from it even now).
The show was opened with dances by the native Navaho peoples, the first being a grass dance which felt the perfect choice!
A huge amount of quality turf centric education to take in (unfortunately I didn’t get chance this year – but I heard good things).
The Ladies leading turf panel discussion was a great opportunity to hear about industry stories, and highlight how we have a whole section of the workforce to tap into by being more inclusive.
When we are in a labor crisis in our industry that’s more pertinent than ever.
To summarise, January left me exhausted.
But I wouldn’t change it for the world, thanks to all those I managed to catch up with. I’m very grateful for the opportunities of had.
Many conversations about Turf Advisor and some really positive feedback from those I speak to so it’s great to see that really taking off!
Lots of exciting projects for 2024 and I look forward to keeping you posted on progress via the blog!
