2008 Australian Turfgrass Trade Exhibition a Major Success

The 24th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition was held July 21-25 in Melbourne at the Exhibition and Convention Centre. The event carried the theme "Our New Tomorrow" and hosted a distinguished line-up of international and national speakers. A Turfgrass Trade Exhibition was also held in conjunction with the two final days of the conference, with over 100 suppliers, big and small, displaying all manner of products and machinery for all areas of the turf industry.

The Melbourne conference attracted over 2,000 attendees, with delegates from all over the Pacific Rim and turf managers from most sectors of the industry. The turf-management community came together for the industry's premier education and trade exhibition experience with five educational streams presented during the week: golf course management, sportsfield management, turf technicians, bowling greenkeepers, and general managers.

In one discussion titled "Preparing for the US Open Championships," Tim Moraghan of Aspire Consulting, and a former Director of Championship Agronomy for the USGA, gave his insights on the preparation of a U.S. Open facility. "Planning would start a minimum of five years ahead of the actual event, covering construction projects, determining volunteer and vendor needs, organizing equipment and preparation of agronomic practices," Moraghan said. "If there was any renovation or construction work to be done, then involvement may even start six-eight years in advance."

The worldwide hot topic of "carbon credits" was discussed in "Exploring the Future Role of Gine Turf in Carbon Offset Schemes," by Terry Muir of Environmental Business Solutions. "With the federal government scheduled to introduce a National Emissions Trading Scheme between 2010 and 2012, there is little doubt that golf courses and playing fields will have a role to play in carbon management and trading schemes," Muir said.

"The industry has been at the leading edge of environmental best practices for many years, they can now start to achieve the recognition of their efforts by generating internationally recognized carbon credits. We believe in a very short period of time we will have a pooled carbon exchange with millions of carbon credits that can sold to groups such as the World Banks Carbon Finance Unit," Muir added.

The Australian turf industry continues to be challenged by the effects of climate change (including water shortages and unpredictable weather), client demands for the best playing surfaces, shortages of qualified and experienced staff, reducing budgets and the responsibilities of being good environmental stewards. The turf manager continues to be the person responsible for initiating and implementing change at a time where turf as we have known it is becoming more difficult to provide. Turf managers are always adapting to change whether it is introducing new turf species, employing new methods or searching for the edge that will provide the sportsperson with the best and safest possible playing surfaces.

This year was the first time the AGCSA invited golf facility general managers to attend the Thursday seminars and trade show. The final two Thursday afternoon sessions were capped off by insightful presentations on teamwork from Symon Scott and David Warwick, general manager and superintendent of Avondale Golf Club, respectively.

Time and staff management strategies were discussed by Daryl Sellars, Turfwise Consulting and Gary Dempsey, the superintendent at New South Wales Golf Club, site of the recently announced 2010 Australian Open. The main topic in the follow-up audience discussions was the challenge of finding staff for the maintenance department and that operating culture has started to bring a change attitude in regards to bringing female staff into the maintenance department. Though there was no clear answer to these issues, a few employee shortage sources were identified, such as college interns from the U.S., that are needing practical experience and would love the chance to work "Down Under."

The dialogue all week was very open between the general managers and turf professionals in attendance as they definitely both agreed that good communication is always the key to a good operation.

Mike Orloff is the Director Golf Industry Central and a business consultant who specializes in golf course operations. He has 18 years of experience in golf course management with two of the biggest international golf management companies. His career started in Los Angeles in 1989 with American Golf. Most recently he worked with ClubCorp in Australia.

Mike has had various roles in operations. In 2000 he was promoted and transferred to the Gold Coast to help American Golf enter the Australian market. He was the general manager at Robina Woods and Paradise Springs (now The Colonial) golf courses. Mike was later transferred to Anaheim, Calif., to run Coyote Hills, the only course ever designed by the late Payne Stewart.

In 2003, Mike took a year off for a round-the-world trip to 19 different countries on five continents in 2003 and eventually ended up on the Gold Coast with his Australian-born wife Chelsea. Their family grew with the birth of their son Isaac in 2007.

After returning to Australia, Mike was employed by Clubcorp Australia to advise KPMG on how to manage Horizons Golf Resort in NSW after it went into receivership. Within nine months the resort was sold and Mike moved into a fulltime position as general manager of Lakelands Golf Club on the Gold Coast for ClubCorp.

When Lakelands was sold in 2006, Mike started his current consulting business. He's currently seeking companies that need special assistance in developing a new golf facility or a new strategic direction at a current facility. His skills include strategic planning, membership, business development, marketing, operations, human resources and financial management. For additional information about Golf Industry Central, visit http://www.golfindustrycentral.com.au/index.php