| (Sent from my iPad) Monday morning we were scheduled to meet Mark Adams, senior vice president, and Steve Shepherdson, senior designer and project manage, with IMG at their Singapore office. In addition to golf course design, management and construction management, IMG's golf division is very active in player representation and golf event management in Asia. We discussed how IMG is now in the middle of a stretch where they will be involved in organizing 15 golf events in the Asia Pacific region over a 12-week span. These events include the WGC HSBC Champions and Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters in China, the Presidents Cup and JB Were Australian Masters in Australia and the following events on the Asian Tour - the CJ Invitational presented by KJ Choi in Korea, the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia and the Thailand Golf Championship. IMG is also involved in organizing the following events that form part of the LPGA’s Fall Asian Swing: LPGA Hana Bank Championship in Korea, Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship. We discussed construction projects they are currently involved with and those that have been completed. They provided insight on challenges for the entire golf industry and we discussed ideas on player development. Following our meeting with IMG our group met with a local member of the Irrigation Association and Certified Irrigation Designer Jeff Stamper with Prevost Stamper Irrigation. Jeff discussed some of his irrigation design projects underway in China and India. He spoke about the cultural challenges and the need for education of the industry in regards to being willing to ask for help. He also shared a cultural challenge where golf course superintendents tend to be shy on his site visits. They are unwilling to engage with him and his partner, which creates a void of knowledge of the system. Also, their unwillingness to network during the design and construction process creates an obstacle once they are in charge of managing the course. State-of-the-art irrigation systems are being installed with no knowledge on how to opperate them efficiently and to their potential. Alternatively to that issue, most owners and superintendents are not looking for the long-term investment in a course once completed. Many courses need to become operational and then sold off with the next owner inheriting the problems. We had the opportunity to visit a renovation project underway at Sembawang Golf Club located on a helicopter military base just outside the city. It had been approximately 10 years since the previous renovation. Nine holes were grassed with an expected opening near Christmas. The estimated cost of the renovation is $15 million (USD) Renovation of the back nine is scheduled to begin in December at around the same cost. The architect, Chris Pitman with Pitman Golf Consultancy in Singapore, and the builder, KT (Dick) Toh with Tehc International Golf Construction, discussed the challenge for the area where tremendous rain events caused flooding on courses along with a challenge of organics causing all courses to need renovating every 10-15 years. The grasses used on the greens was Platinum TE with Ziosia Materella fairways. Cloud cover and shading cause Tif Way 419 to be a poor grass choice for the area. Sands are brought in from Kambodia at a premium since trade agreements in Thailand have prevented importing at a much cheaper cost. Previously sands were relatively inexpensive, however now it is one of the larger construction budget costs. During our site visit we met with GCBAA members John Murtaugh, Steve Pope, Alexander Lun with ITT Flowtronex as they were on site inspecting the installation of their pump station. The permanent pump station building was being installed around the pump with a scheduled completion within the next week. Also during the visit we were able to watch Sandtrapper (GCBAA Member) bucker liner being installed. The construction labor force is approximately 100 workers each day, mostly hand labor and a typical 10-12 hour day. Many on the crew are local and experienced with some employed for nearly 10 years. They take great pride in their work and are skilled in their practice. Both the architect and builder discussed the necessity for bunker liners with the amount of rainfall preventing contamination. Monday night GCBAA members hosted a reception at Urban Fairways in downtown Singapore. Locals in the area involved in the industry were invited and we enjoyed playing a few rounds via golf simulators. Ben, Dick's 24 year old son, has been playing the game for only 1 year and won the closest to the pin contest at St. Andrews with his tee show landing only 1 meter away from the pin. I won't disclose his winning amount! During the reception I had the opportunity to visit with Peter Downie, General Manager and Director of Golf and Andrew Johnston, Chief Agronomist for Sentosa Golf Club that will soon be hosting the upcoming Barclays Singapore Open. The are trying to recruit golf course superintendents to volunteer for the tournament and have had difficulty in finding volunteers. They will use roughly 50 volunteers attending the event this year and there was room for 75. Only a few local superintendents are involved. They have a great educational program lined up this year for those who participate Monday through Thursday. Additionally, it is a great chance for superintendent and assitant superintendents to experience tournament set up. The knowledge they will gain though exposure to the event will allow them to take back new techniques and concepts to their clubs. Also, they will get 1.20 CEU's from the GCSAA if they attend all four days of educational seminars they have lined up. Andy gave me information on signing up for future events. Contact me if you would like the information. It was a very late night, Wikipedia Marina Bay Sands, this is an unreal country. Can't wait to come back. Tomorrow off to kuala lumpur... |