As you probably already know, GCSAA has signed on as an official supporter of a pair of golf industry conferences and trade shows in China — the Asia Golf Show/PGA Merchandise Show-Asia in Guangzhou and the China Golf Show/PGA Merchandise Show-China in Beijing.
The former of those two is takaing place this week, and GCSAA has a contingent at the show — a group that includes GCSAA president Robert Randquist, CGCS, and GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans — as the association is presenting five education seminars during the event. That contingency has been sending back updates, photos and videos to GCSAA HQ in Lawrence, so I thought we'd share a few of those so you could get a flavor for what's taking place this week in southern China.
Randquist has been a popular presenter on bunker maintenance through the years at the GCSAA Education Conference, so bringing his expertise to that topic at the Asia Golf Show was a natural.
Evans (far right) was joined by (left to right) Martin Moore, president of Flagstick Golf Course Construction Management and Justin Appel, the CEO of the Golf Course Builders Association of America in a panel discussion about golf course construction, maintenance and the importance of hiring professionals for those tasks.
Michigan State professor Kevin Frank, Ph.D., has led seminars on soils, turfgrass cultivation, soil testing and turfgrass fertilization in Guangzhou.
GCSAA's presentation at the Asia Golf Show have attracted strong crowds, a mix of American expatriates and turf professionals from China and Hong Kong. Overall registration for the education portion of the show was 69, with anywhere from 30-35 in attendance for Randquist's and Frank's presentations.
A look at GCSAA's booth on the trade show floor, which has attracted solid traffic all week.
Our thanks to the other GCSAA reps who went halfway around the world to represent the association for passing along these photos and updates — senior director of member programs Carrie Riordan and senior manager of corporate sales and business development Eric Boedeker.
My attendance at the Asia Golf Show was a late decision by my club but one I am happy they made. Randquist's bunker seminar was one of the best I have attended. It was also well received by my staff. We look forward to more GCSAA seminars at the China Golf Show next March in Beijing.
My thanks to GCSAA for coming to China. It was a pleasure meeting and talking with the staff.
Posted by: Paul E. Masimore, CGCS | October 25, 2011 at 07:37 PM
I was pleased that GCSAA has finally begun to make an effort to support Asia. We are an international association -- even according to the founder John Morely. There is much that could be mutually achieved if a renewed effort were to be sincerely embraced.
I attend all of the important industry functions throughout Asia (much more to Asia than only China) and this event in Guangzhou was only one of them with a limited attendance. Every effort made is important to tap the potential for the growth of golf in Asia!
GCSAA also needs to reach out more intensely and formally for engagement with its regular Class A members posted all around Asia -- to benefit from their decades of boots-on-the-ground experience. After all, GCSAA has been substantially supported and originated from volunteer participation and superintendent members might just have some valuable insights.
My sincere congratulations on this effort and I hope it expediently and wisely expands. Please proceed -- one must see the future in the seed!
Jim Prusa
jgp@alumni-gsb.stanford.edu
Posted by: James G.Prusa | November 12, 2011 at 11:44 PM