BOWLS NZ GREEN KEEPERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Issue No: 1 May 2015 Message from President The Executive of the NZ Greenkeepers Association (NZGA), at its last meeting in December decided it would be great to produce a newsletter and send it out regularly to all its members. This is the first newsletter and we are be happy to include articles and snippets in future newsletter from members to assist, provide up to date information, tips and general knowledge on Green keeping in New Zealand. Strategic Plan To assist with driving the organisations forward, the Executive has approved the adoption of its new Strategic Plan. The main points of the Plan 2014 2019 are: Our Vision To provide training, pathways for our NZ Green keeping personnel, resulting in a high standard of expertise and qualifications, producing World class playing surfaces. Our Mission To deliver to the sport of bowls, high quality and accessible playing surfaces, to all, now and in the future. Our Values Enjoy, Grow, Share, Honour, Succeed. The objectives and strategies to achieve are formulated in the plan itself. Your executive is also working hard to provide assistance to Green keeping personnel to achieve training at Level 3 standard and with this in mind will provide an extra subsidy for achievement completed this year of $95.00. The subsidy will be reviewed again at the end of 2015. Also we will work with any association that requires assistance to provide workshops and seminars for green keepers to attend in order to upskill knowledge base of our members.
Currently South and North Island seminars have been set down for Blenheim 2015 and New Plymouth 2017 respectfully. In 2016 the NZ Turf Conference will be held in Auckland and we are part of the management group that sets that conference up as well. Please keep a look out for registration forms for these events and hopefully you will attend and gain valuable knowledge at one or all of these conferences/workshops. I hope you get something out of our first newsletter and we are happy to include anything that you might think is relevant to other green keepers within New Zealand. Our editor is Howard Ivory in Wellington and he can be contacted at hhivory@gmail.com or contact me at bowlstaieri@xtra.co.nz Rob Gibson President NZ Bowls Greenkeepers Assn The Level 3 Introductory Sports Turf Certificate is the recognised standard qualification for the Bowls Sector. The Primary ITO in partnership with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute are running the following Level 3 courses around the country this winter. Content covered: Weeds, Pests, Disease identification, soil water management, mowing, health and safety, nutrients, turf botany. For more information and subsidised costs please contact: Kellie Rose 09 970 1349 027 201 2684. Auckland May 26-28 June 23-24 Tauranga May 20-22 July 1-2 Wellington May 26-28 July 1-2 Palmerston North April 21-23 May 20-21 Christchurch May 19-21 July 21-22
Bowls Marlborough Greenkeepers NZSTI Chris Gribben visited clubs in Marlborough on the 3 of March, as part of the Bowls Marlborough Field Day. It was great to see so many greens-staff attend the day with some 15 there it was brilliant and will hopefully carry forward to our next field trip. Also attending the field day were representatives from PGG Wrightsons, Prebble Seeds, Parkland Products and PrimaryITO. We are hoping to get twelve green keepers here or from Nelson to hold a level 3 turf qualification during winter. At present we have 9 so if anyone in other parts would like to visit Heaven (Blenheim) to sit there Level 3 please make contact. Chris Gribben is proving real popular with all clubs and his agronomy knowledge is second to none. Soil testing is being done at present with reports being sent to Chris for analysing. Bowls Marlborough has just received funding for all clubs to receive another twelve months of NZSTI full club packages. Bowls Marlborough Greenkeepers Assn PO Box 819 Blenheim 7240 Wellington News This season sees the completion of renovation of greens at Stokes Valley, which was planed and one green at Wilton which was turf cut and laser levelled. This follows the previous year renovations in the area at Silverstream, Titahi Bay and Island Bay. All greens were Hydro seeded in Maniatoto bulbils. I know that there are still varying views on the hydro seeding process, but I certainly recommend it, if only from the saved labour component compared to the conventional method. All this bodes well for the future as it may lead to other Clubs investing in a similar renovation program. Other local news includes the Naenae/Park Avenue proposal which is still going through the planning process. Upper Hutt Bowling Club are planning replacement of their artificial green with a new Tiger Turf surface. Field days held every 2 nd month are still well supported and we expect to have a Level 3 Turf course well attended from here this year. Howard Ivory President Wellington Greenkeepers Ass
Auckland News Nationals were hosted by North Harbour Centre very good greens were presented and players enjoyed magnificent weather. February Field Day was well attended and a very good address from HILLS LABORATORIES LTD on soil samples was delivered. This was followed by an open discussion on planning renovations. Our Annual Green keepers Bowls Tournament and AGM were held at Hillsboro Bowling Club in March. We are once again well supported by our Sponsors for the above activities. Some talk exists regarding the retirement of one or more Greenkeepers but nothing definite has yet been confirmed. Hydro-Seeding of Greens This subject has been under discussion since 2011, when work was done at Tawa Bowling Club in Wellington and then seeding a full green at Wilton in Wellington. Since then greens have been sown in Canterbury and Marlborough. I believe that the process has distinct advantages, including considerable saving in labour, compared to convential means. The New Zealand Sports Turf Institute is completing a case study for inclusion in the Turf Journal. H. Ivory On this subject Ron Sabin comments: Ever since the first Bowling green was Hydro seeded in Wellington a few years ago, I believe we have learnt a lot, and still are picking up information, I am at present trying to get a program together that we all can follow from my own experiences, using three different companies each one had a different price, depending on what mulch we used and how many bales we use to do the job. I also looked at 5 greens including 1 of my own and they all varied from good not so good and poor. After looking into this I found out various reasons why, and come up with a few ideas to avoid a shoddy job. After all, we pay good money. Ron Sabin
MCPA TRIALS FOR CONTROL OF STARWEED Trials are being conducted by the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute for the control of Starweed in bowling greens. These trials have been funded by the Bowls New Zealand Greenkeepers Assn for the benefit of all. Results will be publicized when trials are concluded. NORM COWIE SAYS: It is always good practice to ensure that in the event a greenkeeper is away, adequate back up greenkeeping staff are available. Whilst you may have provided written guidelines as to what work is to be carried out, changing weather can throw a spanner in the works and it is a essential that contact phone numbers are left to enable your temporary staff to obtain urgent advice. This contact is likely to be a nearby Greenkeeper member of your Association who can visit to look at the issue you have and discuss a suitable course of action. SOUTH ISLAND GREENKEEPERS CONFERENCE BLENHEIM - AUGUST 2015 This conference is being hosted in Blenheim on 3 rd and 4 th August 2015. A registration form is included in this newsletter but if you have any queries please contact Maurice Symes at mauricesymes@xtra.co.nz. His cell phone is 0274 456953.
Registration Form South Island Bowls Greenkeepers Conference August 3 rd & 4 th Chairman Main Sponsor Committee Chairman Maurice Symes Prebble Seeds Malcolm Young Phone: 03 578 1902 Turf World Phone: 03 578 1824 Name... Address...... Phone...Mobile... Email... Registration Fee: $ 100.00 per delegate We have arranged Tower funding for all delegates at the rate of up to $150 per delegate. You need to apply to Bowls NZ before the conference to get the funding Monday Night Dinner: $ 30.00 Do you require Accommodation? Yes / No Motel: Room Rate $145.00 Yes / No Share Twin / Double Ashley Court Ph. 03 577 7187 Motel: Room Rate $150.00 Yes / No Share Twin / Double Waterfront Ph. 03 579 4500 Hotel: Room Rate $139.00 Yes / No Share Twin / Double Scenic Circle Ph. 03 520 6187 Venue: Email: Blenheim Bowling Club 65E Weld Street Blenheim mauricesymes@xtra.co.nz Telephone: Maurice Symes (03) 578 1902 or (027) 4 456 953 Check In/Registration: Sunday 4pm 7pm & Monday 8.00am 8.45am Pick-up from both Ferry and Airport will be available Reqd Yes / No Bowls NZ Green Keepers Assn - Executive Meeting: Sunday night 5.30pm
Cheques made Payable to Bowls New Zealand Greenkeeping Conference & post to PO Box 819 Blenheim 7240 or Internet Banking. Please note name and reason under reference. Westpac Account Number 03-0642-0317421-01 AND LASTLY.. This is the first newsletter from the National Green Keepers executive. If anyone or group has news of a general nature which they would like us to include in future issues, please send to either: Howard Ivory at hhivory@gmail.com Or: Maurice Symes at mauricesymes@xtra.co.nz Our next newsletter will be in November. Happy Renovations Howard Ivory (Editor)