VGA NEWS this issue A Busy Time Ahead P.1 The VGA. With our newsletters and website we aim to provide up to date information, photos and turf trial results from around the state. Our association is not only for Qualified Greenkeepers but also Volunteers, Greens Directors, Bowling Clubs or those interested in the industry are welcome join. We also have our VGA Forum which is located on our website and allows you to gather information right from Victoria s very own Greenkeepers. A Busy Time Ahead With the bowls season now over, most of us are looking forward to some down time. After what has been a difficult season weather wise, we can only look forward to next year. For those who represented us at Federation Week, well done and I am sure you all have great memories to take from the week. Highlight of the week would have to be the victories over NSW... A full Federation Report is in this issue. Keep an eye out for Centenary Celebrations, Seminars and our AGM. We are also calling for nominations for 2010/11 Greenkeeper of the year. The form is attached to this newsletter. Please make the effort to nominate someone who you think is worthy. Good luck for those who are renovating their greens soon and hope to see you all at our Centenary Celebration.. Knoxy Wins 8 th Title P.1 Federation Week P.3 K & B Adams Pairs P.4 From Our President P.5 Calendar & Sponsors P.6 Knoxy Claims 8th Title Thursday April 14th saw 16 members arrive at Sunbury BC on what has become a typical Melbourne day... drizzle. Players were organised into four groups consisting of four player. Each person played each other once and two game winners from each group progressed. With some hard fought battles on each rink the Singles were well and truly alive. Highlight from Rnd 1 was Richard Lowman s first victory ever... great work considering it s only your third time playing. After a few rain delays and some very tight matches the following emerged from the battles on the greens Group 1 - Duncan Knox Group 2 - Gary Van Kessel Group 3 - Adam Shawcross Group 4 - Max Carroll
The Golf & Bowling Machinery Singles was fought out in damp conditions Semi Finals saw Duncan play Max and Adam battle Gary...Adam again fell short in the semi for the third year in a row just going down, while Duncan just snuck past Max for a finals berth. Grand Final D.Knox v G Van Kessel... what a game, with it being close the whole way through... Duncan picking up a three, the following end Gary returning suit... In a game superbly marked by the President, Duncan was able to just sneak by a hard finishing Gary 7-6 and claim his 8th Singles title... Well done. President Dyson thanked the boys from Sunbury BC for their hospitality and also to Golf & Bowling Machinery for their continued support for not only this day but towards the VGA in general. Thanks to those who made the trip out... special mention to Sharpy... great to see you again...
Federation Week Adelaide 2011 The Australian Greenkeepers Federation Week was held in Adelaide, with over 100 greenkeepers from NSW, QLD, SA and Victoria gathering for a week of Seminars and Bowls. Six Test Matches are held with each state playing each other twice, with Championship Matches ( Singles, Pairs & Fours ) also held. Our team, while not having any state bowlers in it... like other teams, held our own... especially against NSW... who we beat twice to reclaim the Arthur Parry Trophy. Close matches against QLD nearly got us off the bottom of the table, but it wasn t meant to be this year. The very strong Sth Australia team won the Test Series with 5/6 wins, we finished with just the two wins, but it always great to knock over NSW. In the Championship stakes we had a pairs team ( Mark Colless & Warren Maynard ) make the Semi Finals as well as a Fours Team ( Adrian Marston, Rod Jackson, Dyson Appleyard & Alan Mathers ). Unfortunately both were knocked out. A great effort though to get through. Congratulations to the SA greenkeepers for their organisation of the week and I am sure that all will agree it was a great week, the greens were excellent and we were very well looked after. The seminars were informative and the general chat between all who attended made for some great discussions in relation to our industry. The highlight was the tour of the Adelaide Oval... what a beautiful ground, it will be interesting to see how it comes up after the development is finished. Thanks to our sponsors for the week, K & B Adams ( great to see Mark & Billy come over ) Globe, Turf Diagnostic Solutions & Colin Campbell Chemicals ( also great to see Nadeem there as well. ) To our boys, bad luck on the greens but we never gave up and here s to the next Federation Week in 2014 held in NSW.
K & B Adams Pairs The Annual K & B Adams Pairs day was once again held at the picturesque Princes Park BC. On a typical Melbourne, autumn day... rain... rain... rain some 16 greenkeepers gathered for the highly sought after Pairs Championship. After a fantastic BBQ lunch and with the rain stopping the boys ventured out onto the perfectly manicured green. With beverages being ran out to those playing, the competition was fierce. Blistering drives from Phil I Love to drive Grant as well as some precision bowling from the old stalwarts in Van Kessell, Sculley and Sanders. After 2 games and numerous rain interuptions the eventual winners on count back were Tom Sculley and Gary Van Kessell. Runners Up were Mark Vezey and James Hood. President Dyson thanked K & B Adams for their continued support of the VGA and also thanked Nadeem Zreikat from Colin Campbell Chemicals for his support... Nadeem you are just about a Vic now...here s to next year
From Our President I hope all are enjoying some time off over the next few weeks, after what was a very tough season for those on couch greens in Melbourne. Not forgetting those who were flooded out over the last year. Hopefully you can get the greens up and ready to go for the approaching season. I was rapt to be able to attend this year s Federation Week and Carnival as it was the first time I had been. What a very well organised week it was by the SA Greenies ( well done Rowdy, Daubs and Co. ) It was not only a great chance to meet fellow greenies from across Australia but also to get to know a few of our boys from Victoria. While we didn t set the world on fire on the greens... although some if Zitter s drives could have we were able to knock over NSW twice and reclaim the Arthur Parry Trophy. We did have two teams ( Pairs / Fours ) make the semis in the Championships only to go down in some tough games. The seminars were informative and well run and I am sure everyone took something from them. The host clubs were in fantastic condition and really looked after us with their fantastic greens and not forgetting wonderful lunch / dinners. To all who came over from here, Well Done on making the effort to represent Victoria, you did so with great pride and we never gave up on the greens, even when we were well down in some games. Everyone behaved very well and it was a pleasure to be there with all of you for the week. Thanks also to the boys who dropped in for a few days during the week also, it was noted and your support was great. Colin Campbell Chemicals... have been sponsors of us for the past few years and we look forward to many more, also great to see Nadeem over there supporting us... and not his native NSW Globe Australia... great to see you guys back on with us and hopefully we can continue this bond. Turf Diagnostic Solutions... thanks to Lee for jumping onboard with sponsorship this year and we also look forward to continuing with you. Please keep an eye out for coming events. CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS : This is a huge chance for us to gather, not only present but past greenkeepers, sales reps anyone associated with the VGA over the past century. Please see attached flyer for all the info and please make the effort to attend. GREENKEEPER OF THE YEAR : Please send in Nomination Forms of those who you deem worthy of our very prestigious award, this will be presented at the Centenary Celebrations. SEMINAR / AGM : on June 22 nd should be another great day with speakers and demonstrations. To everyone out there have a good break, rejuvenate and let s start the 2011 / 12 season with a bang. Dyson Appleyard Thanks to the sponsors of our highly sought after shirts. K & B Adams... as always your support for us is amazing, great to see Billy and Mark over for the last few days.
2011 Calendar Centenary Celebrations The VGA is turning 100 years old this year and we plan to celebrate this momentous occasion. FRIDAY 22 ND JULY 2011 @ 6.30pm to be held at THE MELBOURNE AQUARIUM Fish Bowl function room. Cost is $80.00 pp and includes food, beer, wine & soft drink. For all details please see attached flyer. Be and active VGA Member Get the most from your membership, try and attend our various events held during the year. Seminar / Annual General Meeting Wednesday 22 nd June at Gladstone Park BC Time : 9.30 am Registration, 10.00am Start Gudgies Tiff Tour The very informative Tiff tour with our man Gudgie is on again, seats on this bus tour and highly sought after as numbers are very limited. 2 nd 4 th August - All info will be available on our website shortly.