The British and International Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is staging a day-long series of education presentations at this year’s SALTEX (Sports Amenity & Landscape Trade Exhibition) at Windsor Racecourse.

The free-to-attend BIGGA Golf Education Day on Wednesday September 4 will appeal to greenkeepers at courses of every size and type and will focus on drainage, bunkers, composts and disease management.

The day will start with ‘Greens drainage – mission possible’ presented by Andy Wood, course manager of Robin Hood Golf Club. He will outline a workable solution for transforming soil-based greens with deep thatch and black layer, highlighting the methods used to solve drainage problems on troublesome greens.

Stuart Yarwood MG, golf course manager of Lymm Golf Club, will then discuss ‘Sand traps and money pits’. He will look at managing and constructing golf course bunkers on limited budgets, while revisiting the past to shape our future. Stuart’s presentation will also include the art of compost creation and its role in greenkeeping.

The BIGGA Day schedule completes with the joint Everris/Syngenta presentation ‘Go in green…come out clean’ as Dr Simon Watson, Syngenta technical manager EAME turf and landscape, points out how winter disease on golf greens is particularly problematic since there is little turf growth to allow recovery and for scars to heal. This, he says, can impact the playability of greens right through into the spring period leading to the dissatisfaction of golfers.

Simon will highlight how an integrated approach to disease management can reduce the disease pressure, improve turf health and enhance the performance of fungicide applications.

New findings on disease management will also be presented along with practical advice on how to deliver smooth, disease-free greens right through the high risk autumn and winter periods.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton

Commenting, BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton, says: “BIGGA is delighted to once again have the opportunity to work with our friends the IOG and bring top class greenkeeper education to the SALTEX experience. I hope many of our members take the opportunity to attend the seminar programme.

“BIGGA’s revamped CPD programme launches on July 1 so it is great that SALTEX provides the chance for our members to improve both their knowledge and their CPD profile. I hope many also take the chance to view the exhibition; the turf industry is a constant provider of innovation, and opportunities like SALTEX where new products and services can be seen at first hand are always a benefit.”

1 BIGGA CPD credit is available for each seminar and a CPD register will be available at the end of each seminar.

Visit www.iogsaltex.com for full details.