SE Asia Seminar Week

I’m at Kuala Lumpur International Airport now, returning to Bangkok after concluding three turfgrass management seminars and a turfgrass field day over the past eight days in Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia. Steve Isaac from The R&A came from Scotland for these seminars; Dr. Doug Soldat (blue shirt) and Dr. Jim Kerns (orange shirt) came from the United States.

These seminars were especially fun because of the international nature of the delegates at each event. Over the course of the week there were delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, India, Taiwan, Indonesia — perhaps other countries were represented also — I disremember. This was a great chance to meet with friends from the turfgrass industry and to make new friends; the full-day sustainable turfgrass management seminars were followed by social events each evening.

We also visited many golf courses this week. I believe I went to eleven golf courses and the ATC research area in the past week, so I got to see a lot of turfgrass types and turfgrass management challenges. Below at Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur, with officials from the Club, from the Malaysian Golf Association, and the seminar speakers. Great views of the Petronas Towers from the course!

We were quite busy but still found time to look at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur. Imagine our surprise (and Dr. Soldat’s exuberance) when we discovered a soil profile in Hall A of the museum!