The Indian Golf Union's greenkeeper education programme was conducted for four consecutive weeks in the four zones of India, beginning on 24 September in the South and ending on 19 October in the East. 

The South Zone saw 20 delegates gather for five days at host Kodaikanal Golf Club in Tamil Nadu. This is India's only organic golf course, and the summary video from the South Zone programme shows some of the wildlife that can be found on this natural course high in the Palni Hills.

We then moved to Pune in Maharashtra for the West Zone programme, where we were hosted by Poona Club (Golf) and also made visits to Oxford Golf and Country Club and the Army's RSI GC. In each zone, we conducted a five day course on the theme of Improving Course Conditions, with content tailored to the grasses, climate, water supply, and course types in each region.

In the North Zone we were hosted by the Army Environmental Park and Training Area (AEPTA, or simply Army GC) in New Delhi, and we also made a visit to the first public golf course in India, the Delhi Development Authority's Qutub Golf Course. We learned about management of water and soil organic matter to optimize course conditions, weed management, equipment maintenance and mowing quality, and turfgrass nutrient requirements. The presentation notes, slides, and links to additional reading are available for download at the programme website, www.in.asianturfgrass.com.

Our hosts in the East were Royal Calcutta Golf Club, where we enjoyed a week of fine weather, ate excellent food from West Bengal, visited the Tollygunge Club, and learned about effective turfgrass management techniques.

A selection of photos from each of the four zones have been assembled in this gallery. 

This greenkeeper education programme is organized and delivered by the Indian Golf Union. It is supported by The R&A, and the educational materials are prepared and taught by Dr. Micah Woods of the Asian Turfgrass Center with support from the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF). Our objective with this programme is simple: to share practical and technical information related to greenkeeping that will lead to improved playing conditions on golf courses in India. 

I would like to thank each of the host clubs for this year's programme for providing such a great venue and excellent food, all of the delegates who participated in the programme, the AGIF for their support, and the IGU and The R&A for making this programme possible. Thanks are also due to Dr. Jim Brosnan from the University of Tennessee and Dr. Doug Soldat from the University of Wisconsin, for their assistance in developing the teaching materials used for the weed management and water management topics, respectively. For more information about the topics, more photos, and more downloads of educational materials, please visit the programme website.