Golf Services
When challenges arise during the year, NZSTI is here to support your Golf Club in achieving great golfing surfaces for your members and guests
Membership
When challenges arise during the year, the Institute is here to support your Golf Club in achieving great golfing surfaces for your members and guests.
We have a membership package tailored to your clubs needs and budget.
Premium
Our premium membership offers you the following benefits:
- Unlimited phone and email support from our Agronomists
- NZSTI Golf Chemical Guide featuring controls for pests, weeds, diseases, moss and growth regulator
- Fortnightly electronic mail-out addressing seasonal greenkeeping issues
- Written analysis and interpretation of soil, organic matter, and water tests
- Access to the full Turf Management Journal back catalogue
- Free online job advertisements
Full Advisory
Our full advisory membership offers you the following benefits:
- All the benefits of the Premium Membership, plus
- One on-site advisory visit by an Institute Agronomist:
- During the site visit, turf quality issues will be identified and solutions provided
After the visit, you will receive a detailed report providing advice and recommendations to improve surface quality and performance.
- During the site visit, turf quality issues will be identified and solutions provided
Quality Assurance
Our quality assurance membership offers you the following benefits:
- All of the benefits of the Premium and Full Advisory Memberships, plus
- One agronomy audit per annum which includes multiple greens quality tests performed onsite
- Comprehensive report summarising findings in relation to the Club’s stated goals and showing trends over time.
Consultancy
NZSTI provides a range of golf course consultancy services to golf courses throughout New Zealand directly or through its role as the Agronomists to Golf New Zealand.
Through our team, we have a range of experts in all areas of golf course management as well as providing general agronomic advice.
Environmental solutions
NZSTI provides personalised technical support and sustainability planning to golf courses who are serious about creating great golf environments.
We have a range of services available including:
Measurement of Soil Organic Carbon
Why determine golf course soil carbon content?
- It is an objective measurement of the major environmental benefit that the golf course provides (especially compared to buildings and roads).
- Repetition allows the on-going rate of carbon sequestration to be determined (an on-going environmental benefit of the golf course).
- Measuring this will increase focus on environmentally beneficial turf maintenance – increasing sequestration and reducing emissions.
- Will result in reduced costs by focusing on turf management that increases storage and reduces emissions.
- An essential part of any initiative to be carbon neutral or carbon negative (meaning storing more carbon than emitting).
What does it involve?
- The holes where sampling is to be done are identified.
- Technician comes to the golf course to extract the samples for laboratory testing, each sample location is GPS mapped.
- Samples are sent to the laboratory for OM and hence total organic carbon, determination.
- The golf course is drone mapped to determine areas for fairways, roughs, etc.
- Total carbon content of the golf course is determined.
- Testing is repeated in five years’ time to determine changes in organic carbon.
Golf New Zealand Environmental compliance
- Aims to provide relevant information for Golf courses as land managers so they can better manage their compliance responsibilities with the various laws that relate specifically to land management
GEO Certification
- Is the most widely regarded and credible sustainability distinction in golf, awarded to golf facilities around the world that meet the international Standard of best practice and demonstrate a commitment to a sustainability journey, looking to do ever more for social and environmental value.
- Support with OnCourse®
- Support with OnCourse® +
- GEO Certified® golf course assessment
Construction and Design
From inception to sign-off, we are equipped to manage your golf construction project.
Specifications and drawings
- Preparation of concept, working and as-built drawings
- Surface performance criteria
- Drainage system specification
- Irrigation system specification
- Irrigation water supply and water quality assessment
- Turf species selection
Materials selection
- Rootzone, blinding sand, gravel, topdressing, and bunker sands
- Soil suitability
- Drainage materials
Project management
- Client – contractor relationship management
- Supplier selection
- Monitoring construction standards and tolerances
- Onsite material quality assurance
- Maintenance programme until handover
Laboratory
NZSTI provide a range of laboratory tests including:
Rootzone sands, topdressing sands, bunker sands, blinding sands
- Particle size distribution
- Organic matter content
- Moisture release curve
- Hydraulic conductivity
- Calcium carbonate content
- Topdressing sand compatibility
- Bunker sand particle shape and colour
- pH
Nutrient testing
NZSTI maintains a strategic link with Hill Laboratories Ltd, offering a complete soil test interpretation and fertiliser recommendation service from a chemical analysis of root zones, plant tissue and irrigation water.
Pest and disease diagnostic service
The NZSTI laboratory provides routine pest and disease analysis.
