Gotemba, Japan: The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service has agreed a new partnership with Taiheiyo Club in Japan and is the latest addition to its growing portfolio of courses seeking expert sustainable agronomy support.

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service will provide comprehensive guidance on sustainable golf course management, including agronomic practices, performance standards, and environmental sustainability to support the presentation of two of Taiheiyo’s golf courses in the best possible year-round condition, in the most sustainable manner.

“Working alongside Taiheiyo Club is a fantastic opportunity, and we welcome the chance to provide tailored golf course maintenance briefs and best practice advice in addition to tournament agronomic consulting advice for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) being held in October at the Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba Course,” said Chris Gray, Head of Sustainable Golf and Agronomy – Asia-Pacific at The R&A.

“Our goal is to always present attainable, and sustainability-driven solutions for future development and we look forward to working closely on the Konan and Minori courses,” added Gray.

Across both courses, The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service will cover a host of expert-led initiatives, including an operational sustainability review and assessment, annual programme planning advice, as well as the development of a tailored golf course maintenance performance brief.

“Having The R&A team on site is very exciting for us because they bring a wealth of agronomic knowledge and experience with them,” said Joe Gaughwin, Ambassador of Foreign Relations for the Taiheiyo Club, Japan.

“We strive to bring the best quality courses to our golfers, and we know the support we’ll get from the team will drive this further, through a sustainable lens,” he added.

The service is inclusive and accessible, reflecting the different types and sizes of clubs that exist in Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, South Asia and Pacific regions and beyond.

The fees associated are designed to be affordable, with a proportion going back into the development of the game through the support of greenkeeping, education and turfgrass research.

To enquire about The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service in Asia Pacific, e-mail Chris Gray at chrisgray@randa.org