A holistic approach to sports turf management

In an era of increasing environmental awareness and resource constraints, the role of greenkeepers and turf managers has evolved far beyond maintaining surface aesthetics. The presentation entitled: Sustainable Turf Management – A Holistic Approach explores how modern turf professionals can balance performance, playability, and ecological responsibility.
This seminar delves into the interconnected aspects of soil health, plant nutrition, water conservation, biodiversity, and integrated pest management strategies. Attendees will gain insights into building resilient turf systems that reduce inputs, minimise environmental impacts, and enhance long-term sustainability.
Through practical examples, current research, and emerging technologies, we’ll highlight strategies for reducing chemical dependency, improving soil biology, and adopting data-driven decision-making. The session emphasises that turf management isn’t just about a luscious green playing surface and highlights that true sustainability isn’t about short-term fixes, it’s about fostering living systems that support healthy soils and turf, vibrant ecosystems, and responsible stewardship of natural resources.
By the end of the presentation, participants will be equipped with actionable tools and a renewed perspective on how a holistic, systems-based approach can future proof turf management operations.

Learning outcomes:

• To understand what holistic turf management is and what it looks like
• What are the benefits to holistic turf management approaches
• How to implement holistic approaches to your sports facility
• What are the advances to technology surrounding an integrated turf management strategy
• Guiding management and members to implementing a holistic turf management approach