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What alternatives are there to traditional fertilizers
and other chemicals typically used on golf courses? What other actions can
be taken to make golf courses kinder to the environment?
Although golf courses are large areas of open space,
certainly more desirable ecologically than equivalent amounts of paved
highway or polluting industrial operations, they are less
“green” than they appear. Golf maintenance operations use
significant amounts of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides (more, acre for
acre, than farms, in some cases), which can contaminate nearby lakes and
streams, as well as local groundwater. A typical golf course uses about a half a ton of
chemical pesticides each year, at least some of which runs off into nearby
groundwater sources. With nearly 20,000 courses now in operation across the
United States and Canada, such problems affect just about every community
from coast to coast. Luckily several institutions and organizations have
been working to minimize the environmental impact of golf courses.
According to researchers at New York’s
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, there are many ways to create and
maintain golf courses that remain attractive to golfers without excessive
use of toxic chemicals. Examples include selecting turf grasses that match
local environmental conditions so as to reduce susceptibility to pests;
mowing less often, because longer grass increases natural pest resistance;
using slow-release and natural organic fertilizers; taking into account
pest forecasts to be better prepared for potential infestations; and
introducing the natural enemies of problem pests and natural bacteria-based
fungicides.
More information and tips are available for free on
the Web site of the Environmental Institute for Golf, which publishes an
informative series of best management practices for golf-course managers
looking to improve their facilities’ eco-footprints. Some tips
include planting vegetative buffers around golf-course water bodies to
prevent the transmission of fertilizers and pesticides into the water;
leaving grass clippings and leaves on the ground where possible to serve as
natural compost in low-maintenance areas; and timing the application of
fertilizer to minimize loss from rainfall and maximize uptake by grasses. One of the nation’s leaders in green
golf-course management is San Francisco’s Harding Park, where course
managers eschew conventional pesticides and fertilizers in favor of
microbes to kill pests and soap to get rid of weeds. They also hand-pluck
weeds, flush out moles with hoses, use traps to catch harmful insects, and
choose native plants wherever possible. Beneficial insects such as ground
beetles, ladybugs, fireflies, praying mantises, spiders, and wasps help
keep harmful insects at bay and also pollinate plants and speed
decomposition of organic matter that serves as natural fertilizer. These
and other alternative management methods make the course one of the
greenest stops on the Professional Golfers Association tour. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also
taking steps. The EPA’s Wetlands Division consulted with several
leading nonprofits and golf institutions on the creation of a booklet,
“The Environmental Principles for Golf Courses in the United
States,” outlining the environmental responsibilities of golf
courses. It is posted at the Web site of the United States Golf
Association.
For more information:
Environmental Institute for Golf, www.eifg.org; Environmental Principles
for Golf Courses in the United States,
www.usga.org/turf/articles/environment/general/environmental_principles.html.
Send questions to Earth Talk, care of E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2007.
