The role of a greenkeeper is no longer to keep the greens
green but to keep the club green
By RICHARD STUTTARD, STRI Consultant on the Ecology and Environment
T
oday, reducing environmental impacts should be on the agenda of all sports facilities. Indeed, all walks of business should be doing their bit for the environment and, as a result, potentially making financial savings in the process. Golf clubs are no different and I use these as an example of how the operational direction of a business needs to change in today’s climate. For many, the only green aspect of the golf course should be the greens and, perhaps, the tees. Throughout the history of golf this has been the role of the “greenkeeper”. In the past, breaking down the meaning of this title was straightforward - it was the job of the greenkeeper to keep the turf green and fit for play. For a while now, however, the greenkeepers role has stretched out beyond the playing surfaces to include the maintenance and enhancement of the out of play areas. These ‘wild’ areas have become a signature for clubs, helping them stand out from their competition by creating an attractive, natural and diverse environment within which to play golf. The role of the greenkeeper has,
therefore, changed. He or she has become a manager of considerable areas of land. Add to this the requirement to be aware of, and be responsible for, dealing with environmental issues both on the course and, increasingly, in the
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GREEN
clubhouse, it is certainly the case that the role of greenkeeper in 2008 is much more diverse and complex than it used to be. As a result of this the role of greenkeeper is no longer to keep the greens green but to keep the club green.
Why bother?
People’s opinions and extent of knowledge on the subject of climate change will, no doubt, differ between individuals, but everybody by now is aware of the basic issues - we are overharvesting, polluting and destroying habitats to a point where our lifestyle is no longer sustainable. It is a real problem that is already beginning to affect us. For example, you will, I’m sure, have noticed the 17% mark up on the cost of food stuffs recently? This can be linked to the failure of food crops which, in turn, is caused by climate change
related events. The point is the problem won’t go away if we pretend it doesn’t exist.
However, the aim of this article is not to focus on the hard facts about climate change. Golf clubs are businesses and, for any business, the main drivers for change are the prospect of financial gain and increasingly stringent legislation. Therefore, my aim with this article is to point out relevant issues that are likely to be drivers for change with the hope that you will gain eye-opening insights into the current and future management of your golf facility.
Have you thought about ... Your washdown area?
• Do you currently have an appropriate facility to deal with your washdown water?
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