Golf
the market all the time, which is quieter, cleaner, more efficient and safer to use.
Sustainable turfgrass management
Turfgrass playing surfaces are central to the game of golf and require intensive management without disregard to the many environmental considerations. It is becoming increasingly important to players and public that the provision of turf, and its maintenance, should not only lead to high quality surfaces, but also with minimal negative impacts on the environment.
This is one aspect of sustainable golf - that the more intensive the management, the greater the need for environmental good practice. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a well established approach based on the principles of setting acceptable pest levels, regular observation, utilising preventative cultural methods and best practice mechanical controls, natural biological
controls and responsible pesticide use as a last resort at specific times in a pest’s life cycle.
Tips to improve your environmental stewardship
1. Train staff to frequently scout the course for signs of weeds, pests and diseases. Set threshold levels for all these different categories in each area of your course - greens, fairways, tees etc. Many plants, insects, fungi etc. are not harmful (some are beneficial), and small populations or environmental conditions don’t always require controlling. Daily monitoring and identification will reveal much information about specific sites and can prevent minor local issues turning into threats.
2. Regularly analyse plant tissue and soil chemistry content to ensure you apply the correct rates of essential nutrients (NPK) and trace elements (Fe, Mg, Ca,
etc.) to maintain turf health. Excessive applications cannot be taken up by the plant and have no benefits to long term sustainability. Be very careful not to waste products (ie the club’s budget!), and risk them transferring to areas where it might adversely affect the environment.
3. Consider the oil-based, synthetic products you use and the ‘embodied’ energy required in their manufacture and distribution. Could you transition to biological alternatives? Carbohydrates, compost teas, biostimulants, hormones, amino acids, enzymes, microorganisms etc, all have essential roles to play within the plant and the soil for optimal growth and development.
4. Consider the product’s toxicity and persistence when making purchasing decisions. Are there alternative choices that would be safer to operators, non-
“Doing your best in each is good for your business, good for the game, good for the people around your club, and further afield”
Machrihanish Dunes, cited by the GEO as a perfect example
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