How Green is the Green Terror Golf Course?

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These sources help to provide some background knowledge on what golf courses around the country are doing to become more environmentally friendly. By researching current issues surrounding golf courses and the environment, our group will be able to accurately depict how green McDaniel campus’ golf course really is. These sources also help to serve as a springboard for further questions to be posed to Mr. Phil Boob.

Barton, J. 2008. How Green is Golf. Golf Digest [Internet]. pp196-232.[accessed 2008 November 15]. Available from: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/golf/gd200805golfenvironment.pdf

John Barton asks the hard questions about the environmental impact of golf in a series of in-depth interviews, including a builder, golf course superintendent, regulator, environmentalist and activist .The article spans a range of opinions on water usage, pesticide contamination, and management practices, with general agreement that golfer expectations and management practices must move and are moving in an environmental direction, citing important ways in which attitudes and understanding must change.

Beyond Pesticides [Internet]. Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden. [accessed 2008 November 15]. Available from: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/alternatives/factsheets/index.htm

This source provides insight into solving many common insect problems such as chiggers, bagworms, grubs, etc. that could potentially pose a problem to a golf course. It also details environmentally friendly methods of weed prevention and removal. It would be beneficial for McDaniel College to read through these alternatives, and put some of these ideas into place, if they have not already.

Beyond Pesticides [Internet]. The environmental principles for golf courses in the United States; [updated 1996 March, accessed 2008 November 15]; March 1996

Available from: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/golf/principles/index.htm

Beyond Pesticides (formerly National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides. The founders, who established Beyond Pesticides as a nonprofit membership organization in 1981, felt that without the existence of such an organized, national network, local, state and national pesticide policy would become, under chemical industry pressure, increasingly unresponsive to public health and environmental concerns. Beyond Pesticides has historically taken a two-pronged approach to the pesticide problem by identifying the risks of conventional pest management practices and promoting non-chemical and least-hazardous management alternatives. The organization’s primary goal is to effect change through local action, assisting individuals and community-based organizations to stimulate discussion on the hazards of toxic pesticides, while providing information on safer alternatives. Beyond Pesticides has sought to bring to a policy forum in Washington, DC, state capitals, and local governing bodies the pesticide problem and solutions we have become aware of on a day-to-day basis.

Clark, J. 2008. Plants That Can Make Golf Courses ‘Greener’ By Filtering Pesticides and Herbicides Identified At UMass. [accessed 2008 November 15]. Available from: http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/storyarchive/articles/76032.php

University of Massachusetts (UMass) researchers, including John Clarks, Ph.D.,a professor of veterinary and animal sciences, have identified certain plants that can absorb excess pesticides from soil and prevent their runoff into adjacent waterways. Golf courses typically use considerable amounts of herbicides and fungicides to maintain perfectly manicured greens, much of which ends up polluting water and harming aquatic organisms . This study found that plants like blue flag iris can act as “living filters” on the edge of greens. Just after three months of growth, the blue flag iris reduced chlorpyrifos by 76%, and levels of chlorothalonil by 94%.

Environmental Institute for Golf [Internet]. Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project; [updated 2007 October 31, accessed 2008 November 15]. Available from: http://www.eifg.org/programs/baselinesurvey.asp#infocover

In 2006, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) began conducting the first in a series of surveys to determine the physical features found on golf courses, practices used by superintendents to maintain golf courses and inputs and outputs associated with management of golf courses. This effort is called the Golf Course Environmental Profile project. The overall goal of the project is to develop an environmental profile of golf courses. Information on property features, water use and conservation, water quality, habitat and wildlife management, energy consumption and inputs of nutrients and pesticides will be collected in the series of surveys.

Lowy, J. 2004. America’s 18,000 golf courses are devastating the environment: Thirsty golf courses drive environmental protests. Scripps Howard News Service.http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/golf042604.cfm

This reporter delineates many negative impacts golf courses have had on the environment, and its surrounding communities. Although this source is very one-sided, it gives a good alternative to many of the other sources, which seem to focus on how golf courses are making an effort to change. This source helps give some background knowledge on why some of these changes are now being implemented.

Pittman, C. Florida may go green through fertilizer limits. St. Petersburg Times; [published 2007 March 29, accessed 2008 November 15] http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/29/State/Florida_may_go_green_.shtml

The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services wants to limit the sale of fertilizer products statewide to only those with low or no phosphorus. State officials blame excessive farm and suburban fertilizer use for causing Florida's most serious water pollution problem: nutrients that fuel harmful algae blooms, causing fish kills as well as swimmers' rashes and respiratory problems.

The Environmentalist: Brent Blackwater. May 2008. Golf Digest [Internet]. [accessed 2008 November 15]. Available from: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2008/05/environment_blackwelder

In 1970, Brent Blackwelder started doing volunteer work for the U.S. branch of Friends of the Earth, which describes itself as the world's largest grassroots environmental network. Now president of the organization, Blackwelder, 65, is one of America's most prominent environmental advocates and has testified before Congress on environmental issues more than 100 times. He has also been a golfer for more than half a century -- and used to be the proud owner of a 2-handicap. Blackwelder earned a master's in mathematics from Yale and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Maryland. He is a good source of information; because he is not extremely biased- he is for both the environment and the game of golf.

Who Takes Care of the Golf Course?

Not just the grass is green on the McDaniel College golf course.  According to Phil Boob, Director of Grounds and Special Events, the care of the golf course in an eco-friendly way is his priority.  Mr. Boob has been in charge of maintaining the course for 21 years, bringing his experience as a Turf Management graduate of Penn State.  To him the golf course is more than a job, he also uses the course as do many other McDaniel employees, students, alumni and Carroll County community members.  The maintenance crew does their best to control water usage, use limited pesticides and fertilizers, landscape with native plants when needed, mulch and only trim on a specific schedule.  It is used not only for golf.  For home cross country meets, it is used for the course; and even though they do not encourage it, it is great for sledding in the winter.   The picnic area of Harvey Stone Park, is used after home field hockey matches, senior picnics, and weddings.

To conserve as much area as possible, the tee areas and the hole areas are often side by side, so that the golfer can finish the hole and step over to the next tee without driving.  There is no needless planting that is often found in other courses, all plants currently are native and require very little maintenance once established.  

Water Usage of the McDaniel College Golf Course

The McDaniel College golf course relies on the Westminster city water system to obtain its water.  There are pipelines connected to the city’s main water system that are then directed to the course.  A timed sprinkler system is hooked up to these pipes and uses the water for irrigation.  A manual hose is used to water the course in addition to the automatic sprinkler system.  There is also an on-site well that can be used in the irrigation process.  I also asked Mr. Boob if the course was using reclaimed water as a water source, but he answered in the negative.

How often is the course watered?  According to Mr. Boob, the greens and the tees are the only parts of the course that are watered.  Depending on the weather, this is done on an as-needed basis, but it is estimated that the course is watered about 30 times a year.  He also noted that, on average, a total of 8000 gallons of water are used each time the course is watered.  At the bottom of the hill, on the corner of Route 31 and Main Street, there is a large retention pond that is currently unused.  Mr. Boob said that in the future a pump system will be installed that would utilize the water being collected in the pond.  The original building plans of the course called for the pond being large enough to be used as an irrigation source.  So, some time in the near future the arrangements will be made to integrate the pond into the watering system.  However, plans concerning the expansion of the college’s football field must be worked out first before any progression is made on the retention pond project.

Ideas for water conservation on the golf course

The first tip was a simple, but important one: increase employee awareness of water conservation.  Education can be an extremely powerful method of change; if more people who work on the course are aware of ways to prevent wastage of water, then they can implement water saving methods into their work routines.

Another beneficial tip was determining the quantity and purpose of water being used.  Mr. Boob informed me that it takes 8000 gallons to water the entire course once, and, if done 30 times a year, that totals to 240,000 gallons of water.  That is a significant amount of water being used yearly, and it would be a shame if that quantity were excessive.  It is important to make sure that the amount of water used is actually needed so that none of it is wasted.  Also, it should be ensured that the use of the water is valid and not applied to needless tasks.   A routine checkup of the equipment used to water the course should be performed on a regular basis, also, since leaks can result in a detrimental loss of water.

One tip that I found to be interesting was to hire a golf course and/or landscape architect with water conservation and xeriscape experience.  Integrating vegetation into the course landscape that can survive without a considerable amount of water could possibly save the course some water since it would not need watering as frequently. Another tip was to operate the sprinkler system before sunrise and after sunset, this way it would cut down on the amount of water being lost to evaporation.  It is also a good practice to prevent irrigation water from running onto streets and alleys.  This way, water is not lost and as much of it, as possible, is retained by the soil and vegetation.  This is only a limited list of tips; there are many other methods that golf courses can look into to save water.

After reviewing the results of my investigation, I feel as if the McDaniel College golf course is not as environmentally friendly as it could be.  I know the workers do not go around intentionally dumping buckets of water into the street, but I feel as if there could be a greater effort to execute techniques that use less water.  I am happy to hear, though, that in the future the course will use the retention pond as a water source instead of relying wholly on the city water supply.  Hopefully these plans will be carried through very quickly so that the golf course will leave a smaller footprint on the environment.

Audobon International. Golf and the Environment. Selkirk, NY. [Internet]. 1987-2007. [accessed 18 Nov. 2008]. Available from: http://www.golfandenvironment.org.

Boob, Philip R. Email interview. 14 Nov 2008.

Boob, Philip R. Personal interview. 5 Nov. 2008.

Lowy, J. America's 18,000 Golf Courses Are Devistating the Environment [Internet]. Apr 2004.  Finland, MN (USA). Organic Consumers Association.  Available from: http://www.organicconsumers.org

The environmental principles for golf courses in the United States. Golf course Superintendents Association of America [Internet]. Accessed 3 Dec 2008. Kansas (USA).  Available from: http://www.gcsaa.org.

Water Saving Tips for Golf Courses and Industrial Landscapes.  Environmental Programs [Internet].  [updated 2008]; [cited 15 Nov 2008].  Baltimore (MD): Maryland Department of the Environment.  Available from: http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/waterprograms/water_conservation/business_tips/golf.asp