Nature of the Game

Quail Brook Golf Course and the Raritan River

2012-01-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

According to the Somerset County Park Commission in Somerset, New Jersey, the Quail Brook Golf Course was designated as the first “River-Friendly Golf Course” located in the main Stem of the Raritan River basin.

The Somerset County Park Commission (SCPC) operates five golf courses, which are located on over 1,000 acres of preserved parkland in Somerset County, New Jersey. In 2007, one of their golf courses was certified as the first “River-Friendly” course in the main stem Raritan River area. This certification is not only a tremendous accomplishment for the park commission and its staff, but is another positive achievement for the golf industry. The certification process began in 2005 when Tara Petti, Assistant Watershed Protection Specialist from the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA), contacted the golf course superintendent. The group’s goal was to develop a set of River-Friendly actions specific to Quail Brook Golf Course.

The NJWSA was established in 1981 to operate and protect water supply facilities in the Raritan River basin system. This system includes 11 waterways spread over 1,100 square miles, serving 1.3 million residents in more than 5 counties. Development in the watersheds, compounded by the loss of wetlands and riparian buffers, has dramatically increased stormwater flows and non-point source pollution.

To read the entire case study click here

Spread the Message of your Environmental Good Work

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

One thing that golf courses should do more of is to spread the message to golfers and the general public about the great things that they are doing on behalf of the environment and natural resource management. Courses that are involved in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses find that one of the Certification requirement areas is called Outreach and Education. I had always thought that this category would be the easiest topic to fulfill and actually the most fun. I guess that is because I am a teacher. However, we have found that most golf course superintendents find this category to be the most challenging and usually the one that they "save until the end."

So, in an effort to provide some assistance in this area, Audubon International has created a Facebook page which houses many pictures of examples of what golf courses are doing in regard to spreading the message about their environmental good works.

Check out the photo library on this topic here: Environmental Good Works

Sex Life of Goats

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

According to Science Daily, a new study of the mating habits of mountain goats reveals vastly different strategies of males in different populations. A Durham University-led research team has found that male chamois (a species of wild goat-antelope) adopt different strategies in different populations in order to succeed in the rut: some put a lot of energy in at a young age, while others wait until they are much older.

I'm not sure how many golf courses have provided breeding habitat for goats, but if you do...there you go!

Pollination

2011-12-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

Someone recently sent me an email with a link to the video below. Not only is it outstanding video but the underlying message aimed at depicting the beauty and critical importance of pollinators and pollination is very moving. Each and everyone one of us must play our part in providing places for nature to thrive.

These actions can be taken where we live, work and play and they can be included in our purchasing decisions too.

Take a minute or two and watch this video and start including nature in everything that you do!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

2011-11-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Properly sited, designed and managed golf courses can provide safe haven for numerous species of wildlife. This is particularly true for migratory birds. In some urban areas, golf courses represent nearly the only green space left. For this post of Nature of the Game, I’m focusing on just one of those migratory birds. The name of this bird often leads people to believe that it really doesn’t exist, but is a potential reference to a golfer who didn’t have enough courage to go for a par five in two!

Although its name sounds more like an insult than an actual bird name, the yellow-bellied sapsucker’s moniker aptly describes its appearance and habits. Both males and females indeed have a pale yellow underside, and tree sap constitutes a large portion of this woodpecker’s diet.

In fact, sapsuckers have mastered the difficult craft of making sap flow abundantly from trees. This rare ability makes these hard-working, master craftsmen a desirable neighbor for many other sap-loving animals.

The tell-tale sign of a sapsucker’s presence in an area is trees with multiple rows of squarish holes bored into the trunks and limbs. Sapsuckers spend hours laboriously drilling these holes to get at the sap, which they lap up with their brush-like tongues. In the summer, sapsuckers feed on the “phloem” sap, the sticky fluid that carries the nutrients produced in the leaves downward to other parts of the tree.

Methodically, the birds begin by making a few horizontal rows of holes.

This wounds the tree and causes phloem sap to dam up, accumulating in the plant tissue just above the wound. The holes are enlarged over the course of several days as the sapsuckers extract the sap, and then new ones are added on top of the old, resulting in long vertical lines of holes.

Like any good forester, sapsuckers are selective in using particular trees over others, and they invest a lot of time in managing trees for both current and future use. They are known to feed on as many as 1,000 different species of trees, although they show a preference for certain species within a given area. Birches, sugar maples, and scotch pines are a few common favorites.

They often will select individual trees that are wounded or weakened, such as from insects, disease, lightning, or wind. The reason for this may be because the sap of trees in poor health contains higher levels of amino acids and protein.

Because sap is as vital to trees as blood is to humans, trees have developed means of sealing over wounds to prevent sap from being lost. Despite decades of experiments and observations, researchers still do not know how sapsuckers manage to overcome a tree’s defenses and get the sap to flow so copiously. One researcher diligently tried to copy the sapsucker’s drilling technique, but succeeded only in enhancing her appreciation for the birds’ abilities because she could not get sap to flow.

It is thought that sapsucker saliva may contain a substance that acts as an anticoagulant that prevents sap from clogging up and sealing over the holes the bird creates.

For those of you reading this and thinking it can’t be that hard to get sap to flow because people harvest huge quantities of sap each year to make maple syrup, you need to know that there are two kinds of sap. The sap that’s readily tapped in early spring for maple syrup is “xylem” sap, a thin liquid that carries water and little nutrients from the roots upwards to the leaves.

Unlike the nutritious phloem sap that sapsuckers feed on in the summer, xylem sap is extremely dilute (it’s mainly water) and moves through the tree’s vessels more quickly and at higher pressure, and thus flows more freely when tapped.

Because sapsuckers are one of the few animals capable of maintaining a flow of nutritious phloem sap from trees, they make very desirable neighbors for a host of other animals that find the sap wells irresistible. Bats, squirrels, porcupines, and many types of birds including warblers, hummingbirds, nuthatches, and other woodpeckers are among the throngs of critters that will eat sap made available by the sapsuckers. Most of these animals will also eat the many insects that are attracted to the sap as well.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds that breed in parts of Canada are especially beholden to the sapsucker because if it weren’t for their sap wells, these nectar-feeders would probably not be able to survive so far north. Tree sap is similar to flower nectar in the amount of nutrients and sugar it contains, and thus is a very suitable nectar substitute in areas where flowers are scarce.

It is thought that ruby-throats and possibly rufous hummingbirds as well, time their springtime arrival in Canada to coincide with peak sapsucker activity, and that the northern limit of their breeding ranges is determined by the presence of this woodpecker.

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is the jet setter of the woodpecker clan. From late March through September, they can be found in young forests from southeastern Alaska across Canada and the northeastern United States (smaller, more localized breeding populations exist in the Appalachians as far south as Tennessee). In the fall, all yellow-bellied sapsuckers take to the skies and travel to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, or the West Indies for the winter.

As if taking separate vacations, females tend to travel farther south than males do in the winter. If you see a sapsucker in Mexico, Central America, or the West Indies, there’s about a 75% chance that it’s a female, whereas a sapsucker in Maryland is almost certainly a male. Presumably this is because of the springtime pressure on males to get to the breeding grounds and establish a territory as early as possible.

From a human’s perspective, male sapsuckers are thoroughly modern. Not only do they select the breeding territory, choose the nest site, and do most of the nest cavity excavation, they also pitch in equally to the incubation of the developing eggs and nestlings (even taking the entire night shift) and do most of the nest cleaning.

They also do the lion’s share of feeding the young. In fact, males are more apt to succeed at single parenting. If one parent dies while young are in the nest, the young are more likely to survive to fledging if raised by the father.

Raising a brood of sapsuckers is time consuming and labor intensive. It takes 1 to 4 weeks of chiseling before the cavity is ready to serve as a nursery. 1 egg per day is laid until there are between 2 and 7 eggs amidst the sawdust and wood chips that line the nest. After 2 weeks of incubation, the young woodpeckers hatch and almost immediately begin their incessant, raucous vocalizations that can be heard 100 yards or more away.

The harried parents struggle to quench the nestling’s insatiable appetites with insects dipped in sap. 3 to 4 long weeks later, the young are physically ready to leave the nest; however they are sometimes reluctant to do so. In such instances, parents have been observed coaxing the young by dangling food just beyond their reach.

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers possess many admirable qualities. A strong work ethic is evident in the yellow-bellied sapsucker’s dedication to raising young and their diligence in drilling sap wells. They are adventurous, international travelers, skilled craftsmen, and they make a positive difference in their communities—such commendable behavior, despite the cartoonish name.

Golfers Versus Turfgrass

2011-11-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

I Just saw the link below on Golf Course Industry web site. Wouldn't it be something if turf could fight back like this? It would certainly change the nature of the game!!!

Golf and The Environment Leadership Award

2011-10-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last year the Board of Directors of Audubon International honored me by creating the Ronald G. Dodson Golf & The Environment Leadership Award. My friend, Jim Snow, the National Director of the USGA Green Section was the first Award winner. Now Audubon International is seeking nominations for the 2012 Award. Below is a press release that Audubon recently distributed. If you know a leader in the arena of golf and the environment, here is your opportunity to recognize those efforts.

Audubon International, an organization dedicated to educating, assisting and inspiring individuals to protect and sustain the environment through the game of golf, is now accepting nominations for their second annual Ronald G. Dodson Golf and the Environment Leadership Award.

The award is designed to celebrate an individual or individuals involved with a golf course, project or other effort connected to the game of golf that exhibits leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Finalists and winners will stand as examples of innovation, leadership and boldness in uncovering new and improved ways to protect and sustain the natural resources that the game of golf depends upon. Ron Dodson, the founder and president of Audubon International, and the man after whom the award is named, describes the type of nominees that Audubon International is seeking, “We’re looking for an individual who has really gone above and beyond normal environmental stewardship, but understands that golf courses must be economically successful, as well.”

Nominations can be submitted online by clicking: RGD Award

The 2012 Ronald G. Dodson Golf and the Environment Leadership Award winner will be announced in February at the Golf Industry Show in Las Vegas.

Bald Eagles and Golf Courses

2011-09-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have had the fortune to work on a number of bald eagle projects, including work to establish the first bald eagle sanctuary in Alaska and later to participate in the bald eagle restoration program efforts in New York State. In the restoration effort we captured,

transported and released wild caught bald eagles from Alaska to New York where they were reared in “hack towers” in Albany County, New York. By managing these caged eagles, while hiding the human presence from them, the eagles were successfully released into the wild to eventually take up residence in the State. It was a successful effort and today New York has a healthy and thriving bald eagle population.

In addition to these efforts I have been pleased to document many active, breeding pairs of bald eagles on golf courses. People tend to think that bald eagles and golf courses aren’t a good mix. Just but one example includes the nesting bald eagles of Raptor Bay Golf Club in Bonita Springs, Florida (picture by WCI of a Raptor Bay bald eagle.) While the Florida Fish and Game Department expressed concerns about potential for adverse impacts to the eagles, particularly during construction, the birds nested and fledged young each year of construction and continue to do so today. I very much enjoyed my environmental conservation work with Raptor Bay Golf Club and appreciated the developers committment to not only making certain that the bald eagles were protected, but did further outstanding habitat conservation work throughout the property.

Some Interesting bald eagle facts:

Bald eagles have 7,000 feathers.
Longevity - Wild bald eagles may live as long as thirty years.
Bald eagles sit at the top of the food chain
Lifting power is about 4 pounds.
Diet - Mainly fish, but they will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh).
The bald eagle is a strong swimmer, but if the water is very cold, it may be overcome by hypothermia.
Hunting area varies from 1,700 to 10,000 acres. Home ranges are smaller where food is present in great quantity.
All eagles are renowned for their excellent eyesight.
Nests are built in large trees near rivers or coasts.
An eagle reaches sexual maturity at around four or five years of age.
Fidelity - Once paired, bald eagles remain together until one dies.
Bald eagles lay from one to three eggs.
The 35 days of incubation duties are shared by both male and female.
Nesting cycle - about 20 weeks
Today, there are an estimated 9,789 breeding pairs of bald eagles.
Eagles molt in patches, taking almost half a year to replace feathers, starting with the head and working downward.
The bald eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted.
Causes of death - Fatal gunshot wounds, electrocution, poisoning, collisions with vehicles, and starvation.

The American Goldfinch

2011-09-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Properly managed golf courses can provide excellent habitat for a variety
of wildlife species. Most surveys concerning the attitude of golfers indicate that golfers enjoy seeing wildlife around the course and consider view wildlife as an important part of the golfing experience. All wildlife species require food, shelter, water and adequate space in which to live. These are the basic requirements for a biologically productive golf facility.

While many species of birds are rather common, it is important that we manage for birds and other forms of wildlife when they are common, otherwise they will eventually become uncommon. The American Goldfinch is one such bird that is regularly found on golf courses, and even around the club house.

Overview

The American Goldfinch is a small, noisy finch. The male has a bright yellow body, black cap, wings, tail and white rump and under tail coverts. The wings of a Goldfinch have flashy white patches and bright yellow shoulder bar and the bill is conical in shape. Undulating flight, alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides. It is often said that in flight the Goldfinch call sounds like “potato chip.”

Range and Habitat

The American Goldfinch breeds from southern British Columbia east to Newfoundland and south to California, Utah, southern Colorado, central Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Carolinas. Spends winters throughout much of U.S.; preferring brushy thickets, weedy grasslands and nearby trees.

Some Interesting Facts

The Brown-headed Cowbird may lay an egg in a Goldfinch nest, but the Cowbird hatchling will usually die because the seed-based diet that the adult Goldfinch provide cannot support it.

The American Goldfinch changes from winter plumage to breeding plumage by a complete molt of its body feathers. It is the only member of its family to have this second molt in the spring; all the other species have just one molt each year in the fall.

The Goldfinch is one of the latest nesting birds, starting in late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding. Their late timing may be related to the availability of suitable nesting materials and seeds for feeding young.

Healthy Communities, Healthy Watersheds

2011-07-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) has released its 2010 Annual Report titled "Sustainable Communities, Healthy Watersheds." Sustainable Communities and Healthy Watersheds are two major themes for EPA's national water program.

The report contains information about EPA's work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development of new draft guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act (also known as the Waters of the U.S. Draft Guidance), progress in better protection of water quality in Appalachia from the harmful effects of surface coal mining operations, and advancement in the work of the National Ocean Council. The report also includes information about OWOW's response to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill through data monitoring evaluation, design monitoring plans and other efforts. Information about efforts to address nitrogen and phosphorus pollution through the development of a recommended Framework for states as well as a new guidance that addresses polluted runoff from federal land management activity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are also included in this publication.

To review a copy of the Watershed publication click: WATERSHED

Put a Cork in it!!

2011-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Golf courses purchase and go through a large volume of wine in the course of a year. Who would have thought that your purchasing decisions, regarding wine...more particularly what type of stopper is in the bottle would be important to biological diversity?? Read on:

Ana I. Leal and colleagues from the University of Lisbon recently reported on a study that they finished in 2008 concerning the importance of cork forests from a biological diversity and economic point of view.

One of the significant findings concluded that the plastic bottle stopper in that merlot that you enjoy may be threatening the biological diversity of the Mediterranean region. In Portugal those cork oak agricultural regions are called “montados” and in Spain they are called “dehesas.” Whatever they are called, the agricultural grasslands, dotted with cork oak and holm oak produce much of the fibrous bark that keeps fine wines from spilling and spoiling.

The centuries-old traditional cork-makers take long strips from the oaks every nine years, starting when the trees are about 25 years old. The bark regenerates during this time period. These cork oak forests do more than just provide jobs for nearly 1,000 people, they are very important for Mediterranean birds.

Exactly how debarking influences bird biodiversity, however, hasn’t been carefully studied. In their study, Leal and her colleague’s surveyed birds and arthropods at a large cork forest in Portugal. In particular, they examined how bird abundance and density differed between trees that had recently been stripped and those that had up to nine years to recover. The study noted that the differences between recently stripped trees and those that had time to recover was not significantly different as far as bird biodiversity was concerned. But, they also noted that no matter what the age or use class of the cork oak forest, this habitat was preferable to nearly every other land use type in the study region.

The real threat, they wrote in the study is, “The growing competition between cork stoppers and synthetic stoppers.” Wine experts say plastic corks and screw tops now seal 30 percent of the world’s wine bottles. That means bottlers aren’t buying billions of real corks. And…”Without the high income resulting from the production of cork stoppers, montados may lose their economic viability,” the study warns. This may result in its replacement by other types of land cover, much less valuable for birds and other components of biodiversity.

So…the next time you buy a bottle of wine…make sure to put a cork in it!!

Laying Lightly on the Land

2011-06-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

By Brian Kington
Landscape Architect
Love & Dodson, LLC

Laying lightly on the land is a catch phrase many designers and journalists are quick to use when describing a golf course they feel has been developed sensitively with minimal environmental impacts to the property on which it was sited. It is important, however, to make the distinction between golf courses that are purported to “lay lightly on the land” because they are designed to fit compatibly with existing topography, with the goal of minimizing the amount of dirt that is moved during construction, and a golf course that really does lay lightly on the land.

Golf courses have occasionally received recognition for being environmentally sensitive because they were designed and constructed without moving much dirt at all. So? In reality, the amount of dirt moved during the development of a new golf course has only little influence on the overall environmental sensitivity or sustainability of the finished product. In reality, a golf course that lays lightly on the land is sited, designed, constructed and managed using principles of sustainability. This means creating a sustainable golf course is a process that, to be successful, must start during site selection and must continue through site review and analysis, design, construction and post-construction management of the course.

Each site is different and subsequently a thorough analysis and inventory of the site is critical to ensuring design decisions are made with the most comprehensive understanding of the property and its ecosystems. Preserving natural drainage patterns, minimizing impacts to wetlands and other sensitive areas, protecting existing wildlife habitat and plant habitat, and much more, including minimizing earthwork are all very important design considerations. Conservation of natural resources, improved water quality, Best Management Practices and habitat enhancement should be standard goals for any golf course designer and manager, and promote cost effective development and operation—which are all critical to a creating a sustainable facility.

For a golf course to truly lay lightly on the land, a comprehensive approach to design, development and operation by qualified professionals who embrace principles of sustainability is necessary to ensure a successful, profitable and long term sustainable project.

Amphibian Conservation on Golf Courses and Beyond

2011-06-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Since the 1970’s, herpetologists in various parts of the world independently noted declines in some amphibian populations. Since amphibian skin readily absorbs contaminants present in soil and water, scientists began to look for environmental culprits. A combination of local conditions, such as harsh weather or normal population fluctuations, and global factors, such as acid rain or UV radiation, are likely at work. Scientists have identified the following factors as their chief suspects, and on-going research is taking place around the world to better identify the causes of amphibian declines:
• Habitat destruction and modification- particularly the loss of interconnected habitats such as forest and wetlands or ponds have a serious negative impact on adult frogs and breeding success;
• Acid rain- changes in pH create conditions that many developing larvae cannot tolerate;
• Ozone destruction- increases in harmful UV-B radiation can damage DNA, impair immune function and affect the numbers of aquatic insects relied upon for food;
• Disease, exacerbated by environmental pollution;
• Chemical contamination from fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and industrial chemicals may impair reproduction and development or make populations more susceptible to disease;
• Introduced bullfrog populations- bullfrogs introduced into the western U.S. have devastated many native amphibian populations.

Providing good habitat for frogs and salamanders is a critical way to stem the decline in amphibian species.
When a species that has survived for more than 100 million years starts having reproductive problems and deformities, it warrants close scientific attention. But it also warrants action. There are both simple and elaborate projects you can undertake to enhance habitat for frogs on your property. Getting started now will help you play a vital role in amphibian conservation and ensure that our native frog species live long into the future.

Leapers, Climbers, Walkers, and Swimmers
There are close to 100 different species of frogs in North America, so what species you have on your property will depend on where you are. In general, there are several main groups that you are likely to see in most places. The chart below describes the most common types of frogs.

That Miraculous Transformation
Frogs are amphibians, a word of Greek origin that means two lives. Most adult frogs live in damp places in woods or near streams or ponds. But when mating season comes, usually in the spring, they migrate to ponds, wetlands, and seasonal pools to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, a completely aquatic stage that breathes with gills and eats algae. Depending on the species, they remain in the tadpole stage for as long as a year before they develop legs and lungs and move onto land as adults. Many frogs breed en masse, often after the first warm spring rain. Emerging from winter’s hibernation with wild celebration, their croaks, chirps, and trills announce that males are ready to mate. Frogs breed throughout the summer in northern areas and throughout much of the year in southern regions. Some, like woodfrogs, are explosive breeders, mating for only a few days each year, while others, like bullfrogs, may breed over prolonged periods of time. Eggs, tadpoles, and adult frogs are a crucial component of many ecological communities. A vital link in the food chain, they serve as food for aquatic insects, fish, mammals, and birds. But carnivorous adult frogs do their share of eating too, feeding on mosquitoes, flies, and aquatic invertebrates. Some frogs even eat small fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and rodents. One recent study found that a healthy frog population was removing over 50,000 insects per acre per year from the area under study.

Moisture is Essential
Like all amphibians, frogs need moisture to survive. Instead of drinking water, frogs absorb water through their skin. Though many species are found in watery environments such as ponds and wetlands, many adult frogs live in woodlands or grassy areas and return to ponds only to breed each year. To stay moist, frogs seek damp hiding places, such as under leaves, rocks, logs, or debris piles.

Canaries in a Global Coal Mine
Because of their complex life cycle and moist, permeable skin, frogs are exposed to both water and land pollution during their lives. Likewise, their unshelled eggs are directly exposed to soil, water and sunlight. And because they never travel far, staying in fairly confined regions throughout their lives, frogs and other amphibians are good indicators of local environmental conditions. Throughout the world, frogs also are adversely affected by global environmental phenomena. For example, frogs absorb pollution, such as acid rain or pesticides in surface run-off that enters the water from the air or the ground. Because of their sensitivity, frogs have been likened to the canary in the coal mine that bodes of environmental ill. Recognized as a global phenomenon in the early 1990s, the scientific community is now joining forces with conservation organizations and governmental agencies to better research potential causes of amphibian declines, while addressing known problems before it’s too late. Audubon International is participating in Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, a national consortium of governmental and non-governmental agencies to promote amphibian conservation. Amphibian deformities have been noted in populations throughout North America, causing alarm among herpetologists.

Getting Started: Enhancing Habitat for Frogs
You can do many things to encourage frogs on your property and in your local community. The simple actions you take, when repeated many times over by landowners throughout North America can have a significant positive impact. And an abundance of frogs on your property will be strong evidence that you are taking good care of both land and water. Take a frog’s point of view. To create good habitats for frogs and other amphibians, it may help to
consider their perspective: What would you look for if you were a frog? Moist hiding places, shallow pools, lots of plants for cover, and insects for eating top the list. These conditions can be easily created on most properties and you can tailor-make your frog habitat to suit your site.

When enhancing habitat for frogs, there are three primary things to do:
1. Make sure there are good habitats for adult frogs;
2. Provide breeding sites in the spring;
3. Maintain safe corridors between woods and ponds.

Here are a number of specific projects you can undertake to maximize good habitat for frogs:

Ponds
1. Construct a small pond or shallow pool with gently sloping sides, or designate an existing pond for frog and amphibian habitat. Frogs and other amphibians rely on shallow ponds for breeding and during the aquatic stage of their lives.
2. Make sure there are breeding sites available in the spring. Most frogs prefer shallow ponds (less than 3 feet deep) with emergent aquatic vegetation growing in them. Because fish eat tadpoles, the best breeding sites are ponds without fish, or at least ponds with extensive marshy areas too shallow for fish.
3. Introduce native emergent and shoreline plants to pond margins. Plants such as arrowhead, pickerelweed, and spike rush provide food and shelter for tadpoles, salamanders, and turtles.
4. Place logs and rocks around a portion of the pond bank to create hiding places for frogs and salamanders and basking sites for turtles.
5. Create a brush pile at the water’s edge to provide shelter. Slopes on the northern edge of the pond are ideal places for brush piles or logs since they tend to be more cool, shady and moist.
6. Resist introducing non-native fish, introducing bullfrogs, or stocking fish in ponds with healthy frog populations.

Backyards
1. Create hiding places for toads by building small rock piles, log piles, and brush piles close to shrubbery or in gardens.
2. Make a toad abode by sinking a clay flowerpot into the soil in garden or landscape beds. The pot should lie on its side, with the opening facing north, and be partially filled with soil. The toad abode will provide a moist shelter.
3. Construct a shallow backyard pool, without fish, to attract frogs and salamanders. If you would like to receive more information about undertaking such a project, please call us for resources.
4. Remember that frogs rely on good water quality, both on and off your property. Always keep septic systems in good working order, repair your car quickly if you detect leaking oil, and properly dispose of hazardous household wastes. Support local water conservation and water quality measures to prevent pollution and keep local streams, wetlands, ponds, and lakes healthy.

Woodlands
1. Increase the number of natural shelters such as old logs, rocks, bark slabs, and small brush piles. These will provide habitat for many adult amphibians.
2. Maintain undergrowth—thick in some areas. Tree frogs such as spring peepers hide in shrubby growth. In addition, insects that are attracted to woody understory are an excellent food supply for frogs.
3. Provide safe corridors between woods and ponds. Ideally, ponds should have a no-mow, no-spray buffer zone all the way around them. Similar corridors should connect a pond to woods. These areas can be mowed once a year in late fall to keep them from getting too overgrown. Make them as wide as possible for the site.

Grasslands/Prairies
1. Cultivate native grasses to provide the best food and shelter for frogs.
2. Make several small rock piles, especially along fencerows and near woodland edges to provide good hiding places.
3. Use rotational mowing or grazing in grassland areas to continually provide habitat for toads and prairie lizards.
4. Build a pond or produce a wet, marshy area in low spots where the water table is near the surface. Even seasonally-wet pools can provide breeding sites for amphibians. Wooded wetlands are ideal places for frogs and salamanders because they lack fish, which prey on amphibian eggs.

The Akridge Save The Bay Golf Tournament...for the birds!

2011-05-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

It is May and it is pouring down rain! It must be time for the annual Akridge - Save the Bay Golf Tournament at Queenstown Harbor Golf Course in Maryland.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation started the tournament 4 years ago to generate funding for their mission of “Saving the Bay,” the Chesapeake Bay that is. Now, 4 years later they have generated nearly $500,000 to support their work, which includes research, education, restoration and lobbying efforts on behalf of the Bay. A second focus of the event is to show case what properly managed golf courses can do in regard to environmental stewardship and in particular to show case efforts being made by golf to protect and restore the Bay.

Queenstown Harbor is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary (Audubon International) and is comprised of 2 eighteen hole courses that are on the banks of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay. Queenstown Harbor is owned and managed by the Brick Companies, a company that not only prides themselves in managing environmentally friendly golf courses, but that imbeds environmental stewardship into the fabric of the entire company.
My focus this year aside from just attending the tournament and enjoying the company of all that attended, was to conduct a bird survey while the tournament was being played. I started out in the rain (as usual) but by mid-afternoon the sun was shining and the birds were flying.

I started my survey at the same time the 200 or so golfers headed for their first tee and I continued my survey for about 5 hours, coming in at about the same time the final foursome was heading for the 19th hole.
All in all it was a good day. All told, I tallied 47 species of birds on the 2 courses during the tournament. This included a Bald Eagle, including sighting the nest that it is using, which is also located on the course property. I think if the day hadn’t started out so soggy and gloomy, I would have ticked off several additional species, particularly some of the wood warbler species, which I’m sure frequent the large stands of hardwoods scattered around the course.

All in all, it was a good day for golf, a good day for raising money for the Chesapeake Bay and a good day for birding at Queenstown Harbor.

TOTAL BIRD LIST FOR THE DAY
Mallard 3
Great Blue Heron 4
Green Heron 2
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 7
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Herring Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 12
Fish Crow 2
Purple Martin 20
Tree Swallow 50
Barn Swallow 15
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 14
Northern Mockingbird 6
European Starling 18
Cedar Waxwing 8
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 26
Common Grackle 16
Common Grackle 22
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 1
Baltimore oriole 2
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 19

Bill Love and Brian Kington renovation work at University of Maryland wins top award

2011-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

University of Maryland Golf Course won first place in the Golf Inc. Renovation of the Year Competition, with Hudson National Golf Club winning for projects under $1 million and Saucon Valley Country Club taking top honors for private clubs over $1 million.

Brian Kington and Bill Love, who grew up playing on the University of Maryland course, were the lead architects behind the renovation. Wadsworth Golf Construction handled the $3.5 million construction. The university owned course beat out stiff competition from across the world to win the ‘best of competition’ honor.

The St. Regis Resort at Princeville Makai in Kauai, Hawaii, and Masonboro Country Club in Wilmington, NC placed second and third respectively in the public over $1 million category. St. Regis also placed second overall in the competition.

Two European courses, Upsala Golfklubb in Sweden and Toscana Resort Castelfalfi in Montaione, Italy followed Saucon Valley in private clubs over $1 million. Fazio Golf Course Designers were the architects for both Saucon Valley and Hudson National.

“This was one of the finest pools of entrants since the competition started in 2004,” said Jack Crittenden, Editor In Chief of Golf Inc. magazine. “All of the honorees were rated by the judges as outstanding quality.”
Judges were Dr. Michael Hurdzan with Hurdzan-Fry Environmental Golf Design, Oscar Rodriguez, Vice President Construction Manager with The Weitz Company, and Jim Bellington, Senior Vice President of Development Services with Troon Golf.

The winning projects will be featured in the Summer issue of Golf Inc, due out in June.

Pollinator Conservation: Parks and Golf Courses

2011-04-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

According to the Xerces Society, parks and golf courses can play important roles in regard to the conservation of our native pollinators.

In a time when urban and suburban areas are spreading rapidly and wild spaces are quickly disappearing, golf courses, parks and other greenspaces are increasingly important to the vitality of our communities. At the most basic level, healthy parks mean healthy people and healthy communities. At the core of a healthy environment are pollinators-animals that move pollen among flowers, thus ensuring that the plants can form seeds and fruits.

Pollinator conservation is perfectly suited for parks and golf courses. The basic habitat needs for pollinator insects are simple to provide and can be integrated into the current maintenance of any greenspace, from expansive rural golf courses courses to compact urban parks. Pollinators will not only keep plants healthy-which in turn provides homes and food for other wildlife-but sustainable populations of these animals will also benefit nearby natural areas and neighboring gardens or farms.

We recommend a three-step approach to conserving pollinators in parks and golf courses.
■Recognize the native pollinators and their habitat that are already on your site
■Adjust existing land management practices to avoid causing undue harm to the pollinators already present
■Enhance, restore, or create habitat for native bees and butterflies

Snow Wins Award

2011-02-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

Not the white stuff in the North that people are getting tired of this winter...but it was James T. Snow, the National Director of the USGA Green Section, who was presented the first annual Ronald G. Dodson Golf and Environment Leadership Award. The award was established by the Board of Directors of Audubon International in 2010 and the first Award was presented this week during the Golf Industry Conference and Show in Orlando, Florida.

The Ronald G. Dodson Golf and the Environment Leadership Award celebrates an individual or individuals involved with a golf course, project, or other effort connected with the game of golf who has exhibited leadership and environmental stewardship and sustainability. Award winners stand as examples of innovation, leadership, and boldness in uncovering new and improved ways to protect and sustain the natural resources that the game depends upon.

James T. Snow, National Director of the USGA Green Section, has long been a leader in bringing greater environmental awareness to the game of golf. His support of the efforts of Audubon International led to the establishment of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an award-winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect the environment and protect the natural heritage of the game of golf. In presenting the award, Ron Dodson stated, "Since the beginning of the program, Jim totally embraced the spirit of cooperation, partnerships, the connection of the game to its heritage, and its role in taking care of the natural resources."

The Value of Water

2011-02-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Turf Feeding Systems has produced an informative video about the value of conserving water that highlights the efforts of the City of St. George, Utah.

Benefits of Environmental Stewardship

2011-01-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

A recent survey of members of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) reveals that voluntary environmental actions on golf courses are not only the right thing to do-they make good business sense. The program, now celebrating a 20th Anniversary, is designed to help golf professionals manage their natural resources better, yielding positive environmental, economic, and social results.

The survey of 2,000-plus members of the ACSP was conducted in late 2010, as a part of the organization's Golf & the Environment Initiative. "We've been pleased with the response rate," states ACSP Program Director, Joellen Lampman, "and especially pleased to confirm what we thought-namely, that the environmental actions taken through our program yield business value as well leading to more sustainable golf facilities."

Some of the results include the following:

Saving Money: 70% of respondents had reduced pesticide costs through the ACSP.

Reducing Risk: 90% of respondents mitigated risks through the program as a result of improved management practices.

Attracting Customers: 15% of respondents reported new golfers/members as a result of involvement made through the ACSP.

Gaining Business Value: 60% of respondents reported saving money and enhancing their image and reputation as a result of working with Audubon International.

Using Water Wisely: 50% of respondents have reduced the amount of acreage they irrigate as a result of ACSP participation.

These economic benefits go hand-hand with environmental benefits. As Brett Hetland, Superintendent at Brooks National Golf Club Iowa states, "we have reduced maintenance costs through naturalization of turf areas, reduced energy use and waste, planted native plants and added bird boxes, all of which has also improved our public image."

If you are interested in learning more about the survey or for a limited time, getting half-off a new membership sponsored by John Deere & Company, Click Here, or contact the Jessica DesLauriers, Audubon International's Development Manager at 518-767-9051, ext 120 or by email at jdeslauriers@auduboninternational.org.

The Old Collier Club

2011-01-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of working with Collier Enterprise and others connected with the planning, design, constuction and management of The Old Collier Club, in Naples, Florida. The Old Collier Club is a shining example of sustainable golf from beginning to end. It truly represents The Nature of the Game!

Overview
The Old Collier Golf Club is a pilot member of the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facilities Program and the golf course is the world's first Certified Audubon International Gold Signature Sanctuary, a designation that recognizes excellence in environmental planning and management. The landscape was designed for both golfers and wildlife. The design features new approaches to water use, land management, selection of turf grass and native plants. The result is a course that offers a magnificent golf experience and provides an international model for environmental stewardship. The Old Collier Club property totals 448 acres, with 267 of those acres dedicated to the golf course and related amenities and the remaining 180 plus acres being managed as wildlife preserves.

Highlights
• Set aside 53 acres of mangrove and wetland habitat bordering the Cocohatchee River as wildlife preserve.
• Established 109 acres of interconnected native upland scrub habitat by preserving 45 acres and creating 64 new acres through the golf course design.
• Increased number of bird species on the site from 60 to 118, including nesting bald eagles, osprey, and purple martins. The site has also seen a significant increase in species of wildlife, including alligators, foxes and the threatened gopher tortoise.
• Retains rainfall on the golf course as wells as stormwater drainage from the Naples Park neighborhood to the south for a 25-year storm event using eleven water management lakes, which keeps pollutant discharge to the Cocohatchee River at or below permitted levels
• Saves $35,000/year in water use compare to a typical golf course by using brackish water from the adjacent Cocohatchee River for irrigation.

Sustainable Features
• Turf areas were limited to 77 acres, 35% less than the 90-130-acre average for golf courses. (Less turf reduces irrigation needs, nutrient run-off and maintenance costs.)
• Extensive use of salt-tolerant native vegetation, including sand pine, cabbage palm, salt meadow grass and wildflowers eliminates the need for irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers.
• Protective berms divert surface runoff away from the mangrove buffer and river.
• The low-pressure computerized irrigation system features 2,700 sprinkler heads (a typical course has 800-1,200), lower sprinkler angles, and soil probe analysis to apply brackish water only on turf grass, leading to a much more efficient use of water.
• Diffusers in lakes and wetlands provide oxygen to prevent fish kills. Diffusers last longer and use 75% less electricity than fountains.
• Concrete cart paths were installed only in high use areas and on slopes; pervious concrete screenings that blend with the white sand are used elsewhere. Concrete lasts longer than asphalt, is 40-70F degrees cooler and is not petroleum-based.
• Golf course bridge surfaces, benches, trash cans, and water coolers are made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastics.

Significant Issues
The property is 3/4 mile from the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent to the Cocohatchee River, a designated Outstanding Florida Water. Permits required no degradation in water quality and that habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise be preserved. The area was under intense development pressure and had experienced water restrictions. There was no practical source of fresh water for irrigation.

Solution
Old Collier pioneered the tee-to-green use of two types of Seashore Paspalum, a native salt-tolerant turf grass that can be irrigated with brackish water readily available from the river. The landscape uses native plants that can survive without irrigation and chemicals while providing superior play aesthetics. The course design connects habitat patches and edges to create wildlife corridors.

Cost Comparison
• Lower turf acreage saves $20,000/year in nitrogen application costs and reduces man hours, fuel consumption and machinery for maintenance.
• Irrigating at night saves $1,700/month in peak electrical demand charges and is more efficient with less misting and evaporation from wind and sun.
• State-of-the-art irrigation will last 5-8 years longer than a typical system.

Lessons Learned
• Proper siting, design, construction and maintenance are all essential.
• The use of science-based Best Management Practices was a key. This approach fostered design and operations that improve the long-term health of the site and surrounding watershed through an integrated resource management plan, which required that each decision have an ecological benefit. This has also proved to be very economically beneficial.

The Rim Golf Club

2010-12-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Food, cover, water and space are the key ingredients necessary for all living organisims. To The Rim Golf Club in Payson, Arizona water is a precious resource that is managed in a very conservative manner. Water conservation concerns and actions taken by the city of Payson, certainly has contributed to the pressing needs to conserve water, but this has also resulted in some management challenges for Justin Ruiz, the Superintendent of The Rim. To get a better understanding of the techniques taken at The Rim, an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility member, check out the video below, published by GCSAA TV.

USGA buys first carbon certificate!

2010-11-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

The USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has purchased the first Golfpreserves Carbon Certificate to retire carbon stored in golf course turf soils on The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is an important first step to demonstrate the economic value of stored carbon on golf courses, and, document ecosystem service golf courses provide to the community.

USGA Turfgrass Advisory Service

2010-11-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

Want to get on the sustainability road in regard to managing your golf course? Subscribe to the USGA Turfgrass Advisory Service.

This is an investment in the economic and environmental future of your facility.

PGA GOLF CLUB Joins Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program

2010-10-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., was named a member of the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program today. Featuring 54 holes of Championship golf by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye, PGA Golf Club is owned and operated by The PGA of America and also includes the nearby PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance golf instruction, practice, technology and fitness park; and the PGA Historical Center golf museum.

Audubon Lifestyles is an independent non-profit organization believing that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet. Operating with the main purpose of benefiting society, the organization delivers sustainable programming, services and certifications that are cost effective and reduce risk.

The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program was created and continues to be modified through a collaborative process from experts in golf facility management, wildlife management, conservation and sustainability. Among others, this includes advisors that represent The PGA of America, USGA, American Society of Golf Course Architects, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and various universities, colleges and businesses nationwide. In addition, participation by pilot members, such as PGA Golf Club, provide real-world insight used to further refine the program, making it the most comprehensive program to measure sustainability on golf courses.

Through participation in the Sustainable Golf Facility Program, Audubon Lifestyles staff will assist PGA Golf Club Staff members in completing the program requirements, in order to gain recognition as a local, regional, national and international model of sustainability.

“We are excited to welcome PGA Golf Club into the Sustainable Golf Facility Program,” said R. Eric Dodson, CEO and Executive Director for Audubon Lifestyles. “The facility has set itself on a path to lead by example, and their commitment and efforts toward sustainable golf course management are commended.”

“We are honored to join the Audubon Lifestyles program, and look forward to taking the next steps to gain recognition as an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility,” stated Bob Baldassari, PGA General Manager, for PGA Village.

Once the facility meets all of the requirements of the Sustainable Golf Facility Program, which includes adopting a Sustainability Charter, and completion of a Sustainability Audit, Audubon Lifestyles will designate PGA Golf Club as an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility, and will develop an Improvement and Implementation Report specific to the facility. In addition, based upon an evaluation process and the Sustainability Audit, the facility may be awarded between one and five stars, and earn the right to use the International Sustainability Council’s Seal of Sustainability.

Planning Wildlife Habitat on the Golf Course

2010-09-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Habitat is a combination of food, water, shelter, and space arranged to meet the needs of wildlife. Even small areas can be landscaped to attract birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and small animals. Trees, shrubs, and other plants provide shelter and food for wildlife.

The plants you use for food and cover will help determine the wildlife species attracted to your backyard. Nesting boxes, feeders, and watering sites can be added to improve the habitat.

Planning is necessary for attractive and productive wildlife habitat. You have both a horizontal area to work with--the size of your area--as well as a vertical area that stretches from your soil to the treetops. The vertical area is composed of the canopy formed by the tallest tree branches; understory vegetation consisting of smaller trees, shrubs, and vines; the floor which is often dominated by low growing groundcovers; and the basement where a variety of organisms exist in the soil. Different wildlife species live in each of these zones, so numerous habitats can be provided on a small piece of land.

Trees and shrubs are the backbone of any landscaping design and are important for wildlife shelter. Many tree and shrub species are excellent sources of food for wildlife. Proper selection of plant material can meet both the aesthetic needs of the course and the food and shelter needs of wildlife. Remember that we are all part of the habitat!

The Definition of Sustainable Golf Design

2010-09-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Golf Design is the practice of planning, designing and constructing golf course facilities that will provide the foundation for an economically sound business that provides safe, healthy and enjoyable environments for all employees, members, visitors and guests.

Sustainable Golf Design is properly sited, designed and constructed in ways that enhance the local community and reduces or eliminates any impact on natural resources.

Sustainable Golf Design is a design that provides a balance between optimum playing conditions for golfers and good stewardship of the environment.

Sustainable Golf Design is based upon scientifically sound, site specific best practices, that improves the quality of life on the site, regionally and beyond.

Sustainable Golf Design provides for ease of continuous management of the golf course, after construction and provides a foundation for economic and environmental efficiency and stewardship for the life of the facility.

Graves Earns National Environmental Award

2010-09-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Longtime Chevy Chase Club golf course superintendent, Dean Graves has been selected by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Board of Directors to receive the 2011 GCSAA President's Award for Environmental Stewardship.

The award will be presented during the 2011 GCSAA Education Conference at Celebrate GCSAA presented by Syngenta, Feb. 8. Celebrate GCSAA is hosted by GCSAA President James R. Fitzroy, CGCS. The conference (Feb. 7-11) will be held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show (Feb. 9-10) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
"This is a well deserved honor for Dean," Fitzroy said. "He has been a passionate advocate for the positive attributes of golf facilities throughout his career. Whether making positive changes at Chevy Chase Club, conducting golf course site visits, advocating for the profession, providing public testimony, or building relationships with lawmakers, Dean has been a positive force in advancing the environmental stewardship of the golf course industry."

Graves is a 30-year GCSAA member and has spent his career committed to environmental stewardship as superintendent at several Washington, D.C.-area golf facilities. He has Chevy Chase Club certified in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Graves also received Audubon certification at Bethesda (Md.) Country Club, during his time as superintendent there. A past president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents (MAAGCS), Graves currently chairs the chapter's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Committee.

In his 10 years at Chevy Chase Club, Graves has significantly increased the acreage dedicated to wildlife habitat, converting out of play areas of traditionally mowed turfgrass to lower maintenance vegetation mixes and instituting a bird-nesting program. In an effort to conserve water, Graves has improved the precision and control of the irrigation system at Chevy Chase Club and developed sophisticated programs to control water use throughout the course. He is also working directly with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, state agencies and golf industries to develop practical nutrient management policy as part of future regulatory demand on states within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Colorado Golf Carbon Project Update

2010-08-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

The project is a unified effort whose primary goal is to support research that explores the diverse issues associated with the carbon emitted and sequestered by golf courses in Colorado. Partners participating in the project include the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado, Colorado State University, the USDA-ARS, and Golfpreserves.

Golfpreserves will coordinate the activities required to develop a program that converts assigned sequestered carbon from Colorado golf courses into carbon certificates that are marketed to generate revenue that supports research that is part of the Colorado Golf Carbon Project.

This project is a logical extension of previous groundbreaking environmental projects completed in Colorado by Colorado State University, the USDA-ARS, and the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado. There is no doubt that the information generated by this project will have a lasting impact on the management of energy, water and other environmental issues encountered by golf courses and other businesses in Colorado and throughout the United States.
To date, 9 Colorado golf courses have registered in the program.
Those courses are:

APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE
BRECKENRIDGE GOLF CLUB
COLORADO SPRINGS COUNTRY CLUB
THE BROADMOOR
EAGLE RANCH GOLF CLUB
VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
PTARMIGAN COUNTRY CLUB
GLENMOOR COUNTRY CLUB
THE MEADOWS GOLF CLUB

Save the Bay Classic Golf Tournament

2010-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation in partnership with The First Tee and Audubon International have co-sponsored the Akridge Save The Bay Golf Classic tournament for three years. Check the latest update on the efforts spearheaded by the tournament on GCSAA TV

Golf Courses Benefit from Long Term Plan, Says ASGCA

2010-07-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Golf courses provide a place for fun, relaxation, competition and much more to millions of people each year. But golf course components do wear out so planning ahead can save money over the long run and minimize inconveniences, whether the course needs regular maintenance, remodeling a few holes, or a complete renovation. The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) has information to assist in planning, and ASGCA members have the expertise to help enact such a plan.

A myriad of reasons dictate the extent of planning that should be implemented, including finances, time, golf course condition and age of the course. Planning – whether a comprehensive Master Plan or a simple list of scheduled replacement of key golf course components – helps in budgeting time, money and personnel to keep a facility in good condition.

“One important benefit of master planning is realizing the various components of a golf course each have a life expectancy,” said ASGCA President Erik Larsen. “Consider the ‘life cycle’ of these components, paying particular attention to recurring costs of items like irrigation, drainage and sand bunker construction. Doing so maintains course integrity, improves the user experience and can save money over the long term.”

ASGCA has created a free, single-page flyer, “Golf Course Items Expected Life Cycle,” detailing how long specific parts of a golf course should last. Though each course is unique, the guidelines spelled out in the flyer are worth noting. “Master Planning: Questions and Answers,” is an ASGCA brochure that can help golf course managers, superintendents, professionals and owners understand the process of developing a master plan and the importance of assessing the typical life expectancies of golf course components.

To download a copy of the Life Cycle fact sheet: Click Here

Greens at Pebble Beach Provided Exceptional Championship Conditions

2010-06-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

By Pat Gross, USGA Green Section Southwest Region Director

Some television and on-site viewers who observed the greens at Pebble Beach at the 110th U.S. Open Championship may have asked why they did not look like the emerald green putting surfaces everyone has come to know at Pebble Beach. TV viewers saw mottled, spotty, discolored greens that would be alarming and perhaps unacceptable to many superintendents and golfers. The Poa annua greens at Pebble Beach are a combination of two construction methods --- five different- aged USGA greens and 13 native soil greens --- growing in multiple microclimates that require different management strategies. No easy task for Superintendent Chris Dalhamer and the maintenance staff.

The mutual goal of the USGA and Pebble Beach was to provide firm, smooth, and fast putting greens to test the skills of the best players. Cosmetics and appearance were not high on the priority list. The grass on the greens is predominantly Poa annua, and like most Poa annua greens there are many slightly different types (biotypes) that comprise the turf. When the greens were maintained on the dry and firm side, significant color differences became more apparent.
The two techniques most important in preparing the golf course for the championship involved reduced fertilization and effective irrigation management. The putting greens went through a gradual dry-down process to achieve the desired conditions. They were in good shape and could handle being pushed. Moisture and firmness levels were monitored in the morning and evening, and measures were taken to keep the greens from going over the edge.

The U.S. Open is not about cosmetics; it’s about providing a challenging and rigorous test to identify the best player. Producing a cosmetically attractive golf course would have been the easy task: a little more water, a touch of fertilizer, and we would have had green, pretty putting greens and soft conditions, but that was not the goal.

Managing greens to this level requires meticulous preparation for months or years. Keep in mind that this conditioning is conducted for just one week of the year. Golfers should not expect championship conditions on the greens they play on daily. Dry, firm greens require nearly perfect shots to keep the ball on the putting surface. It also demands an extraordinarily talented and large maintenance staff to achieve the conditioning. Greens that are growing very little are subject to damage from traffic and other stresses. It is one thing to stop the growth for the few days of the U.S. Open, but it would be reckless to attempt to achieve this type of conditioning for daily golfer play.

Following the championship on Monday, I viewed Pebble Beach greens that were well on their way back to normal following a little drink of water. They looked great and will continue to provide outstanding enjoyment for golfers who want to see how their game holds up on one of golf’s greatest courses.

Architects leading way in conservation and proper water usage

2010-06-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Water is our most precious natural resource. This was on full display during the recently concluded United States Open golf championship held at Pebble Beach Golf Club. According to the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), their members work each day to design, renovate and maintain courses that not only conserve water, but also serve as living bodies to positively impact all aspects of the environment.
Since its founding in 1946, ASGCA and its members have shown respect for the land and the environment so integral to the game. ASGCA first formed its Environmental Committee in 1970, and remains dedicated to researching and better understanding the positive benefits that come from a measured focus on the environment – including water usage – and socio-economic factors of the game.
According to the ASGA few ways design can influence water use and management include:

• “Firm and fast” conditions, common in the United Kingdom, can make the game enjoyable on a level not always found on North American courses. More water doesn’t necessarily mean better playing conditions. Design that takes this type of play into account can decrease water usage.

• The use of non-irrigated natural areas in the design of a golf course reduces the amount of water consumed throughout the life of the golf course.

• Good land planning and stewardship is critical to successful water management. Incorporating natural runoff patterns as well as wetlands and storage ponds into the design helps capture and filter potential contaminants, and allows for water to replenish aquifers.

• A golf course architect’s understanding of the grass plant and its soil medium can increase the plant’s ability to readily process important nutrients, reducing the amount of water required to keep the grass plant healthy.

• "Water harvesting," capturing rain that falls on the golf course, storing it, and utilizing it when needed.

• The use if soil additives that hold moisture in the soil profile. Right where the roots of the grass plant make the grass a more efficient consumer of its nutrients. The actual grass plant will use less water due to a moister soil condition.

The third edition of “An Environmental Approach to Golf Course Development” by Bill Love of Sustainable Golf & Development has explanations of design tenets used by members and case studies that illustrate examples of these best practices.

2010-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

By the USGA Green Section Staff:

After every televised golf tournament, the Green Section staff agronomists are asked by golfers why their course can't be more like what the pros play. This short animation will help explain why very few courses can achieve such a goal on a consistent basis.

Click Here -
TV Golf Versus Daily Play

Efficient Turfgrass Management

2010-06-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Reserve at Lake Keowee becomes the newest participant in the Sustainable Golf Facility Program

2010-05-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Reserve at Lake Keowee, located in Sunset, South Carolina, has recently become a Pilot Member in the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program.

The Reserve at Lake Keowee (http://www.reserveatlakekeowee.com) is home to a par-72, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course that opened in 2002 and offers five sets of tees extending to 7,112 yards. The topography of the course follows the natural contours of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, sloping gently to the water’s edge and offering wide fairways, well-protected greens and challenging play for all skill levels. Three of the course’s eighteen holes play along Lake Keowee, with two additional holes offering lake views. The Reserve’s generously sized practice facilities include a short game area, putting green, and a double-ended driving range with mobile shade canopy.

Audubon Lifestyles (http://www.audubonlifestyles.org) an independent non-profit organization unaffiliated with any other national or international Audubon society, believes that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet. Operating with the main purpose of benefiting society, the organization delivers sustainable programming, services and certifications that are cost effective and reduce risk.

The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program was created and continues to be modified through a collaborative process from experts in golf facility management, wildlife management, conservation and sustainability. Among others, this includes advisors presently or formerly employed by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Professional Golf Association (PGA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and various Universities, Colleges and businesses nationwide. In addition, participation by pilot members like The Reserve at Lake Keowee provides real-world insight used to further refine the program, making it the most comprehensive program to measure sustainability on golf courses.

Through participation in the Sustainable Golf Facility Program, Audubon Lifestyles staff is available to assist the golf facility’s managers and staff to complete the program requirements and gain recognition as a local, regional, national and international model of sustainability.

R. Eric Dodson, CEO and Executive Director for Audubon Lifestyles said, “We are excited to welcome the Reserve at Lake Keowee into the Sustainable Golf Facility Program. By participating as a Pilot Member, The Reserve has set itself on a path to lead by example, and their commitment and efforts toward sustainable golf course management should be commended.”

“Our commitment to becoming certified as a sustainable golf course is one we feel is not only important but reflective of our community’s overall efforts to conserve and protect the natural beauty that surrounds us,” stated Sam Crowe, golf course superintendent at The Reserve at Lake Keowee.

Once a facility meets all of the requirements of the Sustainable Golf Facility Program which includes adopting a Sustainability Charter, and completion of the Sustainability Audit, Audubon Lifestyles will designate the facility as an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility and develop an Improvement & Implementation Report specific to the facility. In addition, based upon an evaluation process and the Sustainability Audit the facility may be awarded between one and five stars, and earn the right to use the International Sustainability Council’s Seal of Sustainability.

Akridge Save the Bay Classic Nets $150,000 for Chesapeake Bay Foundation

2010-05-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

QUEENSTOWN, Md. - Washington real estate investment and development firm Akridge and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) staged their third successful Akridge Save the Bay Classic yesterday, achieving the largest turnout since the event's inception. Although rain has dampened the golf tournament in each of its three years, spirits and contributions were high – the 2010 event raised 50 percent more money for CBF than last year’s. Held at The Brick Companies’ Queenstown Harbor course, a sustainable facility on the Chester River in Maryland, the tournament welcomed 173 golfers with fleece jackets and caps that helped them weather the unseasonably cool, rainy day.

“An environmentally sustainable course like this one strives to avoid artificial irrigation, so we need rain,” quipped John E. “Chip” Akridge, III, Chairman of Akridge. “And we are proud to be out here – in the rain again – to support the great work of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and also to raise awareness and increase dialogue about what each and every one of us can do to protect our natural resources and regional treasures like the Bay. We applaud the Foundation and our fellow Save the Bay Classic sponsors who share these goals.”

The event was buoyed by the positive settlement last week of CBF’s lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and by news that a just-released University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science study shows incremental improvement in the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality. The historic settlement between the Foundation and EPA requires of the federal agency specific actions performed on a specific timeline to ensure pollution is reduced sufficiently to remove the Bay from the federal "dirty waters" list.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker addressed the golfers at a post-tournament reception saying, “Based on these positive developments and the great success of today’s event, I think I can promise that if all of you continue to come out here for this tournament for each of the next 10 years, we’ll substantially achieve our goal of getting the Bay back to good health!”

About Akridge
Akridge is a comprehensive real estate services company that provides acquisition, development, construction management, asset management, property management, leasing and consulting services. The industry’s foremost benchmarking firm, CEL & Associates, has ranked Akridge the number one real estate firm in the country for Client satisfaction, among firms of similar size, ten times since 1999. Akridge has been honored with the National Capital Business Ethics Award, awarded by the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and has also been recognized as the ‘Best Place to Work’ in Greater Washington by the Washington Business Journal.

About The Chesapeake Bay Foundation
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) educates students and adults, and fights for strong, effective, and consistent laws, regulations, and enforcement to restore and protect the Bay’s water quality, plants, and animals. CBF also works cooperatively with government, business, and citizens in partnerships to protect and restore the Bay. Since its founding in 1967, CBF has achieved significant milestones to arrest the Bay system's decline and to begin to restore its health. From the landmark EPA study of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s to the first interstate Chesapeake Bay Agreement in 1983 to Maryland's historic sewage treatment bond bill in the 2004 and Virginia’s comparable legislative commitment in 2005, CBF has been saving the Bay.

About Queenstown Harbor
Developed by The Brick Companies, Queenstown Harbor golf facility features 36 holes of championship golf on two unique layouts – The River and The Lakes – in a spectacular Chesapeake Bay waterfront location. In 2008, Queenstown Harbor achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by Audubon International. To achieve this certification, The Brick Companies implemented environmental practices that include maintaining wide buffers of no-mow zones around ponds and streams, capturing rainwater for irrigation, restricting golfers from entering sensitive areas, using fertilizer manufactured from chicken manure and participating in a ride-sharing program for employees. Equipment is cleaned at a central “wash down station” where water is captured and recycled, and beverages are served in corn-based biodegradable cups.

The Rim Golf Club Joins the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program

2010-05-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Payson, AZ, May 16, 2010 - The Rim Golf Club, located in Payson, Arizona, recently joined the Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program as a Pilot Member. The Rim Golf Club sits within the largest continuous stand of Ponderosa pine in the United States, and is an ideal location for healthy and sustainable living; boasting one of only three pure ozone layers in the world. The exclusive residential mountain enclave comprised of over five hundred acres, and is surrounded by over 3 million acres of National Forest. The golf course features impressive boulder outcroppings, scenic mountain vistas, dramatic elevation changes and breathtaking views of the Mogollon Rim.

“Environmental stewardship has been an important element in making The Rim Golf Club's community one of the Best Place to Live in America (Golf Week's Top 100 Residential Communities),” stated course superintendent Justin Ruiz CGCS. He continued by saying, "The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program provides a unique opportunity to highlight our environmental stewardship activities not only in golf course maintenance but facility-wide, and to document our sustainable efforts that goes beyond environmental stewardship as well.”

Audubon Lifestyles, an independent non-profit organization unaffiliated with any other national or international Audubon Society, believes that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet. Operating with the main purpose of benefiting society, the organization delivers sustainable programming, services and certifications that are cost effective and that reduce risk.

The Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility Program was created and continues to be modified through a collaborative process from experts in golf facility management, wildlife management, conservation and sustainability. Among others, this includes advisors who presently or formerly were employed by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Professional Golf Association of America (PGA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and various Universities, Colleges and businesses nationwide. In addition, participation by pilot members like The Rim Golf Club provides real-world insight used to further refine the program; making it the most comprehensive program to measure sustainability within golf course facilities.

Through participation in the Sustainable Golf Facility Program, Audubon Lifestyles staff is available to assist golf facility managers and staff to complete the program requirements, and gain recognition as local, regional, national and international models of sustainability.

R. Eric Dodson, CEO for Audubon Lifestyles said, “The Rim Golf Club’s commitment to sustainability, and the leadership role they have decided to take should be commended on a global scale.” Eric continued by saying, “By participating as a Pilot Member, The Rim Golf Club is not only talking-the-talk, but also walking-the-walk of leading by example. The golf club’s superintendent, Justin Ruiz, and his continual commitment of working towards managing the golf club in a sustainable manner are simply tremendous!”

Once a facility meets all the requirements of the Sustainable Golf Facility Program which includes adopting a Sustainability Charter, and completion of the Sustainability Audit, Audubon Lifestyles will designate the facility as an Audubon Lifestyles Sustainable Golf Facility and develop an Improvement & Implementation Report specific to the facility. In addition, based upon an evaluation process and the Sustainability Audit the facility may be awarded between one and five stars, and potentially earn the right to use the International Sustainability Council’s Seal of Sustainability.

To learn more visit:
Audubon Lifestyles: http://www.audubonlifestyles.org
The Rim Golf Club: http://www.therimgolfclub.com

###

Contact Information:
Audubon Lifestyles
35246 Us Hwy 19 #299
Palm Harbor, FL 34684

Contact Person:
R. Eric Dodson
Phone: 727-733-0762
email: edodson@audubonlifestyles.org

Colorado Sign-Ups with Golfpreserves® Continues

2010-04-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Golfpreserves® is happy to announce that another three Golf Course facilities have signed up to be part of the first ever comprehensive emission and sequestration project for the Golf industry. The latest addition includes The Broadmoor, with three courses, Colorado Springs Country Club, as well as Eagle Ranch Golf Club.

“We are now at the point where the acreage of turf grass is substantial enough to initiate the aggregation and creation of carbon financial instruments,” says Bill Crispin, co-founder of Golfpreserves®.

As with previous sign ups, all courses are Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.

The Broadmoor, with its three courses, is one of the U.S.’s most historic and tradition steeped links as well as the site of seven USGA championships including the upcoming 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. The original course was designed by Donald Ross in 1916 and opened for play in 1918.

“We are excited to be part of this project and glad to see the Colorado golf industry leading the way,” says Fred Dickman CGCS, Director of Golf Courses Grounds at The Broadmoor.

The Colorado Springs Country Club has been chartered as a non-profit, private club since June of 1954. Located on land once being used as a dairy farm, and with the old dairy barn still remaining as part of the Clubhouse, the club today presents an 18 hole golf course.
“Our greatest assets are our members. And we know how much they care about both golf and the environment. This project addresses both areas of interest and we are happy to be part of it,” says Tom Dimberio, Superintendent at the Colorado Springs Country Club.

Eagle Ranch Golf Club is an Arnold Palmer Signature Design set in the center of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It was recently honored as the Best Mountain Course in Colorado for under $100 by Colorado Avid Golfer Magazine.
“As a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, the Colorado Golf Carbon Project and Golfpreserves seemed like a natural fit for us,” says Jeff Boyer, Director of Golf at Eagle Ranch Golf Club.

“The momentum around the project keeps on and we are constantly reminded of why we initiated Golfpreserves® through the comments and discussions we are having with golf course Superintendents and golf course owners. The addition of these three participants and their significant turfgrass acreage means that Golfpreserves® is transitioning from two years of planning and preparation into the next phase and the creation of carbon financial instruments” says Noble Hendrix, co-founder of Golfpreserves®.
The Golfpreserves® project is now open to participation for the country’s golf courses. There is no cost to be a participant with Golfpreserves®.

About the Colorado Golf Carbon Project

The Colorado Project is the first ever comprehensive emission and sequestration project for the Golf industry. The Project presents a built in funding mechanism for future research and development for the golf industry.

The project is not only unique in what it is setting out to achieve, but also in the diverse group of representatives who stand behind it: Golfpreserves® and the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado, including the Colorado Golf Association, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the GCSAA, the Colorado chapters of the NGCOA, PGA, CMAA and Colorado Women’s Golf Association. Further, the project is supported by the USGA, Colorado State University, USDA-ARS, Audubon International, the International Sustainability Council, Audubon Lifestyles, National Turfgrass Federation, OPEI as well as the Office of the Governor of Colorado.

WATERSHED ASSOCIATION SALUTES NEWLY RIVER-FRIENDLY HOPEWELL VALLEY GOLF CLUB

2010-04-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 17, representatives from the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and the Hopewell Valley Golf Club gathered at the first tee of the club’s course in Pennington, New Jersey for a ceremony celebrating the club’s recent River-Friendly Certification. On hand was Hopewell Valley Golf Club superintendent Matt Stout, whom Watershed stewardship program coordinator Amy Weaver presented a hand-carved cedar plaque signifying his and his staff’s strides to run a more environmentally sound golf course.

According to Weaver, the Hopewell Valley Golf Club is only the second golf course in central New Jersey to achieve River-Friendly certification, following TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton, which became certified in 2005. Launched by the Watershed in 2002, the River-Friendly program is designed to inspire residents, businesses, schools and golf courses to adopt greener practices, meeting designated standards in the areas of water quality, water conservation, wildlife habitat enhancement and education outreach.

“We work one-on-one with each entity and set different goals depending on the property,” Weaver says, noting that the River-Friendly program was modeled after similar programs employed on a national level, and handed some of its first certifications to major companies like Janssen Pharmaceutica in Titusville and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Hopewell campus. “We even worked to certify our own facility here at the Watershed Reserve.”

Weaver says that after taking the necessary steps to make their grounds River-Friendly, organizations and private residents looking to obtain certification must undergo a review from the Watershed’s River-Friendly Technical Advisory Committee, a peer group of Watershed officials, pesticide specialists and other individuals in the business of water protection and preservation.

It took the Hopewell Valley Golf Club approximately three years to ready its grounds for certification. Weaver says the Watershed has been working closely with the club for the last six years, but it wasn’t until 2006, when Stout came on board as superintendent, that the company really started to pick up the pace with its land stewardship. The committee officially certified the club as River-Friendly near the end of last year.

“The reductions they’ve made are phenomenal,” Weaver says, referring to the club’s implementation of strategies that will reduce the chemical usage on its course by 71 percent, reduce water usage by 50 percent and increase its wildlife habitat by eight acres. “They’ve made outstanding strides.”

Stout was formerly an assistant superintendent at the Pine Valley Golf Club in Camden County, where he and his co-workers took steps to achieve certification with the New Jersey Audubon Society, a process similar to that of the River-Friendly program. Stout says that when he arrived at Hopewell Valley Golf Club, there was some interest in pursuing the River-Friendly seal of approval, but things needed a push – a push he was happy to administer.

“I felt it would be a great thing to do at my first head superintendent position,” Stout, 34, says of going River-Friendly. “It proves to the local area that golf courses can co-exist with the natural habitat and the community, which is very important.”

Stout says other River-Friendly accomplishments of the club, which covers 180 acres and has the Stony Brook running through it, include introducing more aerification, compressing the sand and introducing more drainage, building buffers around the Stony Brook and around the course’s pond, using fewer pesticides and fertilizers, allowing certain patches of plant life to grow wild and implementing more manual watering as opposed to automatic sprinklers, helping to reduce water usage.

“We’re very proud that we worked toward this certification and achieved it,” Stout says, “and we’re going to keep working with the Watershed to continue being environmentally sound.”

Very much on the same plane, Weaver says, “Being River-Friendly is clearly something the Hopewell Valley Golf Club has become really dedicated to, and not something they just finished and put on a shelf. Because it isn’t something you just check off of a list and finish – it’s something that requires you to continue to do more steps. And we’re looking forward to continuing to work with them and more courses in the future, as well as inspiring other businesses, residents and schools to be more River-Friendly.”

Weaver also expressed hopes that members of the Hopewell Valley Golf Club will take the practices exercised at the club home with them, which is likely considering, as Stout tells it, a number of them are also members of the characteristically earth-conscious Audubon Society. Stout said that about 80 club members turned out for the Saturday event, which also marked the opening of the club’s new season.

Finchem Shares Views on Golf Economy, Olympics and Course Conditioning

2010-04-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem acknowledges things are tough for the North American golf development economy, sees the overseas market “growing nicely” and thinks the Olympics will have a positive effect on the game long-term. He shared these and other observations with attendees and guests at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club during his acceptance of the Donald Ross Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects’ (ASGCA) 2010 Annual Meeting.

Finchem observes that the credit crunch and slow-down in real estate development in North America has affected recent golf course development and renovation. However, he feels that the inclusion of golf in the 2016 Summer Olympics will impact the game positively for years, and congratulated ASGCA member Jack Nicklaus for his role in persuading Olympic Committee members to include golf.

He touted golf’s popularity, citing the 144 million Americans who tune in to televised golf tournaments, saying that the cumulative audiences over four days of a tournament is second in number only to that of NFL football.

When asked whether the PGA TOUR would consider “bringing the conditioning down a bit from its current level to better showcase golf’s environmental stewardship,” he replied that the TOUR is committed to environmental issues. But, he defended the top conditions of TOUR golf courses, saying that it’s the TOUR’s job to test the best players in the world, and part of that test is to provide great conditions.

Finchem is the 34th recipient of the Donald Ross Award, which was first presented to Robert Trent Jones in 1976 for his outstanding contribution to golf and golf course architecture.

The press release above was distributed by the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Congratulations to Mr. Finchem for receiving the 34th Donald Ross Award. However, as the 33rd winner of the Donald Ross Award, I offer the following comment:

DODSON COMMENT: Who says that an environmental or sustainable approach to golf course management can’t equal great conditions? It is my opinion that if TOUR players get to play on "over the top" managed golf courses; they are getting an unfair advantage, which should be against the rules of golf. Golf is a game that is meant to be played in nature. If TOUR players get to play on “sanitized” courses, then they aren’t really playing a true golf course, which is an unfair advantage as compared to the rest of us MORTAL golfers! We need to change what is generally accepted as “top conditions” for a golf course. The sanitized golf course is generally an uneconomic golf course. If a golf course is not viable economically, then it will go out of business. If it goes out of business, then we will not be able to achieve the environmental and social aspects of sustainability.

Courses Sign Up for Carbon Sequestration

2010-04-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Golfpreserves has announced that Applewood Golf Course in Golden, Colorado and Breckenridge Municipal Golf Course in Breckenridge Colorado, have signed on to be part of the first ever comprehensive emission and sequestration project for the Golf industry.

“There is such great momentum around the project right now. We are excited to welcome Applewood and Breckenridge Golf Courses on board. And the letters of support are continuing to arrive, most recently from the Office of the Governor of Colorado,” says Noble Hendrix, co-founder of Golfpreserves.

Applewood Golf Course, the granddaddy of “organic” golf courses, was established for the Adolph Coors Co. in 1961. Situated atop an aquifer that Coors (today MillerCoors) still uses to provide water for its beverages. Due to its location, the company decided as early as 1988 to quit running the risk of contaminating the aquifer and ordered its golf-course personnel to develop a holistic view on maintenance. Today, the course is run without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Applewood is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

“Being environmentally responsible is part of our DNA here at Applewood. The opportunity for the golf industry to create self-sustaining funding for its future research is intriguing and the decision to sign up for with Golfpreserves and the Colorado Golf Carbon Project made a lot of sense: We are proud to be part of the solution”, says Matthew Rusch, Superintendent at Applewood Golf Course.
Breckenridge Golf Club, in the Town of Breckenridge, is the only municipality owned Jack Nicklaus designed 27-hole golf course. Previous honors include Best Mountain Course as well as Toughest Mountain Course by the Colorado Golfer and received a 4 ½ Star Facility rating by Golf Digest. Breckenridge is also a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

“As a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, the Breckenridge Golf Club is committed to being environmentally responsible. The Colorado Golf Carbon Project and Golfpreserves is a good example of initiatives that are going to make us stronger moving forward,” says Tim Walsh, Golf Course Superintendent at Breckenridge Golf Club.

“There are approximately 18,000 courses in the US alone and our project is inviting all of them to participate. As noted recently by Jim Hyler, the new President of the USGA, there is a heightened awareness about the environment and golf. We foresee a need for our Project and rapid growth in 2010,” says William Crispin, co-founder of Golfpreserves.

The Golfpreserves project is now open to participation for the owners of the country’s golf courses. There is no cost to be a participant with Golfpreserves.

Old Collier Golf Tour

2010-03-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've had the pleasure of working with Tim Hires, the Golf Course Superintendent at the Old Collier Club for nearly 20 years. In addition I worked with Tim to establish the sustainability aspects of the Old Collier Club, which is located in Naples, Florida. While this course is located in extreme Southwest Florida, the topics covered during the tour is relavant to any golf course anywhere. It is simply The Nature of the Game!

GCSAA Research Examines Nutrient Use on Golf Courses

2009-12-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has released the results of a nationwide survey of golf courses examining nutrient use and management on golf facilities. The results indicate that superintendents apply fertilizers at rates that fall within the guidelines recommended by university scientists.

These findings are contained in the article “Golf Course Environmental Profile Measures Nutrient Use and Management and Fertilizer Restrictions, Storage, and Equipment Calibration” published in the December 2009 edition of Applied Turfgrass Science. The article was authored by GCSAA Director of Research Clark Throssell, Ph.D.; Director of Environmental Programs Greg Lyman; Senior Manager of Environmental Programs Mark Johnson; Senior Manager of Market Research and Data Greg Stacey; and National Golf Foundation Director of Research Clark Brown.

“Nutrient use and its impact on water quality is a hot topic across many industries,” Throssell says. “Those who are familiar with golf course management have long felt the industry has been a good steward when it comes to the management of fertilizers. With this study, we now have a much better picture of nutrient use across all regions of the country and how superintendents make application decisions. The report indicates where improvements can be made, but by and large the information is positive.”

Among the key findings:

• For all golf courses in 2006, a total of 101,096 tons of nitrogen were applied to 1,311,000 acres (154 pounds of nitrogen per acre); 36,810 tons of phosphate were applied to 1,131,000 acres (65 pounds of phosphate per acre); and 99,005 tons of potash were applied to 1,260,000 acres (157 pounds of potash per acre).

• Of 18-hole golf facilities in the U.S., 49 percent had a written nutrient management plan or written fertilizer program in 2006, but only 6 percent of facilities were required by government or tribal authorities to have such a plan. A higher maintenance budget correlates with the likelihood that a golf facility would use a written nutrient plan or fertilizer program.

• For 18-hole golf facilities nationally, slow-release nitrogen sources accounted for 64 percent of the nitrogen applied, and quick-release nitrogen sources accounted for 36 percent. Organic nutrient sources were applied to 66 percent of 18-hole golf facilities in 2006. Organic sources of nutrients comprise 24 percent of the total annual amount of nutrients applied on 18-hole golf facilities.

• In 2006, 43 percent of 18-hole facilities did not use soil amendments. The highest use of soil amendments was in the Southwest, where it's common for soil and irrigation water to have high sodium content. A much larger percentage of respondents, 74 percent, use a turfgrass supplement such as biostimulants, humates and amino acids/proteins.

• Nationally, only 9 percent of 18-hole golf facilities reported restrictions on fertilizer applications. Restrictions were most likely in the North Central (16 percent) and Pacific (10 percent) agronomic regions. Sixty-two percent of 18-hole golf facilities in the U.S. with restrictions report restrictions on phosphorus either in the total yearly amount applied or the amount per application.

• Superintendents consider multiple factors when making nutrient application decisions. Integrating many variables into their decisions leads to effective applications for the turfgrass while protecting the environment. The most common factors superintendents used to make decisions about nutrient applications and the percentage of 18-hole golf facilities using that factor were: visual observations of turfgrass (85 percent), previous product performance (84 percent), soils/soil analysis (84 percent), precipitation/temperature/weather (83 percent), turfgrass species (81 percent) and disease pressure (79 percent).

• From 2002 to 2006, 95 percent of 18-hole golf facilities performed soil testing on greens, 75 percent on tees, 80 percent on fairways and 26 percent on rough.

• On average, superintendents at 18-hole golf facilities calibrated their fertilizer application equipment before 67 percent of applications, thereby improving the accuracy of their fertilizer applications. Nationally, 91 percent of 18-hole golf facilities stored fertilizer on site for three consecutive calendar days or more in 2006. Half of those golf facilities used a dedicated storage area.

To review the full report Click Here

Piper and Oakley Award

2009-11-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

The USGA Green Section is pleased to announce that M. Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., has been honored with the Green Section’s Piper and Oakley Award, which was established in 1998 to recognize meritorious service to the USGA Green Section and its activities and programs by a volunteer. The honor is not awarded annually, but is granted when an outstanding nominee is recognized.

Dr. Charles V. Piper and Dr. Russell A. Oakley were among the earliest scientists to conduct studies in the fields of turfgrass science and golf course management, and they served as the first chairman and co-chairman of the USGA Green Section when it was formed in 1920. They were men of great character, keen vision and remarkable achievement, whose contributions to the improvement in early greenkeeping methods were immeasurable. Like Piper and Oakley, Harivandi has exhibited unselfish dedication and contributions to the game of golf and the turfgrass industry.
In 1998, Harivandi joined the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research and has been an active member ever since. As an environmental horticulturist who specializes in turf, soil and water with the University of California Cooperative Extension, Harivandi provides an invaluable national and international perspective of crucial water and turfgrass issues to help guide the USGA’s broad research objectives.

Participating on the Research Committee is demanding, and Harivandi contributes countless hours on behalf of the USGA, helping direct the largest turfgrass and environmental research program ever undertaken. For most of the 26 years of the program, committee members have met two or three times per year for several days each. In advance of the meetings, our 16 committee members have been charged with reviewing 60 to more than 100 research proposals each year, some compilations exceeding more than 600 hundred pages of scientific jargon.

In addition to the several committee meetings each year, a number of USGA staff, along with committee volunteers, have taken turns visiting the 35-plus universities and the principal investigators at every university. This has required abundant travel and dedication on behalf of our volunteers. Harivandi’s knowledge, experience and loyalty has been invaluable to the research program.

The USGA’s Turfgrass and Environmental Program has supported more than 400 research projects at 39 universities, at an expense of more than $34 million in actual grants since 1983.

Acushnet receives Massachusetts Beacon for Energy award

2009-11-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. -- Acushnet Company, which is comprised of the Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra Golf brands with worldwide headquarters in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, was named recipient of the first Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) "Beacon for Energy" award. DOER Commissioner Philip Giudice presented the clean energy leadership certificate to the Acushnet Cogeneration Design Team this afternoon in a ceremony at Titleist's Ball Plant II in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Acushnet Company was recognized for its advancements and improvements in energy utilization and obtaining electric power from alternative sources such as cogeneration, the onsite production of Combined Heat and Power (CHP). Acushnet is the first approved Alternate Energy Portfolio Standard (APS) facility to qualify for CHP, creating Alternative Energy Credits (AECs) under the Massachusetts APS program. Under the Green Communities Act passed last year, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established an APS to promote lower greenhouse gas emissions and create new market opportunities for businesses and institutions in the energy technology and renewables sector.

"We entered into this initiative as part on an ongoing energy efficiency program," said Hank Conaty, Senior Director of Golf Ball Engineering and Technology, Acushnet Company. "This initiative represents a large investment in sustainable energy technology to reduce our energy consumption and our carbon footprint resulting in an effective reduction in energy costs in our golf ball manufacturing plant. With Nexant's help, we are now improving the investment paybacks on Acushnet's alternative energy projects."

"Acushnet is demonstrating the type of leadership we all need to consider as the Commonwealth advances along the path toward a clean energy future," Commissioner Giudice said, noting that the CHP unit enables Acushnet to generate the same amount of energy for heat and electric power at the golf ball plant using 61 percent less fuel than before. "By making use of heat energy that traditionally has been wasted, cogen plants such as this make companies more efficient and help them to grow. Under Massachusetts's new Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, we expect to see many more companies follow Acushnet's lead."
Acushnet retained clean energy experts Nexant to help qualify the cogeneration system at Titleist Ball Plant II and transact the resulting AECs in the state marketplace. In addition to receiving the "Beacon for Energy" certificate from the Massachusetts DOER, Acushnet will also be presented a check for $300,000 from Nexant, which represents the proceeds from sales of AECs created next year.

Colorado Project

2009-11-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

Golfpreserves and Allied Golf Associations of Colorado launches Groundbreaking Pilot Carbon Project.

The Allied Golf Associations of Colorado and Golfpreserves today announces the initiation of the Colorado Golf Carbon Project, a project that will develop a carbon emissions data collection system as well as document the carbon sequestered at participating golf courses.

The project is a partnership between the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado and Golfpreserves, including the Colorado Golf Association, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the GCSAA, the Colorado chapters of the NGCOA, PGA, CMAA and Colorado Women’s Golf Association and is supported by the USGA Green Section, Colorado State University, USDA-ARS, Audubon International, the International Sustainability Council, Audubon Lifestyles, Sustainable Golf & Development as well as the Governor of Colorado’s Energy Office.

The project is a first of its kind not only in the way that it presents a partnership between a diverse group of representatives within the golf industry, research facilities and the Governor’s office but also in what it is setting out to accomplish:

“The Colorado Carbon Project will provide valuable environmental information that will help shape the golf industry for the future as well as creating the funding for future research and development” says Noble Hendrix at Golfpreserves.

The core objective of the Colorado Carbon Project is twofold:
• To develop a carbon emissions data collection system. This part of the project will be developed and implemented by the Agricultural Economics Department Colorado State University in association with Colorado’s golf organizations. The results will subsequently be published in a peer-reviewed journal publication by Colorado State University documenting the total carbon effects of emissions and sequestration of golf in Colorado.
• To document the sequestered carbon at Colorado’s golf facilities on an annual basis and create marketable offsets, thus creating a self sustaining funding mechanism for this and future projects aimed at improving conservation and environmental stewardship at golf facilities. This part of the project will be accomplished by a consortium of the USDA/ARS and Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture of Colorado State University Golfpreserves.

The creation of the pilot project has been a joint effort spearheaded by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the GCSAA, the USGA Green Section, Colorado’s allied golf associations, and Golfpreserves.

“Colorado’s allied golf associations believe that resources from a diverse group of stakeholders make the Colorado Golf Carbon Project an undertaking that will provide valuable environmental information. There is no doubt that the information generated by this project will have a lasting impact on the management of energy, water and other environmental issues encountered by golf courses and other businesses in Colorado and throughout the United States,” says Joe McCleary of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

“The USGA supports the group of scientists, associations, and companies that have come together to provide their time and expertise on this emerging environmental issue. This is a great project and will provide important information at a time when climate change legislation is being addressed,” says Michael P. Kenna, Ph.D., Director, USGA Green Section Research.

The Colorado Carbon Project is also supported by Audubon International and the International Sustainability Council.

“Audubon International supports the intentions of the project as it aims to improve conservation and environmental stewardship at Colorado’s golf facilities. We believe that this will lead to a more sustainable natural resource management on golf courses across Colorado which clearly is in line with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program,” says Kevin Fletcher, President of Audubon International.

“The ISC wholeheartedly supports the Colorado Project and the focus that is being placed on fully understanding the total carbon dynamics of golf courses. This means that the project will not only focus on the scientifically based relevance of the ability of turfgrass to sequester carbon, but to document the total carbon emissions connected with a managed golf course,” says ISC Chairman Ron Dodson.

“We couldn’t be happier about the way that this pilot project has been brought together. From a Golfpreserve’s perspective, Colorado has always been a perfect choice for a pilot as we have built our proprietary model based on the research on sequestration of carbon in measurable amounts done at Colorado golf facilities by the Colorado State University and the USDA/Agricultural Research Service,” says William Crispin at Golfpreserves.

Participation is ongoing and the project is expected to be initiated by January 1, 2010.

About Golfpreserves
Golfpreserves is a carbon sequestration program for the golf course industry. As an aggregator, Golfpreserves will facilitate the assessment, quantification and confirmation, and create carbon financial instruments (CFI) that will be traded on the carbon market(s). The proceeds from sold carbon credits are invested in research focusing on energy and water conservation, carbon sequestration, environmentally improved turfgrass, and reduced pesticide usage. www.golfpreserves.com

Brown-headed Nuthatches on Golf Courses

2009-06-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

The brown-headed nuthatch is a breeding bird found in the southeastern United States. For nearly a half a century its numbers have been in decline. Habitat degradation is usually blamed for the dwindling population.

Mark Stanback of Davidson College, which is located about 20 minutes of Charlotte, North Carolina has been leading a study of brown-headed nuthatches on golf courses since 2007. The USGA Wildlife Links sponsored research project is assessing the importance of pine tree density and competition with eastern bluebirds on the distribution of nuthatch nests. In addition they study is looking at population responses of brown-headed nuthatches to the experimental exclusion of eastern bluebirds.

Thus far the study seems to indicate that pine tree density had little effect on next box use by nuthatches. Instead, the exclusion of bluebirds via smaller entrance holes in the boxes was the best predictor of net box use by nuthatches.
To date, brown-headed nuthatch numbers increased dramatically on three golf courses where bluebirds were excluded from on-third of next boxes on the courses, while the control golf courses had few, if any, breeding nuthatches over the same period of time. In addition, when bluebird-friendly hole sizes were returned to experimental nest boxes, bluebirds quickly evicted resident nuthatches.

KemperSports Launches Green to a Tee Environmental Initiative

2009-04-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

KemperSports announced today that it launched its Green to a Tee™ environmental initiative on Earth Day 2009. The program is designed to extend and formalize the company's practices in environmentally sound property management. Green to a Tee, which was introduced to staff in February at the annual KemperSports Leadership Conference, builds on KemperSports' 30-year history of environmental responsibility.

The Green to a Tee program encompasses environmentally focused initiatives within several core areas of facility operations, including:

Golf course maintenance
Habitat management
Water conservation
Energy usage
Recycling
"Green" vendor utilization
Staff education and training

In addition to formalizing the company's policy on environmental practices at both the corporate and property levels, the Green to a Tee program arms the more than 5,000 KemperSports staffers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with tools and training in environmentally-friendly practices that they can implement on the job and in their homes.

"Green to a Tee is an interactive program that gives KemperSports staffers not only an awareness of environmental practices but also real-world applications that they can begin using immediately to make a difference in their everyday lives," said KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner. "As a company, we have always tried to act in an environmentally sensitive manner and to be good partners in the communities in which we operate. This program will take that commitment to the next level."

Throughout its history, KemperSports has demonstrated its dedication to positive environmental practices as evidenced by the numerous Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program certifications awarded to its golf courses that have demonstrated high standards of environmental management.

In order to track each property's progress, the program is divided into four distinct levels of certification (KemperSports Green Levels I through IV). All facilities are expected to achieve Level I status, with many test sites already fulfilling the requirements necessary for Level I classification. Levels II, III and IV call for an increasing degree of demonstrated environmental commitment in order to achieve certification.

About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, Harding Park, Desert Willow Golf Resort and Chambers Bay, host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open. Affiliate KemperSports Marketing & Communications, a sports marketing, events and public relations agency, has produced and managed major national and international events, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament. For more information, visit www.kempersports.com.

Marriott Golf Expands Environmental Program

2009-03-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Marriott Golf recently announced that its environmental program will be expanded internationally because of its success in 2008.
Last year, 24 Marriott Golf-managed properties in North America, along with a signature property in the Caribbean, became Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. The expanded program will require 17 international golf properties to become certified by the end of the year.
Certified Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuaries, which enable golf facilities to protect the environment by enhancing natural areas and wildlife habitats, are part of a system wide commitment by Marriott International to promote environmental stewardship. In order to achieve certification, a golf facility is required to demonstrate that it is maintaining the highest degree of environmental quality in many areas, including environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and water quality management.
“With so much success in 2008, expanding the program to include our international properties was the next logical step and truly elevates our position as an environmental leader in worldwide golf course management,” said Robert Waller, senior director of grounds for Marriott Golf. “We are committed to promoting the game of golf in an eco-friendly way and working with Audubon International allows us to do that while also maintaining the integrity of our premier courses.”

Save the Bay Classic

2009-02-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

On May 5, 2009, CBF will host the second annual Akridge Save the Bay Classic tournament. This event gathers business leaders and decision makers from around the mid-Atlantic region for a day of environmentally-friendly golf and discussion about the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams.Akridge, the tournament’s title sponsor, is a major real estate developer in the Washington, D.C. area that stresses sustainability in its projects.The presenting sponsor, The Brick Companies, owns and operates the Queenstown Harbor golf course where the tournament will be held. The course is located on the shore of the scenic Chester River, and has received certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, a program administered by Audubon International (AI).

http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=give_sub_sponsor_golf

Golf & The Environment

2009-01-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Golfers can get involved directly in helping golf courses continue to contribute to the quality of the environment on and around the golf courses where they play the game. While there are certainly things that every golfer can do while they play the game, there are also opportunities to help courses become more involved and gain recognition for the positive contributions that they make to entire watersheds. That is why Audubon International created Golf & The Environment (G &E). G & E is a web site, but much more than that.
G & E is a partnership of the United States Golf Association, The PGA of America, and Audubon International. It is dedicated to the game of golf and the protection and enhancement of our natural environment. Your involvement can make this partnership a winning foursome. Together with the help of other golf organizations, Audubon International and their partners are striving to foster environmental awareness, action, and positive results throughout the game.
Check it out and make sure that you sign on to the Green Golfer Pledge!!

http://www.golfandenvironment.org/

The Wildlife Links Program

2009-01-03T10:02:00.001-08:00

The Wildlife Links Program represents golf's first comprehensive investigation of the game's relationship with wildlife and its habitat. It was established in early 1995 to fund research, management, and education projects needed to provide the game of golf with state-of-the-art information on wildlife management issues. The USGA will contribute $200,000 annually for funding. Since the program began more than 17 projects committing more than $700,000 have been funded to enhance wildlife conservation on golf courses.

If you would like to read about the Wildlife Links Program and see what can be done for wildlife on golf courses click: Wildlife Links: Improving Golf's Environmental Game

Golf Course Amphibians

2008-12-29T11:02:00.000-08:00

University of Missouri researchers report how golf courses can be
used to bolster amphibian populations. They provide management
recommendations that include golf course design features,
adaptive procedures, monitoring progress and success, developing
conservation partnerships, and outreach that superintendents
can employ to successfully fill this environmental stewardship
role.

This research was funded by the United States Golf Association Research Program. To see the research report visit: http://turf.lib.msu.edu/tero/v06/n01.pdf

Sustainable Future for the Game!

2008-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

For those of us associated with the golf course industry, we need to be striving for economically viable, ecologically healthy and socially beneficial golf courses. The primary purpose of this Blog is to offer information that will help those associated with managing, planning, designing, permitting and playing golf courses to reach those sustainable goals.

Today we are witnessing the results of unsustainable actions of the past. The present economic downturn is directly related to decisions that have been made in planning, permitting, design and management strategies that are clearly unsustainable. That is why we are seeing golf courses closing up shop!

It is well past time for all of us to become fully engaged in a campaign for a sustainable future. Golf can and should lead the way. Properly sited, designed and managed golf courses can not only provide fields for recreation, but can also be important parts of the sustainable infrastructure for the greater community in which they are located. For those of us that care about the game of golf and the environment, now is the time to seize the moment!

Bird Feeding at Golf Courses

2008-11-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

It will soon be cold and snowy in the Northern climes, which is nothing new. In fact in many places the snow began flying early this winter. Of course, the "snow birds" have started their migration to the warm South with their golf clubs in tow and superintendents there are back to their full-action mode for the next several months.

But with the changing of the seasons comes another opportunity for golf courses — and that is to start or restart a bird-feeding program on the course. In the North, the harsh winter weather puts considerable stress on birds, and a bird-feeding program can help birds' ability to survive the long winter months. Even in the South, supplementing natural occurring food sources can be beneficial to bird conservation.

Birds, just like us, have certain food preferences. Birds such as wrens eat insects. Birds of prey, such as owls and hawks, may prefer rodents. But many birds, such as finches, are seed eaters. So putting out a feeder with various seed products can attract and benefit a range of seed-eating bird species. Seeds provide protein and fat that give birds energy and help them stay warm, which is particularly important during the winter months in the North.

Bird feeding is basic and simple. A bird-feeding station can not only help birds survive but can also be an enjoyable activity for people who may be using the clubhouse facilities to obtain their own human version of food and drink. It gives golfers and others the opportunity to see all the different types of birds that benefit from the fact that they are on a golf course and are being provided food.

To have a successful bird feeding program you will need to choose the correct types of feeders. There are several different types of feeders including:

Hanging tube feeders are easy to fill and the food is clearly displayed to the birds. The feeders usually have metal reinforced perches to help deter squirrels from taking over the feeders.

House-style feeders are generally large and attractive and will hold larger quantities of seed so they don't have to be re-filled very often. House-style feeders are usually mounted on a pole, and some form of "baffle" should be fitted around the pole to keep squirrels from climbing up and helping themselves!

Ground feeders are simple and will attract birds like cardinals, mourning doves, sparrows and many other birds that prefer to eat on the ground. A ground feeder can be as simple as just putting out one of those disposable aluminum baking pans and putting seed in it. The squirrels, however, will thank you for this, too.

Suet feeders are especially beneficial to woodpeckers, but nuthatches, chickadees and others will also frequent suet. Suet can be hung in wire cages or even small onion bags. Remember, in warmer climates, suet needs to be changed regularly.

Finally, make certain to choose the right types of seed. If you decide to start a bird-feeding program, don't be tempted to purchase those inexpensive brands often found in grocery stores. About 80 percent to 90 percent of the seeds in those bags are red millet. Birds won't eat red millet and simply scratch the seed off onto the ground. So you will be wasting your time and money. Look for quality seed products that list on the label the following seed types:

sunflower seed (the top choice)
cracked corn
white proso millet
thistle
safflower
peanuts

If you haven't started feeding birds on your golf course, now would be a great time to begin. The birds will appreciate it, golfers will see and enjoy it, and you will be demonstrating your efforts to be wildlife friendly.