Canada Day tribute to Stanley Thompson

On June 29th in Ingonish Nova Scotia the Honourable Michael L. MacDonald, Senator, revealed a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the national historic significance of golf course architect Stanley Thompson. From the press release:
"A pioneer of golf course design, Stanley Thompson used his exceptional sense of perspective to create visually outstanding courses," said Senator MacDonald. "We are very fortunate to have what some consider his very best design, the Highlands Links Golf Course, here in Cape Breton Highlands National Park."

The ST Society claims the courses at this link are ST's, but there's some debate about his role in number of these so here's a list from Ian Andrew of the courses he feels are likely pure ST. Although I only work with 5 Stanley Thompson designed courses, and have only visited 12 out of the 178(or145), I feel I have an average understanding of the principles and character of his designs, but perhaps from a different point of view than many. When I think of a Stanley Thompson course I think of a course that was built in the first third of the century, and because these courses were built relatively close to the population centers of their day, most are now fully surrounded by our urban centers. It's this characteristic that interests me, and even more so, I'm fascinated with the way superintendents have been able to preserve the "Thompson Integrity" while incorporating today's environmental standards and considerations. Here are a few quick examples...

Check out this link for an Environmental Case Study of Banff Springs from the American Society for Golf Course Architects.

This article covers the restoration of Dickinson Brooke in Fundy National Park Golf Course.


The Cutten Club in Guelph has established buffer-zones around all pond areas and has even reduced the amount of water used from the local Speed River by rerouting Guelph University's grey water run-off through the course and into irrigation reservoirs. This water carries a number of potential pollutants from roads and parking lots (hydro-carbons and road salt to say the least) but becomes filtered through the turf before being released into the local watershed.

Yes, putting up bird houses is relatively easy to do, and any course new or old should be doing it. An urban-locked course like Islington GC largely goes un-noticed by the community for their significant role in providing nesting cavities in an area of the city that is starving for trees, let alone ones with suitable nesting cavities. In the map below you'll see Islington GC, you'll notice how they (and other local ST courses like St.Georges and Lambton) provide crucial ecological infrastructure (Carbon Sequestration, Habitat Corridors, Green Space) to this area of Etobicoke/Toronto.

View Larger Map
First person account of Bigwin Island GC

Bearly Just Water Hazards in Whistler BC

This Week in Green Golf

Bird-B-Gone Mist, the latest ground-breaking product offered by Bird-B-Gone Inc., has been named one of Buildings Magazines’ TOP 100 Products of 2009! Products were chosen based on their “innovation, functionality, efficiency, and environmental friendliness”. I like the Bird B Gone products because they have a focus on deterring the birds, and do not aim to hurt the birds, although I've got to say I've never been a fan of spikes.



In Cambodia, Turtle Stew is considered a delicacy. But when poachers are collecting thousands of endangered turtles someone has to step in and provide a sanctuary. In this case, it's a golf course. From the article:

"The Angkor Golf Resort and the Jay Pritzker Academy are working with the Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity to provide safe havens for critically endangered turtles that have been confiscated during government raids from markets where the animals were being sold by the kilo to turn into stew.

Turtles are considered a delicacy by Cambodians, and the demand for their meat is high enough to support an illegal trade, pushing many species toward extinction. While police can confiscate turtles from poachers, the more difficult task is finding a safe area to release them.

Jim Gubricky, golf course superintendent at the Angkor Golf Resort, said the resort started fostering turtles about 18 months ago. "The wife of a guy who used to work here saw a bunch of turtles being sold in the market. She bought them all - probably about 50 or 60 - brought them to the course and released them."



Now I'm sure this won't come as a surprise to superintendents, but it's always nice to see it in the news: "Environmentally Friendly Golf Course Project Cleans Storm Runoff".

We've all seen the sludgie water come in to our urban golf courses and watch how that is filtered and transformed into a clear life giving substance that many take for granted, but lets face it, our golf courses are not recognised as fulfilling this function. This stigma can change thanks to articles like this. Side note: I googled this golf course and 6 articles about this project came up, very well done. From the article:

"The private course in northeastern New Hanover County (Eagle Point GC) on Tuesday opened its gates as part of a push to help treat storm water before it flows into Little Creek and eventually the Intracoastal Waterway.

More than 60 volunteers, including some teen-agers from the Community Boys and Girls Club of Wilmington, spent Tuesday morning getting their hands dirty planting nearly 5,000 plants."

GCM is one of my favorite golf industry news sources, here's a couple of recent items that were of interest to me.

A 2010 Ryder Cup Update, From the article:

"Europe's Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie is lending his support to the initiative: "I am delighted that The 2010 Ryder Cup is pioneering sustainability in sport events. To know that important social and environmental issues are being addressed across all aspects of the event adds even more to the already huge sense of pride I have in captaining the European Team.

"Come event time, we are going to witness some inspirational sporting drama, within a stunning environment, and with a legacy of improved understanding and practical action in Wales and across the game of golf."

The action plan cuts across four core areas:

The Venue: Further developing the Celtic Manor Resort's existing environmental management program, through which the resort hotel and clubhouses have already achieved level three of the Welsh Green Dragon Awards for sustainable businesses.
Event Staging: Establishing policy, promoting best practice guidance and collating baseline data for a wide range of issues such as energy, transport, catering, waste and temporary structures. This part of the action plan aims to ensure outreach through procurement, extending the initiative as far as possible out into supply chains.
Communications: Preceding and during the event, undertaking a wide range of media communication activities to make the most of the unique opportunity to raise public awareness and demonstrate leadership in this field.
Legacy: Ensuring that Ryder Cup achievements have a multiplier effect across golf and the environment in Wales and internationally, including setting in motion a movement towards the greening of all golf events and the provision of a detailed Sustainable Golf Events Toolkit to aid delivery."

More from GCM

"American Golf Corp., in an effort to conserve thousands of gallons of water on southern California courses, is retrofitting sprinklers with efficient metal nozzles. The company is working with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which offers rebates to courses that switch to FCI Profile metal nozzles from plastic nozzles. The FCI Profile nozzles feature stainless steel orifices to increase distribution uniformity and save water, the company says. The nozzles are manufactured by Underhill International. American Golf manages more than 110 private, resort and daily fee courses in the U.S. Contact Underhill International, 866-863-3744 (www.underhill.us)."

Stumpy Lake GC - Virginia Beach

I found this chilled out moment in Virginia Beach while searching for some info.

"Stumpy Lake golf course in Virginia Beach is an amazing place. It's a golf course in the middle of a wildlife refuge and it works. A wonderful place for the entire environmentally attuned family to enjoy. A golfer's and a photographer's paradise".

I Can't seem to embed it, so go here to view.

Bobcat feeding on Deer at Seabrook Golf Club

Warning, not for people with a sensitive stomach.

To Cull or not to Cull?

Here's an interesting article evaluating the option of culling deer.

Report: Guidance for National Golf Federations of Europe

The European Golf Association, in collaboration with the Golf Environment Organisation and The R&A, has produced a new report on golf and the environment, find it here.

The EGA hopes the report, Guidance For National Golf Federations, which highlights the issues that are affecting national golf federations, will encourage governing bodies to take a proactive and positive lead on environmental sustainability. My initial impression is that its very honest and takes a sincere concern about environmental issues facing the industry.

I've only browsed the report, but I'll be updating this post with my impressions once I get the chance to evaluate it's contents.

Golf Course Profile - Club de Golf Rivermead

Welcome to Rivermead...


Notable Environmental Features:

• Expected to be Audubon Certified within the Winter of 08/09, with assisstance provided by OOAL
  
• Mature habitat zones with strong corridor connectivity along streams and pond features
• An ESD Waste to Water System, follow this link for more information
  
• Test Plot for "Biological Control of Turfgrass Snow Molds with the fungus Typhula phacorrhiza" with Dr. Tom Hsiang, Dept. Environmental Biology, University of Guelph. More Information Here
• Member within the Coalition for Responsible Golf

Photographs courtesy of superintendent Dereck Powers
Interested in more information on Rivermead?
Course Photo Gallery
Course History
Membership Information

Take A Gander At Some Goose Control Options

I'll be posting on this topic often, but figured I'd need to start somewhere.

Some specie background from Wikipedia here.

A few management guidelines can be found here, and from the USGA here.

A couple interesting contraptions can be found here.

Behavior Modifications Here.

The Environmental Institute for Golf

Who is the Environmental Institute for Golf?

What began as a modest $200 scholarship awarded to a student in 1955 has evolved over the past 50 years into a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities directed at strengthening the compatibility of the game of golf with the natural environment. As the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), The Environmental Institute for Golf (The Institute) relies upon the support of many individuals and organizations to fund programs and projects that help golf courses fulfill the environmental, recreational and economic needs of their communities. The Institute is fortunate to have more than 9,000 active donors, representing each of the United States and 67 countries worldwide, supporting its efforts. Why? They believe in the future of the game and its positive impact to a community.

In January 2003, The Institute evolved from The GCSAA Foundation, originally established in 1955, with a new name, mission and focus. The Institute concentrates on delivering programs and services involving information collection, research, education and outreach that communicate the best management practices of environmental stewardship on the golf course.

Today, The Institute funds more than $1 million annually in environmental programs, including scientific research, education, information collection, outreach and scholarships.

The Environmental Institute for Golf is committed to strengthening the compatibility of the game of golf with our natural environment.

By 2008 the EIG hopes to provide:

• Collaboration between the golf and environmental communities will lead to programs and services beneficial to all who come in contact with the game of golf.
• Golf course design, construction and management will implement environmental standards to strengthen the compatibility of golf and the environment.
• The environmental, recreational and economic aspects of golf courses will be enhanced for their communities.

The Environmental Institute for Golf offers a ton of great resources, click on the topics below for an amazing collection of Case Studies, Research Papers and Advertisements:

Service Water Quality

Integrated Plant Management

Golf Course Siting, Design and Construction

Wildlife and Habitat Management

Energy and Waste Management

Ground Water Protection

Water Use and Conservation

All Case Studies


Follow this link for another video featuring Greg Norman.

GREEN GOLF on the GO

Every once in a while I get overwhelmed with the amount of potential posts, so instead of doing a bunch of individual posts I compile the links with a brief intro, Enjoy!

The Sports Business Journal has a few articles of note, you must sign up as a member to view.
Golf Without Turf - Artificial Surfaces
Golf Deals with a range of Environmental Issues

Interesting perspective! This article starts off by claiming: "For years, a golf course—or proximity to one—has been a prerequisite of the destination meeting. But as meeting planners increasingly seek to green their practices within the meetings and lodgings parameter, they are likely wondering about the green practices of the greens outside".
Read the rest of the article here.

More on the Trump fiasco.

I'll have to write an article on this topic soon, but for now here's just a peak at what is happening in Spain.
And while we're at it here's a bit more background on the concept of water trading.

Here's a bit on Ontario's water problems, from the article:
"Starting Jan. 1, 2009, industrial or commercial water users that fall within certain categories will be required to pay $3.71 for every million litres of water they take".
As of right now Golf Courses are not included within the defined "certain categories".

The above concerns could have something to do with this situation in Orangeville Ontario.


Toppoint has recently released the eCo RANGE golf Ball - "Toppoint Corporation Limited is the LEADER in golf balls manufacturing in Thailand for worldwide export." www.toppointgolf.com

Golf Courses contribute to conservation efforts, here and in some cases it's a little more complicated, like here.

Great Source of Info

Early spring photo of Heron Point Golf Club, near Hamilton, Ontario Canada

My goal with GO FORE THE GREEN is to provide as much information as possible about environmental issues facing the golf industry and to explore possible solutions. In order to keep myself in the loop I check as many news sources as I can. Science Daily reports on the latest science news and research from throughout the world and has collected a number of great articles on environmental issues facing golf. Check them out below:

Wildlife and Habitat Issues

Golfers and Golf Courses Benefit from Native Grasses in Rough

Golfers Beware! Deer Ticks Lurking in the Rough

Could Golf Courses Double as Wildlife Sanctuaries?

Pesticide Issues

Site of US Open Reducing Pesticides (Excellent Article)

Golfing Towards a Greener Environment

Purdue Golf Course Serves as Environmental Research Lab

Putting Doesn't Pollute - Research Finds

Better Golf Course Chemical Management with "KTURF" website
Website found here

Plants can make Golf Courses Better by Filtering Pesticides
We covered this issue in one of our own articles, find it here.

Inhalation of Golf Courses Pesticide Causes "Minimal Health Risk"

Scientists Battle Cold Weather Mold

Water Quality

Wetlands Clean Water and may Control Neigborhood Flooding Issues

Commercial Aquatic Plants offer Cost-Effective Method for Treating Waste Water

Gator on the Golf Course

Background on Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program

If you haven't heard of the Audubon program for golf courses, your probably on the wrong site. Here's a little background for you, from Audubon:

"The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Course is an award winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect our environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf. By helping people enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf operations, the program serves as vital resource for golf courses.

Getting involved is easy. Membership is open to golf courses in the United States and internationally, including private clubs, public and municipal courses, PGA sites, 9-hole facilities, resort courses, and golf residential communities. After joining the program, your next step is to take stock of environmental resources and potential liabilities, and then develop an environmental plan that fits your unique setting, goals, staff, budget, and time. Audubon International provides a Site Assessment and Environmental Planning Form to provide guidance, as well as educational information to help you with:

Environmental Planning Wildlife and Habitat Management Chemical Use Reduction and Safety

Water Conservation Water Quality Management Outreach and Education

Based on a site specific report provided by Audubon International, you develop a plan that works for your golf course. By implementing and documenting environmental management practices in the above areas, a golf course is eligible for designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, improving its stature and reputation."

They just released a new website with a whole bunch of great information, unfortunately I can't post links to anything so instead go there yourself and check it out www.auduboninternational.org, be sure to check out the map page which lists both the number of courses and the total percentage of courses within each state.

Rob Lowe explains

The Growling Frog Golf Course - Australia

The Growling Frog Golf Course has won a number of international and national environmental awards. The course is watered with recycled water, including the use of reclaimed water from the Whittlesea Treatment Plant and recycled sewer effluent from the clubhouse.

The clubhouse contains water saving plumbing devices as well as a range of other environmentally friendly features, such as high performance solar control glass and thermal and acoustic insulation in the walls and ceiling.

After the recent exciting discovery that confirmed the presence of the nationally threatened Growling Grass Frog at the Growling Frog Golf Course, Council is hoping to secure funding to secure the habitat of this species.

As part of the Living Rivers Program, a concept plan has been developed that looks at options of catching and treating stormwater runoff from the carpark and the roof of clubhouse at the golf course.

This water will be used to create new wetland areas. It is hoped this initiative will further enhance the site as a potential breeding ground and ensure that the Growling Grass Frog has a secure future at the golf course that bears its name.

Learn more here

"Golfs Green Handicap" according to National Geographic

Vintage 1997

Haha, more on Idiot Isenhour

Click on the link above to watch Idiot Isenhour explain himself. My favorite is the "I can't deny that the accident didn't happen, but we tried to do everything we could after it happened to make things as proper or right as we could", ahhhhh, what a great guy, I had him wrong all along.

Dos Lagos Golf Course

Dos Lagos Golf Course, Corona California, promotes a "balance between economic, environmental and social needs".

Green Marriott?

Marriott Hotels have been making a number of changes at their hotels over the years to make them more "green". Recently they announced that they will be doing the same with all of their golf courses too. They currently manage 62 golf courses at 46 different properties in 13 countries around the world, and all will be aiming for Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certification in 2008. Click above to read details on their blog, and check out the video below.