Stories, ideas and solutions to create a more fun, inclusive and regenerative world in and around golf
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Sustainability Spotlight: Goats at Rock Creek Park Golf
National Links Trust enlists the help of a herd of 40 goats to consume nearly 2 acres of invasive vegetation at Rock Creek Park Golf in NW Washington, DC. This project provided the organization and the local National Park Service staff with a new Integrated Pest Management System that was not only an extremely effective tool for managing invasive species but an engaging way to educate people about one of the most abundant environmental issues plaguing our natural ecosystems.
Olympic Spotlight: Le Golf National - How This Premier French Golf Club Leads Eco-Responsibility (Ahead of Regulations)
Le Golf National, located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and also hosts the French Open annually on its Albatros Champions Course. Le Golf National is not only a renowned golf club in France, but it also walks the walks when it comes to sustainability. This comes as no surprise given how dedicated the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was to making the 2024 Paris Olympics the most sustainable yet.
Sustainability at Scale through Balanced pH
ECO2MIX is a safe & sustainable water pH management alternative for golf courses. Healthy turfgrass relies upon having lots of water, but the quality of that water is as important as the quantity of water. For optimal turf conditions, soil and irrigation systems must have balanced (or slightly acidic) pH, and ECO2MIX offers a carbonic acid solution that costs between 20-40% less than sulfuric acid alternatives.
Becoming a Sustainability Champion
This article highlights a few guiding principles that golf club managers and superintendents as well as others in the industry should consider when discussing their sustainability efforts.
Systems Thinking: The Golf Course as a Living Bio-Filter
North Shore Country Club demonstrates that for a golf course, preservation need not detract from playability, prestige, and profitability. A fully conscious approach may even enhance all of the above. For Dan Dinelli, “multi-functionality” simply means understanding the land of a golf course and the many ways that it can provide value. Such an approach allows the facility to create value in multiple areas: economics, agronomy, ecology, and community – creating a “win, win, win, win”.
What is a climate resilient golf course?
A climate resilient golf course is one that sees the opportunities for community leadership and takes the initiative to explore ways to implement many of the types of projects listed above. Andrew discusses his takeaways from a regional climate resiliency summit hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Region of National Parks Conservation Association.
Growing Greener Golf Courses (Part Two)
While most golf courses seek to be efficient and resourceful with their inputs, monocultural grass production (i.e., the model of a typical non-diverse golf course that requires significant inputs) can be inherently antagonistic to the principles of nature. Allen Williams of Understanding Ag, LLC can help us understand the principles of nature, and how those principles can become the best friends of natural, efficient, and sustainably profitable golf course management!
Muni Golf Field Trip - Central Florida Edition
A trip home to Central Florida led to my inaugural Muni Golf Field Trip where I traveled to three Orlando-area municipal courses to learn, observe and connect with fellow municipal golf stakeholders.
Growing ‘Greener’ Golf Courses (Part One)
If we cast our gaze from the conventional wisdom of golf course management over to the quickly ballooning adoption of regenerative principles and practices in agriculture, we may find ways, completely out of the box, to think about and manage our courses differently (and perhaps a lot more profitably).
Hemp in the Golf Industry: A “Fore”-father of Greenspace Efficiency?
Not all weeds are made equal. One weed (hemp) might actually become your most valuable source of cost reduction while generating multiple streams of revenue on the land your golf course isn’t currently using.