Golf course
superintendents have a professional responsibility to manage their
facilities in a manner that is compatible with the environment.
GCSAA provides numerous resources to assist its members to accomplish
this goal. In addition, there are several voluntary programs that
are available to superintendents to assist them in their environmental
stewardship efforts. GCSAA supports these programs because they
are documented to be effective in enhancing the environmental performance
of golf courses. This evaluation is based on data collected from
GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project, which reveals
participants of such programs have made significantly more improvements
than non-participants in areas of incorporating native plantings,
wildlife habitat improvement, installation of buffer strips, chemical
mix/load pads, waste reduction and wetland construction/restoration.
Among
the resources are:
Audubon
International
The only international environmental stewardship program for golf
courses, the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses
is an award winning education and certification program that helps
golf courses protect the environment and preserve the natural heritage
of the game of golf. GCSAA supports Audubon International in its
efforts and encourages association members to evaluate whether the
ACSP for Golf Courses is appropriate for their facilities. Through
an extensive survey of its members, GCSAA determined that more of
them participate in the Audubon International programs than any
other. This program won the GCSAA’s President’s Award
for Environmental Stewardship in 1993.
The Groundwater Foundation’s Groundwater Guardian
Green Site The
Groundwater Guardian (GG) Green Site program recognizes the groundwater
and environmental stewardship of highly-managed green spaces, such
as golf courses, ball fields, parks, and campuses, by encouraging
sites to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly
practices. The program publicly recognizes sites for their efforts
on behalf of water resources and encourages their sustainable implementation
while providing an opportunity for superintendents and managers
of highly-managed green spaces to educate themselves, site staff,
and site visitors about the important resource of groundwater. Designation
as a GG Green Site is based on the completion of an application
and earning at least 70% of total applicable points based on current
practices related to pesticide and fertilizer use, water use, managing
sources of pollution, protecting water quality, and environmental
stewardship.
Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program The
Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program is intended
to organize efforts of the turfgrass industry, state agencies, Michigan
State University (MSU), and environmental advocacy groups to advance
the environmental stewardship of the turfgrass industry and to recognize
environmental achievements. The program was developed at MSU with
support from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, Golf Association
of Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan
Department of Agriculture. This program won GCSAA’s President’s
Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2001.
Oregon Environmental Stewardship Guidelines The
OGCSA recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship and
sustainability, and its membership is committed to optimizing golf
course management practices to protect the environment within, and
those areas surrounding golf courses. In an effort to assist superintendents
in their efforts to address environmental issues, the OGCSA has
undertaken an extensive review of relevant regulatory and public
concerns with the goal of developing Environmental Stewardship Guidelines.
With this goal in mind, the Guidelines were created and finalized
following input from professional, regulatory, and academic resources,
and are thoroughly referenced. This program won GCSAA’s President’s
Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2005.
The Environmental
Institute for Golf
1421 Research Park Drive
Lawrence, KS 66049-3859
Tel. (800) 472-7878 or (785) 841-2240 Contact us at
fundmail@gcsaa.org
Golf course
superintendents have a professional responsibility to manage their
facilities in a manner that is compatible with the environment.
GCSAA provides numerous resources to assist its members to accomplish
this goal. In addition, there are several voluntary programs that
are available to superintendents to assist them in their environmental
stewardship efforts. GCSAA supports these programs because they
are documented to be effective in enhancing the environmental performance
of golf courses. This evaluation is based on data collected from
GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project, which reveals
participants of such programs have made significantly more improvements
than non-participants in areas of incorporating native plantings,
wildlife habitat improvement, installation of buffer strips, chemical
mix/load pads, waste reduction and wetland construction/restoration.
The
Groundwater Guardian (GG) Green Site program recognizes the groundwater
and environmental stewardship of highly-managed green spaces, such
as golf courses, ball fields, parks, and campuses, by encouraging
sites to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly
practices. The program publicly recognizes sites for their efforts
on behalf of water resources and encourages their sustainable implementation
while providing an opportunity for superintendents and managers
of highly-managed green spaces to educate themselves, site staff,
and site visitors about the important resource of groundwater. Designation
as a GG Green Site is based on the completion of an application
and earning at least 70% of total applicable points based on current
practices related to pesticide and fertilizer use, water use, managing
sources of pollution, protecting water quality, and environmental
stewardship.
The
Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program is intended
to organize efforts of the turfgrass industry, state agencies, Michigan
State University (MSU), and environmental advocacy groups to advance
the environmental stewardship of the turfgrass industry and to recognize
environmental achievements. The program was developed at MSU with
support from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, Golf Association
of Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan
Department of Agriculture. This program won GCSAA’s President’s
Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2001.
The
OGCSA recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship and
sustainability, and its membership is committed to optimizing golf
course management practices to protect the environment within, and
those areas surrounding golf courses. In an effort to assist superintendents
in their efforts to address environmental issues, the OGCSA has
undertaken an extensive review of relevant regulatory and public
concerns with the goal of developing Environmental Stewardship Guidelines.
With this goal in mind, the Guidelines were created and finalized
following input from professional, regulatory, and academic resources,
and are thoroughly referenced. This program won GCSAA’s President’s
Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2005.