Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project

Frequently Asked Questions

The Pesticide Use Survey deadline extended to May 5, 2008!

What is the Golf Course Environmental Profile Project?

In 2006, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) began conducting the first in a series of surveys to determine the physical features found on golf courses, practices used by superintendents to maintain golf courses and inputs and outputs associated with management of golf courses. This effort is called the Golf Course Environmental Profile project. The overall goal of the project is to develop an environmental profile of golf courses.

GCSAA contracted the National Golf Foundation (NGF) to conduct the surveys and analyze the data. All superintendents, whether GCSAA members or not, will be invited to participate in all the surveys. Surveys will be available via electronic or paper submission.

Why initiate a survey?

GCSAA and the golf industry need information specific to the environmental attributes of golf courses. This will include natural resource inventories, management inputs and current environmental stewardship practices. This information will provide baseline data for documenting changes in environmental practices over time and help to set priorities for education, research, member services and other environmental programs. The data will also help us respond to governmental inquiries and to answer the public’s questions about environmental issues. Existing environmental data are very limited, not complete, uniform, or centralized. Many times information provided in the news media is inaccurate or misleading.

What kind of information will be requested?

Information on property features, water use and conservation, water quality, habitat and wildlife management, energy consumption and inputs of nutrients and pesticides will be collected in the series of surveys. 

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How will the survey be performed?

The content of the survey was determined based on input from the GCSAA Environmental Programs Committee and associated advisory panels, along with contributions from GCSAA staff.

• The GCSAA will utilize the NGF to develop the survey instrument, conduct the survey, and summarize the results.
• We will utilize an on-line survey, paper survey and other methods to ensure a high return rate.
• The survey will be conducted in multiple installments, with a new installment conducted annually. Over a multi-year period, we will collect the entire data set needed.
• Once the first multi-year survey cycle and analysis has been completed, GCSAA will begin the process for a second multi-year survey cycle to document environmental change on golf course properties.
• The information will only be reported as aggregate data, summarized by state, region or other geographic area.
• Responses from an individual golf course will not be published or released.

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What’s Happening in 2008?

The information from the first survey, Property Profile Survey, conducted during 2006, was published within the scientific journal Applied Turfgrass Science. You can access the journal and manuscript at http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/ats/element/sum2.asp?id=6714.

View a pdf of GCSAA’s report: Property Profile and Environmental Stewardship of Golf Courses or view the summary of the report.

On Jan. 8, 2008, GCSAA launched the fourth survey in the series, the Pesticide Use Survey. All superintendents, including GCSAA member and non-member superintendents, are invited to participate. This survey will solicit information regarding pesticide use and associated practices on golf courses throughout the United States. Superintendents are encouraged to have their 2007 pesticide use records available to complete the survey.

In order to allow superintendents additional time to complete the survey, it will now close on April 14, 2008!
Also in 2008, the results from the Water Use and Conservation survey are expected to be submitted to the scientific journal Applied Turfgrass Science for review and publication.

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How will this information be used?

• Document changes in environmental practices over time.
• Assist in determining the future direction of GCSAA environmental efforts.
• Key issues will be identified for potential research projects.
• GCSAA will have the ability to respond to governmental inquiries, answer the public’s questions about environmental issues, and promote the efforts superintendents are making on their golf courses.
• The data will provide a solid basis for comments on proposed regulatory issues that may impact the golf industry.

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How do I participate?

Invitations to participate have been distributed via email and regular mail. Superintendents may take the survey online (recommended) or may use a paper version, available from GCSAA. Take the survey online now!

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What incentives are there for completing the survey?

1. GCSAA will award 0.50 service points for each completed Pesticide Use Survey. Participants simply need to fully complete the survey, provide their name and the name of their golf course. GCSAA will process the service point credits.
2. In addition, as a thank you for your participation and full-completion of the Pesticide Use Survey, participants will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one grand prize of one 46" flat screen LCD television valued at $2500 and one of seven $250 gift cards. A total of seven $250 gift cards will be awarded by random drawing. One gift card will be awarded to one winner from each of the seven agronomic regions. (Prizes may be taxable. Winners should consult their tax advisors. Prizes will be awarded in accordance with GCSAA’s terms and conditions.)
3. GCSAA will offer one-year free membership to all non-member superintendents, who complete the entire pesticide use survey for their facility.  Non-member superintendents will have to respond to a post-survey inquiry for membership contact information to activate this membership.  This membership is part of the Technical Assistant Network, thus it will be in the name of the facility, however the individual can be named as the contact.  This individual will have access to many of the GCSAA resources needed to help that person with their job.  Please contact Dave Fearis, CGCS, Director of Membership at 800-472-7878, ext. 5151 if you have any questions.  Currently, this offer is limited to the pesticide use survey only and not other golf course environmental profile surveys.

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Contact information

For additional information contact Mark Johnson, GCSAA Senior Manager of Environmental Programs, by calling 800-472-7878, ext. 5161 or by email at mjohnson@gcsaa.org.

Supported in part by a grant from The Toro Foundation

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