Monthly Feature Hosted By:
	Bob Farren, CGCS, Director of Grounds and Golf Course Management for Pinehurst Resort and Country Club

There has been and continues to be a great deal of consideration and resources dedicated to protecting and improving our environment. The golf course industry is at the forefront of many initiatives ranging from the protection of water quality to enhancing habitat for endangered species. The protection of air quality is perhaps one area that someone might overlook as an opportunity to have a positive impact.

Sure we all understand the need to be aware of and have an interest in all things that impact the quality of the air we breathe. But can we make an impact on air quality as golf course mangers?

Paul Galligan, Director of Golf Courses and Grounds at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan would tell you that we can make a difference. In 1998, Paul and the team at Grand Traverse Resort received the GCSAA/Golf Digest’s Environmental Leaders in Golf Award for the resort category. In 2005, they achieved certification in the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program. Paul is an energetic leader in our industry serving as a GCSAA chapter delegate for the Northern Michigan chapter.

Our feature this month highlights Paul’s involvement with retrofitting diesel powered tractors and turf equipment. The case study details this project that is based upon the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) comprehensive initiative throughout the country. Paul worked in co-operation with Brian Napont, Air Quality Specialist for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on a very practical and affordable solution that we should all consider implementing to make a difference in air quality.

I invite you to read the article to understand how we too can have a positive impact.

February's Guest:
	Paul D. Galligan, Class A member, Director of Golf Courses and Grounds Maintenance Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan

I am proud of the way the staff at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa has proven its care for the environment through the years. It is an ongoing effort and every day we seek ways to make our golf course and grounds maintenance practices more eco-friendly.

Because of our efforts during the last 12 years, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa received the 1998 GCSAA/Golf Digest’s Environmental Leaders in Golf Award, and certification in the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program in 2005.

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Brian Napont, Air Quality Specialist for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Brian introduced me to the idea of using catalytic converters to reduce harmful emissions created in the exhaust of diesel engines on our equipment.

We talked frequently, made plans, and by early 2007 we took action. We conducted a detailed inventory of the resort’s 17 pieces of diesel powered golf course and grounds maintenance equipment. The inventory included the age of each piece of equipment, its uses, and the hours per-week operated.

Brian then researched which equipment would be the most practical and efficient to retrofit with diesel oxidation catalysts. We determined that two Kubota tractors and one Toro Groundsmaster 4500-D self-contained large-area rough mower were the pieces that could be retrofitted in 2007 using funds from an EPA grant that was awarded for the project. Each piece is used between 32-34 hours a week during turf growing seasons.

We anticipate that the catalytic converters will reduce harmful emissions by as much as 60 percent. This not only helps the environment but also the operators of the equipment.

I am hopeful that we will be able to incorporate more of these systems on more diesel powered equipment in the very near future.