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

Allow me to introduce myself as your new host for Green Links. I am Bob Farren, CGCS, Director of Grounds and Golf Course Management for Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, NC. Pinehurst was honored to be the recipient of the 2007 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship from the GCSAA. In July 2007, we were honored to have our Safe Harbor program featured as the Green Links case study of the month. I have been amazed at the number of interesting stories people have been willing to share that are great examples of environmental stewardship.

Before I introduce this month’s feature I want to take the opportunity to thank David Phipps for his leadership and insight serving as the first host of Green Links. David is a Class A member and superintendent of Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon City, Ore. I first met David when we traveled to Harrogate, England for the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association conference last year. He was constantly looking for ideas that might make a good story and took an incredible number of wonderful photographs as we toured the countryside. He has used his talent as a photographer to create a calendar that is sold to raise research funds for the Environmental Institute for Golf. David has a great passion for stewardship and did an outstanding job hosting the column.

Our feature study this month comes from the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE). The study is another excellent example of the golf course industry playing a proactive role of self examination of golf course management practices and their impact on the environment. The AFCEE study involved nearly 16,000 acres of golf course property worldwide under the domain of the Air Force. The result of the study evolved into the implementation of the Golf Course Environmental Management (GEM) program.

January's Guest:
	Richard Boehm, CGCS-Retired, Turfgrass Agronomist Air Force Golf

As the Turfgrass agronomist for the Air Force, I go to our 67 golf courses to offer assistance and recommendations on numerous maintenance situations. A big push is to find innovative ways to reduce maintenance costs as our budgets are now at shoestring levels. Many recommendations have been to add no-mow areas where possible, add part circle irrigation for border areas, adding buffer zones along water features, adding course drainage to improve turf health, and reducing pesticide active ingredients through new product use and improved turfgrass health.

These recommendations work hand-in-hand with the Golf Environmental Management program. Bill Bushman, author of the Air Force GEM plan; Eric Sudy, Air Force Golf Program manager; and I work as a team to provide leadership and resources for our golf courses. Our goal is to achieve better golf playing conditions through sound practices while following the Air Force, State, and Federal regulations that at times, can be limiting on what an Air Force superintendent can do.

A recent Department of Defense directive required our superintendents to achieve a 50 percent pesticide reduction, every applicator to be certified, and to have an in-depth pest management plan. We have met and surpassed that directive. This is just one line item on the GEM plan.

During a golf course visit, I inspect and core greens to determine subsurface abnormalities, conduct an infiltration test, and determine the best course of action to improve green conditions for turf health and playability. Our customers deserve and expect good playing conditions, especially our returning servicemen. All environmental recommendations I make in the follow-up report follow GEM plan principles.

The golf program’s goal is to be leaders in environmental management by using sound agronomic and management practices.