Earth Day

Earth Day is a holiday that we hold dear to our heart. There is nothing better than playing on a golf course with beautiful, natural surroundings.

Since 2006, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has been conducting a groundbreaking project, the Golf Course Environmental Profile (GCEP), to develop a comprehensive environmental profile of golf courses in the United States. The surveys have provided critical data on land use, inputs, management of natural resources and environmental stewardship associated with golf courses.

In honor of Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, here are five ways golf courses have shown improvement in the past decade, as documented in the GCEP:

Energy Use: Annual median energy use at U.S. golf facilities has decreased 8.3%, this was primarily the result of a 31.4% decrease in consumption of electricity since 2008.
Nutrient Use: U.S. golf courses have significantly decreased overall nutrient use since 2006, including a 34% reduction in nitrogen, a 53% reduction in phosphate  and a 42% reduction in potash.
Pest Management: Golf courses have increased their reliance on non-pesticide pest control practices such as cultural control, plant growth regulators and biological control.
Land Use: The amount of maintained turfgrass on an average 18-hole golf course has decreased from 99 to 95 acres, with 46% of average 18-hole courses having increased natural area acreage.
Water Use: Use of recycled water increased by 32.7%. Recycled water now accounts for 25% of all water used on golf courses, thereby reducing the use of surface, ground and potable water sources.If you want to learn more about this project click HERE

This article courtesy of the National Golf Course Owners Association